Mind and Body

I have always admired people who practice yoga , but i never envisioned myself actually doing it one day. Yoga is beyond religion, race, and culture. Whatever branch of discpline of yoga, they usually have one thing in common -- a balance of the mind and the body through controlled breathing. And the effects are immensely exhilarating and impressive.

Although I'm a Buddhist and I try to practice meditation (samatha) as much as i can, I still find some difficulty in maintaining the (half) lotus posture whenever I sit. I find my lower back and feet aching after a while. Not that I'm getting old (at 31), but I realized that I lack the physical strength and the flexibility that would help me sit still a little longer. So i took yoga into consideration to help ease the development of inner core strength and to add flexibility. Besides I get to meditate in between poses or even during the poses. I even get to discpline myself to eat less and lose some weight in the process of toning my body. So much benefits...nothing to lose, only more to gain.

I took my first trial class last February. Gosh, it really took my breath away, literally. I was just in a couple of the routines in the standing series; but my body was already aching and my head was spinning. I almost passed out. I told myself that this might not be meant for me. But I still have 2 more classes left to complete the 3-session trial program that I enrolled in. I might as well give myself 2 more chances before I evaluate my body's capacity. The second session felt much easier than the first one--either my body has become adjusted or my mind was playing tricks on me. The third session felt the same as the second session. I think I'm beginning to actually enjoy the 90-minute class.

I can't stop myself. This is more enjoyable than going to the gym! I anticipate each single day. I look forward to conquering myself every yoga session. And I'm getting better at the poses. Poses I thought I could never do gradually becomes easier each time I do them. I"M CONQUERING MY LIMITS. I'm conquering my mind to make my body still. And I'm gradually losing weight. Well, I stopped eating so much and continued at taking in healthy stuff. Because of yoga, I've learned to love and respect my body more. So I don't stuff it with too much of anything, especially fattening food. My indigestion problem is not causing much trouble anymore. My lower back pain has vanished.
It's pretty amazing how yoga has healed my body. And I did it the bikram way.

It's an investment of a lifetime. It's a way of life.