Yoga Means Union… Right?
By Dana Layon
Former President of Satsang Yoga and Wellness Now
Independent Yoga Instructor
Ok – I know that yoga means union; Om is the sound of Oneness; when we practice we release judgment and expectation; and all yoga styles are born on the same principle of uniting with the Divinity within. Am I missing anything?
Why then am I seeing so much division between styles and lineages? What do I mean you ask? Why can’t Bikram Yoga and Anusara Yoga be housed under the same roof? And why can’t we do Vinyasa and Iyengar in the same facility? I would LOVE to do Bikram two days, Vinyasa two days, Iyengar one day, Kundalini another and Anusara another. WOW what a dynamic week that would be!
Am I missing something? Am I crossing an imaginary line that makes even the most heart-opened yogi cringe? Are there places in the United States that DO this? Offer various styles under one roof? PLEASE tell me where they are! Those individuals are on it!
I understand that some teachers are adamant that their style is the BEST style but why? Doesn’t that go against the creed of yoga? That we are all One? How can we, as yogis say, “Oh you have been doing that style – forget it. This is the only style you will ever need.”
I started with Iyengar; teach Vinyasa and have been practicing Anusara. I tried Kundalini… wow – what an amazing class that was!
As some of you know, I recently began taking Bikram Yoga classes, aka Hot Yoga. I love it! I love what it does for my mind, my body and my spirit. I have never felt such dedication and commitment to any practice or fitness regime in my life! But I LOVE and miss the creativity that Vinyasa brings me. Can’t I do both?
I did some research about Bikram: read one of his books and Googled him on the Internet. Interesting guy. I agree with a lot of what he says but there is also a lot I don’t agree with. Does that mean I can’t do his practice? No. Does that mean that I have to stop teaching Vinyasa or practicing Anusara with Melonie? No.
It means I have now walked the talk of yogis all across the nation. We are One.
It’s disenheartening to witness some yoga practitioners “defending” their yoga practices as if it were a religion. No wonder some people won’t try yoga, they think it goes against their religion! Yoga is NOT a religion… remember?
Religious disagreements sure create a bit of global havoc, don’t you agree? Do we really want to separate yoga styles too? I thought yoga was about peace and harmony and unity? Why should we have to pick one over the other?
From what I am learning, all yoga styles have the same underlying principle… to create Oneness with the Divinity within – they each just have various ways of getting there. What is wrong with that?
So for you yogis out there, please enlighten me on this subject. I truly would like to know if I am the only one out there missing some important message in the art and science of yoga.
And for all you people out there who have not practiced yoga yet… It’s NOT a religion! If you have tried it and didn’t like the style you tried, try a different one! You will LOVE yoga… It is seriously the BEST thing for the body, mind and spirit!
Namaste,
Om shanti, shanti, shanti
Zen Flow Yoga with Dana Layon offers yoga classes for beginners, intermediate practitioners and a multitude of “special interest clients”. Please visit www.zenflowyoga.com or call Dana Layon at (360) 909-1768 for more information about a class that will suit your needs.
The Spirit of Yoga
By Dana Layon
Former President of Satsang Yoga and Wellness Now
Independent Yoga Instructor
Spirituality can be defined as a sense of connection to something greater than oneself, which includes an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence. Equally important, spirituality influences physical and psychological health.
Cultural historian and yogi, William Irwin Thompson once said, “Religion is not identical with spirituality; rather religion is the form spirituality takes in civilization”.
Yoga is not a religion but it can be the most powerful spiritual journey you may ever take in your life. It is a personal practice which brings us closer to our spirit, our inner guide, our intuition, our emotional and spiritual self. By quieting the mind, we hear the most.
In its simplest form yoga means union: to unite – bringing mind, body and spirit together. To be present in every moment – whatever it is we are doing: walking our dog, or playing with our kids. Each of us arrives with different intentions: peace, empowerment, strength, guidance or just a great stretch. We come to class, free of distraction and honor our personal intentions for one hour, ultimately connecting with our spirit.
