Barefoot chick from our Yoga Stretch and Tell community group wants to know what the practice of yoga means to you, and posted this:
I know most people do yoga to relax and tone their body and I think that is wonderful just of itself. But yoga [as defined in Sanskrit, the language of origin] actually means a union of mind, body, and spirit.
Besides the health and physical benefits does anyone also get into the spiritual aspect of yoga, or the meditative component of clearing your mind of thought? If you incorporate the spiritual dimension into your yoga or would like to talk about that part of the total yoga experience, I would enjoy hearing from you.
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Christian Dior
For me yoga is a great vehicle to reconcile my actions with my perceptions (like the union of mind and body). I can't hide from the truths on the mat, my physical body is only capable of so much in asanas no matter how much imagination I try to use. My body also surprises me with what it can do when I am really in that shtira/sukha sweet spot. I find these realities to be true in my time off the mat as well. At times it is empowering, others humbling, either way it helps keep me centered through my day. Meditation is just the dessert that lets me relish in the acceptance of myself.
1"At times it is empowering, others humbling, either way it helps keep me centered through my day. Meditation is just the dessert that lets me relish in the acceptance of myself."
Beautiful, Kia.
2Yoga has nothing to do with religion. It's physical and it's real....but it will help you find your inner god.
3Yes It's true I also do yoga and trust me it keeps me fit and relaxed all the day.I feel uncomfortable if I miss it even a single day.
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4I too feel like something is missing if I'm not practicing regularly. I've also noticed I check in with myself a lot more even when I'm not on the mat.
5I feel calmer throughout the day when I practice daily. Things or people that used to stress me out don't bother me anymore. I find I approach everything with a calmer, clearer mind and tend not to get as anxious or panicked. It's definitely helped with my anxiety/tension/highstrung nature.
6Does anybody else ever feel their organs shift? I was doing a twist and felt something literally be squeezed and shift, then when I came out of the twist, it shifted back. My yoga instructor said it was probably the transverse colon and that it is good because it will help with colon function. It was a really wierd feeling -not painful in the slightest, just wierd in that I felt alarmed to feel my insides move in that manner.
7One thing I find is that I am not always calmer. The honesty I have found through my yoga process has translated into my life. I am a lot more honest with my emotions and don't suppress them like I used to. If you do something to upset me I articulate that feeling with a lot more ease and get angry. This doesn't happen often, but it happens. The upside is that I also laugh a lot more easily.
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