What Yoga is to Me

Yoga, to me, is the practice for yourself, to yourself, that finds yourself. It is the moment where you can find the deep connections between your mind, body, and soul. It is the breath that you use to center yourself in times of stress and uneasiness or even times of great joy. Most importantly, yoga is the practice that quite literally “yolks”  or brings together all that you are--the imperfections, the messiness, the brokenness, the love, and the light.

I practice yoga because it is the only type of exercise that I have ever felt centered and fulfilled after. It has been the most constant form of movement I have ever followed through with. Every time I am on my mat, I learn about a different part of myself. I learn the why behind my tight hips and shoulders or the reasons I fall in an out of a balance. On my mat, is where I can face some of the deepest emotional, physical, or mental obstacles. Even though the practice may be constant, I find that every class challenges me in a different way; today it may be more physical than mental then tomorrow more emotional than physical-- it is forever changing and evolving. I practice yoga because it helped me to find myself. It helps me to love myself fully--quite literally every part. Each moment I move in and out of an asana, I  come back to a piece of me. It further teaches me that breath is the strongest life force--I can use it both on  and off my mat and it instills in me that everything will be okay; “I am safe. I am healthy. I am loved.” Most importantly, when I practice yoga, I feel like the best, greatest, strongest, most powerful version of myself.

XO,

Marko