As we move along a spiritual path, there comes a point when we’ve heard it so many times: We are not our bodies! The divine rests in the soul! The consciousness of Krishna, Christ, and Buddha reside in theplace of spirit, independent of our physical selves, but part of the greater whole! All is one!

So, knowing that, why should we care about the body?

Our physical bodies allow us to experience all that the world offers, and as individuated selves, we can perceive the divine in others. But most importantly, our bodies are constantly feeding our spirits information about ourselves. Have you ever known some one who seemed perfectly nice, yet every time you saw him, you became tense, felt your blood pressure rise, or got a stomachache? Likewise, have you ever met some one with whom it seemed you had nothing in common, yet you always felt at ease and relaxed in her presence? The body tells us about our world, from the job that seems great on paper but gives us indigestion, to the unlikely partner who makes our adrenaline soar. When we are in tune with the messages of the body, we move through the world with ease; we can really trust our gut!

Through the practice of yoga, which literally translates to “union,” we tune into the body. The breath carries us through a practice and quiets the busy mind… usually! We all have days when the mind carries on a mile a minute through the practice, but with diligence, the mind learns to quiet itself a bit at a time. In the stillness of a posture, we notice the body holding on in places that are not necessary, we notice what balance really feels like, and we come to recognize the thought patterns that arise as we face challenging or uncomfortable postures. Out in the rest of the world, off the mat, we start to recognize what we learn on the mat: the rising of tension in the body, the situations that throw us off balance, and the parade of thoughts that consume our attention when we encounter the discomforts of life. Little by little, we come to understand the wisdom of the body, and move through our lives in union with our selves. When we move through our lives in union with ourselves, we move with ease and grace, and we are freed to do the higher work of the spirit.

So why have a body? To do yoga, of course!