❤️ To our beloved YCP members ❤️
We’re super excited for June 21, the 2022 International Day of Yoga. Whether you’ve just recently been on your first yoga mat or have been downward-dogging for years, this is a special day to appreciate and honour the beauty of this practice. 🧘♀️
Why do we practice yoga? 🤸♀️
Some of us arrive at our mat with a goal of becoming stronger or more flexible. Some of us are at the end of our rope trying to manage anxiety or grief or overwhelm and are willing to give anything a chance to help. Some of us were told to try by doctors, or friends, or something we saw on the Internet. Some of us have been practicing our whole lives. For some, today will be the first ever child pose. 💪
And what is yoga? 🤔
At the very beginning of his Yoga Sutras, a collection of aphorisms outlining the theory and practice of yoga, Patanjali offers us a definition: “Yogas citta vritti nirodhah,” which means: “Yoga is the stoppage of the thought waves of the mind.” 🙏
Yoga is not transitioning from a handstand to a three-legged plank then flowing through a vinyasa. Yoga is not emptying your mind entirely and maintaining consistent calm for an hour. Yoga is not perfection, and it is not being a pretzel, and it is not pretending to be peaceful. 🥨
Yoga is a time in your day, maybe thirty seconds, maybe two hours, where you grant yourself a connection to your mind, body and soul. It is a moment to practice temporary relief from the consistent chatter of the ego mind, meaning all those storylines and uncertainties and fear-based thoughts. It is a moment to move your body a bit, experience some freedom and maybe even enjoy yourself. 🎉
How do we practice yoga? 💃🏻
Take three deep breaths in and out. Sit in a comfortable position and observe the thoughts that cross your mind, see what happens if you try to let them pass rather than attaching to them. Move through a few flows of cat and cow. Turn on a five minute yoga YouTube class. Show up to a studio. Bring a friend. 👯♀️
Who can practice yoga? 🏋️♀️
Everyone. Your three year old niece and your ninety year old neighbour. Someone who hasn’t been to the gym in a decade and someone who can barely touch their knees let alone their ankles. The most woundly tight, worked up person in your office and your partner who insists it’s not going to “work.” You. 🙋♀️
Where & when can we practice yoga? 🏞
First of all - anywhere! In your bed, on your living room floor, in an airplane seat. With a teacher or without. In the grass or in a quiet space. On the beach or in an established studio. Once a month or for a month-long yoga training. For thirty seconds or two hours. 🏖
But of course, if you’re not sure where to start, Yoga Club Paris has you covered. We’re so excited to have our summer schedule growing with various styles offered in many of the Paris parks. And of course, if you’re craving a class while enjoying your holidays, we continue to offer our online options as well. Check out our schedule here: yogaclubparis.fr/booking ❤️
What are your plans for this International Day of Yoga!? Let us know. And, as always, let us know how we can support you in this practice we love so much. 😁
And, as always, thank you for this beautiful community. 🥰
Love,
The YCP team
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