How it all started:
In 1998, I moved from Santa Monica to Venice, a mere 2.5 miles away—but what a shift! To me, Santa Monica felt stagnant and suffocating, while Venice was alive. I eagerly embraced a world of artists, dreamers, hippies, and intellectuals. Venice was vibrant and energetic, yet oddly balanced by a darkness — the presence of the mentally-troubled homeless, and gangs who had marked their territories. Friendships formed easily, and it wasn’t uncommon to start my day with a beach walk and end it at an underground art party with luminaries like Ram Dass.
Venice was everything to me—”So Alive.”
Yoga had just begun to explode on the Westside of LA, and my new neighbor kept inviting me to Power Yoga. I resisted, thinking yoga = chanting in a room with long, armpit-haired, smelly-hippies and white-clad “gurus.” Nope, not my cuppa tea, I kept telling her. But she insisted I would love it, and the glow that stayed on her face for days afterwards intrigued me.
My first class with Bryan Kest was the most physically challenging I had ever experienced.
Two and a half hours of breathing, focus and incredibly deceptively simple-looking postures that made my muscles feel like jello. Kest prodded us, asking, “Why are you working so hard? Nobody is making you do this to yourself. Why do you care? it’s just a stupid pose, and it won’t make you happy or healthy.”
I emerged blissful, calm, peaceful, joyful, and absolutely hooked.
Back then, ALL yoga classes were a minimum of 90 minutes, and most of the “great” teachers taught as long as they felt like—2 -3 hours was common.
I knew I would practice yoga for the rest of my life.
Within a year of practicing Power Yoga 5 times per week, I felt called to explore different styles, beginning my lifelong immersion and study. Over the years, I delved into various yoga philosophies and practices, including Sivinanda, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Anusara, Forrest, SmartFlow, Prana Vinyasa Flow, Kundalini, Yoga Nidra, and more. Each movement style has its own unique principles and philosophies on mantras, postures, alignment, breath, bandhas, kriyas, and philosophy.
Confusing to me was the discordance in the yoga community. Teachers continuously contradicted each other, especially regarding alignment. Some even criticized other styles, finding significant “fault” with them. I kept searching for “the truth.” What was the proper alignment for triangle pose or Warrior II? How could I practice “the proper way” without getting hurt? I was attracted to physically demanding practices, and many around me were sustaining injuries. Already dealing with a compromised and injured body, I knew I had to approach my physical practice intelligently if I wanted to practice for the rest of my life.
I was obsessed with how to support and magnify the healing energy of yoga. Alongside the physical, philosophical, meditative and breath practices of yoga, I studied Shamanic healing, Reiki, Qi Gong, hands-on healing methodologies, Mindfulness, Flower essences, Aromatherapy, and more.
Yoga is Yoga if it’s helping you.
If you’ve found a style or a combination of styles that work for you, then you are “doing yoga.” If not, keep seeking.
I like to think of yoga similarly to food—I don’t eat the same meals daily, nor do I only eat a certain type of food daily, or even weekly. My body craves variety.
As you start practicing yoga, your body will begin to tell you if you need softening, strengthening, a challenge, or complete receptivity and slowing down. Often, we need a carefully structured combination of all these elements. Keep looking; you’ll find your teacher and practice. And be open to your practice evolving over the years.
“Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha”
“Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha”
From Patanjali ‘s Yoga Sutras.
Usually translated as, “Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.”
Aria Morgan is an Educator, Writer, and Mom. As a certified yoga teacher, Reiki Master, retired Doula, and Mindfulness Life Coach, Aria draws on over 26 years of daily practice in yoga, Qi Gong, meditation, mindfulness, and energy cultivation. She passionately believes that when we awaken our body’s innate intelligence, anything is possible.