Archive for April 8th, 2009

By Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

We often see pictures of Hatha Yoga practitioners performing physical feats, but we cannot see pictures of a trained mind. There is a Chinese proverb, which states, “A picture’s meaning can express ten thousand words.” It seems to have been loosely translated into English as: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Nevertheless, we are moved by pictures and movies that stimulate thoughts with incredible feats, action, and special effects. Meanwhile, training the mind through meditation, Yoga, or self-study is often ignored because it does not sell as many copies.

Yet, we live in the real world. After we are released from the virtual world, when a game or movie is over, we must use our minds for work and studies. The power of the mind can be wasted when we fail to take action on our own behalf. A good example of this is health prevention and awareness of what we can control.

How often do you see someone carry a child, purse, package, or laptop out of balance? Do you realize what will happen to the spine over time? This person will likely be in chronic pain, if he or she carries anything out of balance over an extended period of time.

We see the same thing happen with eating habits. Unconscious eating has already caught up to less active young adults. Take a look at the size of graduates at a local university near you. This is a bad omen, because these young people are in their physical prime.

The window of opportunity for good health is not equal for all of us. You can be born into poverty, with a genetic defect, or three months too early. What a shame it is for young people, in the best years of their lives, to take their good health for granted. Luckily, all is not lost – Yoga has grown in popularity.

Yoga, in its many forms, allows one to become aware of daily habits in posture, eating, and breathing, by constantly training the mind. All forms of Yoga require self-discipline. We become aware of many situations that can throw the body out of balance.

How do we sit, stand, walk, eat, and drink, during the course of a day? While some may say: “Who cares?” It is wise to observe oneself and make corrections. It is easy to criticize others, but we have more control over our own health. To ridicule others, over bad habits, is usually a waste of energy and time.

To become an example of a trained mind, and good health habits, is the best a Yoga teacher or practitioner can do. If we are successful, others will follow.

© Copyright 2009 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

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