What does Yoga mean to me.

As I struggled and conquered my illness in the last year, here I find myself in an unusual territory of 200hr Hatha and Ashtanga yoga teacher training, suddenly feeling more enlightened and spirited… Yoga wasn’t a health insurance workout for me anymore, I’ve begun to realize that it’s the only lifestyle I want to live my life every day, just watching each fluctuations of my thoughts and feelings during my asana to just be in harmony with my breath and my health. A word to encompass all of this is mindfulness.
Yoga is truly yogah citta vritti nirodhah, it’s about being present, on and off the mat as we strive to unite our consciousness with our breath and reduce the mental distractions by leading a more mindful life! Practice mindfulness during your asana and take a check on how you feel! The aim is to change the way we think about our experiences; being more aware of each moment, more accepting and less judgmental on ourselves first. Don’t hate your circumstances, have some self-love!!
And so before I sign off, I wish you strength and light to continue your yoga practice, one breath at a time, be steady and move easily into each asana with some swadyaya (total self-understanding), just as I had learnt something about myself as I strive to be in the harmony of my feelings and health on and off the mat with my family, friends and my loved ones.
x,
Nura Ahmad