Just Breathe

After talking with a few friends it occurs to me that not everyone likes yoga.  I find this strange.  I love yoga.  Especially hot yoga.  To me it is relaxing and I always leave there feeling less burdened than when I arrived.  Lighter even.  I don’t know if it’s the calming music, the heat or the stretching.  It could be the soothing sound of the Yogi’s voice.  It’s probably a combination of all of these things.  Being in an environment where I can just clear my mind and think in the moment is just such a release.  It helps me to reset myself.

I know not everyone feels the way I do.  Some people just can’t turn off their brains.  Some people get nervous and anxious just thinking about doing yoga.  They stress about it.  Am I doing the poses right? Is everyone staring at me?  Why am I so out of shape? Why can’t I stretch like the person next to me?  Why is it so fu*#ing hot! Letting go can be a hard thing.

The secret to yoga is that you have to learn to look inward.  Focus on just you.  Who cares if you don’t get it right the first time, or second time?  We all make mistakes.  We all have to learn.  Who cares what you look like while you’re doing it?  Everyone either has their eyes closed or they are concentrating on themselves.  Just let it all go. 

If you focus and concentrate on your breathing everything else just melts away.  If your mind starts to wander, recognize it and bring it back to your breathing.  Repeat, over and over in your head, breathe in … breathe out.

The act of focusing on just your breathing brings your mind to a calm state.  It reels it in so to speak.  Once your mind is calm you can start to think about yourself and how you are feeling, how your body is feeling.  Thoughts about those around you and everything you have to do just melt away.  This can take practice. It doesn’t come easy to everyone.  Don’t get frustrated, just keep trying and it will come.

Yoga is not just something you do to get in shape.  It is a form of mediation.  When I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed I go to yoga.  If I can’t get to a yoga class I will sit in a comfy chair in total silence just concentrating on my breathing.  After a while my thoughts calm and my mind is more focused.  When the mind and body are calm it is much easier to deal with everything else in life that you are facing.  In today’s world daily meditation is pretty much a necessity.

How do you destress? What do you do to calm and reset yourself?

Namaste, Wendy