Shaquille O’Neal, Drew Barrymore, Matthew McConaughey, LeBron James, Kate Hudson, Orlando Bloom, Demi Moore, Evan Longoria, Madonna, Sting, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Garnett, and over 20 million Americans are practicing yoga in our country.
Why are so many people integrating yoga into their daily lives? The benefits include increased flexibility, strength, balance, improved circulation, and concentration. Practicing yoga can also improve sleep, reduce anxiety and depression, lower blood pressure, relieve stress, and improve one’s overall sense of well being.
The classical Astanga (Eight) Limb path of yoga includes tools accessible to all beings. In America, we tend to associate yoga with Asana (posture) practice – the third limb of yoga. There are 7 other limbs to yoga: the Yamas – how we relate to others in society; the Niyamas – personal ethics; Pranayama (breath control); Pratayahara – turning the senses inward; Dharana – concentration; Dhyana – meditation; and Samadhi – bliss.
Practicing yoga is not about twisting your body into a pretzel shape. Its not about being able to touch the floor when you bend over. It’s about using the breath as a tool to control the mind. Yoga is defined as “the cessation of the fluctuation of the mind.” (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – Book I, No. 2) Most of us walk around thinking about one or two things while we are busy doing something else. Yoga is about being present. Living fully in the present moment. Yoga is about taking time for yourself to simply be.
You can’t be bad at yoga. All you have to do to practice yoga is breathe. Long inhale. Long exhale.
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present.” (Kung Fu Panda – DreamWorks Animation, 2008)
Heart of the Village Yoga is offering a Six-Week Beginner Yoga with Tasha Judson, Tuesdays: 7:15 – 8:30pm, July 22, 29, August 5, 12, 19, 26. The fee is $72. Pre-registration required. TO REGISTER: contact Jo @ 802.379.4514, email, or register at the studio.
Take a chance and come on in. Find out for yourself why so many people are practicing yoga.
Jo Kirsch © 2014