International Yoga Day

“Yoga is the light which once lit never dims, the better the practice the brighter the flame.” – B.K.S. Lyenagar
 
Some people drink, some people smoke, I yoga. For the last 2 years I have been a self appointed yogi. It’s my addiction. I crave and jones for bikram. Now let me be honest, it took me a while to reap the benefits of the practice. After all, its 90 minutes in a super humid, crazy hot, brightly lit room with a class full of sweaty stinky yogis. At first I would compare myself to others in the room and wonder why my body was not as flexible as theirs, my mind busy with to do lists or a running rolodex of events of my day.  My body was exhausted and tired, I slept better and I must’ve been detoxing right as my towel was soaked. As the months went by, the sweat rolled off, I found myself being able to clear my mind, to compartmentalize my stress and focus on me and my body. The other people in the room became blurred, the focus remained on me and my practice. And the results, wooo what a difference. Was I burning any more calories? Nope. Had my flexibility significantly improved? Not really But the result the class had on my mind and stress levels was unexplainable. I craved the sweaty, clear headed, euphoric feeling that each class resulted in. The more I was able to focus on me, drown out my thoughts and other people in the room, the more powerful my practice became.
I am not perfect and I am definitely the most flexible in class, yet when I challenge myself to do the best that I can for that day, in that moment, I am a winner. I reap the most benefits – mind, body and spirit. Yoga is my addiction, what is a healthy coping skill that you have become addicted to?