I am discussing the deeper dimensions of yoga practice with one of my yoga students, Shakira Bouwer. Shakira is a fellow yoga teacher who has been practicing Ashtanga yoga for 13 years. For both of us, what keeps our own practices fresh and fun after all these years is creating a more accessible practice for our students.

Yoga is a mirror that all of us need in order to take a good, long look at ourselves — not just as individuals but as a society and a community. Unfortunately, the yoga practice is intimidating. It can seem impossible when you see yogis bending backward with ease, but the practice is more than just the asanas. The asanas can be modified for beginners, yogis with injuries, and older yoga students so that everyone can get closer to the heart of the practice.

Because the heart of yoga is our community. For Shakira, a woman who was born and raised in Jamaica, her motto has always been "Out Of Many, One People." This is her country's motto and an interesting choice for a nation that is influenced and divided by its history of colonialism, racism, and religiosity. Shakira shares her experience in Jamaican high school and her first yoga class to explain how the heart of yoga practice helped her recognize the discrepancies and privileges in her own life and the world around her.

You can take what you learn on the yoga mat into the real world, and Shakira discusses how yoga helped her to grow and navigate the sometimes ugly and uncomfortable experiences we face off the mat. Remember, how you face problems on the mat is a mirror for how you face problems in your life, and it's important to give yourself space to react and listen. As Shakira discusses here, everyone wants to be heard and understood. Practicing yoga can help teach you how to be a better listener, not only to yourself but to those struggling to be heard around you.

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Follow me on Instagram @kinoyoga and visit my blog at Kinoyoga.com. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me at [email protected]. If you want to share what you've learned on your yoga journey, you could be invited to guest spot on The Yoga Inspiration Podcast.