A few more thoughts...

What I find most exciting about blogs - and my primary goal for this one - is the space it provides for shared ideas, thoughts, questions, a dialogue between friends and strangers alike. So I was thrilled when a comment on Be Here Now challenged the ideas presented while asking some questions. The commenter asked, "What about being able to laugh at yourself, relax, stop taking everything so seriously and just let go. Does that have any place in yoga? I some how doubt it ...."

That right there - having a sense of humor and being able to maintain it in the most challenging moments - IS, in so many ways, the goal of yoga. It's through yoga (which is much much more than the physical practice but penetrates our beings on many deeper levels) that people are able to deal with their issues, fears, concerns - things holding them back and blocking them from being able to simply relax and play! Yoga is learning the tools to relax (meditation) and the tools to play (in most yoga poses, the body is exploring self-expression, freedom of movement, dancing...all in a safe and light-hearted manner).


















When I'm happiest, I am able to laugh at myself, relax, be silly, and when I'm not as happy I find it harder, but that's why it's a daily practice - one we arrive at each day with a fresh slate. I think Iyengar captures it perfectly in the title of his book Light on Life. I'm still slowly peeling back the layers to keep discovering new concepts and ways of seeing things, but the ability to accept these new ideas and approaches to finding peace is the greatest gift that yoga has given me.
Please share with us your experiences or thoughts!