After returning from traveling around Australia for 4 months. I found that my traditional yoga practice was constantly interrupted either by the weather - being too hot, (even at 6 in the morning!) or we were on the move or some other very reasonable excuse! Rather than give up, I found that I could do ‘yoga’ wherever I was if I just remembered that that yoga is more than just the asanas(postures). Not that I’m suggesting that a regular practice isn’t important but that when it’s not possible, not to give up. Yoga can easily be a part of your every day life. Most often I did car yoga. Because of the part of Australia we were exploring, some of our days were spent solely in the car. And of course the body appreciated stretching and moving - I discovered you can do so much while sitting in such a confined space; neck stretches, facial exercises, shoulder rolls, stretches, rotations (while being mindful of not disturbing the driver!), spine flexing and twisting, ankle rotations, toe stretching and even some careful hip flexing; working through the whole body and feeling refreshed and less irritable. And of course, meditations were easy - so long as not driving! This then inspired me (and continues to) to practice some form of yoga whenever I think about it during the day. Waiting in the doctors surgery, surreptitiously rotating my ankles or simply being with my breath. In line at the checkout - any situation really. It’s become a challenge to see ‘what can I do here, now?!!
Practice of yoga involves many things, movements yes, meditation, pranayama, mantra but also the philosophies, the yamas and niyamas. So that even if you are just being content in the Dr’s waiting room, you can be practicing yoga! What yoga you do will depend on your situation. Yoga is union - between body and mind. Even just dropping down into the breath brings the awareness into the body. Quietening the mind. THAT you can do anywhere.....
-Cathryn
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