Yoga: A Moving Meditation

By Allan RegisMy Introduction to YogaOne of my first yoga classes ever was in my apartment building in Arlington almost two years ago, where our teacher would lead us through a Back to Basics Flow once a week.  It was my first foray into any form of exercise in almost a year.  I’d told myself that after several weightlifting injuries and other health conditions that exercise wasn’t for me, but I finally put my preconceived notions about yoga aside long enough to give it a serious try.  Before too long, I saw that with constant practice and reflection on what muscles I was working in which poses, I slowly began to feel more strength and more mindfulness about what was going on inside my body.  And on top of that, I felt this incredible peace when I was on the mat--a type of stillness that’s difficult to find in the hustle and bustle of my own daily life.But even while my practice was getting more refined on the mat, I couldn’t help but feel like that strength & stillness I’d find in class just didn’t play intimately enough into the rest of my life.  Once I left the studio, my brain would turn off and I’d start walking clumsily again.  Or I would allow myself to get upset at minor inconveniences or annoyances.  I just couldn’t keep the peace that I’d cultivate in the classroom, which would leave me wondering… how do we take the benefits of yoga off the mat?MindfulnessPretty soon I started trying all sorts of funny tactics to keep the benefits of my practice with me after leaving the classroom!  I’d give myself time to get to places so that I could walk really, really slow, and feel each leg muscle kick in with every step.  Or I’d try to sit up tall to feel my core muscles keeping my spine straight.  One of the most interesting things I noticed was how impossible to be furious while paying attention to my breath, and so I’d do that whenever I was feeling anxious or irritated... and in these little ways I began to obscure the boundaries between my yoga practice and the rest of my life to keep a sense of grounding with me throughout my day.  (And of course there were the less physical-based yogic practices like trying to be more honest, patient, and more loving to others.)So as it turns out, by continually asking myself the question, “how do I take the benefits of yoga off of the mat?” I slowly began teaching myself how to take the benefits of yoga off of the mat. It is definitely an ongoing journey with good days and bad days (much like the rest of life!), but this is my ongoing practice of mindfulness, and I try to work at it whenever I can.Finding Your CenterI’ve always believed that one of the great things about yoga is not just how it connects people to themselves, but how it connects them to others as well.  The strength and stillness we cultivate in ourselves make us feel better being who we are, and then it becomes much easier to radiate out confidence and compassion to others.In pursuit of my own well-being, I signed up for Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Heights in the fall of 2017.  I was hungry for knowledge and self-betterment, and by the time I was certified I felt much stronger and much more knowledgeable than when I started.  I felt more motivated to try and give back to the community whatever I could--this was my way of spreading the joy that yoga had brought me.  Teaching yoga helps me deepen my practice of mindfulness as I continue to try to integrate yogic teachings into my daily life.Pass It OnEveryone has some bit of wisdom and love to offer someone who desperately needs it. It could be internal, like watching your posture or the thoughts that you think… or it could be external, like watching what you say to others or what kind of energy you put forth into the world.The best thing we can do is get centered internally so that we can radiate energy outward to help others. It’s just like being on the mat where we begin in introspectively, in meditative stillness... and then try to move through asanas while keeping our cool.  The same can be said about how we relate to the world.  Establish your calm center, and then move through your life with love and awareness.

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Take classes with Allan Tuesdays at 7:45 pm - Georgia Avenue, Gentle Candlelit YogaSaturdays at 5:00 pm - Takoma, Gentle Candlelit Yoga