Why I like yoga

To me, yoga is more than a form of exercise but less than a ritual/religion/belief like many people who take it all the way. Most yoga poses require strength or flexibility or both. I have moderate strength and naturally good flexibility so I take on yoga with not much difficulties. I like it that yoga is not competitive. I don’t like competitive sports like racquetball or running (in a race or for a record). People practice yoga for their own inner goods and on their own disciplines. They practice by themselves like meditating or as a form of meditation. Yoga is very well structured. If you capture the principles, the poses come easier. Many poses you would think you use this group of muscles but actually if you use another group of muscles, you can do a pose much easier. For example, side plank, it seems to be hard on your shoulder and arm. However, if you push up your hip and work your oblix, reach up your upper-arm to lift part of the weight from your lower arm while your legs stay strong and balanced, (if you can do all that) you can stay on side plank for ever, literally. Warrior III is a great pose combining strength and balance. The key is focus and tighten all muscles. Your eyes should stay staring at some dots on the floor. Standing leg is pretty tight already to support the whole body weight. The other leg should be paralleled to the floor with a flexed foot. Your core should be holding tight to connect legs with the body, not letting the leg hang wobbling. Arms on either side or front help balance. You need to really focus your mind and be conscientious about all muscles in your bodyparts to stay balanced and strong. One loose muscle can throw your balance off and you will look like an airplane with a smoking tail diving down aimlessly. 

Alignment is very important in yoga as well. For example, such an easy pose as Triangle. Your heels should be inline with your back. Hip and shoulders should be flat like you are standing against a wall. Arms are extended and land on front leg wherever they can make a right angle with the floor. So in a perfect Triangle pose, your body makes three large and small triangles. Your body is also flat and makes no curves. When I do yoga, I mostly forget about everything else. It helps my eyes and my mind relax and focus on something else. It’s a good de-stresser. When you go into the yoga room, the heat loosens your muscles. I could fall asleep in there and I have seen people sleeping (and snoring) there before. When I meditate, sometimes I feel my mind just go free and not controlling my body any more. I feel like my spirit leaves my body and takes on a journey by itself, free and wild. Then the five minute meditation is over, I get back to reality where my spirit and my body are inseparable and subjected to the Earth’s gravity. That reality is heavy on the body and the mind. That’s why I love my little escapes with yoga.