How can yoga change our lives?
A breakup, stress at work, the unwillingness to live in any way, and crying for days over other people's smiles in a romantic movie.
These were the first impulses that made me change something - but how?
Find a new guy? Change jobs and send the boss where the sun doesn't shine? Or gorge myself to bursting on chocolate and drown myself in a bottle of red wine?
Well, I didn't have the energy or imagination either to bring relief to my situation.
How about taking it to the other end and making a major step in my life?
That was the key question that got me thinking. But the idea came much faster, just at the time when I chose a different kind of group class - power yoga - at the fitness center I regularly attended.
As a total newbie and uninitiated yoga participant, I entered the room on the day of the event, where immediately experienced yogis packed the front rows at lightning speed, probably to see it all first and be able to see themselves in the mirror.
"What's this all about?", I asked myself, freaking out and nervous about what was about to happen.
Unlike them, I found a spot at the very back, unfolded the mat, and sat cross-legged with a frightened expression, sore and stiff all over, not to mention painful in my soul.
The room was filled to bursting, there were heads everywhere, yet all you needed was a stripe of soft material where miracles were about to happen.
Everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the teacher, and as soon as it happened, a special power or energy entered the room that literally charmed us. The door closed and the feeling that arose in me could be compared to another dimension.
The instructor resembled a beautiful angel who lightly walked in front of the apparatus with a wide smile on her face. The way she greeted us infused a special warmth and peace into my veins.
As the meditation music began to play from the speakers, I closed my eyes at the teacher 's command and suddenly the calming melody helped me escape from a reality that never seemed to exist. Breathing in and out, I sit, but still, I am off. In my thoughts, I run away from the worries, the pain, and the feeling of inferiority that my situation has caused me in the last few days.
During the lesson the lecturer spoke to us in the language of esoterics, showing us gratitude and humility, which she was full of at first sight. Her voice accompanied us throughout as we created challenging asanas, breathed consciously, and tried to connect with our own bodies.
I had absolutely no idea what yoga itself was all about, but she was able to explain the whole point in just a few poses. She added amazing interpretation to each posture and gradually corrected us when necessary so we wouldn't physically hurt ourselves.
What was going through my mind? Absolutely nothing.
My mind was silent and empty. I was enjoying the transitions from one position to the next, aware of my breath, and accepting my body as a reverent temple of my personality.
But then came the surprise.
While listening to the teacher 's instructions and relaxing music, I stood in the so-called warrior position and suddenly I couldn't see in front of me. Something seemed to have loosened at an unfamiliar point in my body and my eyes became wet. I was overwhelmed with incredible emotions, tears rolled down my face and I had to get out of the position to safety. I relaxed into the mat in the child 's position, face to the floor, and waited for it to pass so I could rejoin the others. I didn't know what happened at that moment, but there was a sense of "rebirth" and an endless relief from everything I had wanted to escape from during that time.
The end of the class was approaching, which usually ended with a relaxation in the Savasana position, which was not very difficult, and finally after the performance, one could relax for 5 minutes accompanied by instrumental music, which was supposed to strengthen the feeling of lightness and relaxation.
The whole 5 min suddenly seemed endless but very beneficial. For the final yogic greeting, all one had to do was to bring the hands together in front of the chest, put on a blissful expression, and say: Namaste!
I realized that I was sad that the lesson was over because I wanted to keep the experience I took away from it and cherish it every day.
I put my rolled-up mat in the holder, smiled at the entire crowd of composed souls in the hall, and walked to the locker room with a salute.
Suddenly these beings around me seemed extraordinary and truly special, or was this just the way I see the world emerging in my yoga practice? It was as if streams of warm colors melted around their silhouettes, evoking feelings of love and peace with their warm energy.
On the way home, I couldn 't find the words to describe the whole experience. I silently walked out of the center and got on the tram, headphones in my ears with similar music to the one I had listened to in class a while ago. I've always been a big fan of these tunes, but this time I was aware of its uniqueness and how close I was to it. I looked around at the other people, searching for the answer to the airy question marks. What would change now? Why do I feel different, especially in my soul?
The trip was too short for me to be able to detect the differences so quickly.
All of a sudden I saw everything differently. Feelings of sadness and hopelessness went away in the blink of an eye, depressive short circuits couldn 't even appear because my soul was cheering.
Upon arriving home, I knew that I was starting a new chapter in my life and that I could accomplish many more things in my life with this spiritual practice.
I AM HOME - WITH MY SOUL.
How did you get to yoga? What feelings does it evoke in you? Has it changed your life in any way?
Tell me...
