Why I Cried in Yoga Class

Recently I've been on a yoga kick. I've been going to classes almost every day, and for the first time in my life, am completely STOKED on exercising daily.

I'm not surprised that yoga was the activity to do it for me. Yoga is a practice that is much more spiritual + energetic in nature than it first lets on - anybody who's been to a few classes knows this well.

In yoga, we are asked to focus all our attention + breath in the present moment, intending our inhales and exhales to be deep, and permeate our whole being, not just our lungs. We're routinely instructed to "breathe into it" and "follow our breath" while in class.

But what's really happening is we are breathing in life force, and focusing it throughout our physical and energetic bodies; bringing much needed prana to move stagnant, old, energy up and out of our bodies.

This gently, yet firmly, encourages our energetic pathways (nadis) and chakras to open. At first, we may feel resistance, as before we get to the space of openness, we must go through the walls we've built up around that openness. Limiting thoughts, beliefs, even our hopes and dreams, are stored within the place just before our freedom. And, like I said, in order to reach that space of freedom, we must traverse the so called darkness that we've stored around it.

And that's why I cried in yoga. 

The other night, about 15 minutes before the end of practice, emotion overwhelmed me, and all of a sudden, tears were pouring down my face. It felt amazing. Highly emotional, yes, but a complete release. I was in that wall of limitations, releasing it, breath by breath, tear by tear. On the outside, it had to do with my boyfriend, and letting go of attachment - but that was just the trigger. It went so much deeper. I was on my way to a place of freedom and creative expression, and I had yoga to thank.

So next time you go to a class, remember, that whenever you experience a moment of resistance or pain, be it physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, you are really tapping onto something so much greater and deeper. The resistance means you are touching a wall, a wall of suppression that if you can get through, will lead you to freedom.

Ask yourself -

Can I breathe through it, and allow it to be healed? 
Can I just relax my heart, and let it go?

Freedom is on the other side.

And believe me, you want freedom more than you want attention, cute clothes, or that guy. 

You want it with every cell of your being. So get breathing!


Namaste lovers!
xo Beth