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Writer's pictureSneha Nemichand

What is Yoga?


My answer to this question has changed through the years and continues to change as it would as I become more aware, evolve and grow.

I was little when I was first introduced to a yoga practice. It was as an activity that I did with my Ma, and I enjoyed taking yoga classes for many reasons. One of those being, at that age, my body would allow me to get into complex and fanciful asanas almost effortlessly.

A few years after that, I did not have any answer to this question. I did not think about yoga very often, but I did take up a pranayama course to correct a slight deviation in my septum. This is also when I first established a true connection to my breath, experienced immediate effects and long-term benefits of undertaking breathing practices and befriended the neti-pot! I learned several breathing techniques and tried to incorporate them into my routine as best as I could in the years to follow.

I made another pivot, got back in touch with simple stretches and tried out several other ways of being active. This time I fell in love with Pilates, hiking mountains and running. At the time, especially during the winter months when I was unable to hike or run as much, I still was not thinking about yoga, but I slowly started recognizing that I needed a place of stillness and quiet to clear my mind. This is when I give meditation a try with a focus to slow down and build resiliency around the things that were going on with me at the time. Gradually, I reunited with yoga in the effort to maintain a routine meditative practice!

When I came back to yoga this time, it was from a place of true intention. I was seeking very specific things and I was lucky to find teachers who offered that to me. My definition of yoga shifted to a practice of connecting with my body and mind through my breath in a space where I can look inwards and reflect to process the things that were ongoing on the inside.

Leading someone through a yoga practice resonated so much with me that I decided to become a yoga instructor. As an instructor, yoga for me is the ability to provide a safe and guided space of exploration for people to know how they feel on the inside, within their body and mind. This is my answer because through my personal yoga journey, I have seen that the knowledge of getting in touch with oneself during a yoga practice can quickly transition off the mat and help us evolve and grow in our personal life!

So many answers to this simple question 😊

What is your definition of yoga? Spoiler alert, there is no wrong answer to this question!

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