Wednesday 12 October 2011

dear friends and Yogis,


I've been thinking a great deal recently about what brings people to Yoga. For many of us it's initially a need to do something physical. A desire to 'become more flexible'. The majority of the world still views Yoga very much as something that requires and promotes mobility, sometimes of breathtaking proportion!
Some of us become frustrated by other forms of exercise so we turn to Yoga, and others actively seek it out as a possible practice that can help us combat the stresses and strains of our hectic lives. More and more people are waking up to Yoga's potential for their minds as well as their bodies.
The fascinating thing is, these two elements are intrinsically linked. There are many philosophies that have recognised the powerful connection between body and mind for many hundreds of years, Yoga is just one.
Those of us who come to Yoga through a need to help ourselves with health issues, have often become disillusioned with Western medicine, perhaps because we feel that it doesn't really deal with the whole picture. We turn to Yoga (and other more holistic treatments) as a means to benefit our 'selves' in a more 'whole'some fashion. The fact is that Western science is finally cottoning on to this idea that what affects the mind also affects the body, but it's slow to take shape and to take root. We've all known for some time that stress is bad for our hearts, and yet we continue to rush around and not make time for ourselves. Have you ever noticed that the times when you need a Yoga class the most, are the very occasions when you don't seem to have enough time to go? The very thing that you need and should make time for, is the one thing that is edged out of your day. We all do it!

I have a huge passion and belief in our ability to heal ourselves. We all have this potential. We need to implement it. The idea of self-maintenance needs to start earlier in life.  We need to instill in ourselves the idea that our minds and our bodies need a certain amount of care and attention (if we start early enough it becomes a pleasurable part of our routine).  You wouldn't live in a house for 70 years or so and not expect to do any structural maintenance work on it, would you? Why should your body and your mind be any different? After all they are the 'housing' that carry 'you' around your life, and enable you to do whatever it is that you do.
We have a long way to go before this approach becomes the norm and please remember; maintenance doesn't simply refer to exercise, it's also about taking time to restore and nurture, introducing and cultivating an awareness of your state of mind and how you feel emotionally. This requires space to allow a little breath work and gravity to enter the equation. Space of course requires time, and time is the thing that we all seem to have so little of.
Next time you find yourself pushing your Yoga practice or class to the bottom of your priority list, remind yourself how important that time really is. It's a window of opportunity and a vital part of your maintenance programme. It's not an extra or a luxury. It's integral to your health. Invest some time, and you will reap the benefits both in your physical and your mental well-being.
We only have one body, one mind. Let's give it some well earned TLC

namaste,

Julia ♥

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