I first came to yoga in 1998, and I remain just as entranced with the practice today as I did twenty years ago. What keeps me coming back to my mat over and over again is the fact that the word yoga encompasses so much!
The sanskrit word yoga, or yuj, literally translates to the word yoke. Many interpret this to mean yoga is the yoking, or controlling, of the mind. It is also the yoking, or uniting, of breath and movement. You could say that yoga is the yoking, or union of yin and yang, of masculine and feminine, of strength and suppleness, of this and that…I could go on, but we’re all busy.
Suffice it to say that this balance of opposites is enough to intrigue, and the exploration that followed intrigue is still afoot.
Another aspect of yoga that keeps me hooked is the myriad forms and styles, kriyas and asanas, breath, mantra, mudra, and meditation that combine in endless forms to make up the physical and metaphysical practice of body and mind.
Whether it’s a new kriya from kundalini yoga, a favorite mantra I’m chanting, or the familiar Sivananda sequence of poses, there’s always a practice at my fingertips to challenge my mind and my body.