A true yoga practice begins internally and does not require a leopard print yoga mat or the latest yoga wear (although I personally find it more fun to practice with such things). Yoga is about connecting the mind and body to create a more cohesive life, and poses are simply a catalyst for this transformation. Yoga translates as union and the Hip Tranquil Chick uses yoga to create unification within her many worlds, especially with blending the mind, body, and spirit. She soon discovers how yoga assists her development both on and off the mat, and can be translated into all her modern girl trials and tribulations.
The sage Patanjali wrote the fundamental teachings of yoga, Yoga Sutras, in the second century BC. He wrote that the aim of yoga is to quiet the fluctuations of the mind, and to create stillness in order to connect with one’s own voice. Who needs this philosophy more than the modern girl? She tries to do it all, wants to have it all, and seeks a little fun sprinkled with consciousness along the way.
To truly create a personalized practice, it is important for the Hip Tranquil Chick to determine what she is seeking through yoga: serenity, a yoga bum, spirituality, social time with girlfriends, strength, meditation, or flexibility. What she is seeking today may be very different from what she seeks in the future. Just because she wants to practice yoga now since all her girlfriends do it, doesn’t mean that as her relationship to yoga grows it won’t become an integral part of her spiritual world.
A Hip Tranquil Chick’s approach to yoga is non-dogmatic. She knows that there are many paths to yoga and many ways to practice yoga, both on and off the mat, and she does not allow herself to be chained to any particular mode of practice. She loves exploring styles, trying different teachers within the styles, paying attention to how she feels in various yoga communities, and making decisions based on these criteria. Yoga is personal and it is important to honor this individuality each time she steps onto the mat. But how does she carry this practice into her everyday life – home, on the go, office? more to come…..
