What yoga can teach us about coming back to ourselves.
Have you ever looked back at something that was part of your life for years and suddenly understood it in a completely different way?
For me, that something was yoga.
My father introduced me to yoga when I was in college. At the time, I didn’t understand why he wanted me to practice it. I didn’t recognize that, in his own way, he was trying to support my wellbeing and growth.
So, naturally, I didn’t take it very seriously.
It was only much later, when I began seriously learning and practicing yoga in my late 40s, that I started to understand what he may have been trying to give me.
Yoga was never just exercise for me.
Since childhood, I have felt fortunate to have a deeper curiosity and understanding about life. So I never really saw yoga as simply another form of exercise.
As I began practicing, something started to shift.
Growing up, I watched people I loved experience different illnesses and health challenges. I also knew what it felt like to be a delicate child who often got sick.
Illness can interrupt everyday life. It can get in the way of the things we want to do, the people we care for and sometimes even the dreams we have for ourselves.
Yoga helped me feel stronger and healthier. But it also helped me reconnect with something deeper, my roots.
As I practiced, I began connecting the dots between what I was learning and the wisdom I had heard from my grandparents, parents, siblings and teachers. Teachings that had been around me all along started making sense in a new way.
So, what exactly is yoga?
We often think of yoga as movement, stretching, breathing or different postures. And it can certainly include all of those things.
But yoga is much more than what happens on a mat.
The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit word yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.” At its heart, yoga is about connection—the connection of mind, body and spirit.
For some, yoga may support movement, strength, breathing, relaxation or overall wellbeing. For others, it can become a deeper journey of understanding themselves.
There isn’t one right way to experience yoga.
You don’t have to be flexible to begin. You don’t need to touch your toes. You don’t need to be young or athletic. Yoga can meet you where you are and be adapted to different bodies, ages and abilities. You simply begin where you are.
What has yoga given me?
Confidence. Positivity. And a sense of strength that I can carry through different phases of life.
If you ask me what yoga has given me, I sometimes think it’s like asking a child what their parents have given them.
The answer is… so much. But perhaps the greatest gift has been reconnecting with myself, my body, my roots and the wisdom that has been passed down to me.
For me, YOGA - Your Own GurumantrA.
Perhaps it’s time to discover what it can mean for you.
Namaste,
Jahnavi 🤍
Saath in wellness & healing
