The first message of today is this; we are all yogi’s (a person who does yoga), and all of humankind can do yoga anytime and anywhere! Yoga is simply a connection. It is connecting to the breath and all things around us. We are connecting all day long, and every single day of our lives. The way we connect in our lives is so important. Even when we think we are not connected, we are. As beginner yogi’s, we should realize that we have always been connected to others. We have been connected to family, friends, animals, nature, and to everything. Yoga is also the connection between your mind and your body. How do your thoughts manifest within your body every day? Negativity can have harmful effects, and positive thoughts and self-love have amazing impacts on your health. Yoga helps us moderate these thoughts and replace negative ones with better thoughts, and subsequently, better health!
Now that you are aware of this connectedness with everything and everybody, you can begin to tap into the true joy that is the Asana practice. Asana is the physical part of yoga. The twisting, the bending, the posing part. This is the part of yoga that is most difficult for people. Starting slow is critical. I recommend all of Yoga with Adriene’s videos on YouTube. She has oodles of very gentle practices with meditation incorporated into every pose. She is a great yoga teacher for beginners. I personally love her videos for my at-home yoga practice because she truly understands what it means to be connected.
Paying attention to your body and your breath is so important. I even recommend that you observe your breath and observe your posture while watching T.V. Observing creates a greater connection and allows us to have experiences. What I mean by that is that when you observe you are not letting the moment pass you by. We are so distracted by technology that sometimes we forget to observe what’s going on around us. Also observe your thoughts – going back to that mind-body connection. Numerous interactions I have had over the years have left me feeling embarrassed and I end up feeling poorly about myself. Observing those icky negative thoughts and then layering in some self-love and forgiveness can help you on your journey to self-acceptance and better health streaming out of that.
These are all tools that you can weave into your Asana practice to connect fully with your body. Done correctly and consistently, these tools can change your perspective drastically. Remember, even if you do not practice the Asana part of yoga every day, you are still a yogi. You are connected and a beautiful ray of light that shines on this earth.
All of the love,
Ash
