what's it all about, really?

For me, yoga is about many things. My asana practice gives me strength and flexibility, my meditation and pranayama practices give me a chance to be with myself and move ever deeper towards that part of each of us that is unchanging, our essential selves. While all 3 are important, sometimes 1 can take precedence over the others depending on what I need at a certain time or on a certain day. My yoga practice is something I come to every day in one form or another and every once in a while something will confront me in my life that leads me to the question- what I am I really getting out of my yoga practice what is the essence of why I practice? This answer has changed over the years, first it was building strength and gaining an acceptance and awareness of my own body, then somewhere along the line I have shifted to something deeper, something that questions every belief system I have ever held as true, something that forces me to look into myself and challenges the faith I have in the healing power of yoga. Challenges, not in a bad way, but in a way that deepens my understanding and my commitment to what I believe. And what do I believe? I believe that we are all connected, that there is a part of each of us that is inextricably linked to everyone and everything within the universe. As a result, what affects one person has the power to affect the entire world. That our love for the world and the people around us can spread and truly make a difference. In the words of the Dalai Lama, I believe that: "Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." Because of my fundamental belief in these things when I am faced with something challenging these are the ideas I go back to, these are the ideas I find comfort in and they remind me of what is really important in life. Not how much money I make or what kind of car I drive or clothes I wear, but how much time do I spend with the people I love and how often do I let them know how much I appreciate them? That is what is most important to me. My family and my friends. And reestablishing and deepening that connection every day is the reason I do yoga.