My Yoga Journey: When Yoga Stopped being about the Poses
Like many of us, I started practicing yoga to address a variety of physical issues. I remember going to my first yoga class thinking “Stretching, how hard can that be?”. And of course, it was much harder than I expected. But I continued to practice with a focus on the physical aspect of yoga. At the end of many classes, emotions would range from pride because I had successfully completed a more advanced form of a pose to being frustrated because I couldn’t do something that others could do.
Because I was practicing regularly I was getting stronger and more flexible. I was happy overall with my progress but still found myself chasing ideal forms of poses. Then one day, a teacher of mine referenced an ancient text called the Bhagavad Gita. She said, if you only read one book about yoga, it should be this one. I was curious. I knew yoga was an ancient discipline and being a history buff, I wanted to know more. After finishing the book, it was like an awakening had happened. And my perspective on my yoga practice completely changed.
The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Hindu scripture dating back to the second century. It recounts the story of Arjuna, a prince, who is about to wage an epic war against his own kin. Filled with despair, Arjuna turns to his guide and charioteer Lord Krishna for counsel. Through the guidance offered by Krishna, the philosophy of yoga unfolds.
Reading this text was my “a-ha” moment in my practice. From this point forward, I came to realize yoga was much more than poses. It’s a blueprint for living life while connecting to the world around us and for truly appreciating what life offers. After, reading the Bhagavad Gita, I no longer looked outward to judge the quality of practice. Rather, I drew my attention inward.
Yoga is a highly personal journey with many bus stops along the way. And if yoga for you is an invigorating workout, that’s absolutely great! But if you take one thing away from this story, let it be this; your poses don’t have to look like anyone else’s. And every expression of a pose serves to steady our minds and open us up to the possibility of a deeper connection to the world around us.