I am a yogi. The word 'yogi' refers to "any student who studies the practice of yoga". The practice of yoga is not limited to the poses and the physicality of the 'exercise' and those who only embrace the physicality of it are really missing the true 'teachings' of yoga.
Yoga began in the eastern culture and in India thousands of years ago and is embraced today in many people's homes both in the east and in the west. As my teachers taught me, it begins with starting your day consciously by waking up to give thanks to wake to another day. From there you might begin your day by meditating. I begin my morning first with a cup of warm water and lemon (as the yogi's do in the east for digestion) but also with a cup or 2 of coffee (only in the morning for me) as it all helps as a digestive aid to rid one's body of the toxins formed from the days prior to today. Because I spend 6 days and 5 nights in the yoga studio I have plenty of opportunity to 'practice' however, yoga must be personal so even the teacher must embrace the practice away from the studio because the teacher is teaching and not always 'doing'. I leave very early in the morning however and I like to have my moments of thought (after checking out the weather forecast) toward gratitude, thanksgiving, my breath and love. We should meditate in the morning to start our day out right and then even periodically throughout the day perhaps; a 5 minute or so pause or practice of breath with the eyes closed to take away the external visions and move to the internal vision. If you can't get it in in the morning you must find another time of the day to practice 'sitting and being' with the breath. Meditation is vital to our health and life.
A yogi should always practice on an empty stomach but sometimes we have to eat so some of the foods that won't affect you too much before practice are toast, yogurt, and for me I choose non-typical breakfast foods like jasmine rice or some pasta. Food affects our breathing and digestion and when a student is practicing their poses they need to have their body and mind 'empty' for the realizations and awareness that comes from the practice as we open ourselves up to the moment, plus too so that we don't make noises or need to run off to the bathroom during our practice. We should have a healthy balance of standing poses, sitting poses, lying down on our belly and back and 'try' to make time each day to stop and put our feet up. We have to consciously make transitions from home/kids/weather/car/work/errands etc. and using our breath and mind to stay mindful of those transitions and how we might have to 'change our hats'. This is an important part of the journey.
A few minutes a day of the practice on your mat in your sanctuary at home with an altar there to remind you of those things in life that keep us balanced, like love, peace, play, work and relationships and joy along with some mindfulness out there in your world will really help keep the stress down and your health 'up'!
Too often though others try to fix us, change us, tell us how we should live or 'seem' to find something wrong with how we choose to live. As a teacher of yoga and as a yogi who lives the life off of the mat I prefer to try to inspire others to the lessons that yoga and metaphysics teach us and they can take that information and do with it what they want. I myself am inspired by all of the different personalities that my yoga studio draws and I do not want to 'change' someone as I love what they teach me! However, when my students (esp. those in privates and who open up) share with me their aches, pains and lifestyles, I try to use the teachings of yoga to help them understand other diverse ways and means of living through yoga and metaphysics or, The Science of Life to ease those dis-eases. Too often we continue the same patterns and habits over and over again only to begin to feel lost, depressed, hurt, suffering and more; of body, mind and heart.
I have experienced and chose to share what I have learned through continuing my journey everyday to expand my awareness and learn from my relationships and experiences, and that lesson for me is that we are here to learn, grow, enjoy, love, share and not to suffer, hurt or stay mad long. We usually are the ones that cause our own hurt by not allowing ourselves to see through someone else's eyes and to let them 'teach us' from their experience. I do not want a world where we are all the same otherwise I won't grow and I become bored, stagnant and thinking that I have the answer to everyone's life! There are no final goals, there are no final answers, and though I prefer a world where there isn't killing and murder, I am not going to turn my head and heart into anger and hate toward these people who do this because then they win by hardening my heart. The reality is from the beginning of time, man has wanted power, possession, control and money and some people by any means will do it their way to get that. I can only trust that the more love I put into the world and the trust I feel in how the universe works that somehow I don't have to do the deed of harm, but that the universe/God/Spirit and love will in time by itself and by those persons actions, right action will win over wrong action and they will get their just desserts.
I prefer we all try to learn through yoga and metaphysics how to stop repeating patterns that harm us, make us sad or angry or do not let us grow. It's ok to feel sad or any other emotion you want, but don't cling to it or let it hang around forever. We are meant to move forward and 'let go'. I want us to stop complaining about things in life and try to focus on the positive. If you don't like your life change it. If you don't like your body change it. If you don't like your relationships change them and make your life special, fun, loving, kind, wonderful, fulfilling and blessed, because you only get (as far as we REALLY know) this one chance. Laugh at others ways and stop trying to fix them or change them to think like you and start honoring and validating their uniqueness and gifts. Ask for help or suggestions and be willing to open yourself up to the lessons of yoga that go WAYYYY beyond the physical and go deep into your soul. Find love then love. Let go and live. Laugh at your faults and mistakes because they aren't really 'that'; they are the greatest gifts and blessings we could ever have to grow, to live and to be at a place in our lives where we no longer suffer.
Lesli Kotloski
