Let’s start with the definition of practice…
Practice / (ˈpræktɪs) /: repetition or exercise of an activity in order to achieve mastery and fluency.
My 19-year-old daughter loves to ride her bike. This is her preferred form of exercise and she’s often gone for an hour or two. The other day she returned after only 15 minutes because her earbuds died and she couldn’t fathom a bike ride without them.
To me, this need for mental distraction is one of the hallmarks that differentiates other forms of exercise from yoga. Not that you can’t choose be mindful while walking or running, lifting weights or riding a bike, but if you observe most people exercising outdoors or at the gym (when we could go to the gym) folks tend to check out while they put their body through the paces.
Yoga, on the other hand, asks us to be completely tuned in – mind, body and soul – for the duration of our practice and to take this presence and bring it into the rest of our life.
Yoga, on the other hand, asks us to be completely tuned in – mind, body and soul – for the duration of our practice and to take this presence and bring it into the rest of our life.
The etymological origin of the word “practice” has to do with actively applying knowledge to practical matters versus in theory only.
If this pandemic isn’t an opportunity to actively apply what we practice on the mat, I don’t know what is.
Yogis, this is exactly what we have been practicing for.
We challenge ourselves with postures that bring us to the edge of our comfort zone – for some that edge might be meeting the fear of being upside down in handstand or the citta vrtti (wandering mind) encountered in the stillness of savasana – and apply yogic knowledge we’ve gained to navigate that challenge. Asana literally asks us to “sit with” our experience and use tools like pranayama (breath) to refocus and ahimsa (non-harming) to treat ourselves with compassion and non-attachment (vairgagya) to continually let go of what we cling to and cultivate contentment (santosha) no matter what arises.
Right now, daily life is an edge for many (ourselves included). So, let’s unite our practice with the rest of our lives and apply what we have learned in our time on the mat. This is our opportunity to lead by example and share the abundance we have nurtured so faithfully.
Namaste.
Karin Weinstein (ERYT-500, CMMT, YACEP, CPT) has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2008. She took her first yoga class over 20 years ago seeking relief from low back and neck pain. Karin found not only relief from pain, but a transformative practice that continues to positively impact every aspect of her life. In her classes, Karin celebrates the individuality of each student and strives to make classes unique, fun and empowering. She creates a warm, nonjudgmental sense of community where students are free to explore and challenge themselves. Karin takes an innovative approach to teaching, encouraging a sense of playfulness and curiosity so each student can determine for themselves what feels best. A dedicated student of yoga anatomy and philosophy, breathing practices, functional movement, biomechanics, mindfulness and trauma-sensitive practices, Karin feels the best teachers are also life-long learners. Karin’s passion is helping others move through life on and off the mat with greater ease and resilience. Karin teaches yoga, meditation, relaxation, mindfulness and somatic movement in public, private and corporate classes and workshops throughout Monmouth county and the surrounding areas. www.karinweinsteinyoga.com
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