To write about Yoga

It is always difficult to write about yoga. There are a lot of great texts on yoga such as Yoga sutra and Bhagavad Gita. The words written in them sometimes help us when we actually practice yoga.

 However, suffering arises when we take them as imposition. Description on long history of yoga may give a lofty impression, and discussion on philosophical background may be seem complex and irrelevant to ourselves. It is quite difficult to talk about yoga without making readers think that “it is difficult, I am not sufficient to understand it, so I have to make efforts.”

In fact, yoga is not meant to reach higher mental state, to understand complex ideas, nor to realize difficult physical exercise like acrobat. You may have such impressions of yoga by complicated philosophical terms or images on advertisements, and you may think you cannot do it. But yoga is concrete, actual and practical means that everyone can start from right here, now. What we require is actual living life, body, breath, and a teacher who is close to you.

 My teacher told me a simple breathing and moving practice that I can do every day. I practice it every day and share it when needed. Yoga happens in mutual interaction between actual people. It is not what is taught on assembly line or performed as a linear process to get somewhere.

  The confirmation of the benefit before the practice itself is impossible and unnecessary. Yoga is a lifelong practice and its benefits are also shown throughout life. Therefore, we have no choice but to find it out only by practicing and living with it. A strong motivation for practice is trust. I was taught yoga directly by a teacher who himself practices yoga every day. I don’t know why but I put my trust in him and began to practice it. The trust has no any particular reason in a same way as we don’t know the reason why we love someone or something.

   Continuing this practice and keep living with the practice, I developed certain feeling. That is, the wonder of Life. It is hard to explain by words, but Life is already perfect and functioning as an extreme intelligence. Even if temporary symptoms or dysfunctions appear, they are also parts of inherent healing of Life. Yoga is mere participation in the wonder. You may get healing, inspiration, or great experience described in Yoga Sutra as a result. But you don’t need to get confused by words. You don’t have to struggle to improve your life and to reach “better” stage. Breathe comfortably, move the whole body, and feel the Life. That is enough. I hope yoga functions for many people as a blissful experience.