Yoga has become a staple in my fitness/movement regimen. A great mix of strength, flexibility, and quiet.
On a good week, I can hit four classes. When I miss a week, my body feels it.
In addition to keeping my body right, yoga helps keep my mind right.
I’m no expert in yogic traditions, but yoga carries a strong component of spiritual training that has been passed along for eons. Life lessons are often sprinkled into a yoga class.
As your physical body is stretched to the limits, your mind is forced to move to the present.
A great supplement to meditation.
A small comment from the instructor this week stuck with me.
“As you practice your forward fold, shift your weight to the ball of your feet – focus on grounding the inside edge of your foot. When you do this, your mind will be forced to stay present in the Now.”
Balance is crucial in yoga (and life). Your body has a tendency to shift your weight to the outside edge of your feet as you try to maintain balance in difficult positions.
When you focus on shifting your weight to the inside edge of your feet, you get a deeper stretch (in many positions), and you work against your default mode. You force your mind to focus in the moment – presence, awareness, Now.
This presence is the essence of meditation.
Perhaps the essence of spirituality.
A simple shift of your weight. A shift that is applicable at any moment in your day. A physical shift that also triggers the most fundamental mental shift.
The Inside Edge of Life. My new secret to staying in the moment.
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