What sets people apart who consistently practice yoga, and those who do not? Is it that they are totally healthy, and suffer no ill’s, surgeries, or problems? Is it the secret long living elixir of life they gain? Does the practice of yoga make you popular among your friends, and be a success in life? I would say, that yoga can help with these issues, but that is not what sets yoga practitioners apart from everyone else.
I think the biggest thing that sets yoga people apart is their attitude about themselves, others, and how they view life. Lets take a look at the yoga practice itself to see how it’s valuable.
Let’s look at a balance pose, tree pose, where you are standing on one leg, and the other leg is resting near the top of the inner thigh. 24/7 we have “information” passing through our nervous system, from internal and external forces, physical demands of our physical body, and emotions we are feeling. From day to day our vrkasana tree pose, can look differently, and feel differently, with somedays succeeding and feeling good, and others falling out of our trees.
Our attitude about ourselves, others, and our life really can shape who and what we are. Yoga practice helps us understand that some day’s we might fall out of our poses, but built up overtime, our tree’s become steady. If we could look at our emotions, and view them as steady, wouldn’t that be alot better than the emotional roller coaster that some of us are on?
I can say for certain, yoga practice has helped a great deal in managing my emotions. I used to cry at the drop of a bucket, literally. This was not good for my body. Now, I am much more steady, and view the “dropped buckets of life” just temporary road blocks that one must surpass.
If I wasn’t crying I was angry. Angry at slow drivers, Angry at annoying people. Angry at myself, because I was feeling angry. After visiting Miami last week, where there are 8 lanes of traffic on the highway, people weaving in and out, I can honestly say it did not ruffle my feathers in the least. Singing along to my yoga music, I always arrived calm, cool and collected, uhh, even when I accidentally drove down a one way street the wrong way!
Yep, that’s a Yoga High. Come on, and give it a try!
Here is 7 minutes from CNN, a yoga practice to make you happy.
See you on the mat,
Paula
