The Benefits of Yoga
I started October with gobs of hope. My high apple pie in the sky attitude seemed to match Sedona, Arizona’s big skies stretching into heaven above. Nestled into the side of the red rock canyon is a yoga school. Every lesson is planned around studying the mental, physical, and spiritual side of yoga. Ohm…… It was a makeover for sure.
Transformation is a more accurate word. For sure, we did bendy and stretchy stuff from day one. Yoga is so much more than contorting into poses. Turns out the instructors there knew a lot more about me than I knew about myself. The focus was more inward than outward.
So at yoga school, we moved into transformative healing through physical movement that required me to be still. Focus on my body. Calm my mind…. And breathe.
Stillness has a healing quality all by itself. Even with my gimpy left foot and leg, I managed to settle into poses. Lying, sitting, or standing – I got still. I noticed everything that was going on in and through me.
Focus on me. My granddaughter has played Ariana Grande’s hit song, Focus On Me enough that I know that one line. I’m sure the message is totally different than what I experienced at 7 Centers. But I got real with my own truth. These topics may come up in future blogs and you’ll be able to remember where the seeds of thoughts were incubated: 7 Centers Yoga in Sedona, AZ.
The Benefits of Yoga
Being grounded – I allowed myself to fully feel every sensation instead of moving toward thoughts. I’m a super thinker and when I feel mental or physical pain, I tend to push harder and move more than necessary. Yoga teaches us to be strong in our body.
Checking out patterns – By looking for trends in our behavior it becomes clear that there are areas of imbalance. When we get out of balance, our tendency can be to push real hard in one direction or another. Example: I tried to run and threw out my back and created more foot pain. On the upside, my right leg got super strong!
Moving toward balance – Included with physical balance is a mental and emotional balance. By going inward, we can observe our behavior trends and make gentle adjustments.
Expression – Our mind expresses itself in our body. Don’t we know this on some level? What we may discover is that there are layers that need to be opened up. Understanding that simple truth allows us to listen to our body and accept where we are right now.
Modifications – This became the keyword during the entire journey. We have to give ourselves permission to be flawed. It may mean a physical modification to a stretch. It can also be a mental shift that allows me to just be.
All of that and so very much more. I began a healing process that I’m tenderly protecting every day. I’m receiving a new message about my body and can’t wait to share it with you! For my very first post on yoga when the blog was a baby, click here. Love you so, Karen
4 thoughts on “The Benefits of Yoga”
Very nice post Karen. I am intrigued by Yoga. Perhaps it could help me. My back still hurts from my surgery a year ago. If I go for a walk it seems to limber it up. I’m going to look in to this. Did you hurt your leg? I may have missed it
Welcome back!
Dee Ernst recently posted…The Benefits of Yoga
Karen,
What a great experience and it’s great to have you back. Sounds like you had a great time and just when I thought you couldn’t get any better, you bring it to the next level.
CW
Xoxo
It’s very true that yoga is vital for our Body. I help to reduce weight and keep your body toned and flexible. It is not only healthy for the body but also for the mind. I am inspired to make time and for you in my daily routine for at least 15 minutes. Thanks for Sharing.
Hello Karen, wow so nice blog. This blog is really helpful for me it feels myself confidence. Yoga is the type of physical therapy, which keeps your body joints pain free and fit. I will surely share this blog with my friends also. Thanks for sharing!
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