What is Yoga?

In a conversation a couple of days ago someone asked me 'what is Yoga?'

I had to stop and wait for a moment because the answer for me has changed over the years.

When I first started to practise Yoga asana I used to strive to become more flexible, strong and achieve more. I enjoyed making beautiful shapes with my body would be pleased with myself when I stretched a bit further or learnt how to stand on my head ;) But there was always something else that I wanted. I was never quite satisfied. I thought about how this related to my life this feeling of there's something not quite right yet. If I could only earn this much, if I could only find a boyfriend who could be a bit more understanding, if only I had more friends, if only I could lose 10 pounds, if if if only. My Yoga practise was a reflection of my life. Bursts of achieving and feeling great and then needing more and feeling dissatisfied until I achieved it.

Once I realised that this is not how I wanted my Yoga practise or my life to be I stopped using my practise as a way of getting something. It became an enquiry into the intelligence of the body. I became aware of what was actually happening instead of what I wanted to be happening or what I thought should be happening. I was allowing myself to move out of the mind and into the body. I gradually began to accept whatever I was feeling – pain, pleasure, excitement, anger and gradually realised these sensations were neither bad or good. As soon as I labelled them as something I was back in the mind.

As I started to let go on the mat naturally I began to let go of other things in my life. Ideas, beliefs, judgements. I realised that ever since I was born ideas about what's right, wrong, real, true had all been imposed upon me. I started to look at what I believed and questioned it. Thoughts in my mind... were they mine? Or were they my parents, my teachers the Government etc... Inside of yourself is where you can find the answers to all that is important and true. You are intelligence. You don't need to read books or go to uni to become wise.

There is nothing more satisfying then recognising that you are perfect as you are. You are where you are meant to be. Whatever you are feeling or thinking is part of the journey that you have to be on. One day you may come to realise or you may realise already that to feel deeply satisfied in life you do not need to make loads of money, have 100s of friends, have a big house or a flashy car. You may come to realise that by dropping what you think you are and know you will come to know who you really are and how beautiful and perfect you have always been.

SO now when I think about what Yoga is.... it is everything. I cannot separate yoga from how I live, eat, speak or move. It is awareness of what is happening in the body and mind. It is the honesty in accepting that. It is about the intention behind every move I make, every word I speak, every thought I send out. If your intentions are honest, noble, truthful and you mean well you are practising Yoga. 

'When your intentions are noble and honourable, even if your plan does not come to fruition you will be rewarded for the purity of your ideals (Diana Cooper).'