3 things i wish everyone knew about yoga

By Kai Simmonds

Whether you're new to Yoga or have been practicing for a while now, these 3 things are essential to your Yoga journey #yogapractice #yogateacher #yogateachertraining #yogajourney #yogalife #yogaeverydamnday

yoga originates from india

This may be a pretty obvious statement, but this is something that is often forgotten. Let me ask you this- how many of your Yoga teachers are from India?

None? Maybe 1-2? Yoga and several other things in Wellness have been whitewashed from it's true origins, history and culture.

Not respecting Yoga's origin, history is cultural appropriation.

This isn't to say you HAVE to be from India to be a Yoga teacher, I sure am not. But if you are practicing or teaching Yoga please remember to pay your respects to the culture- maybe explain that Namaste is actually commonly used as a greeting in India, and not just a way to end a Yoga Class.

I'm not here to judge or give a history lesson- maybe just a little tap on the shoulder/reminder that there are more important things about Yoga than your matching Alo Yoga set ;)

Let's stay WOKE people!

yoga is not just a physical practice

Firstly, if you're just practicing Yoga as a physical practice- there is nothing wrong with that. It is an amazing movement practice - but oh my goddess

You are missing out on all the good stuff!

In my previous post, I shared how Yoga I used to make fun of Yoga and then became a Yoga Teacher lol! But really- it is more than weird poses and stretching.

Yoga is Mind,Body, and Soul Embodiment Practice. Through Breathwork (pranayama) we calm the mind and allow ourselves to slow down and connect to our bodies and maybe even our soul.

We live in a world full of constant stimulation, and although technology has evolved over the years our brains and biology hasn't. So yes all this stimulation can cause anxiety, stress and burnout ( trust me I know- I struggled with all of it).

In Yoga, we disconnect from the outside world to bring the focus back to ourselves. Somewhere between breath and movement we start to have conversations with our bodies, we tap into an unknown wisdom our bodies hold.

We may even heal and release stuck emotions and energy.

But again this is only happening when you practicing more than just the Physical poses. This is the TRUE GOAL of Yoga.

One place to start is reading a book on Yoga, or looking deeper into the Philosophy.

1) The Heart of Yoga

2) Patangali's 8 limbs of Yoga

3) Yoga for Everyone

your practice belongs to you

Walking into a Yoga Class, I used to be a back of the room type of person. I hid in the back secretly comparing myself to others and trying to gain the teacher's approval through advance poses.

But this was not Yoga, I wasn't connected to my Mind or Body I was simply listening to what the teacher was saying and trying to copy him/her or do whatever the "advanced" students did.

There was no connection to myself and in those classes sure I got a good workout- but that's not the point remember?

When you walk into a Yoga class or step on to your Yoga mat, know this is a sacred space. This a practice meant for you to connect to yourself. Instead of just relying on the teacher to tell you what to do, listen to your body.

You do not need to be flexible to do the poses, and you do not need to do the poses exactly like your teacher or neighbor. Our bodies are all different and unique and the poses are meant to fit our bodies - not the other way around. Yoga is for everyone.

Instead of trying to copy the pose- get curious about it. Do the pose they cue and then get curious, how does that pose feel? What thoughts come up? What physical sensations do you notice?

If it's too much stop, if you're feeling good and your body is like yasss then hold it and BREATHE. Exhale, as long as you can.

When you take the driver's seat in Yoga the whole practice changes. Again, nothing wrong with just listening to what the teacher is cueing- somedays I don't want to think and just want to be guided but my practice is different on those days.

And that's the real beauty of it- it's your practice and you get to do whatever you want.

So if you ever see me in a Yoga class in a doing something completely different from the rest of the class I hope you understand that I'm in my own little world having a conversation between my body and soul- practicing yoga.