I LOVE the following quotation by yoga instructor and author of Fire of Love, Aadil Palkhivala. "True yoga is not about the shape of your body, but about the shape of your life. Yoga is not to be performed; yoga is to be lived. Yoga doesn't care about what you have been; yoga cares about the person you are becoming. Yoga is destined for a vast and profound purpose; and for it to be truly called yoga, its essence must be embodied."
How DO YOU approach and do your yoga practice? I have found that when I infuse my practice with quiet, calm, a sense of sacredness, and complete focus - qualities that to me embody the holisitc spirit of yoga, I gain infinitely more energy, flexibility, and serenity for the entire day than if I do yoga in a mechanical way, just to get it done, and out of "obligation" to complete a workout. I have been guilty of the latter. But, in the past 6 years I have done my best to practice yoga with my entire body, mind, and spirit. When I do so, my yoga practice spills over into my life.
For me, yoga IS a lifestyle. It's about approaching everything in life with grace, serenity, flexibility, heart, and spirit. It's about taking time to pause and appreciate even the most microscopic wonders of life and recognizing that my body is a magnificent temple that serves me best when I treat it with tenderness and care. My yoga practice is more of a "work-on" than a "work-out." I "work-on" myself on my mat to be my best self. Are you embodying the essence of yoga into your life? How is the shape of your life?
Yours for putting the "fire of love" into your practice,
Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Yoga at Home Mentor
