As we begin this journey of our lives, we often have a series of questions that we would like to know the answers to. Our desire is to learn the questions and how they can be made bigger and more powerful. Given that our questions and learning is about the expansion of our awareness, yoga is the perfect opportunity to go beyond our comfort zone and get answers for ourselves. By doing this we actually discover and live the benefits of yoga.
When yoga aligns the mind physically, it allows the body to open up on a much higher level. It is this awareness that allows the body and the mind to unite on top of the present. The yogis know that there is a present that we never see clearly, nor ever can within our current level of awareness. Yoga gives us the ability to practice opening up the higher part of our awareness. The regular practice of yoga will gradually open our awareness on the levels that we are not able to cultivate within our daily lives. When we are able to look closer, we find that there are many values and qualities that help us to live life more consciously.
When we go to a yoga class, we can experience what it means to be present, and to look at the world from yet another perspective. Yoga is not only about the physical practice, it requires the energy of the body to be focused on the poses and the breath. The yoga poses and the placement of feet and muscle groups contributes to the one expressed by the other. The mental body is the vehicle that the mind must ride, the yoga outlook allows the body to function from the ground it is resting on. Yoga naturally leads to many levels of awakening enabling the individual to learn to truly look at and follow the impulses that life presents.
After thesevalues are explored, the yogis explore the ways in which the body was connected to the mind and the desires of the body. There is a feeling that the person is free and aware of many levels of the self on a soul level. The body will readily mirror thoughts and desiresit possesses only if the mind can see and grasp it. The levels and the vibrational essence of the body may not always show up in the physical body, but the body is a whole.When the mind and the body unite it can create more balance and integration. For example, if there was a correlation between a healthy body and a peaceful mind, the body can greatly attest to the presence of the mind and the spirit. When a person is balanced, healthy and in tune with their body, it is impossible to find a place to become stressed out. Yoga is one of the ways out of the stress cycle and into areas of peace and relaxation.
Once the body and the mind are in harmony and balance, the body works on many levels making it an excellent tool for all the levels that form the foundation. In addition to the daily practice of yoga the person also should have a place to flow their energy, a safe and comfortable space to go to when times get a little stressful. The person can practice their yoga exercises on any external object possibly the forehead of a plant , the cheek of a stone, the soles of a shoe or the top of a leaf, etc. The instructor will show the individual the proper position to hold the yoga position while at the same time reflecting back what is happening at the same time. The best Yoga instructor will teach the client to practice on a daily basis without the use of music, set intentions or chants, or any external factors to light up the emotional body. Without the emotional body, you cannot experience the higher levels of life which are right beyond the physical level.
When the body is feeling thoroughly rested it is easy to sit quietly and feel deeply into nature about your life. People have many different levels of awareness and people often become stuck in a cycle and cannot find their way out of the distraught world. Some times the world creates every kind of pain or crisis for us. The experience of the external pulls our emotions and our reactions may alter the way we think. Yoga can help us reach a greater sense of awareness and understanding so that we can respond to life and the world in a more peaceful and compassionate way. It is by practicing yoga that we reach emotional peace and a better way to live our daily lives.
