“Why Yoga?” by Louisa Donovan

Louisa (wearing a red top) is helping with adjustments.

Louisa Donovan, a graduate of Clayton Yoga Teacher Training discusses her experience with yoga.

“Why Yoga? My first flip response is: Why not yoga? On a deeper level, I believe that if yoga sounds appealing, why shouldn’t I have tried it? Yoga means different things to different people, which is part of its appeal. It acknowledges and encourages spirituality without direct conflict to organized religion, which means it can appeal equally to atheists, agnostics, and church-goers.

My first exposure to yoga was over 40 years ago, and I would love to say I have been practicing ever since, but the truth is that I got hooked on trendy exercise classes that were purely physical, like Slimnastics and the Jane Fonda workout. They were great for my cardiovascular system, but didn’t leave me hungry for more like yoga does. Yoga isn’t the first fitness I have practiced at home, but it has lasted almost 20 years, and I have evolved a simple daily morning practice that takes anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, depending on my day’s schedule.

When I practice yoga, I sometimes wonder how my “self” would be if it was housed in a different body, or existed in a different place or time.

I practice in a softly lit room with natural light when possible. If that can’t be, I like dimmed lights. Ideally, soft instrumental music at a tempo reflecting the speed of my movement plays (although I’m not totally opposed to vocals). “Proud Mary” might be okay for a fast paced vinyasa practice, but not for Savasana. My instructor, male or female, needs to honor the varying levels of practice and past yoga experience in class.

I feel frustrated with instructors who treat yoga as just another form of exercise. In an ideal class, my instructor would have four to six students and ask what each of us need out of that particular class. We would spend some time doing partner work, balancing, and moving through a series of asanas chosen to meet our needs at that time, with focus on breath to attune ourselves to awareness of our bodies in each different asana, or in the same position at different times during the class.

I may never reach my ideal, but I am content with my experience each time. I use my practice to give myself feedback about how balanced, grounded, and relaxed my body is at any given time. Sometimes my body and mental state are in harmony, but at other times, my mental state is completely different from what my body is experiencing, or to quote a favorite teacher: “most of us spend most of our lives in out-of-body experiences.” My practice informs me when I am sick because I will find breathing difficult, ache in asanas that usually feel good, or just be unable to connect my brain’s signals to my muscles. My most recent aha! is that I want to share yoga with others.”

If you are interested in signing up for a yoga teacher training, like Louisa Donovan, please consider Clayton Yoga Teacher Training, Missouri’s very first yoga class certified through Yoga Alliance. Call 314-630-1677 for a complimentary 20 minute phone consultation today!