I saw the above saying and love it so, I want to share. I believe yoga has come to mean many different things to many different people, for me there are multiple layers of what it means. I have learned to understand many different feelings in my body and what they mean. I have learned that my bodies needs are unique to me and to do what’s right for me and me alone. I have learned to be more gentle with myself and that my body & mind are amazing creations. I have learned how to use this thing called yoga to assist in feeling great in my body. I have learned that I do not need to live with aches & pains throughout my body.
Come to your yoga mat to feel!! Feel if you get frustrated, feel if you get calm, feel if you can open up to whatever is in store for you, feel if you push to hard, or not hard enough. There are so many possible feelings, “I don’t like that pose, I’m no good at it, I love this, it feels great, I can never do this one, and on and on. Yoga is a practice everyday, over and over again. I don’t think there is some end goal or mastering everything. My body is always changing, aging, dealing with sickness, dealing with all my emotions and so how could it ever be the same day to day. In conjunction with my mind always thinking and put those things together to possibly understanding your own bodies feeling. Its mind and body, as the last time I checked they are connected. I know many people who when asked “what are you feeling in your body”, they don’t have a sense of those feelings. That’s ok, we all learn at our own pace and understand things when were ready. Maybe there is another question to ask yourself, other than what are you feeling. Another question, might be when your in a certain yoga pose, are there places in your body that you have a sensation, or, does one side feel different than the other, or are you getting frustrated? I think there are many different questions that can be asked. Sometimes I get on my yoga mat and the first thing I think is “I’m tired and would rather be still” and I start to move slowly and keep going and almost always that “tired” feeling is gone. Other times, I get on my mat and I feel achy or some of my specific issues ( left hip ) is not happy, so I honor those feelings and do things that might feel good for those areas. Sometimes I get on my mat and am ready to tear it up and I do! Each time I get on my mat, I think and then sense what my different body parts are feeling and allow that to be part of my guide for what I do. I try and notice what feelings come up as I move and I try to feel, what ever it is, I try to feel over and over again.