Ever since I remember, deep within, was a hidden urge to seek something more than what was being offered. Ever since I recall, there has been a sense of emptiness, and an urge to fill that emptiness with something of a substance. And so I did, in my own way, until an emotional / mental / spiritual crisis shook me hard. As I crawled out of the darkness, this need for something more, for something outside of "me", led me back on the mat, where I found refuge.
Empirically, I have understood that the practice of Yoga touches beyond the physical. I have wept and wept during many a Savasana. I have let the breath quietly lead me into spaciousness. And the more space I found between each posture, between each inhale and exhale, the stronger became the sweet disassociation from the body and the mind. The emptiness - suddenly - did need not to be filled. The emptiness contained it all already.
Yoga offers us refuge. As we experience the self-proclaimed limitations, faced with our body's openness and strength, we have - just like off the mat - the choice to softly release into the experience, or fight hard against it. With each new asana comes a deeper understanding of the physical and it"s impermanence. Postures disappear within a few breaths. What a terrific metaphor for Life!
There is something sacred in unrolling your mat, and dedicating the time of your practice just to your Self. There is something beautiful and comforting in moving as guided by your own breath. In exploring the body's range of movement just as it is today, here and now, without any expectations, criticism, punishment and forceful 'making it happen'. There is true freedom in soaking in the asanas so mindfully that the thought disappears.
Get on your mat. Dive deep. That's where the magic starts to happen.
