Why Yoga?
Maybe the real question should be: Why not yoga? The joke around here is the answer to all of life's questions is: Why not? If you have to ask 'why', by power of deduction - "why not?" is a beautiful place to begin.
Yoga means union. From the root word, yoke, yoga is the yoking of mind, body and spirit. It is the practice of bringing the best parts of ourselves into alignment. Platitudes aside, it creates calm, balance and peace inside. It is, literally, an embodied practice. When you step onto a yoga mat, you are stepping out of the cacophony of the world and into your body. There, you check in. Unplug from the technological, mental and negative chatter and listen to your breath. Quiet. We all need some of that.
Today more than ever, I believe our kids need to be taught how to unplug. How to quiet. Social pressures are being downloaded and streamed and piled on to our kids, bit by bit -- telling them who they need to be, how they should look and fighting for every millisecond of their attention. Stop. Simplify.
Yoga allows space to just be. It is a practice that fuels concentration, self confidence and strength. It is a tool that grounds and lifts. It is fueled solely by the one practicing, allowing kids to stand in and grow into their own power. So I say: why not? Why not teach our kids a practice that for centuries has strengthened the hearts and minds of others? Why not introduce them to something different? Why not show them that they don't need an app or a digital social network to be great? They already are. And they need to know it.
One of my favorite authors and renowned mythologist, Joseph Campbell once said, "The privilege of a lifetime is to be who you are." Yoga can help our kids know that.
