Yoga has helped me in so many ways. I know it sounds cliche but it actually did.
Before being a yoga instructor I was a dancer, an acrobat, a gymnast and I always been really curious about exploring different ways to move my body, I love any way of movement and I liked to train “hard”
When I Just finished my PE teacher degree I decided I was going to start practicing yoga.
I always felt a deep connection with yoga, even before I started my practice, almost like I have done before….Do you know what I mean?
So I decided to investigate the yoga studios in the city I was living at the moment in Córdoba, Argentina. I took a few classes here and then until I fund the one I felt it was following the same teaching philosophy I believe in.
“Always work in a progressive way and listen to your body”.
So I decided to do my Yoga Teacher Training with the same yoga school
I used to weak up at 6 pm to catch up on the 40 min bus ride and go to have an early morning class before I would start to work and teach my classes.
I have to say I was not a morning person by that time and it was a big effort I knew I had to do in order to produce the change I was looking for.
For 2 years we met during the weekends to study yoga philosophy, anatomy, physiology, teaching technics and we practice how to teach yoga among ourselves.
I have learned so much, it was a wonderful time of my life. I am proud to say I had kind and knowledgeable teachers to guide me during this yoga journey.
After that I have decided to travel and explore the world, I dream always dream about.
That brought me to more wonderful and learning experiences, but also to a few not that great as well.
When I was going through hard times traveling with no budget and I couldn’t find any place to keep my aerial training going, or I couldn’t afford any place to go to practice I came back to my personal yoga practice.
I was able to develop a consistent self-practice, with ups and downs like everyone. But I am still amazed by how much flexibility and strength I have gained over the years of yoga practice.
And I am not getting any younger, right?
Yoga has taught me how to be patient, to accept myself and others, to rest when is needed, to enjoy the simple things, to allow myself to say no when is needed. To have consistency in the practice, to be more flexible in mind and body and I have so much more to learn
I know it is not that easy as you read it and the journey will be different for each of us.
But all that said let’s bring down the following misconception of Yoga:
“Yoga is for stretching, and I am not flexible, hence I am not going to practice”
Because that seems to be the way it works, right?
Well…. let me tell you something, I am not sure where this idea of yoga is for stretching began, but it is far from the truth.
Yes, you might leave a yoga class feeling release and relax like a “nice stretch” and that might be some of the benefits yoga can give you
Do you really know what YOGA means?
Yoga is a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices aimed at integrating mind, body, and spirit to achieve a state of enlightenment or oneness with the universe. What is normally thought of as “yoga” in the West is really Hatha Yoga, one of the many paths of yoga. The different paths of yoga emphasize different approaches and techniques but ultimately lead to the same goal of unification and enlightenment.
Yoga, at its essence, is a practice of energy- of creating space inside the body for prana (energy) to be cultivated, moved and transformed for optimum health, wellbeing, connection, and ease-
To be able to create space requires balance- the balance of the joint stability and mobility, the balance of muscle contraction and relaxation, the balance of movement between the limbs and the torso, and balance of the physical asana (yoga poses) practice with other seven limbs of yoga.
As balance is created and developed inside and through the body, by default, balance is created outside the body.
It is not a religion, but a practice of personal inquiry and exploration. As the cultural and religious diversity of practitioners attest, yogic philosophy speaks to universal truths that can be incorporated within any belief system.
The development of yoga can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago, but some researchers think that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old old. Yoga’s long rich history can be divided into four main periods of innovation, practice, and development.
Can you believe it?
5,000 or 10,000 is a lot of years, of practice and research of fulfillment.
Our body our mind and our energy, soul or spirit, whatever you want to call it are extremely connected.
If you are like me and you love to move, to challenge your body, believe me, Yoga is not just for stretching is a continuous research of what else can you do, what else can you achieve.
Mind, body, and soul.
Yes, you might find challenges in some physical postures or it might be challenging for you to sit to meditate and practice breathing techniques (pranayama). It happens to all of us but with practice, everything that might seem hard at the beginning will become easier.
Cultivating patience and attention with yoga you will learn from your body and you will achieve yoga posture you never thought you could do. You will feel in peace with yourself and others.
I can keep telling you a lot of good things about yoga but you have to try it for yourself.
Click this link to be part of a supportive community of aerial acrobats and pole dancers who are taking their trainings seriously to be able to improve from the inside out
Here I am sharing a link to my Free Classes
Enjoy it,
Namaste