Yoga is a workout for the mind.
It felt like I was reborn through yoga about 10 years ago. I fell in love with yoga initially because of its in depth knowledge of the Divine.  Recently an anatomy article by Ksenia Shatskaya woke me up to some biochemical reasons as to why I am so hooked on yoga. Apparently it’s all about the brain’s prefrontal cortex. Yoga is difficult and that’s partly why the mind is triggered into excitement. ‘Relax, take a child pose, slow down’ is more about yoga ‘therapy’. Ashtanga and powerful Vinyasa flow are more intense methods to achieve optimum human development. It’s about creating fresh neurological patterns in the brain to understand and master asanas and as a bonus, we learn the tone of our deepest self. The prefrontal cortex is believed to have a sort of ‘executive function’ which keeps us motivated to continue pursuing a chosen goal, however difficult and uncomfortable the path may be. In yoga, often the path is without obvious immediate benefit and yet we don’t seem to need a reason to keep practicing as there is an innate wisdom showing its importance. The prefrontal cortex is made more powerful when we continue to practice beyond our comfort zone through discomfort and fear on the mat. Hearing the pain, observing shades of emotions and having great determination to understand our inner world is excellent self-psychotherapy, plus it’s free! The fruit of yoga practice will ripen after years and years of neurological repatterning, shifting from victim consciousness to solution based exits from life’s challenges. This is a life project! As the mind clears, the heart starts to see Divine beauty and love in all things.