Tech, geek and all things neat.

Yoga has become a nation wide phenomenon. With am yoga, power yoga, flexibility yoga, heat yoga, seniors yoga, childrens yoga, there’s a yoga for everyone and the family dog. With the help of companies like Gaiam, and Lulu lemon yoga has not only become an easy exercise to start but it has also become very fashionable.
Unfortunately, the meditation has been pulled out of yoga for commercial use. Turning it into a way to shape, tone and burn of those extra calories yoga has become more of a means to get the body of Jennifer Aniston, then a way to find peace in ones self. No one is saying that having a fit, healthy body is a bad idea or that working out in a gym is instant commercialism, just that yoga should also bring a tranquil state of mind with its physically demanding routine.
There are still great teachers out there that practice a more traditional yoga, whether it be vinyasa, kabbalah or one of the many other renditions. Everyone just needs to be careful on finding their instructor making sure that they get the one that best suits their goals and helps ease the mind, release the bodies tension back to the earth, and calm your breathing.

Having not done much yet, one thing that I have learned was the importance of breathing. The everyday breath that you have to keep your circulatory system active is not what I am talking about, but paying attention to breathing. Everyday, every moment, yoga, meditation, to waking up and driving to work, a person should always be conscious of their breath.

Its actually a lot harder then you think it is.

I didn’t really think that it would be hard until I tried. I started with conscious thought early in the morning when I woke  and during morning yoga. “I don’t see what the big deal is” I thought. “This is easy, whats the big deal” I proclaimed, scoffing at the challenge before me. As the day progressed though I felt myself slipping, walking down busy streets, sitting on the bus, waiting for pedestrians to finish crossing at a cross walk that was already flashing a red hand, I started to forget my breath. I start to clinch. Work was even worse. With the hassle of budgets, deadlines, and protocol it made conscious breath damn near impossible.

I’m still working on it. I try to pay attention to my breathing at all times. It may be the hardest thing to do but later we’ll all sit back and laugh at our selves. Hard is the simple that doesn’t try.