What is Yoga?
The real question here is “What ISN’T yoga?”
Seriously yoga has an image problem, all the comments and questions I get in response to my chosen profession and invitations to practice simply confirm it.
What people say:
“I’m not flexible”
“I can’t even touch my toes”
“I’m not a pretzel, and I can’t do handstands.”
“It’s just stretching, that won’t help me.”
“I can’t, I’m religious.”
What Yoga Is Not:
It’s not hardcore cardio. If you want to drip sweat, be out of breath, and send your heart rate through the roof, there is a plethora of ways I can suggest you exercise. I prefer to teach mindful movement so that you have time to concentrate on the different sensations happening within your body. Does this feel good? How is it benefiting me? Can I move deeper in to this pose? What can I do to target the area we are focusing on?
It’s not being extremely flexible. Most of yoga’s image problem stems from social media these days. It has a lot to do with the Instagram picture of the slender pretty young lady in her string bikini, back bending on the beach so her toes meet her forehead! Whoa! As an instructor, I cringe when I see these images, mostly because this becomes people’s perception of yoga. It becomes engraved in the brain to conjure that image every time someone mentions the word yoga. On the other hand, do backbends serve your health? Absolutely. Does it serve you more if you touch your head to your toes? Nope. I teach to bring functional strength and stretch to keep the body mobile within each students personal limits in an effort to improve daily life…not your Instagram feed. Attending yoga will give you flexibility, even if you can’t touch your toes, or even your knees. We call it a practice for a reason. The more you practice the more flexibility will prevail within your body. Everyone is different, as is the varying levels of flexibility, therefore in my classes I offer modification options. This allows you to make the pose fit your body, not making your body fit the pose. I teach poses in steps. Step one start here, if your comfortable and willing to try, step two…and so on. There’s never only one way to do a pose! Our bodies are different shapes, so why would we ever think that they will all make the exact same shape in a pose?!? It’s crazy! No pretzels here!
It’s not just for young & slender women. Yoga is for everybody and every BODY. If your ageing and concerned about staying mobile through the next stages of life, come to class & feel better! If you’re a parent, caregiver, or partner and reaching maximum giving, then come to class & feel better! If you are a working person, and the physical demands on your body (yes, desk jobs too!) are taking their toll on your health and well being, then come to class, and yes, feel better!
So what is Yoga?
The simplest way to “define” yoga is to say that through wholesome actions, devotion to love all, self-study, inner reflection by way of meditation, and addition of poses we learn to see the connectivity between the mind, body and soul. Yoga is a way of living your life. Think about it like Ancient Philosophy 101, centered around the mind it focuses on existence, living, knowledge, reason, values, physical poses and so much more. Yoga is stability, the creation of ability, mobility, and strength inside and out. I teach yoga poses, to access and calm the mind, create body awareness and tap into our inner strengths in reflection to our outer strengths as we move throughout a class. I want you to feel better so that you can be the best version of you!
What about that ‘Namaste’ prayer thing at the end? Isn’t that religious?
The short answer, No and it’s not a prayer. The word ends our practice but whether we say it or not, the practice of yoga is the embodiment of the word’s meaning. It is a way to honor ourselves and the world we live in. It is a gesture and saying of honor and respect. I, personally, view Namaste as a way for us to make a teacher/student connection at the end of each class. I always end every class, private lesson & workshop saying: “When I say Namaste, what I mean is: the warm creative light in me, honors the warm creative light found in you. Thank you for practicing with me today, Namaste.” I am simply honoring your presence and practice at this time. This reflective moment reminds me that yoga transcends language and culture, and that connecting mind and body helps us to look more deeply into ourselves and at the world we live in.
Moral of the story… You don’t have to be flexible or a gymnast to attend a class. You don’t have to be young or wear a string bikini. You just have to be willing. Yoga will meet you where you are everyday! Sometimes we can’t do today what we could yesterday, and that’s ok! Yoga gets it and will accommodate every single time.
Namaste-
Jessica