What drives me to my mat?

So very often, I like to ask my students, what drives them towards yoga, and even more often than that, I remind my students what yoga is truly about. Whilst it may be the inversions we gradually work towards, the increase in flexibility we develop, and or seeing an improvement in our capabilities through asana that drives an individual back to a class each week, I like to subtly remind them that neither of these things (as great as they are) do not form the goal of yoga.

My students, don’t ever get the chance to ask me, what drives me towards yoga, so I thought I should share this with you.

Yoga can be defined as the ultimate state of realisation, a state of liberation that can only be achieved by ceasing all fluctuations of the mind and activity of the body. However, in today’s modern world, mastering the control and restraint of mental modifications can prove to be difficult for some, and the reasons why we experience difficulties in just “letting go” is highly individualised as they vary from person to person.

For many, stress plays a leading role in the noise that’s coming to a mind near you. He’s generally obnoxious, loud and doesn’t seem to have an off button.

For others, it may stretch further than a stressful job or busy lifestyle, for some it’s years upon years of “stuff’ that we have either placed on the back burner and never fully dealt with, or never let go of completely. And why would we? When we are faced to deal with this “stuff”, it can all be quite confronting, and a little uncomfortable to say the least.

Unfortunately, and you may disagree with me, we have far too many “things” to help distract us from this. Our smart phones for one, are certainly leading us into quite a destructive lifestyle. Now I do acknowledge how hypocritical and contradicting it would seem as I write about this to you on my smart phone, publishing to my app and sharing through social media platforms – I get this, just as I understand how technology, if used for the right reasons can also improve our lifestyles. What I want you to be able to do is recognise the difference between using “things” for their intended purpose, or when you are using these “things as a distraction.

When we step onto our mats, we are creating a space for us to enjoy and in a sense celebrate our state of presence. We use asana, not only to move prana through the body, but to also become aware of our bodies. We use the fourth limb of yoga pranayama, which consists of techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process while recognising the connection between the breath, the mind and the emotions. As we combine these aspects, we encourage ourselves towards achieving a state of yoga. I won’t delve too far into the emotional or energetic anatomy and physiology of the body just yet, but believe me when I say, the emotional aspect of yoga is equally as important as the physical aspect.

As a teacher, what drives me to my mat to teach each day goes far deeper than what drives me in my personal practice. I separate the two, my practice for me is for me, and my teaching practice is dedicated solely towards you. I’ve worked through much of my “stuff” and will and always will continue to do, and for me, this has been completely life changing, and this is what I hope to awaken in you.

For me, it’s not how flexible you can be, or how awesome you are at standing on your hands, it’s being able to see something shift in your focus, this may be a release (tears are good, and always welcomed in my class), it’s being able to see you truly appreciate yourselves for the beautiful beings that you are, it’s seeing your honesty and owning your truth, it’s about realising that the world can be harsh and cruel, but being able to work with it, rather than against it, with grace and softness.

Today, after my class, I received this beautiful message from one of my students:
“Hi Rhian I really enjoyed my yoga today… It was challenging for me and some tears slipped out in relaxation at the end. A very beneficial class. Thanks so much Tracey”.

This message just serves as a little reminder as to why I show up to my mat. For me, being able to create a space where people who feel stuck or trapped by their minds, can come and appreciate where and who they truly are, a safe environment for those to let go, release and to love.