Hi,
I'm Allison,
Licensed professional counselor,
Meditation guide,
And registered yoga teacher.
And every day I help people just like you soften their nervous system and reconnect to the versions of themselves that feel more grounded,
Authentic,
And whole.
Today,
We're answering the question.
What is yoga?
And we'll start with the myth.
Many people think yoga is just stretching and some cool postures that maybe they saw online.
And while those postures are certainly a part of the practice,
There's much more to it.
The word yoga itself means to yoke or to unite,
Which is another way of saying it's about connection.
And so connection of what?
Connection to mind,
Body,
Spirit,
And breath.
That's what you'll typically find in a Western yoga class.
Through movement,
Breath work,
Meditation.
We'll start to try to connect them all together,
Right?
We'll notice our inner dialogue.
We'll be encouraged to self-reflect on the experience without judgment,
With compassion,
And start to observe the ways the bodies either connect or disconnect.
Why?
For the goal of creating more harmony.
And so yoga.
.
.
Uses physical postures called asanas as one doorway to this greater awareness to this Harmony.
One of the most commonly studied in the West lineages of yoga.
There are eight branches.
8 different branches that all fall under what yoga is.
8.
In physical postures It's only one of them.
Meditation,
Deeper meditation,
And even deeper meditation,
That takes up like three or four.
And then another two is.
.
.
Uh these values like a list of values that it suggests to live by and it says that's yoga too that's a doorway But the one we know the most,
Right,
Is the poses.
Now while the poses are fun,
And there's certainly many,
Many health benefits,
Mental,
Physical,
All the things.
The ultimate goal is creating a deeper relationship with yourself and clearing the path to the goodness and purity that's within.
But remember,
The physical practice is just one doorway.
But for me personally,
That doorway has been one of my favorite things to do,
My favorite pastimes,
My favorite self-care tools for probably the last 13 years.
So give it a try.
