What Do You Want From Your Yoga?

So what do you want from your yoga practice? Try to know this. Are you seeking peace or fitness? Are you seeking ease of movement? Are you seeking health, reduction of stress, or happiness? It doesn't actually really matter, because guess what, you're going to get it and a whole lot more. One of the things that happens with the practices of yoga is that our deeper wants and our deeper desires get revealed, which aren't always what we initially sought. This is part of the play. As we breathe, move, stretch, and chant and allow these practices to transform us, as we unravel from the tensions that bind, more of us is revealed, simultaneously increasing our capacity. One of the results, whether or not you're seeking this, is that you're going to get bigger. More gigantic, more massive, more complex, more interesting. Sometimes people think that yoga is about simplifying the life, quieting the life, even making it easier. What happens instead, is that life gets wilder, more exciting, and more dynamic, increasing our capacity for fun and surprise. When beginning yoga, you'll have a honeymoon period where things just feel nicer, better, and you'll feel a bit more comfortable, more at ease. Enjoy it, because what's coming is the opportunity to stretch and become more of a whole person, more of yourself, which makes this whole journey way more fun. One of the benefits of self acceptance is a renewed enthusiasm to be yourself. You no longer need to waste time and energy doubting, worrying, and mistrusting. You can just go for it. So start your practice. Know what it is you think you want, because you’re going to get it, and you're going to discover what you really want. The yogis say that the deepest desire that all of us hold, the deepest desire that each of us carry in our heart, is this desire to experience the connection of which we are already a part and the resulting freedom of self. Stay close, we're family, and we’re free.