Dr. Smita Mehta, MD

You may be scratching your head, wondering what the connection between Yoga Day and this popular childhood game could possibly be…well, the answer is that being still is *the* major ingredient in the secret sauce of happiness and good health.

Yoga poses, or asanas, play only a small role in the vast science of yoga, which is an entire system of living well…really well! Suppleness and sitting still get us good results from yoga meditation. Yoga poses by themselves are not the be-all and end-all of a yoga practice, as we may believe, but only a means to having a good yoga meditation.

Two imperatives to a good yoga meditation are keeping the spine straight and gazing at the point between the eyebrows. These facilitate the stillness that comes with the practice of yogic breathing exercises. To this end, asanas are helpful.

Why yoga meditation? Why be still?

Stillness is what allows our nervous system to rest, recalibrate, and repair itself. The sympathetic (“fight-fright-flight”) and the parasympathetic (“rest-and-digest/tend-and-befriend”) systems are constantly trying to balance each other so that we may be at peace. It’s when they are unable to balance themselves that we find ourselves either frenzied or feeling stuck.

So, this International Day of Yoga, do yourself a huge favor ! Have some fun and enjoy a quick yoga meditation. Here’s a links to a beginner’s meditation:

https://yogananda.org/a-beginners-meditation

If you have time for a 90-minute visual treat, do watch “Awake: The Life of Yogananda” available both as a digital rental and as a DVD from:

https://bookstore.yogananda-srf.org/product-tag/awake-audio/

More fun facts coming up soon! A big thank you to all who have subscribed and liked the content so far, and my heartfelt appreciation for your support. It’s a joy to share these tips with all of you.

Have a very happy Yoga Day!