Ugh…March. I feel you all of my people in cold weather climates or cities that had been affected by a crazy polar vortex. As a kid I remember that March brought spring and, with that, beautiful change. Now, depending on where you live, it can be still be snowing in April. Brutal. Winter drags on, making spring so much shorter than we deserve – especially after the last year with the pandemic.
To make the on-going pandemic and cold weather a little more bearable and give us something to look forward to, I’m inviting you to join me in practicing yoga everyday. I’m not talking about doing an hour-long asana practice for 31 days straight – although you could and that would be amazing! I’m talking about gaining a greater understanding of the all-encompassing yogic practice to bring a positive transformation in your mind, body, and spirit.
I’m intentionally using the word invitation rather than “challenge” because this isn’t a test of how many days you can stick with it, or to prove your ability or strength. I’m not asking you to post anything to social media and hashtag or tag me. I’m inviting you to experience something, to have an opportunity to grow and learn more about yourself. No competition. No judgement. This is for you.
The ultimate goal of yoga is Nirvana, or enlightenment – a state of bliss uniting the individual and universal consciousness. I know. That sounds REALLY heavy, and it is. I’m not expecting you to get there in 31 days. I’m not there and God only knows if I’ll ever get there, but it is something I’m working toward everyday. In the meantime, I’m growing.
To achieve Nirvana it is believed that all of the following six paths or styles of yoga need to be practiced:
Hatha (breath and posture) – the physical practice
Jnana (knowledge and study) – living what we learn through wisdom gained, with journaling, reading, self-reflection, etc.
Bhakti (devotion) – universal love, awareness, and gratitude of a higher being and ALL living things
Mantra (sound or chanting) – contemplating, setting a goal and working towards that goal through a one-phrase reminder
Raja (meditation) – self-control and discipline of the mind to achieve a calmer state of being
Karma (action, self-service) – purely intended acts helping others without personal gain
You might not have realized all of these are actually styles of yoga and you may be practicing some of these paths already on a daily basis.
When one begins practicing all of these, everyday, a change begins to occur. I cannot tell you what yours will be as it is so incredibly special to each individual. Although, I can say with absolute certainty that your transformation will be beautiful and you’ll want to keep at it everyday because you’re becoming a better person for yourself and everyone around you. So while winter is still raging, I invite you to rouse your very own spring awakening.
Sending you light and love. AGB