Yoga posture is used to prepare the body to be accustomed to sit still in meditation for a prolonged period of time. In fact, you’ll find that relaxation and meditation will become much easier after just one session of yoga postures. Without body preparation it’s actually really hard to sit down without distraction; a dead leg, pins and needles, a tickle or an ache can prevent us from being able to sit undisturbed. Once the attachment and distraction of the body has been removed as an obstacle, we can then take our full attention to what’s going on in the mind and the principle of yoga has been attained.
As a beginner you will often find that when you sit down you’ll become tickly or highly aware of a dead leg and sitting still will be quite a challenge. I remember spending a lot of time in meditation, not meditating but having to go back and forth between my body in discomfort and my mind in turmoil. As you play this mind/body game again and again every day the mind slowly but surely becomes quieter and the body more comfortable.
After practicing yoga for some time, you’ll notice that the way you experience the body is very different. Your muscles get stronger, circulation is increased, you hear your tummy gurgling, you notice that one nostril is blocked or that you’re breathing unusually, you notice how often you frown. This new heightened awareness has more of an impact on the way we live our life than we think. You’ll find that without putting in much effort at all the choices that you make will be influenced by this awareness of the body and the mind.
Instead of just accepting the status quo you’ll start questioning why you’re in discomfort or feeling a certain way and find a solution instead of just thinking that’s how things are.
This is why yoga is a lifelong practice. It’s not a quick fix. It’s often likened to a blossoming lotus flower. A lotus flower grows through mud and dirty pond water but blooms anyway.
We all have our own personal starting points, as we learn the art of self acceptance and take note of emotions, thoughts or physical discomfort that comes to the surface. This starting point is the seed bed for the yoga journey. All you need to do is begin.