Where to being your yoga journey

So often, people I meet say they’re not ‘good’ at yoga, or they aren’t flexible enough to do yoga or they’re too late to begin at all. To that I ask, what do you mean by ‘yoga‘?

Most of us think of yoga as the physical poses and maybe some breathing, right?

In fact, yoga is about so much more than just the physical aspects. There are 8 limbs of yoga and the physical poses, called Asana , are merely one of those 8 limbs.

(See my blog about the 8 limbs of yoga, but for now, let’s talk about how to begin cultivating a rich yoga practice..)

So, really anyone, everywhere, anytime can “do” yoga and everyone is “good” at yoga because it reaches far beyond the physical body.

 

But what IS yoga?

Yoga is the quieting/stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.
(From the Yoga Sutra 1.2 “yogas chitta vritti nirodha”)

And it starts with committing to a practice of quieting the mind and bringing your awareness inward.

From the roots of yoga, its guiding principles, or Sutras, as inscribed thousands of years ago in The Yoga Sutras, by yogi sage, Patanjali is the place to begin . The first sutra reads:

“Atha yoga anushasanam”  (from the Yoga Sutra 1.1 Now the instruction of yoga is being made.

It’s an invitation to begin the study of yoga as you are, in this moment, the only moment that ever really exists.

You’re never too late to start something new. It’s never too late to listen to what your heart’s been longing to explore.
There’s no hurry.
Go easy with yourself.
You’re right on time.

We get thrown off  center when we allow scarcity, comparison & overwhelm to take hold -when we believe the citta vritti (mind chatter) of limiting beliefs and stories we tell ourselves.

Those tired stories of we’re too late, too old, don’t have enough, not strong enough, aren’t deserving of, not worthy, shouldn’t/couldn’t, or only possible for other people.

It’s never too late to try new things, unlearn internal biases, take the emotional risks, vibrate higher and live with a deeper sense of purpose and self-worth.

It’s never too late to grow into the person you are becoming…to embrace and express your authentically truest self, unapologetically.

 

Our greatest gift to ourselves and the world, is to embrace this lifelong journey of continuing our evolution of becoming…and discovering all that is possible for ourselves, our families, communities, peoples and planet.