People will often ask me if my spirituality has changed since becoming a yogi. I was born Catholic, went to catholic school, received the sacraments, raised our kids catholic. I always will be tied to my catholic roots. But when it comes to my connection with God or my “Path”, I would have to say that yoga has definitely changed my perspective.
Yoga allows me to get quiet, become more connected to the sensations, thoughts, emotions and patterns of my body. What I tell them is that my yoga practice has awakened my spiritual path in a way that Catholicism didn’t. In Catholicism, to me it felt like I was told what to read or pray, then it was read to me, and then I was told what it meant. What it didn’t allow for me was the ability to think freely on my own or to consider my purpose.
Although I appreciate the rituals of Catholicism, the rules are a thorn in my side. As I’ve gotten older this type of dogma does not sit well with me. What the path of yoga offered me was the ability to look right into my soul without judgment. Believe it or not, looking deeper takes courage as we may not always like what we see. And by doing so, it allows the opportunity to be more compassionate towards others. This has definitely been the case with me.
Yoga is greatly influenced by Buddhism and Hinduism so if one is going to deepen their practice they will get a lot of exposure to these belief systems. As I began to look deeper into these other religions and philosophies, I began to see that when you remove the dogma, each philosophy or religion has the same belief systems. Be kind to others. Love everyone. Show compassion for yourself and others. Now that is a path I can follow.
