(From The Spanish Article: Sumergiéndote En Yoga)
*Please note that in order to preserve the intention of the author this article is not a word for word translation of Sumergiéndote en Yoga.
Why Practice?
Whatever might have brought you to it, you are about to take your first yoga class, or you’ve already started, and if that’s the case, welcome – hopefully many more people will use their energy and apply their will as you have to discover their yoga practice. Yoga is an activity that produces peace and serenity, which allows lasting happiness. A friend introduced me to my first class and I can still remember thinking while in savasana (final relaxation), “Wow! I want to do this forever!”
Results in yoga are not instantaneous; sometimes it takes months to see and enjoy the effects. This may be why so many people quit, as they expect immediate results. So be patient – if you’ve already started don’t quit, you are on your way, the benefits will come. It’s all good!
My Yoga Story
In 1999, as the result of a car accident, I fractured my pelvis and one femur. I had damage to my cervical vertebrae and compression of my lumbar vertebrae, brain inflammation and a small fracture on the left side of my skull. My doctor thought that with extensive rehabilitation, I could regain up to eighty percent of my mobility.
It’s difficult to believe that ten years later I can actually do extremely complicated postures like, kukutasana (pictured). I didn’t even have the required strength and flexibility for this pose in my teens.
When I began, I never thought I could lose twenty pounds or go from a thirty-eight to a thirty-two inch waist. This happened around eleven months into the practice. Two years after I started, my body changed, becoming stronger yet more flexible. Many years have since gone by and the only illness I’ve experienced is the occasional flu.
What is Included in a Yoga practice?
Yoga has been a great compliment and guide in many areas of my life. My practice includes observance of the yoga ethics in all my actions; these are described in the yama (do’s or ethical observances) and niyama (don’ts or restraints). To better understand these, I belong to a study group lead by Dr. Christopher Key Chapple, Navin and Pratima Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Each Sunday he guides us through studies of the Yoga Sutra by Patanjali.
I try to follow a light diet described by yogis as sattvic (peaceful, lactose vegetarian, lightly cooked) and I do asana (yoga postures). My morning routine includes pranayama (breathing exercises) as well as kriya (cleansing techniques) like scraping my tongue, drinking a cup of hot water with Mexican lime and neti: rinsing my nasal passages with slightly warm water and sea salt.
My practice is far from strict and far from perfect; people who know me will occasionally see me at the taco stand and the higher conscience is witness to my procrastinating ways. Still, I can tell you it’s all good. A wise teacher said that only God does perfect, the rest of us are just practicing in that direction (and sometimes get a little lost).
Benefits of Practice
My practice gives me a clearer perspective on life’s happenings and a deeper sense of simply being. I’m more comfortable in my skin. While practicing and teaching yoga, I’ve changed careers and countries. Through yoga, I met my wife and have made good, lasting friendships. My pitch to you is that if a wounded Scottish-Mexican ‘fatty’ like myself came to practice yoga and achieved these wonderful results, anyone can. Even if you don’t need to lose weight, gain health, make a career change, get married, relocate and make new friends…practice yoga for inner peace and happiness.
Starting or Restarting
You can begin with asana: the physical postures and then keep advancing toward a complete and traditional practice. Don’t worry about where and how – when the student is ready the teacher shows up.
You can find a variety of yoga-inspired classes that incorporate music, dancing, Karate, Tai Chi, naked yoga – you can even do yoga with your dog! While this may provide a good workout or even a funky state of mind, note that these types of practice will not produce the results that I describe as coming from a traditional practice.
When looking for a school or teacher: do your research, keep an open mind and remember that no one has a monopoly on yoga knowledge or technique. Beware of schools or instructors who promote difficult or extremely advanced movements above and beyond your level. Be careful and know that you can walk away from uncomfortable situations including teachers who seem aggressive, intolerant or simply uninterested in your practice. Look for an instructor who provides clear direction. An appropriate yoga asana class is a loving, compassionate and caring experience, no matter the style or level being practiced.
Resources for finding schools and teachers: layogamagazine.com; yogafinder.com; yogaalliance.org
Study group led by Dr. Christopher Chapple: hillstreetcenter.org/sadhana.html
Yogi Marcos has taught in Los Angeles since his relocation to the US in 2005. He has found happiness through yoga and wishes it for others around him. If you have comments or questions, contact yogimarcos@gmail.com.
By Yogi Marcos Wanless
