So no one ever really told us this was how it was going to be. In graduate school, the mantra that hard work, buckling down, tenacity and stick-to-it-ness would pay off was the only thing to hold on to at times when I wanted to tell a certain professor that I simply didn't care about program evaluation or policy analysis. Turns out, I pretty much could've done that and maybe even been better off, farther ahead in the game and more financially successful. However, I did not, I chose the high road. But the realization I have come to is this - things may not be how I thought/planned/envisioned but they are the way they are. The key of course is to find the best way to deal with them. Interestingly, the way we planned for our lives to be, the expectations we've set for ourselves are really nothing more than thoughts in our minds. Thoughts! How crazy and simply yet radically complex is that??!
Yet the beauty lies in this - if we can change our thoughts, we can change our lives. I think Dr. Wayne Dyer bestowed this profound knowledge to me within the last month. It is so very simple yet rings so true. I mean how can we expect to change the world if we do not start with ourselves?
As you have probably surmised by now this leads to my thoughts on yoga. Yoga is the only thing I feel like I have control over and most the time I am only striving for control - of my thoughts, breath, pose or transition. In a time when I receive rejection after rejection letter and I have relatively little control over the very near future, yoga helps me keep things in focus. Whether I am focusing on meditation, pranayama breath or actual asana poses - these exercises keep me focused on the only thing I have control over - the present moment. I may not be able to do a backbend or headstand yet but if I can do several rounds of full yogic breath, I feel more grounded, aware, and connected.
As you may or may not know, last week I pinched a nerve in my left rotator cuff while resting after yoga. It seemed so silly to me to have hurt myself in a resting pose but it is what happened. Luckily I found a wonderful massage therapist who focuses in sports injury within a 5 minute walk from my house who massaged the nerves back where they needed to be. The healing from this consists of continuing yoga, stretches and breathing exercises. The beauty of yogic breathing (which I am only beginning to learn) is that it delivers more oxygen to your blood which increases the healing process by repairing damaged cells more quickly. Who knew something so simple as breathing could be so healing? The more I learn about this ancient subject the more I feel like I have been walking around blindly for years. Oh well, it's better to wake up slowly than never at all right?
For those of you interested in learning some basics about yoga I can recommend some books you can check out at your local library (well I say that respectively as many of you live in rural areas)that may be helpful. I like illustrated books demonstrating poses with background information as well.
A good start is "Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion" published by the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. "Hatha Yoga Illustrated" by Martin Kirk & Brook Boon is another good one. And another one that is not as great but okay for beginners is "The Yoga Bible - The Definitive Guide to Yoga Postures" by Christina Brown. This has abbreviated information on the history of yoga, the eight limbs of yoga and breathing exercises but the poses may not make as much sense to someone who has never taken a yoga asana class before. Once you get some general information down, "The Light on Yoga" by yoga guru B.K.S. Iyengar is necessary (I am still reading it). I hope this information helps anyone remotely interested in yoga.
Yoga is a life long learning practice so don't feel overwhelmed because it is not a competition. Go slowly and enjoy each moment. Be careful and mindful of everything you do and of course keep in mind I am no expert! I am learning and sharing information I have found helpful. It is a good idea to take a beginner class at a yoga studio or your local gym and ask questions and advice from a certified yoga instructor.
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