I kept going to class because I felt better. It was that simple. Now I teach full time and love what I do. I do other things that feel good to me that aren't as healthy, like drinking coffee and eating, well, not always the healthiest things. Has yoga made me skinny? I wish, honestly but no. Has it helped me find balance and get healthier, stay on track as it were, yes! And I think I may weigh as much or more than when I first started but I look a good 20 pounds less.
Am I vain? Probably as much as the next person...I like to feel like I look good, even if I don't. Is yoga about looking good? Maybe, for some folks...For me yoga is about feeling good, strong, connected to myself in all ways and grounded.
Yoga on the mat is about moving the body skillfully, with awareness. Yoga off the mat [yes we can take yoga out of the studio] is about how we engage the world and ourselves in the world. Yoga is exercise. The more you do it, the deeper you go.
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One client who'd never done yoga before has been working with me 3x a week. She has a stressful job yet manages stress well. She has no problem relaxing. She does not have any physcial challenges, though balance is beyond difficult for her. And little less than a year later I asked her if she noticed yoga's impact: she is not into the philosophy or history but her answer, if I may parphrase, is that she feels more connected to herself on a deep level.
And I teach kids and seniors and prenatal and therapeutics: anyone can do yoga. Try it. There are so many venues and there's a reason it is so popular.
