Why Yoga Rocks!

I don't do this often, but let me get on my soapbox for a moment. First, I need to take my shoes off - I want to connect with the wood, feel the grain beneath my soles, and I'm a clutz.

Ahem. Why Yoga Rocks! by Cathleen Calkins

First, let's get the obvious out of the way: It's good for the body. Yoga strengthens not only the prominent and more popular muscles of the body such as the gluts, quads and hamstrings, it works the muscles we don't often think about. The muscles that assist breathing and the muscles that make up the spine.

Yoga opens tight areas like the hips, shoulders and neck. It works on the connective tissue - the ligaments and fascia. This helps us maintain a youthful flow in our movements even as we age.
Yoga is also great for the internal organs. It moves them around, nourishes them with blood, fresh oxygen and energy. Invigorating each organ, maintaining health.

But here is where it gets interesting - more complicated but simpler at the same time. Yoga rocks because we breathe. Yep, it's the breath. Through the breath we foster community - within ourselves at first. When we breathe we calm down, we are peaceful, aware and conscientious. We forgive ourselves and acknowledge our short comings. We are driven to become happier and better humans. We accept our bodies - no longer sitting in judgment but accepting who we are for just that - who we are. The good and the bad. And as we begin to care a little bit more about ourselves a strange thing happens: We begin to care a little bit more about those around us. The people closest to us, in our lives and we even begin to let new people in. There is impact when we relax. Gripping the steering wheel less, we driving slower and let others into our lane.

Then it moves beyond us. To others. From the family at home and our co-workers, to the people we pass in the grocery aisle or strangers on a hiking trail. To keep it simple, I like to define all of these encounters as our communities. The communities we move in and through. If we move in and through these communities calmer, more at peace and accepting of ourselves we begin to transfer these feeling. Becoming calmer and more accepting of others. This is peace. No longer antagonistic, jealous or angry - just peaceful.

Okay - so you're screaming at the computer - But what about the other guy? He just cut me off on the freeway and scared the heck out of the old lady ahead of me. Well, my answer is this: It's a choice. What if we all choose to be like the other guy? Sit with this for a moment. Can you imagine? No one would ever get to where they were going, we would all be cutting each other off, clogging up traffic with accidents which would lead to sig alerts and affect everyone - not just the other guy.

Now think of the other extreme. Everyone walking around in a state of bliss. A dopey grin on your face that is contagious. On the road, traffice would flow. We would all move forward and this would affect everyone, including those behind us and those in front of us.

In reality, some of us understand this connection and impact we have on others and some of us don't. Still we are all one and our choices leave a mark on our communities - good and bad. Think of how one angry person infects those closeby. Now think of how peace plays out in the same situation.

In short, yoga rocks because through our practice we become more aware of just how much power we have to impact the communities we move in and through - good and bad.

The end. Stepping down now. Putting on my shoes and walking away. Namaste'