Fifteen years ago, my esteemed Yoga teacher
and mentor was questioned by a fellow student regarding the
benefit of practicing Yoga. He half jokingly replied that Yoga
is like "snake oil", it's good for whatever ails you. His reply
was met with laughter by all; it was funny, all right, but it
was also tantalizing, suggesting as it did limitless
possibilities for the Yoga student.
In the years that followed, I have found that
the practice of Yoga offers a mental and physical space in which
to discover one's previously unseen capabilities, as well as
weaknesses. The various poses are demanding, challenging the
student to develop strength and flexibility in parts of his body
that have been weak and stiff for as long as he can remember.
After my demonstrating a particular pose, many a student has
responded, "My body doesn't do that!." My job as the teacher is
to guide my students into that pose, encouraging them to attend
to the new sensations they experience, as well as to observe
their own reactions to the physical challenge. In this way, the
student has many opportunities to know himself in a deeper way,
even to see himself in a new light.
It is exactly this, this seeing oneself from
a fresh perspective, which opens the door of healing and
renewal. The adventure of the practice and study of yoga lies in
its transformative power. I found this to be true for myself
when I began my own exploration of Yoga, but over the past
twelve years that I have been teaching Yoga, this truth has
become more and more apparent to me As I have enjoyed this
wonderful position of teacher, I have observed many students
experience new truths about themselves. Sometimes these
experiences have been primarily physical, I think about a
current student who is 83 years-old. He now enjoys much freer
movement in his shoulders, and is delighted by the degree of
freedom he now has in his arms, neck and back. Perhaps even more
often, as a class draws to a close, I see tension drain away
from students' faces, their eyes becoming clearer and brighter,
their skin taking on a healthier glow. They often do look
younger, less burdened by the difficulties of their everyday
lives. What is it about Yoga that sets this endeavour apart from
simple physical exercise?
The simplest explanation is that hatha Yoga
sits you down into the present. This present moment is the exact
time and space; the only time and space in which you can fully
live. As your body and mind meet in the concentration of doing a
Yoga pose your experience clarity, focusing your attention,
muscles, bones, and breath toward experiencing the particular
pose. Again and again, as you approach each pose, this
capability to meet each sensation with awareness increases. This
experience of harmony of body and mind then transfers to your
everyday life; you are more alert to the beauty and wonder of
life that has always been right before your eyes and in fact,
available to all your senses. This is the magic of Yoga.
|