~Movement has always been an outlet for me. A place to escape from the rest of the world and connect to the deepest, truest part of myself~
It can be argued that the origins and meaning of yoga have gotten a little lost in the Western World. Many people think Yoga is purely the Asanas, or the physical postures that we see yogis doing on Instagram. Although the handstands, inversions, spinal twists, and splits are very nice to look at, there is a lot more to it. In fact, there are 8 limbs!
Yoga is to align the body, mind, and soul. The Sanskrit definition of yoga is "union" or yoking. It is the union of the individual soul, and the universal soul. Yoga is the science that teaches the technique of joining the human spirit with the Divine. Yoga is a way to restore our lost wholeness, our integrity as complete human beings, by unifying the personality around a center that is silent, unbounded, spacious, and joyful.
The techniques of yoga are methods of purifying the nervous system so that it can reflect a greater degree of consciousness and our lives can become an increasingly positive force in the world.
Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is a catalyst that allows us to grow in whichever direction is natural and life supporting. Yoga also goes back over five thousand years, it is one of the few spiritual traditions that has maintained an unbroken development throughout history.
The reason I practice Yoga, and will continue to do so, is simply because it teaches us how to move from our outer bodily and ego-bound identity to our immortal Self that dwells within the heart. Yoga is a state of mind!
@bridgetavildsen shot by @opium_dreams in the Red Flower top and Mandala Shorts
