i closed my eyes to look inward and found a universe waiting to be explored

-Yung Pueblo (from “inward”)

Many people are initially drawn to yoga for the physical benefits- to become more flexible and strong, or to work through an injury. At some point, we notice that yoga offers something a little different than many other physical movement practices. We may find that we feel a bit more balanced or at ease. We might feel the urge to apologize for something we did or forgive someone for something that happened years ago. We might feel a little warm and fuzzy and may even reach out to reconnect to an old friend. We notice we have a little more patience with strangers.

Why is this?

I came to yoga to de-stress. It started out as a physically nourishing movement practice but became a much deeper healing and spiritual practice once I started to study the philosophy – the hows and whys. I thought I would offer up my personal practice and studies of Yoga in the hopes that someone else can begin to find a deeper meaning in their own personal practice. This is just a brief overview of my personal takeaways, so I encourage everyone to read the Sutras alongside books that interpret the Sutras to continue their own studies.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are a collection of phrases, or “threads,” that serve as a guide to help us navigate the ups and downs, the challenges, of this human life. They are written in Sanskrit, a beautiful and sacred language that holds a much deeper meaning in the heart than English can really convey.

1.1 Atha Yoga-anushasanam Now, we begin the practice of Yoga.

Now- we begin the journey inward. We come to Yoga to peel back all the layers, the labels, the judgements we’ve placed on ourselves and the world around us. We don’t practice Yoga to become enough. We practice Yoga as a journey to the realization that we already are enough and have enough as we are, right here and now. We begin with an open heart, an open mind, curiosity, and a willingness to slowly let go of our own ego and of the importance we tend to place on material objects.