Yoga brings freedom to the body, all the freedom it needs to function efficiently.
When there is freedom there is order in body and mind. Give the body clear directions, dictated by a precise and lucid perception of what you feel. If you are sensitive to the requests of the body, it will respond spontaneously in an unexpected, effortless way. Create a relationship and make friends with your body and with your mind.
The word forFreedom in Sanskrit also means love. Friend derives from the Old English freon that means to love. When freedom/friendship/love is expressed through a free, healthy and orderly “body-mind”, there is beauty.
During your yoga practice, live in the present moment, without any distractions. Be attentive and watchful all the time to what is happening within the body and the mind, and all around. Yet keep the body and the mind open and supple, ready to change direction.
If you know how to 'look' you will 'see' that sometimes a disappointment may lead to a new road. Similarly in the body - if something goes wrong physically, or after illness, you may discover a different approach to a posture or you may perceive something new that even solves other problems. Keep your eyes and your mind wide open – a disappointment or a loss may lead you to a liberation.
Adapted from Awakening the Spine by Vanda Scaravelli 1991