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Homage to Yoga

On April 2, 2013 in General by Anitra Lahiri

A deep unconscious understanding of the yogic path always lingered at the core of my heart, a tiny seed that loafed there for years, waiting patiently for me to uncover it, to unmuddle the dirt that was smothering it. It rested there, just waiting for the day that I would sift through the debris and reunite with the ancient practice that knew me the way an unborn baby’s soul knows his mother long before he is conceived. There it was – inside me all those years, surreptitiously guiding me through the trauma of childhood and the anguish of adolescence.

I remember the day that I finally untangled the weeds that had grown on top of it. I was 19, standing before a pool. Such a seemingly mundane moment, yet there I was, fully experiencing the depth of the blue sky, the taste of wild blueberries on my tongue, the smell of chlorine permeating my nostrils, as though I was experiencing the vibrancy of summer for the first time in my life. In that moment, I had been life, and the seeds of yoga were watered.

From then on, for nineteen years, I have stretched, balanced, breathed, and pushed my body and mind – sometimes kicking and screaming in resistance – into stillness. When I became a teacher, I woke up at 4:30am to practice, and when people asked me why and how I could wake up so early to practice yoga for an hour and a half every single day, I wondered in return, how could you not? How can you feel balanced, flexible, and rooted through the craziness of this world without it? When I had children, time and energy became luxuries, and on many days loving my children is my yoga practice, my meditation, and my prayer.

But no matter what, no matter how busy or pre-occupied with life, I know that if I don’t find my way back to my mat, then stress, self-doubt, and imbalance sneak back in. Every day, despite motherhood and work, I have to find some time to inhale and be fully present, to bend my body, quiet my mind, and soothe my soul.

To the practice that saved me, to my yoga teachers through the years, to great yogic philosophers, to my Indian roots, and to my own inner wisdom that I’ve been able to discover through Yoga, thank you.

By Anitra Lahiri

Anitra Lahiri is an avid Yogi, Yoga Instructor, mother, and writer who strives (and often fails!) to infuse all aspects of her life with Yoga philosophy and practice. Her Yoga blog, Under the Lotus Tree, is for anyone who simply wants to live a healthier, more meaningful life. Read more from Anitra at her blog - underthelotustree.com.