Hopefully we're starting to get the message in our goal-oriented culture, that the full life experience is "in the going", not in "getting there." What do we miss along the way in the frantic rush to "get there"? Life itself? We miss the process, the richness of fully appreciating where we are in the moment, relaxing into it, and observing ourselves inwardly as we move through our experiences. How often have we reached our goals, gone over the mountain, only to find another mountain!

The style of yoga that I teach is a metaphor or training in relaxing into the process; relaxing into the moment Its referred to as "flow" or "vinyasa" (flowing, in Sanskrit). The emphasis is on the process of moving from one pose into the next, pausing in a pose for 3 to 5 breaths, relaxing, fully experiencing it, and flowing gracefully and gently into the next pose, and so on. How we practice yoga can be a metaphor of how we practice our lives. With tuning into our breath, our life flow, we allow our energy within to carry us along throughout the yoga practice. This brings with it an awareness of our own inner patterns. Where do we rush? Where do we push? What do we do with the discomfort and discipline required in learning a new way of moving and being with ourselves?

A yoga practice can be a microcosm of how we live our lives, if we allow it to to be our mirror. How do you approach your yoga practice? Are you disciplined, rigid in that discipline? Do you give yourself a break when you need to, and honor your body's limitations? Are you competitive in a yoga class, or with yourself? Do you push to your limit at the beginning of each pose? Do you back away from doing certain poses out of laziness or fear? Do you "listen to your body" and treat it gently with love? How does your attitude toward your practice reflect in your day-to-day lifestyle? Becoming the observer, as well as becoming one with your yoga practice enriches the process of integrating yoga into your life. Let your yoga be your teacher. Slowing down and taking the time to observe your own movement and patterns takes practice. That's why its called a yoga "practice!"

There is no goal in yoga, there is no place to "get to." There is always someone who can do the pose "better." And with about 84,000 yoga poses, (I can't imagine who counted them,) there is always a new level of any pose to challenge us, another mountain to go over. Isn't life like that? So what's the rush? Are we enjoying ourselves, relaxing into our practice of yoga, allowing it to teach us about life itself? We're not living to compete and beat ourselves up for not climbing more mountains faster, we're here in this life experience to be happy, to share a joyful, exciting and entertaining journey inwardly, and with each other, and to learn from each other along the way. Let yoga be your teacher.

Susan Winter Ward, internationally recognized yoga instructor, author, and video producer, is the creator of Yoga for the Young at Heart™, a multimedia publisher which publishes an informative and inspiring collection of CDRoms, videos, audio tapes, books and television programs, as well as exciting vacation retreats. Her product line is available at: Yoga for the Young at Heart

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