Yoga; why do it and where to start?

In this episode of the project mindfulness podcast, we talk about yoga; why do it and where to start? I talk with Rob Don, who is a Yoga teacher and musician from Los Angeles. We talk about his personal journey into yoga, why yoga is important and where to start with your Yoga practice.

From partying to mindfulness

In this episode, we talk about the personal journey Rob made. From playing in bands, concerts and ultimately partying to Yoga and mindfulness. After having a sudden change in his life situation, he decided to dedicate his time to practicing meditation & mindfulness. He found his first yoga class on craigslist, which was all about Kundalini Yoga. Later on, he got more into Vinyasa flow and variations of Hatha Yoga. So what’s the deal with Yoga?

Form learning Yoga to teaching Yoga

After a profound experience in a yoga class in North Hollywood, he decided to share this transforming experience with others. The passion to share this experience led him to start his training as a Yoga teacher.
Rob approaches his classes as a variation of Vinyasa flow creating the atmosphere of a meditation in motion. Establishing the breath as the priority and incorporating the principles of asana practice, he encourages students to honor the length of their breath and never sacrifice it in attempts to “achieve” any particular posture.

Personal practice, personal path, personal journey

Rob has been teaching Yoga since 2013. Originally from Lynwood, Rob has trained with world renowned yoga teachers and is happy to share what he has learned with us. Central to this talk is that we can’t force others to see what we see. Each person has their own path and journey, and it is not up to us to say what they need or should do.

There might be times we feel we don’t know where we are going. It’s just that coming back to the practice and the breath. Becoming mindful of the present and the phenomena happening here.
We talk a bit more about Yoga and what the relevance is of this ancient tradition in his life. Rob does a lot with breath-centered work in his Yoga classes. Rob is all about keeping it down to earth and simple for those he instructs. Yoga as a mindful movement practice is inherently spiritual as it is.

Rob sees his classes as a collaboration between student and teacher. What is important is to look where each individual is and what they need at that point in their practice.

The benefits of Yoga

We talk about the benefits of Yoga and what it does to your mind and body. We condition the mind and the nervous system. Our pose and our breathe can influence our state of mind. Through practice of Yoga over time, we become more in tune with the body.

“We are training the mind to respond to stress in a better way.”

So how do we integrate what we learn or do in a Yoga or Meditation class into our own lives? We talk about tricks to get back into the present moment. There is a tendency to do good and better ourselves, but that sometimes translates into being hard on ourselves. It’s important to realize it is a process, and to stay with it.
Just stop whatever you are doing. Return to your breathe.
Rob recommends Yoga Nidra practice as a supplement to other practices, and we talk about the best way to start with Yoga.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about Rob Don, take a look at his website: https://robdonyoga.com

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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