Thousands of years ago, when yoga was being developed, the initial practice of yoga was meditation and centeredness. The poses were not yet discovered. This practice was highly respected. Through centeredness, a new state of “knowing” and “being” was achieved by the practitioners allowing them them to experience intuition. The discoveries were as follows: once they consciously turned their attention inwards and experienced the state of “consciousness” in serenity, they were able to hear what is going on in the mind and attain being in the “present moment” and hence experience the deep nature of existence.
The practitioners, as a result of meditation practices, directed their attention to poses. They mastered these poses and started the teachings of centeredness and being in meditative state and coming back to that space. These poses were not valued simply because they were beneficial physically but they at the same time allowed for attaining and sustaining meditative state. The main practice, however, is seen then and now as “observing one’s self in stillness”.
Yoga is a philosophy a way of living that enhances our way of capturing life’s essence in consciousness, more than a way of exercise, establishing respect and compassion for our body through conscious movement and freeing the mind. It is a journey that develops and enhances the state of being in the moment and accepting what is. It is an exploration of transformation in each individual’s uniqueness as well the collectiveness.
Foremost, yoga is a practice of consciousness. In order for this, by using our own breath and allowing the breath and the movement become one, the mind aligns with it and starts to associate with what is without any judgments. As the expansion takes place with the breath and the body, the journey allows for the mind to expand and initiates transformation in our life path.