When is the right time to learn Yoga? Is it during childhood, or as adults or even later?

There is one story about a Monk that stuck to my mind.

A school teacher and a monk are having an interesting conversation about the right age to teach Yoga and the context appeals to those listening.

Monk: What do you teach a child on the first day they join school?

School teacher: We start teaching them to learn the alphabet. Education is the key to a better society. What do you teach a child on the first day when they join you?

Monk: We teach them how to breathe. Once they know how to breathe, they can live a healthier life. Learning the right way to breathe helps you control your emotions better. Have you ever noticed how your breathing changes when you are happy, angry, depressed, surprised, fearful etc. Being able to control your emotions, thereby controlling your mind and longevity is what we teach.

Do we ever learn how to breathe? Or we take it for granted that we know – as we are born and it is the job of our nose and we do not need to worry about it, till we have an issue with it.

We somehow have the tendency not to focus on areas that do not require our explicit attention. If we do, we will be able to prevent many health issues. Somehow this approach keeps us running through a daily routine efficiently, however – leaves no scope for preventive measures to protect our health – especially long term.

So, when my friend asked me to join a Yoga class this weekend – I chose to give it a try. At the end of a few breathing exercises, I realized I should have learned this decades back 🙂 It is truly never too late to learn Yoga.

Just focus on your breathing and being able to regulate it, can bring about an immense improvement in health. While Yoga is much more than breathing exercises, breathing is definitely a good place to start.

Thanking my Yoga teacher and my friend who introduced me to these sessions, I committed myself to learning Yoga over the weekends.