You may be confused about why I say Yoga isn’t about the poses; it’s about You. Ancient Yogis taught that to be in Yoga or joined together, one should train the mind and heart. The instructions include both the conscious and subconscious portions of our mind. We’re on autopilot when we aren’t present or in the here and now. Have you ever been lost in thought when you were driving, and then when you arrived at your destination, you didn’t remember the trip? Your subconscious mind was telling your body what to do. The subconscious mind takes control when you aren’t mindful of your daily life, but how does it know what to do? This is where science enters the picture. Remember the All I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten poster? That poster’s creators explain Kindergarten learning as how we live the rest of our lives, and they are partly correct. Researchers identified early learning up to age seven as the subconscious mind’s programming. So, where do we learn our programming? You guessed correctly, from our parents! The saying, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree has meaning. Want to poke the bear when you and your loved one are arguing? Tell them they’re acting just like their mother or father. I’m not sure why this makes us so mad, but I’ve found that I’m more like my parents than I thought. One day, I was talking to my mom on the phone, and she was eating a snack of cheese and crackers. It wasn’t the highly processed ones, but the cheddar cheese you slice and saltines. She said she had some potato salad with it. Suddenly, I realized why I liked the food I liked; I wanted cheese and crackers with potato salad.
 If we want to break free from our programming, we can, but it takes time to repeat the new thoughts or behaviors we want to adopt. There’s a fast-track way to change things called self-hypnosis, which I’ll describe in a future blog post. Mindfulness takes on a new level of importance when you consider that it can get you what you want and change your can’t to can. Our Yoga practice is essential to this process, and it goes back to breathing. Paying attention to our breathing is one of the easiest ways to bring us into the present moment and awaken our consciousness. Whatever your goal is, you need your consciousness to get there. If you allow your subconscious mind to be your guide, you’re letting whoever programmed you take over. And it’s not just our parents who program us. Think about who influences a child younger than 7 years old: church, school, grandparents, neighbors, childcare workers, TV, and more. We’re like sponges just soaking it all in, from infants to children.
Since breathwork keeps us in the moment, we should practice daily. Picking a specific time for practice is a great way to make it a habit. Remember when I mentioned that you should practice breathing when your day isn’t stressful? For me, that’s during the early morning before the demands of the day beckon. I get up early before the sun rises but if that is intimidating to you, try this morning light meditation. Watching the sunrise can become something to look forward to. Plus, when we expose our eyes to morning light, we help to regulate our circadian rhythm for a good night’s sleep. After trying the meditation, visit our Facebook page and share your experiences.

I wrote about ten versions of the first sentence of this post. I can take many different directions on this subject, but I decided on one: here and now is a safe place to be. I’m not talking about therapy, time for reflection, dreaming of the future, or hoping for a better outcome. What I mean is the moment-to-moment living we all do. I often find myself lost in thought; sometimes, I think the thoughts aren’t mine. Maybe I’m picking up on other people’s emotions or residual energy that lingers. We’ll talk about energy in another post. I heard a podcast several years ago, and the expert said that living in the past is depression and living in the future is anxiety. I thought about it and kind of agreed.
Ancient Yogis spent hours in the wilderness, forests, caves, or anywhere else they could be alone. They knew the healing power of living in the moment and that it was hard to do around other people. I remember returning home from teaching and trying to stay in the present moment instead of dwelling on the day’s events. Stopping those never-ending thoughts can feel impossible. I would do a walking meditation, where each step I would say, “Here, now.” Sometimes, it worked, but other times, I couldn’t break free from the emotions. I found an ice bath helped with very stressful times. Nothing brings you to the present moment better than a tub of 32-degree water! PS, I took a few Wim Hof workshops before the full-body submersion. I don’t suggest just jumping in without some preparation.
