Yoga shows us the strong connection between the mind and body.
Many of the yoga exercises reveal secrets into the limitations we set for ourselves.
Here are some examples to look for and see how they apply to your life.
Balance poses reveal how balanced we are in our own lives.
If you have a hard time balancing consider the things in your life that are off balance.
Is your work occupying too much of your time and energy? Are you doing too much for others and not for yourself? A feeling of unsteadiness could mean that your are not confident about the events you are devoting your time to.
It may be time to evaluate some things you would like to change.
Forward bends may be difficult for some people.
This can be due to either the muscles in the body being too tight or there is a fear of falling forward.
Not being able to extend the body forward comfortably may be a metaphor for being afraid of going forward in some aspect of your life.
Think about what thoughts you are having that may be stopping you from doing something you are afraid to do.
Challenging yourself by stretching and holding poses past your comfort level will reveal how open you are to growing and changing.
Are you willing to feel a little discomfort in order to bring yourself to a new level of growth? Think about something in your life that is difficult for you and see if you can overcome it.
Savasana, or the relaxation pose at the end of class, is ironically the most difficult pose of all for some people.
Is it hard for you to just lie still and quiet your mind? Do you have to leave class before the end because you cannot bear to face the thoughts that surface during meditation? Try to listen to the advice that your mind and body are trying to give you.
Confronting any fears or changes that you need to make will help you release them.
Finally, learn to let go of anything in your life that does not serve you and you should feel at peace.
Accepting and forgiving yourself is the greatest benefit you can get from continuing your yoga practice.
Do you compare yourself to others? Do you judge yourself because you are not as good as somebody else? Do you get frustrated when you cannot do your poses as well as the others in the class? Accept yourself as you are while releasing judgment and negative feelings.
As a result your body will give you more and more reasons for accepting itself.
As you practice acceptance and forgiveness you will get skillful at it and this will transform your life most of all.