All of a sudden it happened
Out of nowhere, a very cool reality was no longer just
a figment of my imagination
I know this has happened to you if you have been practicing Patanjali's Yoga, with guidance, long term. We often come to Yoga with personal goals. With proper guidance and discipline, those visions of our bettered selves that serve our best interest and are within the scope of practice come within reach and into fruition.
Some wonder why I keep Yoga Foundation’s space open despite the uphill trek of a slow build for all these years. Long Islands love their beaches, houses, lawns, cars, restaurants, salons, gym time, shopping malls. Easy access is the name of the life game these days, and worth is often measured in sweat, burn and sore abs and glutes when it comes to all things extracurricular to be done with the body. We are a far cry from all of that, and if you are looking for access to your inner sanctuary, your inner spirit, relief from symptoms and healing, hi. We see you. You see us.
I had no idea Yoga could do that. I knew it could tune us into something deeper inside, but case by case specifics were off my possibility radar. My confidence in Yoga's ability to walk us home to ourselves and accompany us on our personal journeys dates back to 2001. At “Deal with the Body, Heal with the Mind,” a two week conference in Chennai, South India at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, my ignorance morphed into awe. Over the course of about 40 case study presentations, maladies from neuropathy to infertility, diabetes to obsessive compulsive disorder were presented daily. The students and their teachers discussed the presenting symptoms and over-time practices given, with feedback. Across the spectrum, healing happened, mind boggling progress.
As we self-regulate and cultivate positive Yoga-derived habits, our far-fetched wishes transform into active realities. Maybe you want to lose 20 lbs, reduce hip pain, relieve constipation. Lower hyperlipemia, reduce anxiety, improve cognitive function. Clear sinus, reduce hypertension, regulate menstrual cycle, boost physical relaxation. Subdue addictive behaviors, learn to create personal boundaries, improve self-esteem. All are valid reasons to begin and, pending parameters, take more or less time.
On the way to the goal a practitioner will likely be surprised by subsidiary benefits. I’ve seen increased libido. Unintentional, welcomed weight loss. Sustained energy. Cessation of nervous habits, such as nail biting. Improved confidence. Less reactionary. More pleasant emotions. Smelling the roses. Becoming a better listener.
Suddenly benefits appear; however, it’s not so sudden. It’s been gradual, a vinyasa krama process that uncovers the you beneath the you-s your being has accumulated to survive and keep moving, growing progressing. Time and again we see through fresh eyes, feel through new waves of unfamiliar emotions, let go of outdated operational modes and arrive in a present moment. An unfamiliar, yet welcomed reality. A new opportunity for sustainable evolution.