Why Practice Yoga?

There are too many reasons to practice yoga and by this time, I am sure you have heard about most of them. Since I only have a few seconds to capture your attention, it is overwhelming to know where to begin! So reason #1 for practicing yoga, ANXIETY. Everyone has experienced worrisome, fearful and nerve racking sensations which leave us short of breath and unsure of our next move. The fact is, in our Western World there is a prevalence of anxiety in the general population. For the moment let’s not be concerned with WHY this is the case. In the Eastern World, it is said that DEPRESSION is the major mental issue. Again, for the sake delving into our own states of being, let’s not put our attention towards WHY the world is the way it is. Let’s focus on number one and take some comfort in knowing that we are not alone! These states known as mental disorders, along with other physical or spiritual issues could lead a person to yoga. And from personal experience, I can tell you that when practiced properly and consistently, yoga is an amazing form of self-help to ease them. There are however other more positive reasons to be attracted to this age old wisdom.

Why not practice yoga just to feel better or to keep yourself feeling great? Do we need to create a problem, injury or disease to justify taking this kind of time out for ourselves? Yoga need not be a luxury and there are classes (which ideally encompass physical, meditation and relaxation components) for those who want to help themselves. One needs to be crafty to find classes that have all three components, but they are out there! For instance, my Mixed Levels Hatha class on Fridays at 9:30am at The Yoga Root.

That brings us to the topic for the January eNewsletter “Is Yoga Diluted?” Until then, enjoy the video and make the effort to the practice. It is called a practice for a reason:) I would be so happy to have you join me and it is worth putting into your schedule. I agree with Sean Corne, an internationally celebrated yoga teacher who says “Yoga without prayers is just calisthenics.”

Namaste

Lori