Yoga

Questions for becoming a yoga practitioner and teacher.
Questions contributed by Rodney Yee on May 14, 2009

QuestionsForLiving: What questions did you ask yourself over the course of your life that led you to becoming a yoga practitioner & teacher?

Yee: A question I have repeatedly asked myself over the course of my life, and one that led me to the path of yoga, is "What am I passionate about?"

What drives me and created my interest in yoga, is that I have always been deeply curious about philosophy and the mystery of the body, the mystery of the mind, and the direction of the heart. I have also spent a lot of time contemplating the question of how the mind comes to a state of contentment. Yoga was the first thing that really brought me to a place where I could inquire into my whole being.

For me, yoga is an infinite playground. When I am aware of where my attention is drawn, and then I follow that object of awareness, the real questions begin to present themselves in my mind, body, and heart. Over time, I have watched the core questions change. It requires bravery and courage to follow the new questions as they arise in the present moment in your mind, body, and heart.

QuestionsForLiving: What questions do you ask yourself to incorporate the benefits of Yoga in your daily life?

Yee: What breath is naturally occurring right now? What am I experiencing within myself right now? Through my practice, how can I help direct what is occurring within me right now to what I want to do today?

When I come to my yoga practice, I ask myself, "What do I want to address?" For me, the practice has three components:

- Observation: "What is arising now?" This requires listening to mind, body, and heart.

- Direction: "Where and how can I direct that awareness?"

- Intention: "What activities do I need to do today and how can my yoga practice enhance these things I need to do?"

Basically, this sort of inquiry/observation helps us to learn to go with the stream. However, by asking the question, "How can I choose my experience and direction, given the life experience that I am presently facing?" one can change how they respond to an event, and affect the outcome associated with it.

QuestionsForLiving: What questions would you suggest that other yoga practitioners ask themselves when practicing yoga to get the most benefit from their training?

Yee:
- What, in general, do I want out of my yoga practice?

- What am I really asking for from my yoga practice? Don't be scared to be wild in asking for what you want from your practice. Go ahead and ask.

- How do all the elements in my life aid me in asking and answering the question of "What do I want?"

The art of life is the art of listening to what is going on inside. The present moment attention that occurs with relaxation is a meditation that can provide you with the space where the true questions can arise.