Yoga...Beyond the Physical

Most people begin Yoga for one of two reasons:

• they are stiff and tight, and want to improve flexibility, or
• they are looking to relax and reduce stress

Yoga helps with both of these; however once students begin practicing, they quickly find that there is so much more. Yoga gives you benefits that go way beyond the physical!

The purpose of Yoga is to quiet the mind. This is different from relaxation. A quiet mind is one in which nothing disturbs it. Think of the surface of the ocean with all its ripples and waves. This is the usual state of the human mind. To quiet it means that the surface becomes completely still. Then and only then can you see deep into the depths of the ocean and realize what’s beneath. In a similar way, when you quiet your mind, you can see deeply into your own depths and discover who you really are. This is what we mean when we say that Yoga connects you to your Self.

This is a very different type of relaxation then you would get from taking a day off and going to the beach, because when you do that, you are taking your busy mind with you. Yoga clears away the clutter in your mind so that you can see clearly who you are underneath all that clutter. The benefits of this are enormous. In addition to the physical benefits of greater flexibility, strength and balance, you feel calmer, yet more energized and focused. One of my students once commented after class “Going to the gym is for my body; this is for my soul.”