Reading from Tuesday, June 17, 2014 yoga class
The following piece is from the yogaforhealthyaging.blogspot.com It is a wonderful piece that every women should read. It is written by Nina Zolotow who co-wrote with Rodney Yee, a book entitled "Poetry of the body." If you want to read the entire post, just go to the website and type in "without mirrors."
Without Mirrors
What if you forgot entirely about how you looked and could just walk down the street feeling entirely comfortable in your own skin, relishing all the physical sensations of being alive? And what if the simple movements of putting one foot in front of the other, of swaying your hips, and moving your arms, would feel utterly delicious to you, as if you were savoring the taste of a perfectly ripe summer peach or taking in the exquisite fragrance of a field of lavender? Wouldn't you stop obsessing about the size of your breasts, belly, or thighs, the texture of your hair, the shape of your nose, the smoothness of your skin? And wouldn't you simply rejoice in the beauty of your own aliveness? And feel immense gratitude for the gift of your body, the way it is now, the way it is today?
Everyone talks about the "yoga body" these days as if it were some kind of look, some kind of fashion statement. They even, God forbid, talk about the "yoga butt." But honestly as we look around our yoga classes, we see women of every shape imaginable, some slim and lithe, some buff and muscular, and some soft and voluptuous. So what if the yoga body has nothing to do with a look and everything to do with a feeling? Because in yoga we practice without mirrors. We do not look at ourselves, but rather feel ourselves and listen to our bodies. Yes, our yoga teachers help us to improve the alignment of our bodies. However, this is not so we look better, but so we can do the poses with more ease and can breathe more freely when wee are in them. So are you ready to give up the fantasy of looking perfect for the reality of feeling wonderful?
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