Yoga comes from Southeast Asia, from Indian parts of Thailand, and roots back into Egypt (now called Kemetic Yoga). Many of the words in the verbiage we use around Yoga are Sanskrit. Sanskrit is the native tongue for only a few people in the United States, where I reside. Because of this, many meanings of the words or the philosophical ideas are challenging to explain in my native tongue, English.
I was trying to explain Sankalpa to a friend the other day, and while I found beautiful words to describe this big idea, I struggled to deliver its true meaning. How do you give words to something that doesn’t quite translate? How do you express an almost foreign concept to your current culture? The answer is imperfect and nuanced.
It feels important to state that I will get things wrong when I try and translate yoga ideas and traditions in this blog and my explanations. I will not always perfectly convey the true sentiment or intention. It is complex, and I acknowledge my imperfection and that translations are often tricky. I will try my best to honor the roots while also honoring where and how those roots are moving, growing, and bending in my culture today.
The same is true for the language of the body. Where are you at right now? Pause and scan your body, starting at the crown of your head and notice every part down to the soles of your feet. Is your body feeling cranky, tired, or sore? Are you feeling energetic, warm, or fidgety? When you notice what is going on, do you find that words don’t quite express how your body feels? The language of the body is different from spoken language. It is tricky when visiting a doctor to know how to best describe an ailment that is not straightforward. We do our best to translate the experience, but no one but us will know what it is like to reside in our own body; try as you might to share the experience with others.
People make their livelihood eloquently describing what it’s like to feel broken or what it’s like to experience the Divine. I think all of us want to share those experiences. One of the best ways we have to do that is through language. However, I know that explaining with words can be limiting and it is easy to miss the bigger picture. While my efforts to teach and translate are not perfect, it is my hope with this blog that I can help distill complex ideas and make them accessible and relatable while honoring the tradition of yoga.
May you hear the message and translation that you need to find.
Namaste, friends.
Note: The image above is the symbol for Namaste. In Sanskrit this is a phrase that translates to “I bow to you.”
