Peggy's Essays

What is Yoga Anyway?

If you’re a yoga practitioner like me, I bet you’ve been asked the question “what is yoga?” many times. Maybe, like me, you sometimes wonder where to start and how to summarize the complex experience of yoga. On any given day, I may answer the question differently. My answer depends on my mood, how much time I have, and who’s asking the question and why.

On the phone with a prospective student, I will probably emphasize the asanas and especially the standing poses: how they strengthen us, build flexibility, and teach us alignment. I will describe the centering aspects of yoga: how yoga calms the mind and relaxes the body. Often students will ask how the yoga we teach at Riverwest Yogashala distinguishes itself from other centers, and I give a brief intro to BKS Iyengar, and the sophisticated system he developed for bringing yoga to a wide audience.

Once a student begins attending class, our discussions become more varied and in-depth as we define yoga. As we practice asanas, I incorporate bits of philosophy and instructions that take us deeper and deeper into the asana.

As beginners, we focus on structural alignment: this bone, that muscle. Soon we realize we cannot separate the muscles from the mind, the physical body from the psychological/emotional/intellectual bodies. As soon as I think about lifting my kneecap, my mind unites with my quadricep. Iyengar urges us to infuse every cell and fiber with intelligence; that is, we make our bodies more “mind-full” through the practice of yoga. This yoking of mind and body--”yuj” in Sanskrit means “ yoke”-- is the root of the word “yoga.”

Yoga is about awareness. We use our senses to enhance our awareness, learning to quiet the senses, not reach out with them, but to turn them inward to enhance inner observation. All growth begins with observation and awareness. We learn to become aware of where we are gripping, where we are resisting, where we’re overstretching or collapsing. We notice which side we favor, observe our asymmetries, which muscles are overworking or underworking. We also notice how flighty the mind can be (“what shall I eat for dinner?”), or how quick to judge (“I hate this pose”). We notice the breath, whether it’s harsh or effortless, heavy or light, strained or relaxed. Perhaps you never even noticed whether you breathed through your mouth or through your nose until you came to yoga class.

Yoga is transformation. I love seeing changes in students and colleagues over the years. Once again, the gross changes may occur relatively quickly through dropped pounds and toned muscles. But most changes are far more subtle, far more important than toning, and occur over months and years, not weeks.

If you want to stay the same, yoga is not for you. But for those willing to give up old patterns and embrace a new paradigm of well-being, whether this means no longer identifying yourself as a person with back pain or as an asthmatic or as a Type A overacheiver, yoga can serve as a powerfully transformative tool. As our bodies change, so do our minds and hearts. Forward bending, we become more introspective and truthful. Back bending, we become more courageous and compassionate. Practicing Sirsasana (headstand) and other inversions invigorates and empowers us. Each pose has the potential to work on us like medicine, helping us to become more whole.

What is yoga? I invite you all to consider this simple but complex question and contribute your thoughts to me at peggy@riverwestyogashala.com. Why do we bend ourselves into these crazy pretzels, come to class instead of watch TV, spend our money on yoga books and props and workshops? What brings you to the mat and keeps you there? May your self-inquiry be rich and informative.

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