Yoga

What most people refer to as yoga are the poses or asana which are part of my daily routine. However, yoga is much bigger than just poses and classes taught in a gym or studio. It is an ancient tradition that came out of India more than 3000 years ago and is both a spiritual and physical practice. There are 8 limbs in yoga, and the postures and movements most people think of when they hear the word yoga (asana) are only one of the 8 limbs. In truth, all of mindfulness can be traced to the limbs of yoga. I came to study yoga formally as a way to deepen my mindfulness practice. Now I recognize that I could have started with formal yoga training and that would have made the mindfulness classes redundant, but there are many paths to get to the same place and I am glad I stumbled upon yoga along the way. For me, taking or teaching a yoga class is one of the best ways I can tune into my body, calm my mind and feel refreshed. An added bonus of my practice is that I have strenthened muscles, lubricated my joints, and learned to release tension in all of my muscle groups.