Before a yoga practice starts, the instructor usually asks the students to set an intention for their class. An intention is a quiet purpose for what this practice may bring; it could be personal or universal.
My intention often is balance, that this practice may create balance in my life. If your life is like mine, my work days are filled with endless “to do” lists, problems to solve, and occasional “dramas”. I seek refuge in my yoga practice to simply calm the mind, let go, remind myself that everything shall pass, and that true joy truly happens only in the present moment.
A good yoga practice helps creates this balance and centeredness. It is a feeling that feels like everything is in the right place. Despite external stressors, we feel calm, collected and grounded. Unfortunately, this feeling diminishes as soon as we allow stressors to rule our emotions and then we are back to square one. A good yoga practice resets us back.
A good yoga practice resets us back into balance.
When I feel balanced and centered, I feel any combination of these things:
Peaceful and content. There’s no ruminating of past negative thoughts nor worries of the future.
Keenly aware of everything around me without necessarily being distracted.
Appreciative of the present moment, knowing and believing that everything shall pass.
Creative, like there are boundless possibilities.
More engaged in my social interactions.
Less reactive, less judgmental.
Humbled. My ego is muted and I feel like a part of something bigger than me.
Kind to others. My heart rules and not my head.
Love.
How do you feel after a good yoga practice? And wouldn’t it be great if the magic we create at our practice, is the same magic we re-create in our daily lives?