Ameriku and Yoga

Like hummus and flatbread, Ameriku and yoga seem to go together. They seem to be coming from the same place, a place of serenity, in the moment, in the now.

One of the things I like most about yoga is the time-out-of-time feeling that strips away the stress and pressure of the day. When I focus on each breath, inhaling for one movement, exhaling for another, I can't hold my focus on anything else. When the muscles in my legs start talking to me during Warrior Two, nothing else matters but holding the pose without falling over.

And that's good. It's good because it is so rare. Like many women, I am always multi-tasking. But not during yoga. And especially not during Triangle Pose!

With the lights dimmed and the music of birds and wood flutes in the background, yoga is a bubble bath with fitness benefits. It soothes my spirit as it strengthens my muscles. It boosts my confidence as it helps me reach a deeper stretch.

Gradually, I begin to feel as though my body is not the enemy. I've been fighting it all my life, trying to make it fit the culture's ideal. Now I see it's a good body after all. It works.

Yoga, the instructor (Shari) says, is for me. I get that. Yoga practice may be the only time during the day when I am not thinking about what I have to do for one of my children, or for work, or around the house. It may be the only time I have to focus completely on me.

Yoga is a way to appreciate the mind-body connection. It's a way to silence what has been called monkey-mind, those incessant nagging thoughts, and open up to the stillness and eternity of the universe.

This reminds me of Annie's Song by John Denver, with the lyrics "You fill up my senses, come fill me again."

Yoga fills up my senses. Haiku and Ameriku do, too.

My name is Rae Hallstrom, and Ameriku is my art and my business and my brand.

Ameriku® is the registered trademark of Ameriku Ltd. When you see the Ameriku trademark, you can be sure the work meets my high standards of quality.