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The Real Reasons For Practicing Yoga

    skate chick

    It’s always been my goal to get up, and onto the yoga mat for the early am class. It not only sets the intention for my entire day (in such a good way!), it puts me in the motion of literally going with the flow. So while the hot and lazy days of summer did nothing to inspire my rise and shine practice, I’m super happy to report that the crisp September air is pulling me out of my bed, and into the studio for some early bird yoga!

    I’d like to mention that while trying to stay in alignment with the changing seasons,or back to school vibe, I’ve branched out from my regular yoga place, and I’m exploring what other studios/ teachers have to offer.

    As a newbie to the Sun Celebrations class, the instructor did his due diligence by asking the expected do you have any injuries question. Then he asks what brings me to the yoga mat?

    Huh?

    It’s 7:25 in the morning. My brain is barely turned on. And I’m thrown straight into the deep end.

    I gave him the short answer. The one that sits swiftly at the top of my mouth. And to be totally honest, it wasn’t even an answer to his question.

    “I’m here because I always come here. I’ve been practicing yoga for a long, long time and I always come back.”

    Pretty lame, I know. But it got me off the hook.

    Sort of.

    I couldn’t stop thinking about his question.
    Why do I come to the mat?

    I had pondered this right here. But that was awhile ago. The answer to this question is always evolving. How could it not? Our bodies change. Our minds shift. And our souls grow.

    The old answer to why I come to the mat was:
    to get my workout on
    to stay flexible
    to release energy

    These answers still hold true for the most part. But they’ve evolved.

    Now I come to the mat:
    to connect my mind, body and soul
    to explore and express myself
    to move my energy away from stagnation

    It took me the whole class to come up with these answers.
    Which eventually led me to the biggest reason of why I come to the mat.

    To take my yoga off the mat, and practice it in every day life.

    Maybe next time I’ll be ready at 7:25 with my final answer.

    Why do you come to the yoga mat?

    8 thoughts on “The Real Reasons For Practicing Yoga”

    1. I come to my mat so I can remember to keep breathing every day, to push my anxiety to the side and to remember to stay true to my practice on and off the mat.
      What an amazing question, I may have to ask my students that next time I teach!

    2. It is an amazing question! And though I was a bit stumped at the moment, it got me thinking about my practice…. And that’s a great gift from my yoga instructor. Thanks for sharing!

    3. SirenaTales

      What a lovely and wise post, TT. And what phenomenal answers to the profound question! But I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You seem consistently to challenge yourself to go bigger and deeper…an inspiration to us all. xoxo

    4. ST, It’s comments like yours that inspire me to challenge myself to go bigger and deeper. So thank YOU! xo

    5. “To take my yoga off the mat, and practice it in every day life.”

      Absolutely!

      Oh, yeah, and it makes me feel good!

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