Sun Salutations to you all! ๐ I hope this finds you in the greatest of spirits. Let's start this thang off with a little Sanskrit terminology, shall we?
The word 'yoga' or yuj derives from the ancient Indic language of India called Sanskrit, and commonly known to mean 'to yoke' or 'to join'. According to Yoga Online 'Yoga is a practical aid, not a religion. Yoga is an ancient art that's based on a harmonizing system of development for the body, mind and spirit. The continued practice of yoga will lead you to a sense of peace and well-being, and also a feeling of being at one with their environment. This is a simplified general definition.
Yoga could mean many things depending on who's defining it. For me yoga has helped bring me a sense of peace and calmness; aided in building my strength in regards to my physical, mental, and spiritual state of being, as well as allowed me to understand the potential of my strength. As I mentioned yoga is not a new concept for me. I recall as a child attempting to do certain poses with my mother as she exercised every morning. I've always incorporated yoga into my own regimen throughout the years , practicing it more heavily after I had my daughter over 5 years ago. But with all my practice I still find myself gravitating towards it more with regards to my mental and emotional state.
Most yoga poses not only build physical strength but can certainly affect other aspects and areas as well. Perhaps sitting in an awkward position for an indefinite period of time and just breathing deeply through the discomfort that you may feel, is somewhat reminiscent of life and how a lot of times you're faced with awkward challenges that you need to move through seamlessly while finding your peace. And though the comparison may be that of apples and oranges, the objective remains. Regardless of your personal reason for making this practice your own, I can assure you that youโll get more that what you may have expected or nothing of what you expected, both being in a good way. If your mission is to become as limber as maybe you once were, or to lose weight possibly or maybe itโs because it's the โnew thing to doโ, yoga will satisfy your palate. But it will also give you such a sense of internal peace and understanding not only about yourself but about those people and things that surround you. It will test your limits while making you see that there are really no limitations. Endurance will be build into your muscles as well as your mind. Your limbs and your spirit will be stretched in ways unimaginable. But once you center your hands in the middle of your chest, and bow your head in gratitude, there is a level of serenity that surges through your system, one that will take what you thought yoga to be and allow it to become what it needs to be in your life.
May you find your definition.โ๐ Namaste
-Afrochick Yogini
