Are You Ready to Begin Yoga?

You need to answer two questions honestly to know if you are ready to begin yoga.

1. Can you breathe?
2. Do you want more from life and yourself?

If you answer these two questions ‘yes’, then you are ready to begin yoga. There are no other prerequisites. You do not have to be able to touch your toes or do handstands. You do not have to be flexible or strong. Those are the side benefits of yoga. Your body will become more able in time. The point of a yoga practice is finding challenges and taking them with love for being alive. So the more challenges you can experience the better. The ultimate goal of yoga does not care where you are it only cares about whether or not you are on the journey.

Yoga practice begins at where ever you are. Every step you take after that is your yoga practice. Every time you go in and dig up your power to expand, that‘s your practice. As T. K. V. Desikachar explains `yoga is to attain what was previously unattainable`.

Let’s ponder on this `unattainable` that T. K. V. Desikachar talks about. Yoga has a holistic philosophy. This idea has many implications. One of those implications is that when you challenge your body it is a mental and emotional challenge as well. And it also goes the other way: when there is a mental challenge it reflects on your physical body as well.

Here is what I am trying to say with all these. In a yoga session, your unattainable may be mental, spiritual, or physical. So here are some examples of what different people might be working on in a yoga class.

Staying balanced in balancing poses. Staying for one more breath in challenging poses. Folding over with a straight spine.
Keeping the breath smooth and slow.
Keeping the mind calm. Resisting the urge to keep moving all the time. Being able to stay in a pose.
Keeping the mind in here and now. Staying with discomfort without feeling the need to fix it or change it.
Stop comparing oneself with others. Stop thinking about how they are looking from outside.
Minimize eye movements.
Being aware of the body and when it is time to take it easy.
Being able to rest when it’s time to rest.

As long as you are up for working on improving your calmness and mental stability then you are ready to begin your yoga journey. All you have to do is stepping on your mat. Leave the rest to the thousands of years of the yoga tradition. The way forward will open up to you every time you are ready for it.

So let’s get back to the initial question. Are you ready to begin yoga? Yes. If you have read this far, the answer is yes. Your desire to know more, to prepare is enough.

Before you go, here is a quick tip for your first yoga class. You may not be able to follow all the breath ques or alignment ques. That is okay. It takes time. And with time it surely happens. Do your best to enjoy and keep breathing.

`Practice and all is coming`

Embody the sacred within

Yoga Alloy