April 29, 2010

Yoga Inspiration

These two videos sum up two of the most important values of yoga. The first is a video about a man who has lost over 300lbs, over three years, by doing yoga and eating healthy. To me, this video represents how yoga can give you the power to make changes in your own life that may seem impossible, but through consistent practice and making little changes over time, you can overcome almost anything, no matter how long it takes.



This second video is of a woman who has been doing yoga her entire life, she is now in her 90s and is still teaching classes! Yoga is not just an exercise, it is a lifestyle. If you choose to live this yoga lifestyle, it will continue to provide you with mental/emotional/physical/spiritual benefits for your entire life. Living the yoga lifestyle also gives you to power to have a positive influence in other people's lives. Whether you are like the woman in the video, and leave a vast legacy of teaching hundreds of people yoga over the decades, or you just smile at others more and perhaps let them merge into your lane in traffic, you are bringing more light and happiness into the world. Like the instructor in my class said last night, "you can't just come to class 1 hour a week, and be an asshole the rest of the week, and be a yogi." lol, so true.



I hope these videos has inspired you to do something positive with your day, whether you practice yoga or not, namaste!

3 comments:

Liam said...

Love your comments (and your teacher's quote, lol) about the yoga lifestyle.

Anything that brings that kind of peace to a person's life is something they should embrace with all their heart.

Ashley said...

91!! That is amazing.

Do you have any tips for people who have always wanted to do yoga but are intimidated by the idea of joining a group/having no idea what they are doing? It gets pretty complex.

Jessi B. said...

Liam, your running post inspired me to write this!

Ashley, thanks for stopping by! Honestly, in my experience, most yoga studios are so excited to have somebody new to yoga come to them. Also, most places will have a beginner's class, or at least a class for all levels. If you tell the instructor that you are new to yoga, they will make sure to give you a little extra guidance, and explain things a little more. My advice is to just jump in and take a class, don't be embarrassed about being a beginner, because everyone will be so happy for you and excited that you are interested in yoga.

However, if you would rather gain a little experience before taking a class, I recommend reading up about yoga philosophy (yoga journal online is a good place to start), and doing some videos at home, then you might be a little more confident going into a yoga class at a studio! If you have any questions please feel free to email me, I am happy to help!