Touching your toes is only a by product of practicing yoga.

When trying to explain why you should do yoga, often as a yoga teacher I get to hear, “I can’t even touch my toes”.

Before I started practicing yoga 10 years ago, I couldn’t touch my toes either and even now, when my body isn’t warm or I’ve just gotten out of bed, it’s still an effort. Actually it’s an effort to practice yoga but I practice anyway because I know it sets me up for the day, not just physically, but more importantly emotionally and mentally.

Let’s start by defining the word yoga. Yoga is from the root word yug, to yoke, to bring together.

So what are we bringing together? Well, its the bringing together of our mind, physical body and spirit.

To be yoga or to yoke is to be completely one with the whole 3 segments of our bodies. In Sanskrit (the ancient language of Yoga) there are no words to describe the separation of mind, physical body, and spirit, it is referred to as one – just the body.

So why do we separate the mind, the physical body and the mental state of our being? We cannot function properly or be at our optimum level if any of the 3 segments in our ‘body’ is unwell.

Let’s think about it for a moment, when you have the flu, you’re bed ridden, physically tired, you’re not able to focus, to think clearly and emotionally, all you really want is your Mum or loved one to feed you soup, to make you feel nourished and cared for, right?

It is a time to be with yourself, rest, feel nurtured and allow for your needs to be met, a time often that things slow down to the bare basics and we are able to give back to self, for the body to realign and heal.

So, this brings us back to why practice yoga and how is it good for you?

You practice to yoke, to bring together and into harmony the separateness of the mind, the physical body and your mental states, into one body, one whole being.

When you are complete and you don’t need or want for anything, and isn’t that good for you? The best part is it hasn’t got anything to do with touching your toes, that’s just a by product of being Yoga.

Join Carmen for a fun, playful, energetic yoga class, (flexibility not required!) and experience how Yoga is good for you at the upcoming Penrith Valley Festival on Sunday 9 August 2015. More details on workshops. This workshop will be suitable for all levels from beginners to long time yoga lovers.