After reading the Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin, I finally understand why we call it a yoga ‘practice’ not a competition, not an exercise, not a performance. It is a practice because we dedicate our movements, our mental state to something higher, free from comparison and judgment. It is based on our efforts not on results, in fact if we were so driven to perfect a handstand we could lose the essence of our practice, it could get obsessive rather than calming, damaging rather than healing. It is important that we let our body and energy set the rhythm to our practice so that it becomes a self exploration, a moving meditation.
This way of learning is free from any labels, it lends to the incremental theory of intelligence rather than categorizing individuals into ‘strong’ ‘weak’ ‘flexible’ ‘inflexible’, our concern is the journey, our consistency our effort that transforms any physical and mental states. This way is full of compassion as we focus on incremental movements feeling the full effects on our body, our concentration, balance and breathing, it empties our thoughts and clears our mind connecting to that inner peace.
Waitzkin talks about how his physical awareness brought him to a level of mental clarity finding stillness in the fluidity of yoga to access the mind through the body. When these principles of breathing merge with the movements of yoga, practice becomes like the ebb and flow of water meeting a beach, the waves lapping against the sand (in breath, energizing) then the water trickling back out to sea (exhalation, gentle). The energetic wave is what most people focus on but the subtlety of the water’s return is also deeply compelling.
The heart of yoga’s calming effects is from the breath which is when the heighten effects of self healing begin to arise. Healing Yoga helps harness the connection between body and mind to bring about an optimal functioning of the body’s own healing mechanism and a conducive mental, emotional and hormonal level to sustain this self healing. Whether you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness, suffer acute pain or recovering from a surgery, our yoga therapists will ensure you get the care and support needed to feel an inner peace and physical balance.
