The beautiful tradition of yoga didn’t begin with striking a pose, these asanas (poses) we practice are meant to lead us somewhere spiritually. Asanas were traditionally practiced to prepare the body to sit in meditation, not to look great in a bikini (although that can be a side effect!) There is something in our souls that continually brings us back to our mats.

Lately I’ve been thinking about what we bring on our mats with us. Sometimes we bring a competitive mind to our physical practice. Competition is something familiar to us, most of the physical things we have done in life are competitive, both group & individual sports. Our culture is also relatively competivite, we are all told we must do what we have to to make it, right? So it is no suprise that sometimes that competition leaks on to our mats.

We have all taken a class where we are next to a more advanced practitioner, & how do we react to the situation? Yoga isn’t about competition, it isn’t about ego, our physical practice is a gateway to get somewhere deeper. Our asanas are the gateway to tap into the divine. The physical practice grants us the gift of breath, and learning how to use it to grow deeper. It allows us the discipline to learn how to quiet the mind & balance our spirit.

So I challenge you, the next time you step onto your mat leave your ego at the door, let go of self-judgement & set your intention to allow your physical practice to be that gateway to the divine. Using your moving body, your sweat, to open your spirit, gain a deeper understanding of yourself, and walk closer on that path to the divine!

See you on the mat~

MUCH Love,
Jo Beth