I was the tender age of 16 when I believe my awakening journey started. My sister had thrown some yoga books in the kitchen bin and I fished them out and started applying what I was reading. Bear in mind this was way back in 1972 when people who practiced yoga were known as cranks or “navel gazers”!
My early morning self taught (or rather book taught) yoga session became the favourite part of my day. It was my solace from my less harmonious surroundings shall we say! I got up every day for years at around 5 am to practice and I think yoga was my medicine at that time. It kept me away from turning to something more destructive such as alcohol or drugs and I am so grateful that I have never found the need for either. My whole life’s mission became about being conscious not unconscious and it still is to this day!
As a teacher, I later realised that I had not been aligning myself correctly as I had only photos of the postures to base my practice on. I was therefore missing out on many benefits, however my solo practice did allow me to connect deeper, understand and be more present in my body in a way that has assisted me throughout my life. I still have those old yoga books, they go with me wherever I go – I find them so comforting. They are simply written and even now I hold them in high regard as they definitely worked for me at that time in my life! The day without doubt seemed to flow better after my morning “workout” and if I missed a day I felt a bit out of sorts.
There are so many different types of yoga depending on your preference. Some are flow based (meaning there are no holds) and others incorporate short holds and other types such as yin yoga you hold for much longer. I have created my own personal workout at home that suits me and I look forward to my daily practice. My body seems to tingle afterwards so that’s a bonus!
If you have never tried yoga before you may wish to check out a future post on the steps you may like to take to have a great experience!
Keep calm and do yoga!