Yoga for One, Yoga for All
“Yoga IS for you. Yoga, true Yoga is for every single living, breathing being on this Earth. “ — Emily Brennan
In the age of social media, it may seem like Yoga has become some kind of trend. We see incredibly fit, flexible, seemingly super humans all over Instagram “doing Yoga”. Most of these posts are women in some kind of pretzel or doing handstands on kitchen counters. We all see these photos and think to ourselves, “I can’t do that, Yoga is not for me”. As a certified Yoga instructor, I’m here to tell you Yoga IS for you. Yoga, true Yoga is for every single living, breathing being on this Earth.
One of the most important things I learned when becoming a Yoga teacher is that Yoga is a lifestyle. Most of us have been introduced to the practice in physical classes, myself included! These classes are gorgeous vehicles for us to connect to our true selves. The basis of Yoga derives from the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, a Sage from India. These threads are said to have been complied between 500 BCE and 400 CE, long before social media and Instagram hit the scene. They act as a guide to teach us how to live with Yoga in our every day lives, the physical practice being only one aspect. Yoga Sutra 1.2 tells us the essence of yoga is to declutter the mind in order to unite our consciousness with our heart. Right from the beginning, we realize that Yoga is greater than poses done on a mat. The rest of the Sutras act as a guide of how to live with Yoga in your everyday life, beyond the mat practice. A teacher of mine once said “The mat is the training ground for the real Yoga- life”.
When I say live with Yoga in your every day life, that encompasses many things. But we’ll keep it simple for now. If you’re not ready to join a class just yet, there are still things you can do! The simple act of mindful breathing. The breath is the link between the body and the mind so by beginning a breathing practice (known as Pranayama) or meditation, you’re taking a huge step forward in bringing Yoga into your every day life. Some wonderful free mediation and breathing apps are:
Some other simple ways to enter the world of Yoga are to keep your space clean, practice positive self talk, set daily intentions, journal, respect nature, and nourish your body with good foods. It’s all about deciding to make a change and sticking with it. The key becomes forgiving yourself on days when you forget to set an intention or accidentally kill another house plant. You’ll be amazed at the domino effect of making 1 or 2 changes a week.
The most important piece of advice I have received and will continue to pass on is that my Yoga practice will not look like your Yoga practice. That is part of the beauty of Yoga. We all learn from the same teachings but take a different path to realize their meanings. Be proud of yourself for simply taking the first step. After all, the Yoga Sutras teach us Ahimsa, which means to do no harm or be kind. Then, when you’re ready, find a class and go class hopping! Most studios will offer free trials and Youtube is a goldmine.
Some of my favorite gateways into physical Yoga are:
Yoga With Adrienne. All levels (Youtube)
Down Dog App. All levels (Available for iPhone and Andriod with in app purchases)
SoulFULL Solutions. All levels (Virtual donation based classes)
LL Yoga Studio NYC. Intermediate (Now with an entirely virtual class option!)
@Emily_Brennan3 on Instagram! Follow me for updates on virtual classes, or contact me for a private class. All levels! (you could even get some friends together and make a little yoga party out of it)
The practice of Yoga is a lifelong journey that will take you down many paths. It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress.