This week I am thinking about refocusing on why I practice yoga and what I want to share with you about that; the importance of a full practice and taking that practice off the mat. I originally started practicing yoga solely to improve my flexibility, this was in 2001 just after my second son, Luke was born. I fully enjoyed my practice but, knowing nothing about yoga, was surprised how repetitive the class was each week. I commented to a friend that while I loved the yoga class, I had thought yoga would be more calming and relaxing, this teacher was very particular that we did the same poses every time in the same exact order!? It turned out that I had found my way to an ashtanga practice, who knew? Now that I have learned much more about the many, many types of yoga, and how to make a practice my own, I can laugh about that. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the challenge and history in a full Ashtanga First Series practice.
I love this article about the rigidity of Ashtanga, its pros and cons and why it may not work well for many of us, especially as our singular practice.
The word yoga means to yoke, specifically the mind, the body and the breath. When we come to our yoga practice versus choosing to go to Pilates or Orange Theory we do so because we value yoga for its holistic approach. For some of us, yoga has become a way of life.
I so often recite the Sanskrit translation of sutra 1.2, “The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga”. If we learn to control our mind (through meditation, breath, asanas, contemplation) we will achieve the goal of yoga. In the translation of the sutras that I read by Sri Swami Satchidananda, he explains that “the entire outside world is based on your thoughts and mental attitude”. So rather than trying to change the outside world, we can try to work from within to control our own minds and the way we react to the world around us.
The physical part of our practice, the asanas, strengthens and stretches our physical body. The breath work that we practice during the asanas helps support us during this effort. Ujjayi breath helps warm and energize us as we move. This breath and the asanas help us prepare for savasana, the pinnacle of our practice, and perhaps the most challenging pose. I admit, I used to sneak out of class before this pose in my earliest yoga days.
The aim of savasana is to give rest to body and mind, as well as to integrate the benefits of physical postures. The breath should return to soft and natural, and we should come to a neutral position, one which allows the prana (life force energy) to flow freely. The meditative properties of a practice are throughout, the asanas are considered a moving meditation and savasana is more restful. If we are fully engrossed in all aspects of our practice, the time will pass, and we will realize later that we were fully absorbed and focused on nothing else.
As we then move into the world, resuming our daily life, we hope that this strength and peace that we find on the mat carries with us throughout the day. As we deepen our practice through more study, we may find inspiration in our meditations and find more ways to bring our yogic (best) selves forward with newfound calmness and peace. Believe me, for me it is an ongoing work in process. This is why we call it a practice.
So, I propose we spend some time this week thinking about a renewed sense of purpose in our practice, spending maybe a few more moments doing some meditative reading, trying some new breathing techniques and perhaps working on taking our practice off the mat.
Meditating on Our Practice
TK Desikachar, son of the pioneer of modern yoga, Krishnamacharya wrote Heart of Yoga, Developing a Personal Practice, my favorite yoga book.
“The success of Yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our life and our relationships.”
“it is indeed true that by practicing yoga we gradually improve our ability to concentrate and to be independent. We improve our health, our relationships, and everything we do.”
See you on the mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne