Yoga of life

Yoga has so many aspects besides what happens every time we get on our mat. I tell my students that yoga is many times about small, incremental changes and openings in your body. Those changes and openings move with us off the mat as we move out into the wider spaces of our lives. It is a pleasure and a joy to see the changes that happen with my students. Many I only see as they enter or leave class aside from the time we spend together working on asana's during our class time.

I have seen students stand taller, move easier and with more confidence. After class I have seen happy, smiling faces and lightness. I have so much appreciation for the fact that they trust me to take them on the journey on the mat and I have had many speak to me about how much yoga has influenced their lives outside of the mat. This is why I teach, I love to help people with yoga. I feel strongly that yoga has something to offer everyone and that there is a style of yoga and teacher out there for everyone. My students inspire me to keep learning and growing as an instructor, to bring the knowledge to them and to learn from the wisdom that they bring to me. I do my best to be sure that everyone who attends my classes can be successful and walks away feeling good about their experience whether they are new to yoga or long time practitioners.

My demographic is mid life people, many of those haven't always taken good care of themselves as they care for their families and do their jobs. Several of my students are 60 and older and they want to stay flexible and moving with as much ease as possible. Some people think of yoga as a young person's practice or that you have to be thin as a pencil and flexible as a rubber band. My demographic is for the most part neither of those and frankly neither am I. It isn't just about women either, I have several men who practice with me regularly.

What I know is that for me personally I have attained so many wonderful benefits from yoga that I will practice for the rest of my life and hopefully teach for many more years to come. Yoga has been there during good and hard times and even times when body was in pain. It has supported me during times of illness and accident. My dharma has become clearer to me especially in the last year and I know that I am meant to help people with yoga. That is my truth, my path and purpose. Teaching brings my heart light out to shine.

I would ask that as you read this that you think about what your dharma might be, your path and purpose, what makes your heart light shine outward from the deepest part of your heart. Take some time, sit or lie comfortably, allow your eyes to close and relax your breath down into your body. Let your breath flow, deeply and easily, relax the space between your brows, let your eyes relax down into the socket. Relax your jaw, letting your tongue drop down into the bottom of your mouth, soften both sides all the way back to the top of your throat. Take your time and really let your breath flow, let the shoulders slide down your spine and then feel your weight relax down into your sit bones, feeling rooted and grounded. Now relax your focus down into your heart center, letting your heart open wide with your breath. Relax into the deepest part of your heart, where the true essence of who you are resides. Rest there with your breath and let whatever is your hearts deepest desire for you in this moment float up. Now slowly imagine what it looks like, feels like, smells like, tastes like. Who else is there with you? Relax deeper into that space, don't worry about how to get there, just be there in the moment, already manifested. Now think about what is one thing that you can do in the next 24 hours that could help you move towards your hearts deepest desire for you. Breathe that in deeply. Sit with it for a few breaths and then bring your palms to meet at your heart, on an exhale release your head forward surrendering to the wisdom deep in your heart. When you are ready slowly let the head rise and the eyes gently float open.

Namaste,

Sherry