Yoga is everywhere, all over social media. Yoga has become the cure-all for everything; even goats are into it.

But what is Yoga?

Is yoga only for the human pretzel?

Judging from what I see on social media or even on the covers of some Yoga magazines, Yoga is an elite practice for the human pretzel. Somewhere Yoga became about achievement and advancement into often extreme practices. The message that you need to be stronger, skinnier, or more flexible has drowned out Yoga’s message of finding your truth.

If Yoga requires you to conform to someone else’s standards of practice, beauty, beliefs, or lifestyle, it’s not Yoga anymore.

Yoga is about awareness

The goal of Yoga is self-awareness. Yoga asks you to watch and understand your motivations, not move from your subconscious autopilot. It is learning about yourself and discovering what you need to take care of yourself and your unique talents.

Yoga taps into your inner wisdom

Your body carries nature’s intelligence, but it is easy to lose the connection to this intelligence. Your soul nature speaks in whispers, quickly drowned out by the noise around you or your thoughts.

The goal of Yoga is to get out of your head and into your heart, the seat of your inner wisdom. Yoga practices help connect you to your innate intelligence.

Yoga connects you to the present moment

Yoga is meant to connect your mind to the present moment. Making shapes on your little rubber island is an act of meditative awareness. Ideally, letting go of achieving a specific outcome or shape. Instead, the goal is to mold yourself into a shape that works for your body at that moment.

But it takes bold truth to admit that your practice is not the same as someone else’s or even the same as your practice last week. It takes being aware of the moment. It means letting go of what does not serve you and choosing the path or action that does.

I’m personally ok with goats doing Yoga. Goats are cute. But don’t let them push you onto a path of achievement that is not your path to walk. That path is for each of you to find with the help of your deeper wisdom.