Why Yoga Matters

“Health, success, and wisdom depend in great part on the battle between good and bad habits.”

It’s impossible to be upset while breathing deeply. If I asked you to “be mad,” you’d likely hold your breath, or make fists with your hands, clench your

teeth, and contract your muscles. And if I asked you to relax, you’d probably soften the jaw and the muscles of your face; you’d take a deep breath. So which is it, then? Perhaps you aren’t holding your breath because you’re upset, but rather, you’re upset because you’re holding your breath. Yoga reminds us again and again that how we feel and who we are is a choice that we make.

Try This: The next time you hear something that upsets you, pause for a moment and take a deep breath. And another. Consciously decide how you will respond, and notice the effect. Try this on your yoga mat. If a challenging posture or one that you don’t like is next in the sequence, smile rather than grit your teeth: does your experience of the posture change? Practice this disciplinary technique first on your yoga mat, where you have the space to inquire and explore, and then off the mat and into your daily life. This is the essence and purpose of our practice.