Ancestors of native Floridians have been here for 12,000 years. Over the millennia, many cultures developed, adjusting to different environments and dealing with the problems and challenges presented by increasing populations, new ideas and innovations.

Jerald T. Milanich, Florida’s Indians from Ancient Times to the Present. Excerpt from “The People of the Great Circle, Ted Ehmann.

Each new day is a challenge and opportunity to create new life. The ancients have left cultural clues of their lifestyle with the remains of uniquely carved animals, and other beautiful art depicting their cultural heritage, beliefs and lifestyle. This is not unique. Native Florida represents symbols of human lifestyles/survival skills and beliefs symbolic evolving through cultural traditions of  earthlings including the ancient tradition of yoga.

Yoga is an ancient belief system and practice that migrated from the orient to other parts of the world. The practice of yoga remains a way of life serving humans as a path to inner harmony, calming the mind and body through specific postures that balance and enhance health through the immune system. Learning the physical forms of yoga postures serves the mind with resulting positive energetic consequences. So, for today’s practice choose a unique location to roll out the yoga mat. Lay down long on one side, stacking the legs, raise one arm up to the sky to achieve balance/stability. Breathe deeply to stimulate the immune system and exhale the toxins circulating in the bloodstream.

In the mental realm, yoga is often taught with mediation as a medium to open the subtle body, and stimulate thoughts. Humans attach symbols to experience such as color, sensations connecting symbols to feeling/actions. The mind attaches meaning to the subtle body of thoughts translated into physical form.

To clarify, the mind may associate the color blue with a feeling of depression in the physical body. If a person “believes” they are feeling blue” their physical body language may slump and slouch, their movement becomes slower and facial expressions may drop downward. This physical reaction interprets an experience into negativity.

A yoga practioner learns to recognize how the mind perceives movements. A practice of body postures and deep breathing methods can activate the subtle body into positive physical responses including an assessment of diet and movement (or lack of it for alteration). Thought processes that create suffering can be transmuted through positive experiences. The mind can change the subtle influence of a negative stream of conscious into a nurturing, exploration that gives a new face to reality.

Today’s yoga practice transports the energy of the subtle body into a magical setting that stimulates imagination, just like little children enjoying a holiday setting. The childlike spirit of a holiday setting with subtle lighting and stuffed storybook figures, is a wonderful place to practice yoga. Anyone, any age can do “Side Plank” with the backdrop of candy canes and enlivened stuffed animals. Negativity can be released through the subtle body of imagination. Even if many childhood experiences may have not been pleasant, renewing the subtle energy in the present moment can occur through yoga harmony into a loving life in the present moment. Once the mind/body experiences joy, the body responds and health is renewed.

Practicing yoga in different settings evolves the mind/body into new experiences of positivity. Nothing is permanent on this earth, so there is always the opportunity to transcend negativity. Yoga is a vehicle for transmutation of energy. Take a yoga class and enjoy the fun of reformation in mind/body.