Why Yoga? What is it?

Yoga. Why Yoga? What is it? These are questions we ask ourselves when considering a Yoga practice. To many of us, Yoga seems like an exotic pass time in which super fit people get into super human poses. We feel that to take on the study of Yoga we have to aspire to things that we know in our heart we cannot do. Or, we go into that environment and push ourselves too far and step into injury. The prospect of being in a room with these fit people becomes daunting. Often we start a class and vainly attempt to keep up, and quickly stop going with a vague sense of having failed, not realizing that we just did not find the right practice for ourselves. 

However this is not true. We simply have not found the right style of Yoga, or the right instructor. Yoga is the practice of learning how to tell what is right for ourselves using breathing exercises as well as physical postures with a focus toward being in the present moment. In the process we develop the ability to actually listen to ourselves rather than insist that we meet preconceived notions. We invite the body to change rather than insist that it do so. We initially try a few different styles of yoga such as Iyengar or a Vinyasa flow. Kripalu Yoga has been the style that resonated with me, because of the noncompetitive element of the style and it’s tendency toward an internal focus. This has helped to create a bridge, and fits perfectly with an orientation to living I call Skellegense. 

Skellegense is the lifelong practice that I have worked with to find my own way in life, and a practice of learning how to reconnect with one’s inner most instincts. As we go on we lose this ability to tell what is right for us. It is like having someone tell you something you have never heard or thought of before, and immediately knowing that what they are saying is right. It is not deciding on the truth but in uncovering the truth that resides inside. The more we experience this feeling of deep rightness, the more we know it and can get back to it. This is Skellegense.

We use Yoga, and in my case Kripalu Yoga to reignite this internal relationship. It does not mean that other styles of Yoga, or for that matter Chi Qong or Thi Chi might be better for some. We recognize that what is right for us, may not be right for others. We create a practice that is uniquely our own, and do not force ourselves to be what we are not. It is a warrior practice because it requires radical self honesty. It recognizes that a person with Parkinson’s who is touching their edge can have a stronger practice that someone else who may able to do much more if they are doing what is appropriate for them. Skellegense.

If you come to us to help facilitate this internal listening you can expect us to be an invaluable aid as we teach you craft a a practice that is uniquely your own. You will begin to notice how it affects you on as well as off the mat experiencing greater physical capability, with an improved enjoyment of your life and the relationships that make it up. You will develop a visceral experience of Skellegense, not based in the definition of the word, but in the living of a life that sees more vivid colors, more subtle tastes, and what it means to let go. We find that another way of describing letting go is receiving. Skellegense is a process of uncovering what is right for us rather than deciding it.