Why Is Yoga So Powerful?
Why Is Yoga So Powerful?
Yoga’s power comes from its ability to anchor us in the present moment.
This moment that will never return. This moment, to quote John Cage, “…which is so excellent once one gets one’s mind and one’s desires out of its way and lets it act of its own accord.”
Our bodies can’t live in any time but the present.
If I touch your arm, you feel the sensation of touch immediately; not tomorrow, not yesterday.
While our minds become entangled in events of the past, and expectations for the future, your physical body lives in the now.
Yoga teaches us an awareness of the physical body and through that, an awareness of so much more–vitality, mortality, gratitude. I could go on and on. And this training of noticing bodily sensation (areas of effort vs. ease, the quality of the breath, etc.) instantly pull us out of the repetitive, incessant chatter of our minds. It’s a beautiful thing.
Yoga in sanskrit means ‘to yoke’ or ‘to harness’. It’s often translated as ‘union’. When you practice yoga you are the given a chance to yank your attention into the present. You know how we all love to fantasize and/or worry about the future? Practicing yoga is like a huge hand picking you up and plopping you down into the immediacy of your life RIGHT NOW. There’s really no other place you need to be.
As you begin to practice yoga, you’ll find that the thing all human beings search for – happiness – is more forthcoming. You’ll also experience a greater appreciation for simplicity, and abundant gratitude.
These might seem like lofty guarantees but I promise you, they are waiting for you at the end of the yoga rainbow!
As always, if you are interested in learning yoga and/or meditation (which go together like chocolate and peanut butter), feel free to reach out to me here.
xoxo
Catherine
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