Yoga made my body more limber and my heart stronger, making it easier for me to climb the stairs and do a marathon in the morning to catch my bus. But aside from perfecting the triangle pose, yoga helped me exercise inner peace, made me aware of the importance of compassion and practice discipline. That is why it became my mission to share this practice to young kids.
Here are few lessons I learned from yoga class.
1. A Busy Eye is a Busy Mind
There are yoga poses wherein you are invited to close your eyes. My teacher said that when your eyes wander, so does your mind. With a fast paced world, everything can be so overwhelming. Most of us complain about how exhausting our day was yet sometimes we have not done even half of our daily task. Sometimes all we need is a little break. Pausing then shutting our eyes for few minutes or even seconds helps restore our sanity.
2. Own your Yoga Practice (Or Any Kind of Practice)
Own it! Sometimes there’s no right or wrong. Your heart and soul will lead you the way so always listen to it. In yoga you will never feel relaxed if you pressure yourself to do a pose especially if you really can’t. So with everything in life. Pushing yourself to do something you do not like will just make you unhappy. Everything your body resist will cause stress. Sore legs may mean you should take a rest from running. Your job might be causing a lot of anxiety because you do not really belong there. If someone holds you back from pursuing your passion, it may be a sign to end the relationship. Just like in yoga practice, take full responsibility of what your body and soul needs.
Own everything even your lapses and weaknesses. Failures are all part of the game. That’s how I learned how to be comfortable being uncomfortable. That’s the first thing I learned from yoga class (aside from locking my knees).
3. Let it go
I never wonder why the song from Frozen is such a hit. Let it go is such a positive expression. It is a good reminder to us that if things are not meant for us or if it is beyond our control we always have a choice. In Anahatasana or Melting Heart pose we are always reminded to let it go. This pose look so passive but it helps relieve tension in your shoulders and neck, good for your back, and opens up your chest. It has a lot of benefits and so easy to do. If I do this pose, it constantly remind me the beauty of letting go. I think at some point in our lives we can relate to this or even in many different ways. Letting go may mean so many things. It can be forgiveness, acceptance, or respect. If you let go, your heart will melt and you will begin to surrender to the overflowing positive emotions.
4. Dig Deeper! Push Yourself Harder!
This might contradict my earlier statement of knowing your limits and stopping when your body does say so. But I think we should never underestimate our strength. So with our capabilities and intelligence. God created us equal. We have talents and abilities that we should use. It is a blessing and using it for the good is an appreciation to God. Never stop challenging yourself and always aim high. Enroll to that cooking class, conquer your fear of heights by bungee jumping (this sounds crazy but why not), join yoga class. Do it!
5. Breathe
There is no better way to ease things in life but to just breathe. It is a powerful detoxification process. So try to practice breathing consciously. Be aware of your breathing pattern. Do deep breathing exercise regularly too. According to Harvard Health Publications, deep breathing slows the heartbeat and lower or stabilize blood pressure. This decreases tension and anxiety. So if things are not going well, remember to just breathe.
Whatever your practice is, seek learning from it and carry the valuable teachings wherever you go.
In my case I feel grounded and safe on my mat.
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