I lived in Asia for 11 years. Nine of those years I spent studying yoga and Eastern Philosophy in it’s birthplace—India. During that time I tried to absorb all that could be milked from the ancient art of yoga because I intuitively knew that I would one day need to return to my home.
I’ve been “home” now for 13 years. Upon my arrival back from Asia, I dove head first into a yoga therapy career. I taught classes, as well as designed and implemented several yoga-based social service programs. Although I have been formally trained in anatomy, physiology and some kinesiology, I feel I am best equipped to address body-mind health. So, my graduate school degree is in dance/movement therapy—an expressive, applied psychology focusing on relational wellness among the body, mind and other. Given my background and experiences (both personally and professionally), I have an eclectic view about health and healing. Currently, I run a small private practice in the Boston area that I call “Movement and Mindfulness.” I regularly run groups, provide workshops, supervision and present at conferences.
I feel compelled to educate the public about yoga. Most people ask me if I still “teach” yoga, to which I respond with a qualification: “I no longer teach yoga classes per se, but I use yoga clinically and professionally to improve health and healing.” That response is usually enough to satisfy the listener, but occasionally I am asked to explain further. Yoga is not an exercise class… although it can be exercise. It is not a religion… although it can be a spiritual practice. Yoga is not exclusive… it is not something for only flexible people to enjoy. Yoga is the experience of connection—with yourself, with your environment, and with others.
What most people assume is that yoga is a series of physical contortions one creates with their body… and these contortions, or forms (called asana) can help relieve physical tension and stress. Although this is one component of yoga—it does not define “yoga.” To say that asana is yoga would be like describing a complicatedly layered cake as “sugar.” Asana is but one ingredient in a very complicated yogic recipe. I can appreciate the West’s fascination with asana—it is tangible, immediate and sometimes it is easier to access inner process via the use of body than that of the mind. The truth is that asana alone is a simplistic understanding of yoga.
During my decade in India, I learned a ton of asana. “Asana”, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, literally means “comfortable seat.” However, nowadays (as I hinted above) it generally refers to the physical movements associated with yoga. Per ancient text, there are more than 840,000 physical postures! So basically, any movement you do could be considered asana… and the practice of asana was simply a method to prepare a person to do one thing: sit still. That’s it.
I don’t want to devalue asana practice. But I do want emphasize that it is more than just movement, or an exercise class you attend. It is more than that… and so stay tuned as I dedicate some time each week to share a little bit more about yoga. Please share and get others involved in the conversation!
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