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3 Things I’ve Learned from Yoga Jones by HYL Yogi: Liz

yogaI’m not sure about you, but I can hardly contain my excitement for tomorrow’s release of Orange is the New Black, Season 3. A newer fan to the series, I’ve had a few favorite characters along the way, but one character always remains the top on my list: Erica “Yoga” Jones.

Yoga Jones earned her spot in the Litchfield Penitentiary after an unfortunate accident many years ago on her farm, but has always tried to make the most of her sentence.

Her fellow inmates can certainly learn a lot from her actions and words. And if you think about it, we can all learn a lot from Yoga Jones. Here are three things that she has taught me these past two seasons.

  1. Do Yoga –  Whenever possible, do yoga! Sure, you may not have time for an hour and a half power class, but you can make time for a pose. Stand up from your desk once every hour and do your favorite pose. Or hide in the conference room for a blissful, five-minute Savasana. Jones heads up the yoga program at the prison, and although it’s not super popular, I’m confident we’ll see a spike in yogis in Season 3.
  2. Be Nice – It’s really that simple. Not everyone or everything will make you happy every day. That’s just a fact of life. But by having a bit of compassion and empathy, you’ll find that being a nice person will go a long way. And as a result, it will make you happier. Yoga Jones always tries to take her fellow inmates under their wing, by asking them how they feel. She is always there to listen, add her words of wisdom, and most important, she is nice.
  3. Put Things into Perspective – In the first episode, Yoga Jones tells main character, Piper, to look at her experience in prison as a mandala, which are sand designs that Tibetan monks made, only to be washed away weeks later. She tells Piper to make her stay meaningful, beautiful and know that it is only temporary. So the next time you have a bad day, remember that it is only temporary and tomorrow will be better.

I’m sure after reading this, you’re all jonesing for some yoga! Stop on by Health Yoga Life today and tell your favorite instructor that Yoga Jones sent you!