What's the Big Deal?

What's the big deal about yoga?

It sure seems like a big deal.  Studios popping up everywhere, conferences & festivals & fundraisers, websites & blogs about it (like this one).

It appears to be a big deal for a lot of people.

Yoga is a big deal for me.

I practice asana (poses) & pranayama (breath work) every day. I do my best to practice the yamas & niyamas every day & to use the principles of the Yoga Sutras. Yoga has helped me change the way I move through my life.  So yeah, it's a big deal for me.

But maybe it's not a big deal for you. Maybe you just drop in for a class now & then. Maybe you've only watched a video on youtube or heard friends talk about it. Maybe you're thinking "what is the big deal?!".

There's a lot to be gained from the practice of yoga...whatever type of yoga you practice. There's a lot to learn - a lot I still have to learn.

So if it's not a big deal to you, well then, no big deal.

But consider this...if you feel better when you step on your mat, or better yet, when you step off your mat after you've practiced, that's enough. That in & of itself is a pretty big deal.

What I learned from Skiing

My family started skiing last year.  We only skied a few times last year, but we've been skiing more this year...well, as much as the winter has allowed.

This year I noticed that when I ski down the mountain, I'm leaning back in my boots.  When really, it feels like I should be leaning forward.

I know I'm leaning back because I don't want to go fast.  And, to be totally honest, I don't want to fall.

So basically, I'm skiing down the mountain, leaning back & resisting every moment of it & thinking about not wanting to fall.

If you've ever read any of my other blogs, you know I fully believe in the Law of Attraction.  So...what comes to mind when you read that?

Skiing downhill, leaning back, thinking about not falling.

I'm an accident waiting to happen:)

Ok, so there's the Law of Attraction piece. If I don't want to fall, I need to stop thinking about falling.

The bigger piece for me is leaning back.  Because we do it with so many things in in our life.  Lean back, pull back, dig in & create more tension than there needs to be.  That's exactly what I'm doing when I'm skiing.  I'm creating excessive & unnecessary resistance.  I also heard my fellow teacher, Melissa Pressmar (balancewithinyou.net), describe it as stretching a rubber band.  The more you pull back (whether it be from a situation or a person that you have to deal with) the more tension you create.  You keep stretching that rubber band until it's super tight...or it snaps.

But if you lean into it a bit. Soften. Relax. Then you can ski gracefully down the mountain.

I've had a few runs like that.  And I do like skiing, so I'm going to keep at it. Because really, it's just another opportunity to practice my yoga off my mat.