PAULA TURSI

I have been doing yoga for a long time, but it wasn’t until I hit my 40s that I allowed myself to rest in the truth of this practice. The older, and perhaps more intuitive I became, the more I understood the innate beauty of this ancient practice for a woman of any age. It seems that women spend a lifetime trying to “improve” who they are, like trying to get and/or stay skinny. What yoga can teach us is not about being thin but being healthy— then we are always the perfect shape. Instead of trying to lose weight, we become more connected to our bodies and naturally stop eating what isn’t good for us; mostly because it no longer tastes or feels right. When we are feeling angry or lonely, we can reach for our yoga mat instead of a doughnut, because we know what will really make us feel better.

Mostly, yoga teaches us to listen. It brings us back to an intuitive nature, which is the true gift of the feminine. It helps us to see the body as sacred. We become wiser about how and with whom we spend our time, as we come to understand that what we surround ourselves with molds who we are. We begin to make choices that bring us less stress and more joy.

Striving is something we have all gotten too good at. Listening to our inner wisdom has become much more difficult. Yoga teaches us how to pause, accept and, more than that, love who we are, as we are. It teaches us to respect and enjoy the unfolding of life. It’s a life-long friend that helps us find self-love. It shows us a way to appreciate everything exactly as it is, because things are as they should be—us included.

Source: Paula Tursi is the founder of Reflections Center for Yoga & Conscious Living. For more information about Reflections, call 212-974-2288, email [email protected] or visit ReflectionsYoga.com.