Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Why Yoga Won't Bring Sanity to Your Crazy Life

What? How is that possible? Doesn't that go against everything we believe as yogis?

In her essay "Why Yoga Won't Bring Sanity to Your Crazy Life," Elephant Journal blogger and traveling yogini Sadie Nardini says it's not so:

 "As teachers, we say, and hope that with regular practice, you will learn to still the mind in the face of chaos, whether it’s gale-force wind during your much-needed retreat, the raw unknown of falling into (or out of) love, or simply the cacophony that’s ever-present as rolling commentary from other people, your own fears, and the background noise of random thoughts.

The fact that many people actually experience this relief is something they equate with the poses, or consistency, or a sitting meditation practice. And it’s true, eking out a cozy, livable place within the crazy can, and perhaps must include any or all of these things. But they are not the first, most pivotal and deciding factor in whether or not you will be able to do anything you wish, from chillaxing the mental chatter, to dropping a few pounds or cutting loose another kind of weight: Mr. or Ms. Kind-of-Right-but-Mostly-Wrong over there."

According to Nardini, the primary factor that enables us to accomplish our goals is focus. Yes, yoga helps us focus, but it isn't necessarily the guiding light at the end of the tunnel. Check out the rest of Nardini's article and tell us what you think!

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