Previous to coming to this course, yoga was taught to me solely as a practice, something to achieve. Amongst my peers practicing yoga was something competitive, who is more flexible, or who can stay in the pose longer? Although it is human nature to be competitive, the competitive nature is what kept me from truly appreciating yoga. The trend of practicing yoga became more and more popular and I would see more posts on social media of people achieving advanced poses, but nothing of what I have learned through this course.
Through this course we have been taught theory and so much more, I have started to see it as a lifestyle. Starting with my morning pranaayama, I am guilty of not completing the asanas Paalu has assigned to us in the morning ritual but I have made sure to complete the breathing techniques to wake myself up as well as gratitude. Whether I am running out the door trying to catch the train, I make sure to give gratitude towards my parents, teachers, and spirit. Doing these small steps before my day has made a noticeable impact on me, kapalabhati(pumps) alerts/wakes me right away, anuloma vilama(throat breathing) soothes me when I wake up groggy or was not able to sleep well. And giving gratitude has helped me collect my thoughts better throughout the day. I find it to be human nature to see the negative in every situation and to over complicate the negative, but starting my day with pure positive thoughts has made my thoughts overall more positive.
I will continue to practice yoga and live life with everything I have learned though this course. I hope to share my new perspectives when I return to the states.
Davina Antillon
