We all seem to experience heart crushing pain (perhaps physical, mental or emotional) at some point or another in our lives.
It is a part of life. A part we want to avoid at all costs. Including shutting down and shutting life and love out.
Our society never teaches us that it is normal, or even okay or acceptable to express this pain. Often we go through our entire lives repressing or avoiding our true feelings.
In a strange way it forces us to live fragmented lives of confusion and limitation. It forces us to close our hearts and sometimes creates deep roots of anxiety,depression and other physical and mental health issues.
OPEN YOUR HEART
Yoga opened my heart, and as a teacher my one wish for my students is it opens their hearts as well. So much power resides in the heart, hidden beneath our pain and torment.
As we practice our physical asanas, the heart naturally opens. People often find resistance there, physical discomfort and as it releases so do the emotions buried there.
This can be a very powerful or overwhelming experience. But sometimes is it gentle and natural too. It is different for each person.
As a teacher, I look at people every day: their posture and their unconscious body language or facial expressions. Their bodies talk to me without them even knowing it. Classes are intuitive and rarely pre-planned because I let THEIR bodies tell me what they need when they walk in.
Often what we all need the most is the stress-relief. The peace, the calmness, the break from the chaos of life. One hour a week to nurture ourselves, our whole self.
Yoga gives us a safe and sacred space to explore our emotions and lives. It helps peel back the layers of artificial selves that have buried the truths of who we are in our hearts. It is a powerful tool that gets us back in tune with the natural flow of life.
I encourage you to find a class that support you on your journey, and helps you open your heart fully to life.
Namaste~
Jenni Burke.
(Photo Credit Kaitlin Appleman)
Gentle Hatha Yoga | Jenni Burke 
I agree; yoga always helps me find my true-self, and that’s why I go back for more:)
Good for you Jon Waters! 🙂 Great blog you’ve got going too!
Love yoga!
It just makes me feel at peace and the feeling is amazing!
How’s that arm stand going?!
not very good.
I tried doing crow pose the other day in class and failed =[
I guess crow pose can be a starting point for me and once i can do that, try hander things like hand stand!
Crow is harder! But in both you want a strong and unwavering gaze, it helps 🙂 For me I started with Dolphin, into headstand, onto handstands, and then the arm stand. Of them all the arm stand was the easiest, but it could have been because of the years of practice with the other poses! Keep at it, and it will come 🙂
beautiful post 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Wonderful post! Namaste. 🙂