Y.oga

 

The final Essential Element to Living with E.N.V.Y is the Y, which stands for Yoga. The “Y” is the “Why” this program of living well works in a circular, connected manner.

 

Yoga, literally means yoke. Think of Yoga as the center point to which everything in your life connects. It is the Union.

 

Yoga has been around for over 5000 years and is practiced in as many ways by millions of people around the world. Yoga had a huge rise in popularity in the U.S. back in the late 1990’s and the business of yoga is still booming.

 

As was true for me, and what I have found for so many yoga practitioners over my 18 years of Practice is that ‘Yoga finds us’ when we need it and when we are ready to embrace it in our life.

 

The lessons of yoga are vast – multi-leveled and multi-layered. For so many, the physical practice of yoga is what attracts us initially. There is truly a yoga style for everyone. Some require great physical strength, flexibility and stamina (Ashtanga, Vinyasa), those of very specific and precise physical alignment (Iyengar), those that are more quiet and meditative (Yin, Kundalini), and some styles practiced in a space meant to mimic 105+ degree temperatures of India (Bikram). I began as an Ashtanga practitioner and my practice evolved from there to Vinyasa, where I studied and trained to become a certified instructor for the first time, in 2002.

 

All yoga emphasizes breathing techniques (pranayama) which help to quiet the thoughts of the mind and help to bring the central nervous system to a state which is more receptive to relaxation and physical release in the body. Meditation is another key element for most styles of yoga and works with pranayama to help bring body, mind, heart and spirit into union.

 

The lessons we can learn through a dedicated yoga practice are endless. Yoga allows us and teaches us to live more presently, to let go of what we don’t need and to see life as it is and to embrace it. We learn to be open to possibility and to the notion of the impermanence of everything in life.

 

In Living With E.N.V.Y., Yoga bridges the connection of the physical and cognitive Elements of E.xercise and V.ision.

 

You will learn more about my discoveries, my thoughts on yoga and my favorite ways to practice in upcoming Blog posts.

 

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