DON'T FEAR THE YOGA

I have just completed my third week of Yoga Teacher Training Certification class.  The course is 200 hours that consists of 10 weekend classes.  This meets yoga alliance certification criteria so that I will be able to 'legally' teach yoga as a certified instructor.  I have learned a tremendous amount about yoga, and if there is one thing I know for sure, I need to learn a lot more.  I do not think that I will ever 'arrive' in the vast expanse of knowledge on Yoga.  I had no idea that yoga was so 'in-depth' and 'deep'.  It has been a truly enlightening and dare I say, liberating experience.  I absolutely love it!  I feel at home when I am in the classes.  I only hope that I can benefit others with my new found experience.
If there is one thing I could say to my wonderful Christian friends it would be this...'Don't fear the Yoga!'  It is not something to be leary of as 'spooky spiritual' or 'new agey'.  Once you understand it, I believe and hope that you will learn to love and embrace Yoga just as I have.
It is extremely hard to describe what yoga is.  Most believe that it is just a form of exercise.  I have known for many years that yoga was very therapeutic and beneficial to physical health, but I have always felt deep down inside that there was something much more to yoga than my mind could comprehend, but I could not put words to it.  As I learn more through my Yoga teacher training classes, I realize that my intuition was right.  There is so much more to yoga than just stretching the body.
I will make this blog as brief as possible with the shortest explanation that I think sums up a tiny fraction of what Yoga is.  I found this explanation in 'The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali' translated by Sri Swami Satchidananda.  It is Yoga Sutra #2 the first book. 'Yogas Citta Vritti Nirodhah'. Which translated means 'The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.'  The entire science of Yoga is based on this.  Which is what surprised me the most, since most of us thought Yoga was a form of exercise.  The exercise portion of Yoga is the most minute part of Yoga.  Yoga teaches that in order to find peace and happiness, we must first learn to control our mind; aka thinking.  Yoga does not bother much about changing the outside world, for it is believed that if we each change ourselves then the outside world will change as well.  There is a Sanskrit saying, "As the mind, so the man; bondage or liberation are in your own mind."  If you feel bound, you are bound.  If you feel liberated, you are liberated.  Things outside neither bind nor liberate you; only your attitude toward them does that.
So if you have control over the thought forms and change them as you want, you are not bound by the outside world.  There's nothing wrong with the world.  You can make it a heaven or a hell according to your approach (or mindset).  This is why the entire Yoga is based on chitta vritti nirodhah.  If you control you mind, you have controlled everything.  Then there is nothing in this world to bind you.
No one knows exactly who wrote the The Yoga Sutra's.  They estimate that they were written over 3000BC! Interesting enough the Bible teaches the same things.  For example, Romans 12, 1-2 Renew our minds so that we can manifest the will of God. Proverbs says, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." And 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 talks about house of thoughts or patterns of thinking.
The best words that I can use for my own experience for Yoga is an 'unraveling'.  I feel my body, spirit and mind unraveling to new possibilities, a new way of thinking and a new beautiful light on Christianity.  I believe that Yoga has strengthened my faith in God and Christianity.  I have been told in the past by other Christians that Yoga opens the door for demonic activity.  At no point during my Yoga meditation have I had any desire or thought to worship anything but Jesus. My goals as a Yoga teacher is to bring Yoga to the Christian community using Christian worship music and creating a whole new worship experience. Yoga has created new life goals and visions for me. My husband has recently started a church on Siesta Key called 'Life in the Son.'  I would love to open a Christian Yoga studio to incorporate with 'Life In the Son' and call it 'Son Yoga'. I envision a juice and tea bar and an environment where health and healing is the expected and the experienced.
Running and triathlons are still in my future, but Yoga has carved a deep river in my heart and I would love to share it with my friends.  So please...Don't fear the Yoga :)
May you be blessed.
Namaste'