bon yoga month!

Bon National Yoga Month. Yoga translates to “union” and offers a way to live life with mindful flair. The physical poses and breath work associated with yoga in the West are catalysts, but not the end all be all of this ancient practice. Yoga is a way of being. My favorite mantra lokah samasta sukino bhavantu translates to “May all beings everywhere be happy and free. May the thoughts, words and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.” That is yoga! 

You are always in motion – browsing a bookstore, sipping tea at a café, volunteering at a local shelter – and you can find balance by staying connected to your yoga practice off the yoga mat. For example, while waiting for a late subway train, instead of growing impatient, shift your weight onto your right leg and place your left foot on your right ankle to practice the tranquility-invoking tree pose or practice taking long, full breaths. You can find peace within the pandemonium by spontaneously practicing the principles of yoga (summarized in the mantra featured above) in your everyday.

Yoga can transform your life on so many levels. A few of the main benefits include: increased confidence; attention to the impact of situations, people, and food on your body; the chance to slow down and take a break from life while on the mat; meet a community of like-minded people; deep breathing to ground you in sticky situations; improved sleep patterns; a connection to your inner voice; toned body; relief from pain, headaches, and stress. Oh, and the list goes on and on and varies among yoginis. Needless to say, yoga can have profound effects on your joie de vivre!

May this month provide the push you need to deepen your yoga practice. Whether it is the practice of poses, deep breaths, or embracing the mantra presented above, you ARE a yogini. Let yoga ooze from your spirit as easily as you draft a memo, nurture your family, walk your dog, or do anything that comes second nature. Yoga is about living in a way that contributes to others and if you achieve headstand along the way, so be it. Bask in being you – mindfully and authentically you. Namaste.