Yoga found me at a time in my life when I was in dire need of centering and guidance.
My first experience was during my sophomore year in college in drama class. My teacher would always start with some gentle yoga. My monologue and my acting did not improve — but psyche sure did! I was so hooked that I began to read anything I could get my hands on about the subject of yoga and found a class near my college campus.
The Midwest in the 90’s wasn’t exactly a hotbed for yoga so I was somewhat on my own. As many times as I stopped practicing, I’d start back up again. For me, yoga has created a deep inner-stirring that makes me long for more stillness and greater awareness.
So think back, what motivated you to take your first yoga class? No matter what the reason, I’m guessing that on some level, you might have felt you could do better for yourself and others by adopting this peaceful and ancient practice.
One of the definitions of yoga is to move from one point to another, a higher point. This brings about change that can awaken us to new possibilities. Such change is like the flickering of a candle flame in a pitch dark room. A small amount of light that begins to illuminate our inner, perfect wholeness. When yoga is practiced in it’s purest form, it should bring you to a state of profound inner peacefulness and joy. It has the power to free you from the trappings of the little voice in our heads called the ego.
My Warrior 2 is likely about the same as it was when I first began to practice, but my attitude about the poses continues to evolve. Each time on the mat is an opportunity to lift that veil of avidya (ignorance or delusion about our true nature) and work toward a state of vidya or illumination. For me, yoga turned on the light in a big way. It made the hopeless seem hopeful and the unachievable seem achievable and continues to help me evolve.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. -Plato
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