I have been practicing yoga for over 25 years now. It's been my passion, and along with journaling, has been one of the few constants in my life. I don't do yoga as an exercise, that's a pleasant side effect. My primary reason for practicing is the connection between mind, body and spirit.
For me, the meditation at the end of a session is as important as the sun salutations I begin with. I try to focus on my breath and feeling one with it. Sometimes I am more successful than other times. Some people think if you practice yoga you are bendy and flexible.
I am, but not in the way you might think.
I am flexible in learning to go with the flow. I can always tell when my practice falls apart, because I am less flexible and less willing to deal with things. I yell more, and am reactionary.
Its not fun to be around me.
When I am not in practice, and am inflexible, I do not let my mind, body and soul connect. I feed it poorly. I dehydrate myself. I do not get enough rest. I do not practice radical self care.
I do not bend.
For over 25 years now, I have deepened my practice adn explored new areas of yoga. I have tried various schools-vinyassa, hot, hatha, Baptiste, kundalini-and I tend to default to my own combination of the above. I follow what my body longs for. Some days it is just sun salutations. Other days it craves the aerobic flow and get my cardio on. Other days its the long stretching of yin. The only thing that matters is that I do it, consistently.
Not to be bendy, but to be flexible.
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