I was recently asked, why people would hire me and what "results" would they expect to get from yoga? The question was posed by a friend who does ad campaigns for small businesses in the fitness industry. As an example, she added - a person looking to lose weight and get fit would perhaps seek the services of a personal trainer. What services would you be providing your clientele as a yoga teacher? I must say, the question stopped me in my tracks. As a yoga teacher, what could I do for them? What service do I provide?
To answer these questions I started spewing the benefits of doing yoga. NOTE: I took this directly off of the first page of my website - the traveling yogi.
The above benefits are true. Yoga is a proven and effective way to help with all of these things, but for some reason, this answer did not seem to be good enough. The word "results" stuck with me and it prompted me to dig deeper. When thinking of the result of practicing yoga, the word value came to my mind. What is the value of yoga? What value do I have as a yoga teacher? What value am I bringing to my clients?
I found the following definition of the word value on the internet.
So, referring to words in the above definition: Is yoga important? Does yoga have "merit" "worth" and "usefulness"? Should yoga be placed in high regard and is it deserving of one's time? My vote would be ---- YES! ABSOLUTELY YES!
I will try to describe my experience with yoga as best I can by putting my thoughts in a nutshell, so to speak. I would say that practices in yoga such as mindful movement, meditation, and relaxation act as a vehicle for organic change. What I mean by the words "organic change" is change without the struggle. Yoga has helped me to transform. Yoga and all of its sister practices have helped me to learn about myself and then, more importantly, to accept myself. Yoga is teaching me to just be me. Yoga has taught me self acceptance and self-compassion. Yoga is continuously teaching me that I am enough, that I do enough, and that I have enough. I have more ability to see my thoughts for what they are and to sit and feel my not so great emotions. The result being, I am far less reactive than I used to be.
Yoga has seeped into every part of my life. It has changed how I eat and how I exercise. It has changed how I spend my time. It has changed my relationships with my husband, children, and friends. I like to say that I am a work in progress, as we all are, but yoga has provided me with so many tools that I think I may not have had without it. Now, I admit, there are more factors involved and responsible for my growth. I also recognize that there are plenty of people who attain these things without having the practice of yoga in their lives. But in my experience and in my opinion, yoga has been a catalyst for self-knowledge, growth, inner peace, hope, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and fulfillment.
So, to answer questions like: What does yoga do for me? What results do I get from yoga? My answer would be EVERYTHING.
With regard to the value of yoga -- for me - yoga is invaluable. In other words, yoga is absolutely necessary (in my life).
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