Yoga Training Day 8: "What Lights You Up?"

 A student asked about which style of yoga was more suitable. Suitable to...what? A person's personality? A mood? A goal? Probably "yes" to all of these.The teacher talked about Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha....pick one. She has never said, "This style is the best", or "That style is not good" when speaking of various styles.

But she continued talking about this topic and ultimately closed with something that resonated with me:  "What light's you up?".

So, I thought about that. In yoga, it is the challenge of a complex pose, or simply being consistent in my practice. It is facing my fear on the mat and being open to whatever it is I am feeling in that moment. And the various styles certainly bring about different reactions for me. We are lucky. We live in a city that has a multitude of yoga studios, all with varying styles.

Sitting on my mat and being close to people I may or may not know is a bit unnerving at times.Certainly more so when I first started yoga. But depending on where I am at emotionally, it can still make me feel uncomfortable and that's okay.  I am no longer in control of the situation. I am vulnerable. There is no computer screen. I don't have my ipod in. I am not checking for the next text. I am not managing any situation...or anyone. There is no structure except that of  the teacher's vocal instructions stepping us through each pose or breathing exercise. I find a purity within this.

Some people say they find yoga to be too boring. I get that. We are so accustomed to stimulation from external sources. We are rushing from  home to job, to school, to meeting, to therapist, to Target, to Costoco. We are human doings. We run, take spin classes, go to movies, take trips, go to dinner.

And how lucky we are to have all of these activities.

Indeed, it feels quite unnatural to be in a yoga studio, slowing down and moving slowly...breathing in a way that is rhythmic and deep and un-rushed (if the breath is labored we are pushing too hard to "get" the pose...happens to me often). But what I find in yoga, when all of my focus is on my breath synchronizing 

with my movement, is that I can "see" my thoughts, I can feel that neediness to be somewhere else or to be  resolving some unresolved issue. Ah! But then I can pull back into the beauty and simplicity of just focusing
on breath, pose, acceptance, non-judgement....freedom.

That lights me up!

Namaste, Friends