| Peace of mind seems like a fantasy to most people. | | | | anything related to good health. Imagine thinking you |
| Even when they sleep, their dreams do not give them | | | | have no time to breathe or take care of yourself |
| rest. The mind of an optimist can have pessimistic | | | | properly. |
| thoughts, which surface during sleep patterns. That | | | | Many people work two jobs and fall asleep due to |
| said, can Yoga really help you find peace of mind? | | | | exhaustion. Peace of mind will have to wait, until the |
| When one of us decides to become a Yoga teacher, | | | | following day, but that day never seems to arrive. This |
| there are many different reasons why, but peace of | | | | is a cycle that can lead to a "disturbed mind." The daily |
| mind is usually part of the reason. It is gratifying when | | | | grind, without relief, can cause irreversible damage to |
| we empower our Yoga students to find peace of | | | | the mind and body. |
| mind. | | | | When or if, such a person takes a Yoga class, and |
| Sometimes, a Yoga teacher chooses to "spread the | | | | briefly finds peace of mind - you will see an |
| word," for his, or her, own peace of mind. Within | | | | expression of awe on his or her face. I remember a |
| personal Yoga practice, and teaching Yoga classes, | | | | student, who sat in the waiting room, after one of my |
| most of us find a "retreat from the rat race." Yoga | | | | Yoga classes. She looked like she was about to fall |
| class becomes more than a temporary rest for the | | | | asleep and I asked her if she needed anything. |
| mind. | | | | She replied, "No, I'm doing great. I haven't felt like this, |
| Once you have found the tools to inner peace and | | | | since I was seven." She was just learning to enjoy the |
| quiet - you want to tell everyone about it, but many | | | | moment and this student was well over 70 years of |
| people do not really hear your message, even if their | | | | age. Two decades later, I often hear similar stories |
| physical health is in jeopardy. | | | | from Yoga students on a regular basis. Physicians, |
| Physical health should be obvious; all we have to do is | | | | psychiatrists, psychologists, pediatricians, and other |
| look in a mirror or mentally connect with our body. | | | | medical specialists are advising their patients to |
| Benefits for the mind cannot easily be seen, but they | | | | practice Yoga for a variety of ailments. |
| can be felt. The problem is most people have | | | | I have never regretted my decision to become a |
| disconnected from their physical body, and some | | | | Yoga teacher, and the future looks very promising for |
| people have actually disconnected from their minds. | | | | Yoga instructors, in general. If you spread peace of |
| Look at commuter traffic outside of any city and you | | | | mind far enough, it just might have an impact on world |
| will see people running from place to place on | | | | peace. On the local front, your Yoga students, who |
| "auto-pilot." Although there are more people attending | | | | have peace of mind, will make a positive contribution to |
| Yoga classes than ever; the vast majority of people | | | | your community. |
| still have no time for Yoga, meditation, Pranayama, or | | | | |