| My journey with Yoga began in 1992 when I took my | | | | worry about to be peaceful. I guess you could say I |
| first yoga class as a freshman in college, I remember | | | | was a little, self-important. |
| thinking, how am I going to do this for a whole hour and | | | | So, here I stand 16 years later, with daily reprieve from |
| a half, be still and peaceful, no way. I remember the | | | | this type of un-present thinking. Being of course, on the |
| teacher adjusting us in different poses, which she | | | | premise, that I am spiritually fit on a daily basis and |
| referred to as asanas, and telling us to relax. There | | | | practicing yoga. I no longer wonder when I am going to |
| she was telling us to observe our thoughts, and my | | | | understand the pose, or how I am going to relax; the |
| mind was just racing. | | | | practice of yoga, just does that for me. And, I know |
| Seeking and wondering if I had perfected the pose | | | | now that, peace is always available if I just sit and wait |
| and saying to myself, "this might not be an easy task" | | | | for it to arrive. |
| and "OK I'm ready...when I am going to start feeling | | | | Yoga has become for me, not just simple stretching |
| relaxed and when does this get peaceful?" Having no | | | | but a deep practice of being still, cultivating compassion, |
| idea that this type of practice is something that is | | | | & appreciating life. If you're new, it's important to |
| learned over time. That yoga is an art, not a | | | | recognize that Yoga is not a religion but a way to |
| performing art, and not a sport but a spiritual discipline. | | | | practice spirituality; whatever your beliefs are. It is a |
| There is no destination in yoga, just like in life; it is not | | | | conduit to peace and serenity. Isn't that what we are |
| about where you are going, but about asking yourself | | | | all looking for in a bottle of wine, or a piece of dark |
| if you have arrived. | | | | chocolate. Neither of which I indulge in at all now, due |
| For a very long time, I had no idea what so ever what | | | | to in part, the practice of yoga, which teaches you the |
| YOGA really was. There were times in my practice | | | | art of restraint. Yoga teaches us the difference |
| where I got so caught up in my ego and so driven | | | | between the fleeting nature of pleasure and the long |
| deep into poses because there was some part of me | | | | lasting joy found when you cultivate true happiness. |
| that wanted this sense of accomplishment. I didn't | | | | OK, so how do we really do yoga? How do we get |
| know anything about "union with the divine", a ruff | | | | present? How do we not hold our breath when things |
| translation of the word, yoga. The only thing divine to | | | | are difficult and move through the challenges of the |
| me was Friday night, anytime after 8 pm, very decent | | | | asanas as we will move the challenges of our lives? |
| dark chocolate or a glass of the finest wine. | | | | We simply breathe and practice. Because when it |
| My thinking was more along the lines of, "Why be | | | | comes to yoga, "Practice makes not perfect but |
| present when you can chronically catapult yourself into | | | | practice makes peace." I tell my students at studio |
| the future and chronically lament about the past." I | | | | Embrace Yoga in East Islip, "It's all inside you, like a gift |
| would obsess over my toes nail polish in class and | | | | waiting to be opened, open it and you will find your |
| think; I better paint those babies before the weekend. | | | | buried treasure; Your Yoga, your union with the divine, |
| "Relax, sure, I'll relax when this class if over and I am | | | | a sacred place that has always been hidden where |
| driving home, no problem. Besides, my teachers | | | | you would never look, in the dwelling places of your |
| obviously don't understand, I had way too much to | | | | heart. |