So, one of the very exciting things going on in my life these days is hot yoga. I’ve been to six (90 minute) sessions so far and I’ve already begun to experience profound spiritual insights – insights that I had already glimpsed before but that are now beginning to settle more deeply as embodied realizations. Now, I’m not a yogi by any means — I’ve dabbled in yoga but have been seriously out of practice. The prospects of doing yoga in room heated to 120 degrees seemed so absurd, intimidating and frankly impossible that I put off trying it for a very long time — until now. Anyway, I’ve decided to do a series of vlogs chronicling what it is like for me to climb this hot yoga mountain. And I’d love to hear your thoughts on combining the physical practice of yoga with spirituality.
Aware of Awareness 
Thanks for taking time to do the video and sharing. Yoga has been part of my life for at least 20 years but very sporadically and I’ve never gotten good at it. Since it has been an off and on again practice I know that when I am doing yoga other areas of my life begin to align subtlety. I begin eating better, my anxiety lessens, easier to maintain present awareness, etc. Why I stop I don’t know but more important I guess is that I always return. 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to watch it! 20 years of practicing yoga.. wow. I wonder what you mean by not being good at it.. What does it mean to be “bad” at yoga? I am new to integrating yoga into my spiritual practice and wellbeing. I have to say, I love it very much. In the past, I always thought of it as simply exercise, but now I am beginning to grasp some of the profound mind/body benefits. Have you ever read the yoga sutras?
So by coincidence, I am having my own set of personal breakthroughs associated with yoga practice. I have been doing it 2 to 3 times a week but 2 week ago I did 6 classes in 7 days and had 2 revelations during that week. My yoga practice is Kundalini, though I also do yoga nidra, also known as deep relaxation. I am still treating Kundalini Yoga as a technology and less as an entire belief system as I don’t think I want to sign up for a new world view. However, I will say I have been able to access a memory from my childhood and the way it aped my concept of self, gender, and sexuality. I’ve also been able to make connections or recognize relationship patterns that I have been recreating from my family of origin. It has also forced me to be much more reflective and less externally focused. Life is about learning how to be your own mother or to learn to mother yourself, and something about yoga provides that. The floor, the mats, the hugs and caresses you give yourself in various poses. All mothering. All self-care.I also like that it isn’t competitive and there isn’t a lot of pressure to “do it right.”
Hot yoga, I am simply not ready for, but I’ll never say never.
Hi Andrea.. Amazed that you accessed a memory simply from practicing yoga. I love your point about learning how to be your own mother.. That resonates with me very much. Can you tell me more about Kundalini yoga? Not familiar with it.
I never thought I could do hot yoga either, but I felt compelled to try it and I love it. I think you could handle it if the spirit ever moves you 🙂