Five reasons why I practice yoga every single day
It has nothing to do with physical fitness
Have you ever heard someone say: “I wish I had not gone to yoga class today.” or “I so regret practicing yoga.”? I have not, never once. To the contrary, the years I taught Yoga full time were extraordinarily rewarding. Everybody was so grateful after yoga class. However, that was not me to be grateful for. It is Yoga.
I have been practicing yoga since my teens. Now it has been 25 years. I started Yoga with my mom’s copy of Kareen Zebroff 1970s book “Yoga for everybody”. I have to admit, that during my eating-disordered teenage years my first attempts with Yoga were focused on weight loss and flexibility. I was definitely more focused on the outside than the inside effect.
Later, around the time when people like Madonna and Sting started practicing Yoga, I became interested in the meditative aspects. In my first Yoga teacher training I asked for more of the real stuff, namely philosophy, background, Sanskrit, and less of the physical instagram-y poses.
Now, yoga lost its excitement, but became part of my everyday routine. Yoga is as habitual and at the same time unexciting as brushing my teeth.
I start understanding what yoga is mainly, when I take breaks from my daily practice routine. Then I build up layers of non-connection. I start people-pleasing. I am prone to distractions.
So what is it exactly that brings me back to my mat every single day?
I keep my cool.
Gaze. Breathe. Focus Point.
I literally cool off. I forget everything and everybody I was mad with. Everything falls back into place. Everything that seemed so big and important is suddenly minor and small.
I get my powers back.
Arms up. Look at your thumbs. Arms down to your toes.
You probably know the moments of feeling either utterly helpless, or overly in charge for the whole universe. When I practice Yoga, I relearn what I can control, and whatnot. Very relaxing.
I put myself into perspective.
Right hand next to the right foot. Left hand next to the left foot.
I do my thing, the other people on this planet do their thing. Most of the time it is as easy as this.
I experience the power of now.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Yes, it is true. There really is nothing, but this moment. Connecting to my breath reminds me every day of being in the now. I stop worrying about the things I could have done differently, or all the things I project into the future. Or as Lao Tzu said: “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” Or in yogic terms “Atha Yoga Anushasanam”= Now there is yoga. Not yesterday, and not tomorrow, now.
And probably most importantly:
I connect.
योग = Yoga.
Yoga is cognate with the English “yoke”, to attach or to join. I attach my small human spirit to something bigger than myself. I use the practical aspects of yoga (the breath, the focus, the movement) to unite. The pressure of Self-improvement has no space here. I feel acceptance and love.
Did I get thinner or more flexible? I don’t care anymore. I breathe in until I start breathing out.
Enjoy life. Thank you for reading.
Also published on medium: https://dorotheeking.medium.com/five-reasons-why-i-practice-yoga-every-single-day-a10b62de6b1b