I don't love yoga

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

I don't love yoga. That is, in the way most people know it, the way it's been popularized in modern culture. Truth be told, I think I might like this yoga now, given where I am today. But I was not sold on it in my 20s. I was flexible and strong, able to balance and stretch and hold and flow. I didn't know what I was there for. It didn't challenge me in the way I needed. I already felt relaxed and calm (or so I thought). This yoga, I believed, was for people who needed to calm down and relax. 

Sounds crazy for me to say as a yoga teacher myself. But the yoga that hooked me delivered what I couldn't name at the time: a fire under my butt. And in a fast way.  It gave me a spark and the courage to set my world aflame and put me out there to do battle. To get out of my own way; to conquer, move boulders and live big dreams-- and to live out the gifts that God gave me, instead of burying them out of fear, shame, a lack of trust. The battle wasn't actually "out there" but within me. Furthermore, it gave me this emboldened energy WITH the sense of calm and steadiness. Together. All at once.

This yoga practice that found me was kundalini yoga. It is a unique practice that is powerful in unexpected ways. The breathwork and the types of sets, or kriyas, vary in scope from class to class. I'd always found it hard to describe. Ultimately, it's spiritual. It delivers you to yourself. Your true, at-your-core, highest Self.

Here are some more of its benefits:

For the Mind: Heightened awareness, increased intuition and circulation, promotes your ability to receive downloads (inspirations and answers)

For the Body: Strengthens immune system, improves nervous system balance, activates the glandular and circulatory system, aligns the body’s energies to keep you optimized

Spirit: Expands your electromagnetic field (we all have this and it helps us attract what we need!), deepens connections to Self, the Earth, and others

Indeed, it unites your individual consciousness with Universal Consciousness, which is what yoga, in fact, means. It is this union that it gifts us.

These days, when I find myself easily distracted and ungrounded, flailing around in parts of my life, I know it's because I have forsaken my daily kundalini practice. It happens to the best of us-- life shakes us up, physically and emotionally; distractions find their way in and you lose your footing. And yet, amidst these moments, knowing I have these tools-- and I know how to use them, I don't fear even the worst downward spirals that come from drifting. I'm not happy about having allowed the drift from my daily "well-being" hygiene; I just know the practice awaits me and it works every time.

If you are seeking a profound practice to smooth your way in this life, I highly recommend this one. Find a good teacher -- online (like me!) or choose someone in your local area-- and make it your own. The classes typically consist of:

• Tuning-in with the energy of the class and within yourself,
• Breathwork (pranayam) which is a practice in controlling your breath and harnessing life's vitality, or life force, within your body,
• A yoga set (kriya) to move your energy as prescribed for the particular set,
• Rest (savasana) which, as in life itself, is a vital aspect of the practice,
• A final meditation which often involves more breathwork or mantra, and
• Closing with a song to bless and to bow down to our highest Self, connecting with the Oneness of all. Closing with "Sat nam" which means: Truth is your name, who you are deep in your core.

​Bring your yoga mat, water and an open heart and mind.

And simply show up. Present.

With grit and grace,
Anna SachKiret


PS. What other daily rituals give you this kind of balance, clarity, health and inner strength on its own? I'm sure there are others and I'd love to hear it. Please comment also if this practice has served you and how. Sat nam! ❤️