Yoga for the Love of it!

     As a yoga practitioner and educator with at least 7 classes per week on my plate, I admit that I do not always love to go to the mat.  Okay, let's be honest...sometimes it is the last thing I want to do. If you've been practicing yoga for awhile or at least trying to be consistent, you know that the antidote to resistance is to boost your tapas practice.  Tapas is our discipline, fire, and will to do the practice (no it's not Lobster Ravioli cooked the Spanish way). Look, let's just call it "powering through" if you know what I mean.
     I knew it was time for a blog post when I found myself heading to the mat because A.) my significant other was resisting getting out of bed and doing something fun, and B.) there simply was nothing else to do.  So I headed to my mat and turned on my Yogaglo and welcomed myself to my practice via Elena Brower's voice.  Yoga was just what I needed and because it was Saturday morning I hadn't scheduled it at all. It was downright glorious!  Her message was to access the softness within intensity: perfect.  I had an incredible moment of possibility when the choice was presented to do Legs up the Wall or Headstand.  Then it hit me.  The power of yoga and only a yoga dork would see it this way.  The choice!  I chose headstand but not because I was simply powering through. I chose it intelligently, knowing that a legs up the wall would be right around the corner in an upcoming practice. I paused for at least 10-15 seconds to really ask myself what I needed.  By choosing headstand I chose to embrace my strength and bring a rush of blood to my head.  Siggggghhhhhh.  Feeling alive!
     So this blog post is a tribute to all of us who remember why we started practicing yoga in the first place.  It wasn't because we needed another activity to schedule into our day.  It wasn't because we needed to "work on something" and I doubt it was about fixing anything. It was about feeling connected to ourselves, feeling delicious openings in our hamstrings and shoulders and other places we had no idea were tight.  It's about giving ourselves a gift that is permanent and love-filled. So heres to yoga!  Raise your glass and sigh. Ommmmmmmm.