As we move throughout our blogging topics, I want to move away from the history of yoga, and more as to what my individualized practice looks like and how I include yoga in my daily life. Although I am nowhere close to a professional, I believe that yoga has helped me feel lighter and experience the world in a new, positive way.
The practice of yoga has much been influenced by the natural world around us, as well as other creatures we share this planet with. We often take to the physical nature for this inspiration, which leads to inventive ways to create something seen in nature. For yoga, this often has to do with the names of poses and how they relate to animals and natural figures we see around us. This includes poses like the crow, cow, or cat, all the way to the three-legged dog. Similarly, there are tree poses, mountain poses, and so much more.
Besides encouraging me to get active and train my body to become stronger, yoga has given me new goals as to how I see the beauty in nature around me. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to hike Mt. Nittany for the first time as a Penn State student. This was one of the highly suggested activities during the summer and warmer months, but it was only until the darkness (and coldness) of winter that made me realize how awesome this local trail could really be. So, I packed up a backpack full of water and snacks and headed up the windy trail that leads hikers up and across the mountain. Throughout the trail, there were places where it was flat enough for me to practice a few yoga poses right in the middle of the silent trees.
I feel as if my bond with the natural world has strengthened into a foundation for my life since my beginning practices of yoga. The connection between the physical body, emotional soul, and natural world engage in a mutually beneficent relationship that helps to appreciate and respect these concepts. Throughout the hike, I wanted to pay homage to this new value in my life by practicing yoga as we ascended and then descended one of the most beautiful trails I have had the pleasure of hiking. I used trees and branches to support myself during my flowand even had the opportunity to test my balance on some tree trunks that block our path.
Ultimately, I compare my yoga practice to that of nature: always ever changing but remaining consistent enough for people to anticipate and therefore appreciate the beauty of my practice. My flows never come out the same, even if I were to do the same poses over and over again. Instead, my body responds like the Earth and depends on environmental factors. Some days my muscles will be tighter than others, and some days my balance will be perfect. Whether I choose to see these obstacles as a cloudy day or thunderstorm, one of nature less formidable conditions, I can appreciate its necessity in the environment and respect its presence.
The picture included is me attempting to balance the tree pose, while on a tree. Crazy, right?!