Yogi Journal

July Yoga Practice

My first monthly practice guide!
 For the month of July, I'm beginning a more committed practice of yoga, utilizing B.K.S. Iyengar's Light On Yoga to refine asanas I have previously 'learned' and exploring both fundamental and challenging new ones.
 In this first month, my first goal is to develop a routine/ habit of practicing yoga. In the past, the consistency with which I have practiced yoga has waxed and waned, usually dependant upon the degree to which I was held accountable by other people/ things (e.g., a yoga class for credit in college).
 My second goal is to cultivate a fundamental and grounded understanding of what yoga truly is, as a spiritual practice, not a trend or workout.
 My third goal is to actually be successful in the asanas, but this is my lowest priority goal because right now to attempt these poses is enough for me in this first month. I don't want to treat these poses like different workouts I can mark off, I want to...grow? Improve holistically beyond just the physical. I suppose I just want to be healthier, not just physically but also mentally. I want to be more grounded, I want to give myself the space to be with my own thoughts and body in a quiet and meditative space. I want to explore new things, new parts of myself, and a more spiritual plane.
  I think for too long my body, mind, and spirit have been disconnected. And I've been too preoccupied with other things (academics, physical appearance, external perspectives and judgements) to do the work of looking inward. I want to exercise discipline, a loss of ego, physical vitality, and a bit more mental clarity. I know this is all easier said than done, and the mere pursuit of these things will be an amazing thing for me in itself. So, here goes.