Sunday, June 7, 2009

Yoga is portable,at home or on the road

Most of us lead busy lifestyles. Travel, social life, business and sports. Attending a gym or sports club demands time, time we have less and less of. Furthermore, if jogging is your daily thing, you will need snow shoes, a body guard and an oxygen mask in most cities of the world.

Yoga is portable. Whether at home or on the road, it takes only the space of your yoga mat. It’s the only thing you need for a daily workout that keeps your mind clear, cleans out waste and maintains your whole body/mind in a constant state of awareness and growth. Your daily practice is independent of your emotional space. It gives you objectivity which is a rare commodity, stills you when you’re ruffled and ruffles you when you’re stilled. Your Yoga practice can be like a best friend.

Your Yoga practice travels with you everywhere you go. A daily session takes from ten minutes to two hours and can be done in a hotel room, sunlit balcony or office. You work up a slight to heavy sweat each time. You stretch, twist, lengthen and strengthen, and you get to breath consciously and deeply. While all this is happening you get to focus on the bigger picture.

These few moments in a busy life really help. You get to feel the silence within, be humble and grateful, and remember what is really important in your life.

The Yoga we practice is called Ashtanga, and it is demanding. You will probably go through considerable discomfort and confrontation. As your body opens and detoxifies, you will let go of old patterns. It isn’t easy, but through this process you will grow to enjoy incredible shifts in the quality of your life.

Ashtanga Yoga can be a vital ingredient in supporting the life we lead. Living an inspired life we love living to the fullest, working hard, being supported by a healthy body and keeping as focused and aware as we possibly can. Ashtanga and your daily practice are critical in helping us to achieve this. Even 10 minutes a day is great. For those ten minutes you breathe deep, focus on being present and get to open the body—it's a great way to balance the day.