Chris Courtney's Vinyasa Yoga Albuquerque

Yoga focuses us on the importance of awareness and being present in the moment, being as conscious as possible about our surroundings, feelings and motives. Awareness of how different people and activities affect our moods or behaviors can be the first step toward constructing a healthy lifestyle.  A balanced approach to yoga and holistic fitness can bring about the mental clarity that allows us to mindfully respond (rather than viscerally react) to stressful situations and even abusive people.

Likewise, the kind of people we surround ourselves with can have a negative effect on our self esteem instead of offering encouragement and further self-improvement.  While we should be striving to be grounded and centered enough not to let such things bother us, our own yoga journey can be much easier by avoiding such inputs.

One of the most powerful mental and emotional aspects of yoga is meditation.  Often defined as effortless concentration, meditation allows the practitioner to get beyond the reflexive, “thinking” mind into a deeper state of relaxation or awareness.

The term meditation can refer to the process of reaching this state, as well as to the state itself.   Meditation is a component of many religions, and has been practiced since antiquity. It is also practiced outside of religious traditions.  Different meditative disciplines encompass a wide range of spiritual and non-spiritual goals including achieving a higher state of consciousness or enlightenment, increasing one’s compassion and loving kindness, receiving spiritual inspiration or guidance from the divine, achieving greater focus, creativity or self-awareness, and simply cultivating a more relaxed and peaceful frame of mind.   It is also closely tied to the spiritual aspects of yoga and holistic fitness.