My friend Lauren has spent the last several months on a big ole life adventure with her husband. It has taken them far and wide, and I wanted you to hear about her experience. Below are her words.
My yoga adventure began five years ago in the
generous, haven-like space of a friend’s living room. It was in that
space, among friends and a patient teacher, where I experienced yoga as a
practice of restoration, contemplation and peace. Since then I have
practiced in many studios, various styles and different teachers, but
the space of my yoga mat has remained a space of rest.
While yoga can mean many things
to many different people (not surprising given its ancient roots and
myriad evolutions), there are a couple of general misconceptions that
people tend to have of yoga. The first is that it is just another form
of physical exercise. The word yoga means union. The practice of yoga is
the practice of finding unity between body, mind and spirit. While it
can be isolated to the physical level (asana), a genuine experience of
yoga leads most people to experience their practice in body, mind and
spirit. They might have tighter abs, but they also experience more
accessible rest. As well as touching their toes, they find themselves
more ready to extend grace.
The
second misconception is that yoga is a religion. One of my favorite
definitions calls yoga a technology. Like any other technology, it is a
means rather than an end and can be applied to any lifestyle, faith or
worldview. This does not mean that the practice of yoga will not affect
your beliefs or lifestyle, but it is not a single filter through which
the world is seen.
My yoga
practice has affected my lifestyle in both subtle and obvious ways. Nine
months ago, I moved with my husband from Bloomington, Indiana and hit
the road for a year of travel and adventure. Through a growing
mindfulness in my yoga practice, I had become aware that I needed some
breathing room in life. As I continued my practice, I was not only aware
of it, but I was able to move forward and act.
That decision has led me to new cities, old friends,
long road trips, odd jobs, a yoga teacher training and finally to Costa
Rica where I now teach yoga, cultivate a garden and cook bountiful meals
for guests at The Yoga Farm. Through this journey I have experienced
the generosity of my community. I have given vision to my dreams and
goals, and I have simplified the tools I need to maintain and achieve
them. Yoga is not the only thing that has sustained me through this
year, but it has been the haven and the consistency that keeps me going.
One thing I have learned from yoga
comes from the first words of the Yoga Sutras, “And now yoga”. This
tiny phrase speaks to the power of the present moment, when shadows from
the past and anxieties of the future melt into the contentment of now. I continue to experiment with
that challenge when I miss the comforts of home or when I become anxious
about what comes next. When I step onto my mat I give precedence to
where my body, mind and spirit are in that moment and my anxieties are
put into perspective.
I
have also learned that life is practice and practice is life. Time on
my yoga mat is time when I can observe the ways that I respond to the
things that I encounter, whether tightness in my hips, weakness in my
legs or shortness of breath. If I respond with frustration and
impatience, it is a reflection of how I respond to a difficult
relationship or situation off the mat. If my shoulders are hunched over
and achy I know I need to open my chest and open my heart with love and
compassion toward others and myself. I remember that just as I return to
my mat day after day without expecting perfection, so my experience of
life is a practice. Every day offers a fresh chance to return, to listen
and to be present, without the expectation that I will always get it
right.
Puravida and Namaste!