Yoga for Wellbeing

Definition of wellbeing, the Merriam Webster dictionary states:

“The state of being happy, healthy, or prosperous.”

Yoga helps us find that balance that might be missing in our lives. This balance comes from within; a state of inspiration, and a deeper knowledge of SELF. This knowledge that we can obtain by practicing yoga is like taking that journey within, and unlocking all of those secret doors you never even knew needed spring cleaning. You might be thinking, ‘What’s the point in getting to know one’s self? Isn’t that selfish? Isn’t that self-centered?’

Pythagoras was once quoted sharing his own personal thoughts on this subject: “know thyself; then thou shalt know the Universe and God.”

So how does practicing yoga help us do this? I can give you three answers, although there are many more:

–Tapping into our body through our breath helps re-wire our nervous system. We can improve our mood by practicing many variations of yoga, including restorative yoga and meditation. De-activate the anxiety button and activate the the parasympathetic nervous system.

– Yoga helps us know our body better, which gives us a stronger connection to SELF. B.K.S. Iyengar, a famous Yoga Teacher that is part of the equation of “How Yoga Came to the West,” likened the body to a temple saying: “It is through the body that everything comes to the mind. It is through and with your body that you have to reach realization of being a spark of divinity. How can we neglect the temple of the spirit?”

-When we take our attention off the world around us and tune into our own personal needs, we are able to cultivate inner peace. Taking time to stretch, breathe and make that mind/body connection, reveals the softer edges of our personality, while helping strengthen our ability to experience real compassion for others. With each stretch, we find our focus. We each yoga pose, we begin to uncover our point of reference with a clearer vision of our lives, revealing more beauty with each breath.

I hope you find time to take care of YOU, which in turn helps build that sense of wellbeing in your daily life.

Thanks for stopping by. Try yoga at least three times a week to begin. Build on that foundation to begin a new journey to discovering a gateway to improving your own wellbeing. How exciting to begin this exciting journey that leads to those tranquil waters of silence, grace and reverence in our every day lives.

Namaste,

Machel

(Ma-shel)