In the first chapter of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras which is one of the oldest texts. on the philosophy of yoga, it is written योगाश्चित्तवृद्धिनिरोदह or Yogaha Chitta Vritti Nirodaha.
It transliterates to yoga is stilling the modifications or the waves of the mind.

Every time I practice on my mat, I try to experience this. It is difficult. Very hard to not let our thoughts wander. Sometimes when I start , I have a gazillion thoughts running through my mind. There's frustration, anger, ego, envy, pain, boredom among just about a million other things.
There are times when I fight them. But most of the times I let go. I let my mind experience those gamut of emotions. My thoughts range from mundane to the very sexual sometimes. It's interesting to see how many thoughts a single brain can conjure in such a short span of time.

Slowly somewhere along the way, I settle down. My body falls into a rhythm and my mind just follows.

And then the magic begins.
I am suddenly in tune with my breath. Despite there being so many sounds around me the only sound I hear is my own breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The flow of prana, the life giving energy coursing through my veins with every single breath.

For me yoga is not just a bunch of asanas strung together into an hour long session.
For me it is movement. It is finding meaning. It is finding answers.

There have been times when I have sat in dhyana and come out of it with tears in my eyes. It used to be so overwhelming intially, but I learnt from my guru that it was the energy in me that was coming out through my emotions.

The biggest learning I had when I was doing my course was Observe, Don't Judge. When I had first started practicing meditation, I was finding it difficult to sit still for long. I remember fidgeting , I remember thinking of what to eat after going back home, I remember thinking of the pain and the numbness in my legs, I remember thinking of wanting to watch some porn later in the night! We are human after all. I used to fight these thoughts. I used to hate myself for having these thoughts.
But on deeper reflection I realised I had to accept them. Because I learnt to just observe. Not judge.

I believe we can apply this approach to life as well.
So many times we end up saying things in anger, doing things out of frustration, envy, or anything else and then regretting it later on.
The first step to deal with such feelings is to accept. It is part of being gifted with life as a human being. That's the very reason we have those feelings in the first place.

The next step is to learn to observe. Every time you feel anger, pain, jealousy, hurt, disappointment observe how you feel. Articulate in your mind or on paper. Write about it. Describe it in the minutest detail. Don't judge. We tend to be very harsh with ourselves. We feel guilty of our deepest desires. Our deepest darkest thoughts. Accept that they are a part of your amazing human body and mind.
You will then be able to smile at those thoughts and move on.
You will see miracles happen in your practice and in your life.
I found mine today on my mat. I surrendered to my body and it opened to me.
In the photo is shown Eka Pada Shirsana- an advanced pose not recommended unless you are a seasoned practitioner. Definitely not to be done when you are pregnant.
Benefits are many including giving a good stretch to the glutes, hamstrings, hips, pelvis and the back. It also works on the core and the reproductive organs.

Believe in the power of self conviction. Have courage and be kind. ( My favorite line from the movie Cinderella )

You will be able to achieve your goals if you just believe.

#slayfitmama

Stay healthy. Stay happy.

Namaste.