A message for my YogaDownload students: I want to thank you for checking out my videos on YogaDownload. I really appreciate all of the feedback and kind words that I have received over the past couple of years. I also want to encourage you to check out all of the other teachers that YogaDownload has to offer. The more perspectives and variety that you have about yoga, the more profound and versed your yoga practice will become. Don't get stuck on one thing.
In your words, what is yoga?
Yoga to me is about finding the balance between exploring your internal world as you live in the external world. The world we live in is a beautiful but crazy place. It can be easy get caught up in the drama and let it dictate our lives. Yoga is there to help us take a step back so we can continue to dive inward. The more at peace with are with ourselves the more at peace we can be with the world that we live in. I wish I could tell you that yoga can help you make the world a better place, but it's important to remember that yoga is not about good or bad - it's about surrendering to what is.
What inspires your teaching?
What inspires my teaching is always evolving, but the thing that I constantly listen to for inspiration is my body. I teach and practice a variety of classes and as I get older my body becomes more and more important. When I first began practicing yoga I wanted to do all the crazy stuff and push the limits of my body. Now, after about 8 years of practice, it has become more important for me to nurture and take care of my body. Once your body and health begins to diminish, so will your happiness.
What teachers have impacted you the most?
The teachers that have impacted me the most are the people in my life who have ultimately helped me become who I am today. Life can be messy and sometimes the most challenging and difficult experiences that we have in life turn out to be a blessing in disguise. So I am most thankful for the individuals that have challenged me in ways that have made me feel uncomfortable because it created the space for change. I'm even more thankful, though, for the teachers out there who have shown me how to be humble in the face of adversity and how to overcome unpleasant situations with grace. My favorite quote is "Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water; But, for attacking the hard and the strong, there is nothing like it! For nothing can take its place. That the weak overcomes the strong and the soft overcomes the hard. This is known by all… But practiced by none."
Do you have any yoga tips to share?
Here's a little tip for those of you who are practicing yoga to improve your flexibility. A great compliment to stretching is self myofascial release, aka foam rolling. The grind of our every day lives and repetitive movement patterns creates overactive muscles in our bodies. Foam rolling before and after your yoga practice is a great way to keep the muscles in your body balanced which will aid you in improving your flexibility.
A message from Ben: Please check out my website www.fitnessnyoga.com. I am going to be leading a yoga retreat to Nepal in October/November of 2018 and I have all of the information about the retreat listed on my site. I would also love to be a guest teacher at your home studio so please feel free to reach out with any ideas or suggestions that can bring me to you.
Try one of Ben's Fitness 'n' Yoga classes on YogaDownload today!