I’m currently sitting at my kitchen bar countertop, well caffeinated, heart pumping, completely calm but with filled to the brim with butterflies. It’s a strange feeling knowing you’re about to embark on a journey that you’ve been told will change your life. The last major life-changing journey I embarked on I kept very private until I knew I was going to be successful. This time I’m allowing my journey to be open, raw, vulnerable, authentic, and real and you all will see what happens first hand. The expectations are high and I’m so ready to share with you all my journey into teacher training.

I first started my Yoga journey in San Jose, where I took several hundred yoga classes san jose. That was where it all started, and I’m thankful for my journey thus far.

Tomorrow evening I will begin my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Program at CorePower Yoga. I received an email yesterday with final details and prep instructions for our first gathering together and ever since then I can’t stop myself from wondering what this journey is really going to be like. Will it really be life-changing? Am I ready for this experience? Am I good enough at Yoga to keep up with the class? These thoughts and more have been swirling around in my head for days as I creep closer to the beginning of this journey.

We were asked to prepare a one-page paper on what we believe yoga is (not the actual definition of yoga but what we feel yoga means to us) and why we choose to practice yoga. I thought to myself upon reading this prompt that I knew what yoga meant to me but then as I started to type, I felt a little unsure of myself. I know there is no right answer here because I’m sure out of the 15 of us in my group, we will all come up with a different answer. But as the little perfectionist, I am, I want my answer to be “perfect” for me. I sat with myself and my laptop for a few minutes and then decided to jump out of my chair and onto my mat for a few short minutes and flow the body in order to get the words flowing out of me for this paper. And of course, it worked. The words started flowing out of me and I’m pretty sure I wrote over a page and could continue writing more on this subject.

Today I’m sharing with you what Y O G A means to me and why I practice almost every day. I would love for you to share what yoga means to Y O U and why Y O U practice yoga in the comments below! I think this prompt is amazing and I love the conversation it sparked within myself to really explore what yoga means to me. Try this exercise for yourself and see what it sparks inside of you. Yoga is truly magical if you have an open mind you will really start to see how yoga can change your life, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.

What is Yoga?

Yoga is movement. Yoga is breathing. Yoga is a moving energetic wave of meditation. Yoga is a dance between the three. Yoga is a beautiful moving art form of postures, breathing, alignment, connection, and meditation. Yoga is learning to work with your body instead of against it. Yoga is allowing yourself to be in the now, be present, and slowly become a better human. Yoga is a workout but not in a traditional sense. For me, it’s more of a physical moving therapy. There is no other workout that uses breathing techniques to help you move more efficiently and to help calm your mind and body during movement. Not only does yoga build strength physically, but it also pushes you to build strength mentally and spiritually. Yoga is unity, community, and connection. Yoga is rooting down, becoming calm yet so alive.

Why do I Practice Yoga? 

I come to my mat for so many different reasons but normally the biggest reason for me is to help my body relax in times of high anxiety or stress. The other major reason for showing up to my mat each day is I just truly love to move my body. I love that each day on the mat is completely different yet it could be the same exact postures and order and flow but my body may react completely differently depending on the day and time. I practice to bring awareness to my breath and to learn how to deal with uncomfortable situations through uncomfortable moments on my mat. Every movement, every breath, every posture awakens my soul and makes my heart happy.

I also practice yoga for my physical side. I want to engage my entire body, my smallest muscles, and my biggest ones at the same time. I love the feeling of sweating from my practice. Each bead of sweat is a symbol of my hard work and dedication to my mat and my practice. Yoga provides me with a multidimensional workout that is beyond what I’ve ever gotten in any other workout. It awakens my body, mind, and spirit each and every time I practice, and honestly, it’s what keeps me coming back. That hour on my mat is my hour to myself, even though I’m completely surrounded by so many amazing humans. It’s my time to spend working on myself, to become stronger, and gain clarity on so many things. I practice ultimately for myself. Because without loving and nurturing your body and spirit you can’t properly give your time to others.