Finally, after many long, cold, and very snowy months, spring is starting to emerge here in the North. At first I welcome the insulated, interior space of winter, but as we trek through March, with April in sight, I can not wait to shed winter’s blanket and burst forth into spring.

When I sat down with my mentor via zoom, I told him how off kilter I was. He looked at me calmly, and knowing me well from our relationship over time, reflected back to me that I was feeling a lack of control because of current events, and this feeling stemmed from past wounds I hold from the chaotic, traumatic, and also the overly structured experiences of my youth. As soon as he said it, it became as obvious to me as seeing my face in the mirror and finding a big smudge of dirt on my face.

More often that we like, we have patterns of actions that lead us to suffer, whether on a small or grander scale. We humans are so predictable in the reasons behind these patterns that Patañjali names them in the yoga philosophy text, the Yoga Sūtra. Called the kleśa, these five causes of suffering are taking action out of misperception of a situation, false notions we have about ourselves or identity, desire to repeat a pleasurable experience, wanting to avoid repeating a painful experience, and fear. There, however, a process we can use to reduce this suffering, and its something we can do every day!

There is a very popular hashtag added to many social media posts about yoga. If you search #yogaeverydamnday on Instagram, some 20 million posts are available for your viewing. The vast majority of these are styled, beautiful pictures of folks showing off their headstands, handstands, arm balances, and other poses that not only require an incredible amount of strength and flexibility, but also a very particular body type. Like most things on social media, these photos are not an accurate representation of the reality of daily yoga practice.

When I work with people one on one, I frequently hear them say that they would like to learn to use their voice, that they would like to be able to express themselves, to be heard. Chanting is an incredible tool for learning how to use your voice.

Our emotions can have an outsized effect on what happens in our body and our breath. Think about what happens when you are very stressed-- your shoulders may tense up, your jaw may clench, and your breath might get shorter and faster. Now, think about what happens when you are with a loved one, or watching a beautiful sunset, for example-- your body may feel at ease, your breath calm, and there might be a general sense of well being.

We may not always notice, or listen, but our breath tells us a lot about how we are feeling. We can also use our breath to change how we feel— physically, mentally and emotionally!

At its core, āsana is really just a special arrangement of the limbs and body that gives a particular experience, and aims to form new patterns within you. In yoga therapy we use āsana to alleviate patterns of discomfort and solidify patterns of ease and well-being.