What does that mean?
I don't know...
Dona Anderson
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| photo & message by Dona Anderson |
I have been using these four words many times over the years I've been practicing and teaching Yoga.
Yoga for the Soul
I said I didn't know what it means above because I think it could be something different for each of us.
And, now there are so many different kinds of Yoga.
There's the old traditional types and new ones pop up all the time. Whatever style it is there's always things to learn and try out, which helps to keep us coming back.
For me, I'm happy I grew up in times where nothing much changed for years so we were more relaxed and knew what tomorrow was about. That well used response to what have you been doing, "same old" was kind of like a nice deep breath.
Yoga and I finally came together 20 years ago and I decided to put teacher training on my to do list to learn more after we moved here.
I love sharing what I can with others in my age group that like me need a gentle class because we usually hurt in various places.
Lucky for me, I have a small room in our home and lots of props and things to entertain us.
Through the years I have had the privilege to share and be part of some pretty special changes on the mat that also flowed off the mat into ones life as well.
In Yoga we talk about the purpose of our poses, and how they help us build connection, awareness, presence, gratitude, acceptance, focus and so much more.
What I got to witness over the years was "My Ladies" learning about their bodies, their breath, that they had toes, how the body feels with a smile rather than a frown, that we just do what we can that day and letting go, resting and looking after ourselves is not doing nothing.
In the classes we grew in strength of
body, mind & soul.
We all grew in knowing our body and being grateful for the gains and understanding the days we needed to nourish and nurture.
We grew to recognize and pause for past hurts in our lives that maybe went unnoticed and needed to be resolved.
We grew in compassion for ourselves that enables us to pass it on to others.
We learned to appreciate our differences and not try to do something someone else could do better that we didn't want to do or couldn't. There were no prizes for perfect poses, or that long list of what I did that day before I got to class.
We learned to relax and look forward to resting on the floor and take that feeling out into our days that we can relax and just breathe almost anywhere.
We learned to listen to different kinds of music and hear unfamiliar words and not be uncomfortable with them.
We used drums, singing bowls, rang bells and used kids toys to make music, have fun, laugh and relax.
We learned that our differences do not hold us back, they help us learn.
We learned about paying attention to our whole body, being present, and pausing in between things.
We laughed and supported each other through changes in health, life and any other topic that needed 2 or 3 minutes or more that day.
OK, I guess I answered my Question.
Whatever draws You to the mat -
Whatever kind of Yoga you choose,
Thank You for making a difference in your life & World.
I'll be back here again next week.
