Have you ever thought about the difference between happiness and joy? Happiness is a temporary, outward expression usually dependent on positive emotions.
We smile because we’re happy, but joy? Joy comes from within. Joy is steady throughout the trials of life.
Joy can be found through yoga in a few ways:
The joy of yoga is felt in our bodies
You’re probably already familiar with the physical benefits of yoga. Our bodies were simply built for movement.
Practicing asanas raises our serotonin, oxytocin and GABA levels, which automatically makes us happier.
Connecting our breath with movement reduces blood pressure and cortisol, the stress hormone. This can make us feel a sense of peace, leaving room for joy to grow.
It’s extremely difficult to be joyful when suffering from chronic pain, but yoga can alleviate pain and protect us from injury.
As we practice yoga, our bodies become stronger, more flexible, more energetic and healthier overall. While these things alone aren’t usually sources of joy, they can certainly be part of many factors that make us feel more joyful overall.
The joy of yoga is “Santosha”
Santosha is one of the eight limbs of yoga. It means ‘contentment,’ and contentment breeds joy.
Here, we notice a big difference between joy and happiness. Happiness can pass quickly. I might be happy when I eat a sandwich, but what about the next time I get hungry?
When we’re truly content, we accept and appreciate what we have. We can interact with people in a posture of love and understanding.
Contentment can be difficult to cultivate in a world that’s ever changing. However, the more time we spend on our mats, the more we will realize the contentment that’s deep within our hearts.
When we move off our mats and into the world, we find ourselves noticing the small yet beautiful things all around us: the loveliness of a spring flower, the smell of your favorite morning beverage, the sound of a child’s laugh or a cat’s purr.
When we appreciate these small things, we are practicing Santosha, and we are experiencing the joy of yoga.
The joy of yoga is in community
At Santa Fe Community Yoga Center, or wherever you choose to practice yoga, chances are, you don’t do it alone.
Even your home practice started somewhere, through a teacher in a studio, or on a YouTube video.
Community is a great place to cultivate joy. Neuroscience tells us that our brains are wired for community. When we interact with others, pathways in our brains activate and mirror each other.
When we come together to practice asanas, we breathe and chant together.
We acknowledge the light we see in others.
All of this is extremely powerful.
Our classes and workshops at SFCYC aim to cultivate this power, joy, and connection.
We hope you’ll join us to experience the joy of yoga.
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