Most of us have some form of trauma. Whether it's physical or emotional trauma we're talking about, if not dealt with, it causes disconnect from our inner being, resulting with various symptoms (e.g. physical or mental illness).
When I started practising yoga, I was unaware of my yearning to heal. With time I started reconnecting with my inner self, healing and re-awakening, if you want to use that word.
In retrospect, yoga has been my greatest tool in taking this path to re-connection. I wouldn't say it is the only tool out there, but for me it was the right tool, crafted and suited for my personality and needs.
Now, when you say yoga in the western society, most of us think of super flexible yogis wearing some cool leggings, performing intense asanas/poses. This perception may be a trap, and you could be missing out on some great life tools, as these images may scare you off, making you believe yoga is only for a specific type of people.
One of the most common comments I notice people say before trying yoga is "I'm not flexible". It's really not about flexibility.
Let's rewind and look at the sole meaning of yoga. Yoga means UNITY.
To join, unite, to bring body, mind and spirit together, to reconnect with yourself. This means TO HEAL.
We heal when we reconnect with ourselves. Dr. Gabor Mate explained this more detailed in one of his interviews.
Yoga has many aspects, and I am still exploring a lot of them. But I would like to pinpoint there are so many fields of it. You know how I mentioned the "super flexible yogis doing intense poses", imagine that type of work being done internally.
I'm not saying if you want to try out yoga, you have to embrace on this super deep spiritual journey. Doing just yoga asanas/poses will still provide great benefits, it certainly has for me.
I'm just saying, if you feel a calling to dive deeper, know the tools are there, it doesn't end with a certain pose. Different types of meditations, pranayama/breathing techniques, and if you explore the eight limbs of yoga overall, you will actually find a guide on how to move through life in general, not just the space on your mat.
You can explore endlessly, and it won't always be comfortable, but all the best things in life are not.
If you are sitting on the fence about trying it out, you can join me for a two week trial of live online yoga classes. We have created an inviting and welcoming hub, a great online spot to try out something new, or dive back into something old. If you're keen to give it a go, you can sign up here.
Love, Frankie