Yoga vs. Mindfulness

Every day I see (with a little bit of envy I have to confess!!) how Mindfulness is becoming more and more popular. Everyone you know is talking about mindfulness and probably practising right now.

And it is great. No complains! We need more of that!

But (always a but, isn’t it?)

I can’t understand how Yoga have lost it space as THE mindful practice of all times.

Because Yoga is mindfulness!!

So, how it is possible that a person that practice yoga is talking too about mindfulness as something completely different from Yoga, as something that they have to add in order to be complete, to have a better life? Yoga for the body, mindfulness for the mind and spirit

What????

You can have both in the same class.

Yoga and Mindfulness

Yoga is Mindfulness!!

Since yoga become a trend in our modern world, we (teachers, studio owners, magazines and publications, social media) have allowed the physical, the external part of the yoga take over our yoga practice.

Every day we are told the physical benefits of the yoga practice or how to perform this or that pose and that is ok, nothing wrong with that.

We have allowed people to believe that achieving that pose is the only thing that matter.

And that is wrong! And it is driving me crazy!

Focusing only on the external (the shape of the poses against the person who perform it) we are missing the very base of the yoga practice that is the connection, the union between body, mind and spirit…  Pretty basic (it is the definition of Yoga for Christ sake!) and yet, we have forgotten it.

Yes, there are teachers (bless them!!) out there trying to keep the real yoga flame alive, but, let’s be honest, is a minority…

People is prepare to hear “mindfulness talk” in a mindfulness practice, but when you talk “mindfulness” in a yoga class people looks at you as: Ok, what is this? I came here for the stretch!!

As a teacher I am falling in the same trap every day, limiting myself to focus more on the physical part, but enough is enough!! I want to do the “mindfulness talk” in my yoga classes.

I am ready to talk mindfulness all the time in my classes! I invite you to do the same!

Yoga deserve it! And people deserve it too!

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