Most often, we are too busy to unlock the potential of our mind and spirit. How do we feel? What are we thinking? What is important to us? These thoughts can become overwhelming without deeper examination. We come to yoga to slow down – to breathe deep and focus inward to evaluate.
Yoga can bring us closer to our religion through spiritual contemplation if that is our intention. However, yoga can also create openness in our hamstrings that we have never felt before. Yoga can introduce us to the people in our community – creating new relationships. It can make us physically stronger through sun salutations, warrior poses, plank and downward facing dog. Yoga can help reduce our stress and increase our immunity. Yoga can help relieve all over body pain resulting from chronic illness such as arthritis, insomnia and fibormyalgia. It can also help people going through cancer treatments, recovering from a stroke or dealing with cardio vascular issues.
In our Western World, we tend to dismiss these healing modalities that have been around for thousands of years. Yoga, massage, acupuncture, reiki, reflexology, meditation: they all have merit in healing. They have helped to heal the sick and comfort those with terminal illness. They have helped people become stronger physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Come to yoga with your own personal intention. Erase the misconception that is a religion. Accept that it can elevate your sense self through spiritual meditation.
View massage and acupuncture as a healing modality and not a luxury. For those of you who already do this – hoorah for you! You have found a key to spiritual and emotional health.
Zen Flow Yoga with Dana Layon offers yoga classes for beginners, intermediate practitioners and a multitude of “special interest clients”. Please visit www.danalayon.com, www.zenflowyoga.com or call Dana Layon at (360) 909-1768 for more information about a class that will suit your needs.
Love Your Body!
By Dana Layon
Former President of Satsang Yoga and Wellness Now
Independent Yoga Instructor
Too many times we look in the mirror and are discouraged by what we see. Our hair should be longer, our teeth whiter, our legs smaller our breasts bigger. And that’s just what I see when I look in the mirror! The point is: we all do it, even yoga instructors.
In our society, the media drives what we are supposed to look like. Thin bodies, flawless skin, shiny hair but they don’t ask us how we feel on the inside. Do any of us know? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and looked past your face – inside your eyes?
The majority of people who come to Zen Flow Yoga don’t have perfect bodies – there is a whole range of people – big and small, young and old, fit and not so fit. They come to class with different body types and different intentions. In one class, we had a lady 30 weeks pregnant and another gal who is training for a triathlon – that’s how diverse a class can be.
When I started yoga, I couldn’t touch my toes, I couldn’t find my breath, and I definitely couldn’t do any of the poses I do now. From all the cardio and weight training I had done over the years, my muscles were strong but tight and it was difficult to take long, deep breaths. Savasana (Final Relaxation) was the most difficult pose – five minutes seemed to go on forever!
After I had my babies, I found myself starting from the beginning. My center was hard to find, my physical body had completely changed and my personal hurdle in each class was self-acceptance. I had to accept that my body wasn’t as thin or as strong as it was before. My yoga class took work – it didn’t come easily. This time, Savasana was my favorite pose because I could sit in complete silence – treasuring each last minute.
We grow into our yoga practice. Coming to class each time can bring us something different – we name our intention at the beginning of class and honor that intention throughout our practice. We eliminate judging ourselves as each day is different. We release any thought of competition or expectation of the class so we can be fully present and accepting of where we are in each pose.
When we quiet or mind during our deep breaths, we allow ourselves to look inside. Yoga teaches us to look at ourselves from the inside out. What inspires us; what makes us happy; what humbles us. It also teaches us self-acceptance.
Yoga is not a destination to the perfect body it’s a journey of self-awareness and acceptance – being content with where we are right now in our bodies and in our life.
Zen Flow Yoga with Dana Layon offers yoga classes for beginners, intermediate practitioners and a multitude of “special interest clients”. Please visit www.danalayon.com, www.zenflowyoga.com or call Dana Layon at (360) 909-1768 for more information about a class that will suit your needs.
