There are moments in life that define us and determine the degree to which we are willing to allow the vital essence of our being to dictate the direction of our path. It can even feel like life is spent waiting for these pivotal moments that lead us down the road to discovery. The connection that we awaken to may be the inner world of our own beauty, the love of a lifetime or the freedom of a realization to change your life’s course. Some connections are so deep that they take you by surprise. You do not see it coming and suddenly you feel your heart opening, your body relaxing and your mind filled with joy. One day we wake up and realize that everything has to change, our job, our house, our career, everything. It is not always the things you feel immediately attracted to who find their way into your soul. Sometimes you realize that a hobby is actually your life’s work. Or a long-term friend suddenly reveals themselves to you in a smile or a glance so that you see the true depth of your connection. These small moments can be the disarmingly powerful epiphany moments that take us into the arms of our destiny. Once encountered it is something that we cannot walk from no matter how hard we try.

Doing yoga leads practitioners into greater sensitivity, compassion and feeling so that when the moment arises for them to take the stand of their lifetime and follow their unique path they have the strength to do it. It takes courage to follow a brand new direction that it wrought with both the brilliance of the new and the destruction of the old. Yoga teaches students how to feel what the next step is and find the courage to take it when the situation arises. When the depth and power of an new course in life becomes apparent yoga practitioners do not walk blindly into new life situations but instead are fully and completely present along every step. Not every job, house, friendship or love affair turns into a soul bond but the ones that do fill the human spirit with the honor of greatness, true love and mutual respect. Yoga gives you the higher perspective to really be honest with yourself about the depth that each interaction has to offer. If the door to your dreams opens before you it takes courage to walk through because a love so deep almost necessarily puts your life on the line and demands every ounce of your soul. It’s not that suddenly things are easy, to the contrary, sometimes when your drive and dedication is powerful and fulfilling it can be challenging and demanding.

Yoga in fact prepares you to feel when they key to your life force arrives at your doorstep whether in the guise of a new business, a career change, a friendship, a life partner or a teacher. Every asana and yogic practice is merely a rehearsal for the moment when life tests you. All theories and philosophies crumble when we are asked to act in accordance with our true self. Only when you stand at a crossroads and feel your life fore rising from deep within your being will you know who you are and the power within that cannot be ignored. All yoga practice prepares for the time when you will be asked to take the stand of your lifetime and prove to yourself and the world what you really believe. Just because you dream does not mean it will be true. But if you dream it and devote yourself tirelessly to the attainment of your dream, then it does mean that one day your dreams will become true. Physical yoga practice is meant to serve as an avenue for your discovery of the limitless power to work thanklessly until one day your dreams become reality before your eyes. This miracle comes not from pixie dust sprinkled on your life by a fairy, but the magic of your own being transmuting suffering into peace.

We will all one day live through defining moments where life demands that we choose what we really stand for. Sometimes the evidence of our real self stands in the rubble of what we are willing to sacrifice to achieve our greatness. There is no escape from this pivotal moment because it is exactly what we came here for, that is, to learn how to be more than we think we can be. Yoga makes these moments more intense, more clear and therefore also more rewarding. For students of yoga it is no longer possible to unwittingly create your life. Every moment is a conscious decision between who have known yourself to be and who have the power to become. Yoga gives you the higher mind awareness to choose wisely, compassionately and powerfully in fearless resolution to see your dreams all the way through to reality.