The True Essence Of Yoga- By The Experts #WhyNotYoga
Yoga is the science of activating your inner energies to such a vibrant and exuberant state that your body, mind, and emotions function at their highest peaks- Sadhguru
Yoga needs no introduction now. Gone are the days when yoga was considered a mere form of exercise with just twisting and turning your body in some impossible postures. Yoga has much more meaning to it and as people are learning and educating themselves more about yoga, the true essence of yoga is being understood.
The meaning of the word ‘Yoga’ simply means ‘union’. It is a mechanism and a technology to get you to that state of experience where you see reality just the way it is. Originated in ancient India nearly 3000 years ago, yoga is a collective group of physical, mental and spiritual practises. It is a scientific exploration of the inner self that eventually brings about a metamorphosis in the seeker and leads to self-realization. To quote the Bhagavad-Gita, “A person is said to have achieved yoga, the union with the Self, when the perfectly disciplined mind gets freedom from all desires, and becomes absorbed in the Self alone”
Related Read- Know Everything You Need To Know About Yoga
Today on the occasion of the International Yoga Day, we have started an initiative called #WhyNotYoga and here we will give you every reason why you should be doing yoga. We have told you about the benefits of yoga, but in this article, we will be sharing some inspiring journeys of the yoga experts which we believe will inspire you and would motivate you to adopt a change in your life and know the true essence of the yoga.
1. A little bit of yoga for your body and mind- Aleksandra Petrović
A journalist by profession and a yoga practitioner for the past 7 years, Aleksandra Petrović is a certified yoga teacher for the last 2 years. The journey which started with back pain turned into a motivation to do better and inspire more people after feeling the positive effect of the practice both physically and mentally. “I started my journey in yoga after constant back pain. A few days later, after thorough practice, I realized that my back pain has disappeared. I was feeling a lot stronger, calmer, relaxed and more concentrated” says Aleksandra Petrović
Aleksandra adds “Even if we just try to do yoga and make our first attempt, we are already one step ahead. Why not work on yourself both outside and inside. Especially with this fast and stressed way of living. I think that everyone needs a little yoga in life. To strengthen the body, calm the mind, and encourage the spirit. Yoga is the unity of body, spirit and mind.” So #WhyNotYoga?
2. Yoga as a way of life- Paola Cruz
A simple first experience of yoga made Paola Cruz curious and after her first asana, there wasn’t any looking back. She believes “Yoga has become my way of life. It has impacted every aspect of my being – my physical body, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual body. I focus my thoughts, words, and actions, to resonate with the peaceful teachings found within Yoga’s core philosophy.”
There are many reasons to be doing yoga, but Paola gave us one of the deepest reasons which were to understand and establish balance and harmony. She says- “Yoga is not about postures, it is a state of being. Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root word Yug, meaning “to unite”, and “to yoke”. Yoga is a state of harmony between mind and body – between human and nature”
3. Unrestricted body, mind and hearts- Cecilia
Mother of a 24-year-old boy, Cecilia started practising yoga in 1995 and has been an instructor and running a studio for the last 35 years. Cecilia’s journey with yoga started right after giving birth. She tells “After giving birth, I realised that by practising yoga, my body has been able to heal much faster from childbirth.”
“Yoga made me aware of how and where I am restricted – in body, mind and heart, and how gradually to open and release those blockages. As the blockages are cleared, my energy was freed. I started to feel more at one with myself.” Cecilia adds.
4. Key For A Balanced and Meaningful Life- Salomé Ruel
After discovering Yoga on a small Chinese Island called Hainan, Salomé Ruel instantly got curious and started practising it. Initially through meditation and pranayamas and only years later through asanas. She says ‘ Yogic kriyas showed me the way to go beyond the limitations of my body and mind in order to experience higher levels of consciousness.’
Now as a yoga instructor she always tells her students “to ditch the idea we have to do be a certain way to practice yoga. Learning how to find peace with ourselves in the present moment is the entire point of yoga.”
5. Manual Guide To Purposeful and Healthy Living- Eidan Karposkvi
Yoga started as a form of physical activity for Eidan Karposkvi but soon it became a part of his life and has been teaching it since 2018. Eidan speaks his mind and tells us how equally important yoga is for both men and women. “Yoga is important for men just as it is for women. Yoga is the manual guide to purposeful and healthy living and, in yoga, there is no separation (non-dualism) therefore yoga has no gender and is for everyone.”
“Yoga has brought tremendous change in me. Now, I usually look for the depth and meaning in what I think, say and do.” Eidan adds.
6. Yoga For Self-Love – April Gomez
Fitness and well-being are one aspect of yoga but April who started the journey of her yoga Ashtanga yoga in 2020 emphasizes how yoga has helped her heal and love herself. “I started ashtanga in 2020. It has changed my life and has helped me heal. I consider myself a contemplative and I see this in my meditation practices and adventures.”
While talking about her journey, she further adds that “Yoga has bought a change in me. It has led me to be a better version of myself. I have learned to ensure to take care of myself, my health and my wellbeing. I taught me how to love myself over anything else”
7. Positivity In Everything- Anzhelika Trotsiuk
A yoga instructor and traveller, Anzhelika Trotsiuk travel around the world and coaches people about the beauty and the benefits of yoga. With a keen love to experiment everything new, yoga started for Anzhelika at the age of 20. Looking at the positivity in everything, she has quit the consumption of non-vegetarian food for the last 10 years. “The most important changes were when I began to practice yoga, I began to notice more how I find the positive in everything, and I gave up meat,” Anzhelika says.
While describing the benefits of yoga she tells us -“It seems to me that a day is not enough to describe how much yoga affects our life and how it interacts with our mind and body. It has induced so much positivity in me, that my mood, my surroundings, and my state always look bright and joyful.” This is what she wants everyone to experience and hence she has been travelling and organizing yoga and psychology events around the world.
8. A Path For Healing- Lorelee Sicat
A marketing head during the day and a yoga teacher the night, Lorelee Sicat believes that yoga is a path for healing physically, mentally and emotionally. “ The first session of yoga I attended, instantly made me fall in love with it. That day I felt that this a path of my healing and have never looked back ever since.”
And steady on her beliefs she continued practising and today, she feels a different version of herself altogether. She adds, “I definitely learned to be more forgiving, which helps me feel healthier mentally. Yoga has taught me to let go of things that don’t serve me.
9. A Tool To Listen And Observe Ourselves- Francesca Dini
With a strong love for nature, living her childhood in the forest, in the beauty of mountain landscapes, Francesca Dini, dreamed to reach the peaks. A yoga teacher by profession says that ‘yoga was kind of a necessity for my lifestyle.’
Francesca believes ‘Yoga is an ultimate tool to listen, observe and to understand ourselves. It helps to find your own identity, time and space in a better manner.’
10. A Clear And Concise Mind- Tara Lee
Nutritional therapist and yoga teacher, Tara Lee has been doing yoga for almost 20 years and is a mother of two teenagers. She has been teaching general yoga and pregnancy yoga. Pregnancy is the time when women need a lot of physical and mental strength and stating the many benefits of pregnancy yoga, she says- “It helps women feel more connected to their babies and also keeps away aches and pains, improves mood, energy levels and sleep. It helps them prepare for birth physically and mentally and reduces any anxiety they feel.”
While talking about the benefits of yoga, she adds- “Yoga makes me more aware of when I am feeling off-balance so I think it affects everything I do as it affects all the choices I make! I think it probably affects my sleep, my daily routine, my mood, my food choices, the people I choose to spend time with and how I parent my children, my career choices etc. “
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