Bodies

So tonight, during my Monday night Yoga class at Victor Yoga Studio, I noticed something while the Yogis were in Standing Split pose. Every sinlge leg was in the air and every single torso was tipped into a forward fold and every single head was hanging low, bringing the nose toward the knee, but no two people looked the same. In fact, they really looked so different it was as if they were nothing alike.......and it was quite beautiful.

Our bodies are totally different. I mean of course we have the same basic parts, but after that, our bodies are so unique they almost aren't the same at all. Yoga totally honors that. It says:

"Here, try to put your body like this. Oh, that does't feel right for you? Your leg isn't quite long enough for that? That's OK. Try this instead. Is that better? Oh ya, I can tell that's better."

I love that about Yoga. It really values EVERY BODY. Sure, there are some ideal ways in which to move or place your limbs in Yoga because everything needs a bechmark right, a place to shoot for? Sure.

Yoga though.....it recognizes that you will need time to get to some of those benchmarks and it really wants you to take your time. We don't mean time as in twentyfive mintues into class either. Oh no. We mean time as in weeks or months!

Yes, it could take weeks or months for your body to gain the strength and/or flexibility needed for some of those peeks in a pose and also - it could never happen. That's OK too. You can still practice Yoga. You should! It knows that because of the length or your hamstrings or the spacing of your hips or the shape of your feet, certain things just won't land in your body. A LOT of things will, but not everything.

Oh, it could also be that you just don't give a damn about certain things and that's why you won't ever do them. That's why Yoga is YOUR practice.

Yoga really, really, really loves your body. It doesn't care if your Yoga looks like the person next to you. It thinks you are beautiful just because you stepped onto your mat!

I totally agree with Yoga!

Jeannette Maloy

joY

Yoga