True Purpose of Yoga

I had such a great yoga class yesterday :)
We had a different teacher this time, Katherine.
And it was a REAL yoga class.
I say "real" because she really knows a true purpose of yoga practice,
and she constantly remind us what it is.

"Yoga" means a union with god in Sanskrit.
Addition to that definition, she also said that yoga meant
a union of body, mind, and soul (I really love this definition!).
In the western world, many people practice yoga as exercise,
without knowing the true purpose.

Yoga in India is different.
Yoga is not an exercise but a preparation for meditation;
it helps them to breath properly.
"Breath" is so important; it is a core of a whole thing.

Many yoga teachers of course know the true purpose (I suppose).
Many of them remind us to breath during a practice,
but what makes Katherine so different from other teachers is how she makes us to pay attention to breathing in a new way.

Here are some examples that she talked during a class:

"Every breath we take in is a new beginning, new life"
"Every time we breath out, we let go of things we are holding onto."
"If you feel some pressure on parts of your body,
you are clinging to something there. Mentally send a breath to those parts,
then let go."
"Whatever feeling on the mat (pressure on a body), it is a direct reflection of what happening off the mat (undesirable attachment). Practice to let it go."

These words were so eye-opening to me.
This is why I am practicing yoga.
To let go... to free myself from everything.

I am so grateful to discover her class, and cannot wait for the next time :)