Why I love Yoga
Why is it, do you suppose – that I love every Yoga Pose?
Why, it’s glaringly obvious; for anyone to see
When I step on my mat, there is no-one else but me.
I let the cloak of mother, daughter, wife and friend,
Fall by the wayside as I stretch, breathe deeply and bend.
Throughout my practice I have experienced highs and lows
As I pushed myself into an ever more challenging pose
I love that I have had to live through the experience
To truly understand that it is all about the right balance.
I love Yoga because my body will tell me when
I have forced too much and not really listened
To that inner voice that whispers quietly
Letting me know when I slip out of authenticity.
The aches and pains will come to the fore
To remind me to pause and consider once more
What Yoga is really all about for me –
To achieve harmony, balance and reach for Mukti.
I love yoga for the gift of meditation and self-awareness
On the physical and emotional and my energy centres.
It is such an empowering feeling– my Kundalini energy rising,
As I rouse the sleeping serpent her strength is always surprising.
I love Yoga for the equanimity it brings
It has given me the gift of eagle wings
To fly high above the drama of life
To no longer be affected by the drama and strife.
In Savasna I fly wing to wing with Great Spirit
No longer fighting the current but flowing along with it.
The sea of my life can get choppy sometimes
But with Yoga I know I can survive and thrive.
I wear the look and that blissful smile,
Of one that has practiced and cultivated a while.
For me there is truly nothing that can compare
When I come into stillness, when I become more aware.
The wisdom and power of the Mountains I call
In Tadasana, the most grounding asana of all.
In my practice I embody aspects of the world around me –
Firmly rooted to the earth, in Vrksasana the tree.
I love the movement of my tree as I sway in the breeze,
Remembering to breathe, re-balance and adjust as I need.
In Adho Mukha Svanasana I picture our four legged friends
Creating strength and flexibility its benefits have no end.
I love yoga because of the vital energy that flows,
When I reach for equanimity and alignment in each pose.
I work to cultivate flexibility of body and mind,
I come home to my heart and let my sun shine.
For all these reasons and a whole lot more
I love Yoga, Yoga I adore.
A poem by Roisin McDonald, Auckland NZ.