What Is It About Yoga That Keeps Us On The Mat?

My explanations always feel inadequate but I think it’s something about the expansive feeling it gives us … by opening our bodies, our minds expand … it is an awesome feeling! It raises our consciousness which draws the best out of us. It surprises us, it gives us a way of finding out what we are capable of and what courage we can evoke from within. (I feel this is why we love yoga and especially why I can’t live without it!)

The more courage we develop the more awesome the feeling. One feeds off the other, it’s a self-perpetuating feedback loop that is fuelled by our consistency. Instead of always running on empty, through a consistent practice we become resourced (i.e. filled with courage and awe) and we are able to give back to our families and work, and in particular we are able to explore that creative part of ourselves that is seeking to be expressed.

Developing consistency has a powerful influence on our lives because we begin to organise our time around our practice. There is nothing less satisfying than getting onto the mat at home or in class and feeling that you should be doing something else, e.g. finishing a work report, looking after a friend, spending time with the family, etc. The list is endless!

With an endless list we are called to prioritise so we are clear about what is important in our lives. Then we are able to attend to the things that need attending to and filter out the things that are unsupportive and divert us away from our aims. With clear intentions we can set up the best conditions for our practice to thrive so the time we spend on the mat is exactly where we are meant to be!