Yes, yoga can do amazing things for your body. It can help burn calories, tone arms and abs, and build stamina. But that is just a fraction of what it can do for you.
Here's the thing. Your body is attached to something. It's right above your shoulders. It weighs about 8 pounds. Figured it out yet? It's YER HEAD. Lady Gaga has it all wrong. You cannot just do whatever you want to your body but not affect your mind or your heart. Sorry. I know some people who aren't going to like that.
The ultimate goal of yoga isn't just a workout. If that's what you need to get out of it right now, that's great. I even teach a yoga workout class. We love it! It's great. We sweat, laugh, play music, tone our bodies and connect with each other. BUT we always end it with a reminder to be grateful for our bodies. We bring it back to our breath & our connect between that 8 pound organ on top of our shoulders that controls every part that radiates from it.
The ultimate goal of yoga is mindfulness. The ultimate goal of yoga is ease in a posture (which yes, requires a certain amount of strength and building up that strength to the point of ease). The ultimate goal of yoga is to understand that connection between our mind and our body by using our breath. So if you can do that in a challenging yoga class, bravo! If you can't, then don't do everything your teacher calls out. We are not perfect. We are only guides. We show you postures and teach you alignment and get paid to stand up in front of a room full of people and try our best to take them through a meaningful sequence that will allow them to release tension out of their muscles and hopefully their minds. We have our own insecurities. "What if they don't like it? What if it's boring? What if it's not challenging or TOO challenging? What if they never come back???" So if doing 50 chaturangas will not inable you to remain mindful in your practice or throughout the rest of the day, don't do them. We aren't going to make you. But only you can determine whether you should or not. Not the person doing them ALL and then some on the mat next to you.
And yoga does not end on the mat. It continues after you leave the studio or your bedroom or wherever you practice. So be mindful & live intentionally. Be mindful of your body, your postures, your breath, your thoughts, your actions, your life.
And thank you to my "student" who took the time to talk to me about mindfulness. You teach me more than I can teach you.
Namaste.
