Archives For November 30, 1999


The Philosophies behind Yoga and CrossFit

As much as I love the physicality of CrossFit and the strength and determination it has given me, I shall always love yoga, as without yoga, I would never have found CrossFit.

Avid CrossFitters follow a paleo diet, plan and think about their workouts, ensure they are getting the right sort of and right amount of liquid, rest, vitamins, supplements and, at some gyms and in the CrossFit world there is a strong sense of community and a bond that comes with wanting the newest pair of Reeboks, and of course, a camaraderie of having battled through a killer work out with other members of your box (gym). With it being steeped in the military, there is also the strong sense of serving, and an underlying knowledge that everyone in the community is not only there for themselves, but there to encourage and support others.

Yoga, however, by the nature of it having it’s roots in a practice over 5,000 years-old, offers something that the new exercise of CrossFit cannot (although with it’s increasing popularity in the west, comes ego, the fashion-ista yogi and everything that comes along with that). But, true yoga offers a connection to spirit and to thousands of other practitioners who have come before us. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s (verses about how to live) also offer practical philosophical guidance as to how to have a yogic life, such as Ahimsa (non stealing) and Satya (telling the truth). By the nature of practicing yoga, even the most beginner yogi is receiving this knowledge.

And so, although CrossFitters can argue CrossFit is a way of life, which indeed on many levels it is, I would argue that Yoga is more than that. Yoga is way of being. ‘Being Yoga’ is, in my mind, my ultimate goal. ‘Being Yoga’ means being kind, being gracious, strong, powerful, focused, humble, able to give and receive, being balanced, calm and creative. It also provides a connection to the Universe and is the doorway into understanding life beyond the physical. Yoga is non-denominational, so it is not asking you to pray to a god, instead it is asking you to be your best self.

Today I am grateful that Yoga has brought me to CrossFit, which is enabling me to gain more physical strength and a closeness to my partner.

The Light in Me, Honors the Light in You.

Namaste,
Jane

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