Ananda is a Sanskrit word that means ‘joy’ or ‘pure bliss’. Joy and bliss are two emotions that are our natural states of being. As children, we are born into this state, light, free, and blissfully joyful.
The first time I stepped on my yoga mat and did a yoga class I was uncertain about not knowing any of the poses or how I would manage a full one hour class – my teacher back then whispered to me “Lynnette, connect to your Ananda and the flow will come with ease”, of course I was like “Ja Right… connect with my “Ananda” how do I even do this and how will ease “just come???”….. Anyway, being an open-minded anxious but yet diligent student I tried my best to do what was asked of me and well…. the rest is history and here you are now allowing me the opportunity and honour to share and connect in your own “Ananda” with me alongside you!!
My dream since then has always been to share what I felt the first day I stepped on my yoga mat and every day thereafter with anyone and everyone who connects with me on this journey, because even though I did not know “how” to connect to my “Ananda” my entire being flowed into her natural state of being and connected to pure bliss and inherent joy effortlessly.
When we align ourselves with these powerful feelings, we find more joyful things in our lives to celebrate. As we ignite ourselves with pure bliss, we are also naturally inclined to want to share that joy with others – by spreading our light and joy into the world through our interactions and choices.
As humans, we naturally experience a wide spectrum of emotions, including some that are the opposite of joy, like sadness. But in life, in order to truly appreciate pure joy; experiencing those contrasting emotions help us to appreciate the joy in our lives.
The joy that we create in our lives daily works as a guide to help bring us back to this way of being during times of darkness. And we choose to let it, that light of joy can overpower any sadness we may be feeling.
Through yoga practice, meditation and breath work, we can also choose to make joy a choice in our lives. As we experience different emotions, we can learn to become observers of our emotions and learn to be aware of them. As our emotional awareness increases, we can find that we have the power within us to always choose our emotions, no matter the situation.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein
