If you’re like most individuals in this modern world, when I speak of yoga, what your mind will go to is a physical practice involving a series of postures strung together to stretch and strengthen the body. For many, this may include ideas of the fancy yoga studio that has popped up around the corner. Or, for those of us who live in less fancy neighborhoods, maybe online videos.
Regardless, the idea is this: contemporary yoga puts the focus on a physical practice backed by a large industry, so when we speak of yoga, what comes to mind is often studios and expensive clothing and physical workouts on a mat.
While yoga certainly involves this physical practice (asana), I am here to paint a different story for you of all that yoga is, based on what yoga is to me.
Yoga – at its roots
Yoga, in its purest sense, is a philosophy, translated for the Sankrit word “yoking” – or union. What is uniting in this philosophy?
Body and mind, spirit, and the world around me.
To me, yoga is a path through which it all comes together, providing tangible practices through which I center myself within my body and mind while connecting with spirit and the world around me.
Now, as I say this, understand that I came to this philosophy as an individual grounded in the world of science and engineering. So, as I type out words like “spirit,” I have my own definition which likely differs from the traditional yogi.
I’ll save the technical details of what our spirit may be for another day, because now, I want to turn your attention to the whole that is this ancient tradition, which encompasses many different pieces – one of which is a physical practice, asana.
As for all those other pieces? Well, as I said – mind, spirit, the universe, and yes, body – all coming together – often on the mat.
But more importantly, in life.
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In the Yoga Sutras, an ancient yogic text, Patanjali laid the foundation for an 8 limbed path of yoga. It begins with ethical practices in life, adds in a physical practice, and combines this with breathwork, mindfulness, and finally, connection to a higher level (god, spirit, the universe – that’s up to you to define).
When living life along this path – combining ethical practices (towards others and your own self), physical practice, attention to breath, mindfulness – we are able to enter into a state of centered clarity, through which we can move forward.
A state of centered clarity, in which the bullshit of the world melts away while answers that matter arise.
Now, combine this with the space that is created to propel us forward – to take the action that needs to be taken.
That sounds a lot like what we need in our world today: to rid ourselves of the bullshit and to create space for answers to arise, from which we are propelled to move forward with aligned action.
Finding the signal through all the noise. Creating space from which we can move forward with action that makes a difference.
That’s what yoga is to me.
The question is, how do we actually get ourselves to this place so that we can take action aligned with overcoming these significant challenges and achieving big goals?
Yoga – in my life
Want to go run for 8 hours across rough terrain? Sure, I’m game.
Want to go climb a mountain – it will take three days – we’ll have to carry everything on our backs? Hell yes, I am so in.
Want to climb up the side of a cliff? Absolutely.
Am I able to spend 30 minutes moving through different sequences while tuning into my breath and quieting out the noise of the world? Ughhh…
Over the past years, I have loved pushing myself through physical and mental challenges.
But asking myself to go to the mat, tune into myself, and work through a series of poses…?
I was able to do this for a first time my second semester of college. Because excelling in school was the most important thing to me for far too many years, as with any other class I had taken, I showed up and did the work. And, when I did, what I found was an incredible experience. The 45 minutes I spent moving through the physical practices – that was often a struggle. But I showed up every day (because god forbid I didn’t get an A), and as I did, I found myself on the other side of each class invigorated.
I was able to do this a second time in my fourth semester. I signed up for a second class. Same story. I dragged myself there every morning at 7:30 am, and left feeling fresh and ready for the day.
After that class? Nothing. Years went by.
It was always there as an idea in my mind – Katie, you loved yoga. It was so beneficial. Just do it.
Nope. Not happening.
Some days I would get myself to do a sun salutation or two. Whew, 5 minutes of yoga. Good job Katie. You can be done now.
Off I’d go into life, yoga another forgotten piece to be returned to another day.
Then, something shifted. Well, really, everything turned upside down.
First, I turned my own life upside down, including everything I had been working hard on building towards for years. I realized that wasn’t aligned with what I truly needed, so I decided to leave it behind and begin again.
A few weeks later, the world around me turned upside down.
Pandemic. Quarantine. The world in turmoil.
Murders. Riots.
Fires.
Chaos.
With my own life in pieces and the world around me burning, I found myself in some dark places. Then, I’d stand back up, brush off the dirt, and begin taking steps forward… only to find myself back down, face in the dirt, hit hard by the harsh realities of this world. Man oh man was it painful.
But, along the way, I kept moving forward.
Along the way, I found yoga.
How can we get ourselves to make real, positive change – the kind that leads to sustained, meaningful outcomes that leave ourselves and this world a better place?
How do we get ourselves through big changes – the kind that threatens to shake us to our very core – while maintaining peace of mind and an ability to continue moving forward?
These are the questions I was asking that created the foundation of Upward Slopes.
Of course, there are many ways we can answer these questions, and I provide many different flavors of my own answers across this platform.
As for here and now, here’s one simple answer for you: yoga.
Uniting body and mind, spirit, and the world around me.
Creating space from which I can move forward taking action aligned with overcoming the challenges in front of me.
That’s what our world needs. Through yoga, we have one solution.
My yoga journey continues…
This year, I’ve been hard at work with my yoga teacher training and the beginnings of my yoga therapy program.
Stay tuned while I wrap these up so that I bring bring yoga to you on this platform.