Today I got on my mat and practiced some yoga (guest post from my instructor).

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Today I got on my mat and practiced some yoga.

I’ve been practicing yoga for about 16 years now and sometimes I wonder what keeps me coming back.  There are days when it’s tougher to get on to my mat than others.  I do know that I always feel so much better when I get on it, than not.

It is said that your mat is a reflection, a way to look inside yourself.

All you hold inside yourself can surface on your mat.

I’ve experienced this phenomena more times than I can remember….some days feeling joyous at a new discovery, or just happy to be alive and healthy; some days falling to my knees in tears.

I believe that’s what keeps me coming back; the need to discover and explore.  But, it’s not always easy to take that first step.

The other night I was watching a true story on the Discovery Channel about two war heroes whose plane went down into the ocean while on a routine search and rescue mission.

Out of the 11 men on board, only 3 survived the crash.  They floated on a two life rafts for 47 days.  They subsisted on little water (mostly rain water they caught,) no food other than what they managed to catch, got attacked by a Japanese fighter plane and nearly died of dehydration and starvation.  Not to mention being surrounded constantly by sharks.

One didn’t make it.

The other two finally found an island and managed to row towards it, but not before fighting through a terrific storm.  Once they got to the island, they suddenly realized it was occupied by the Japanese, and they were captured and became prisoners of war.    Both men survived the concentration camp and made it out alive.

I wondered how they could not absolutely give up after being through those 47 days, and (just when you think the suffering will end) ending up in a prisoner of war camp.  That takes a tremendous amount of determination and strength.

I was amazed by this story of survival and commitment. 

Commitment to life.

That’s what keeps bringing me back to my mat.

 

My commitment to improve my life.

To live my life to the fullest.

To face those things within myself that need changing, or need loving kindness; a way to open my heart and accept; to find a better way.

 

My mat is my haven, my sanctuary, my safe place.  My yoga practice has carried me through many of life’s ups and downs like that raft floating on the ocean.  It has been my refuge through the storms.

I’ve often marveled at the teachers I have studied with who have been practicing yoga since the 70’s and 80’s.  They are still going strong.  I’ve had the honor to study with these masters, and they have an aura of calmness to them that I know comes from practicing yoga. 

It’s what I want. 

So I get on my mat day after day, month after month, year after year breathing, sweating and moving into myself.

Most often, I practice in my home studio where I can be in my own space.

Sometimes it’s my yoga family that gets me on to my mat.  There are two classes that I take on a regular basis, and it’s not so much the practice that gets me there, (although I love ashtanga yoga,) it’s my yoga family who I practice with that keeps me coming back.  We are a group of “over 50” ladies who rock it out in class.  It’s such an inspiration for me to practice with these ladies.

There is another friend, who fell off a roof while working, broke both ankles among other injuries and was back to practice within a year.  He and I started practicing in the same classes years ago when yoga wasn’t quite as popular as it is now.

These are the people who hold me up and bring me on my mat when my own courage is lacking.  I feel so much lighter the minute I walk into the room and see their faces.  And yes, yoga will keep you looking and feeling younger!

So tomorrow is another day.  Another day to get on my mat.  Another day to discover and feel.  Another day to breathe.

What keeps you coming back?

 

Gloria is a certified personal trainer with NASM, a certified spin instructor, and a registered yoga teacher through the Yoga Alliance.  She’s taught yoga since 2000 and primarily teaches vinyasa and ashtanga yoga; all levels of students. She’s also taught private lessons, partner yoga, teacher training programs and other workshops.  If you have specific questions you don’t want to ask here you can contact her by email: uriglo@ymail.com

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Comments

  1. I just had a guest post on my blog about the different types of yoga…..and I think that’s what I love about it. Yoga can be different for different people, or just different depending on the day and what your body needs. I love how it helps to recenter me and be more mindful.

  2. Love this post!!! I definitely have days where I wonder what the point of it all is. But you’re right people have amazing strength when they choose to. It is unreal to think how strong those men must have been to survive plane crash, 47 days at sea and POW camp!

  5. Yoga is such a centering thing for me- sure I love the exercise and it feels so dang good to stretch out my body,but for me it’s all about the heart & mind benefits. It’s about pausing life for a moment- no checking the iphone, about slowing down & turning inwards instead of rushing around, about listening to myself instead of all the messages the world is trying to tell me about who or how to be.

  6. I love the concept of “Commitment To Life”. So often I struggle explaining my relationship with my sport. Why do I continue to do something on a daily basis that I’m not very good at is and is a constant struggle…definitely because it’s my commitment to life. I’ll be using this in the future.

  8. I love when you say these are the people who hold me on on my mat.
    I’d never considered that idea.
    Fantastic post.

  9. Loved this post. Yoga is something I don’t do enough, but certainly appreciate the dedication someone like you has to it. I was relating my years of running, with ups and downs, to your years of yoga. We keep going back to it, I think, because it gives us so much back.

  11. I have been practicing yoga since the 70s- but do not teach this. It’s my way to help my body still run after 40 years and my way to calm myself after a crazy day of teaching special needs kids.
    I really wouldn’t compare doing yoga to a plane crash/surviving it. But then I have never been in a plane crash, so I guess I wouldn’t know.

  12. The way you talk about this is beautiful. I am the same way with my fitness routine, coming back time after time, even though it would be much easier not to. I think it’s just in some people’s make-up, an unconscious yearning for getting back in touch with ourselves. It’s awesome that you’ve found that.

  15. One of my teachers said that yoga is golden opportunity to improve yourself and that’s what I’ve found on the mat. I’m more peaceful and altruistic; less angry. Overall, I feel like practicing yoga has made me a much better person…

  16. Yoga does require courage. In a world full of so much “white noise” from everyone zipping around in life it can be scary to actually have to face yourself. I guess yoga is the time to discover if you are running from life or from yourself and to become at peace with you who are. 🙂 great post!

  17. I keep going back to my yoga, running, and iron jungle for different reasons. Yoga for stretching and mindfulness, running for endurance and runner’s high, and weight lifting for stress relief and staying in touch with my masculinity. Everyone’s reasons are different, most importantly we do something active consistantly!!

  19. I tried yoga one time and didn’t expect it to be too hard. Well, I can say that it is really tough and exceed my expectation. My whole body was aching and I was sweating the whole time. Only reason I never pursued yoga because the one on p90x takes one hour and 30 mins to complete which is a long time.

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