I’ve just come back from vacation to a place of the sun and the ocean and the pulsation between the two. Vacations are journeys. Journeys come in all shapes and sizes: a journey of the mind; a spiritual journey, whether it is on your mat, on your meditation cushion or dancing to your own rhythm. A journey can be as simple as reading a good book, or as complex as a trip across three continents. A journey can be from inexperience to experience; or a journey can be through travel on a vacation or for business. No matter what the journey, it signifies to me meandering rather than jetting from point A to point B in the quickest way possible. There are many ways to journey and many good things that come from putting ourselves in new and unfamiliar places. Journeys provide us with experiences that make us who we are and give us stories we can share as we travel through life.
The practice of yoga itself is a journey. We travel to new places each time we come to the mat. We see different things as we explore different terrain. We unpack our bags when we arrive on the mat and leave things behind because we realize we are carrying around baggage we don’t need, that’s weighing us down and making our journey more cumbersome than it needs to be. While each time we arrive on our mats we find new and different experiences in our journey, there is always a sense of stability because the principles and practices of yoga have been developed by our teachers who have carved out a path for us, like a trail up a mountain. So, instead of wandering aimlessly, we have great wisdom behind us providing guidance. This makes our journey easier, safer and more delightful. We don’t have to blaze new trails. Our path is already established.
It is said, when we begin our yoga practice and we are just learning the route (the lay of the land), we learn to stand in the asana. Then, we progress and we get familiar with the route. We travel it a bit and we withstand the asana. It is when we utilize our breath as our guide, our map, when we find the union of mind, body and spirit, and when the energies of the mind, body and soul are synchronized that we truly understand the asana. This is when prana (life force) flows freely and there is a greater state of knowing. This state of greater knowing is yoga.
May these principles find themselves in your body, in your mind, and in your heart this week in one of our in-studio or online classes where you can connect and synchronize with your breath to create your own wisdom. And, may this wisdom and the journey of yoga serve you in the highest way.
As always, thanks for reading my musings. Namaste, Leslie
