Yoga for me is not just a physical or spiritual practice limited to a certain square of time in my schedule. It may have begun that way, but now yoga infiltrates every aspect of my life. I have been practicing yoga for 10 years and teaching for 3, but I still consider myself a beginner. It is much more interesting to approach the practice with beginners eyes, and ask “what can I learn today?” rather than exercise my already “mastered” poses. When we feel we know it all, we become jaded, and tend to go on auto-pilot. Yoga is not meant to be another thing on our to do list, it is a practice that we carry off our mats with us into our days. Yoga reminds me to be more aware of my breath, and my overall being, as I go about talking, walking, eating, working, etc. When i approach my practice in an open way, I find that yoga continuously surprises me with its lessons and gifts. Just when I think I have it figured out, I realize I know nothing, and I begin again. Its beautiful!
This continuous sense of wonder, discovery, and destruction & rebirth is what keeps life wonderful and fulfilling for me. Yoga has given me this gift. When I do not do my practice I start feeling stuck and disengaged from my own life and the actions I take in it. Being fully present and open for all of life’s moments (the good, the bad, and the ugly!) this is what gives me incentive to return to my mat, again and again. As a yoga teacher I strive to share this gift with others. I hope that everyone may realize how amazing their lives already are! We just need to stop and remember to breathe and feel.