My point is that while we think living in the present moment is a given, we’re often far from it. This is where practice is helpful. Tibetan and modern-day Yoga start each session with breath, connecting the yogi with the here and now. We practiced breath meditation in the last two posts. If you missed those posts, scroll down to check them out. Sometimes, doing Yoga means just staying with the breath; depending on your day, you may need more time. Sometimes, just one breath can snap us out of a downward spiral, like in my rollerblading story.
Existing here and now connects us to the world. Have you ever had a dog that knows it’s dinner time? It’s amazing how in tune animals are with the present moment. The dog won’t let you think of anything except the food bowl! Observing animals and nature can teach us how to bring our awareness to the current time. Have you ever been chased down by a mama turkey when you accidentally got too close to her baby chick? Probably not unless you have a farm, but you’ll be here now and wish you had paid attention.
The Ancient Yoga text, the Sutras, gives specific instructions for stopping the distractions that cause us suffering. Sutra Chapter 1, verses 32 to 34, tells us to lengthen the exhale and hold out the breath. That’s the first option suggested for relieving suffering caused by the human condition. A technique I learned in Yoga teacher training included noticing the space between the inhale and exhale and slowly lengthening that space. This mindful way of breathing brings us equanimity. Mindfulness and equanimity describe the practice and development of inner peace. With awareness of the moment, we can make better decisions, see the situation for what it is, and connect with our spiritual nature. Practicing being present in the moment is more manageable during a calm, quiet part of your day. That’s where you can start. As you get used to using your breath to help you focus, try doing that in a more stressful time. Below is the walking meditation I mentioned. Here’s a link to the recording. After trying the meditation, go to our Facebook page and let us know how it went!
This meditation can be used during a walk or by envisioning. If you cannot walk for safety, physical, or emotional reasons, you can receive the benefits of this meditation through envisioning. Consider what your body would feel if you were moving. Think about the opening and closing of the joints, the contraction and extension of the muscles, and the breath flowing and oxygenating the cells. Instead of seeing yourself walking, feel yourself walking to get the full effects of the vision.
As you begin your walk, notice the tempo or timing of your steps. The rhythm of your steps may change, and the pace of your inhale and exhale may shift. All is accepted in self-love and care.
As you step on one foot, think about the word HERE. In the next step, think of the word NOW. Now and then repeat HERE, NOW.
Choose a pace and pattern that soothes your mind, body, and soul.
Your foot approaching the ground is the future, moving toward your goals
Your foot on the ground, the present, HERE, NOW
Your foot leaves the ground, the past, leaving the past behind on each step of the walk.
On the inhale, think, HERE
On the exhale, think, NOW
HERE
NOW
HERE
NOW
Continue with your walk until you are ready to end this meditation
Knowing that you have received the full benefits of spending time here and now
Namaste

​As I sat in meditation this morning, I looked at my vision board and searched for the pain in my body and the answers to the questions I had been asking. What is the magical factor in yoga, and what do I want to share with my readers to help them realize that they can and should do yoga? The magical factor in yoga is the connection with the divine presence within you. So many people are afraid to connect with anything spiritual. Ask people to share their spiritual experiences, and you’ll find that not many want to share. I’m unsure how, but we have become a society void of connection with the spirit that drives us. Maybe we are so distracted with our busy lives, our lives of staring at the screen, that we have covered the light trying to shine through.
Most people think of the poses or physical movements as yoga. I admit that when I searched for answers to my physical pain back in 2012, I thought of the movement of yoga as the healing factor. When I had a healing experience with yoga in 2017, again, I thought it was the movement. After studying ancient yoga, I’ve realized that the movements may not have had anything to do with the healing. The pain was my awakening to my spirit that wanted to be seen, heard, and nurtured. Yoga was the path to awakening my body, breath, and consciousness to my divine presence.
As you read this blog, you will see the discovery unfold. When you read the real-life stories of how yoga impacted the people in this book, I hope you will awaken that divine connection within you. You already have the spirit within you. It’s there waiting for you; it is you. You are the magical factor in yoga, the healing power and strength to go through daily life awake and present.
Namaste: The divine light in me sees the divine light in you.