Is it working for you, or are you working for it?
Yoga is many things to many people. For some, it is a workout, a time to stretch tight muscles, build strength, "sweat it out" or show off their well-deserved handstand. For others, it is a time for relaxation, letting go or meditation. Some people live their yoga as a spiritual practice, others sing it as a devotional practice, while others avoid yoga completely due to disinterest, fear, lack of time or a host of other reasons. There is no right or wrong. Whatever your relationship with yoga, it is valid. But is that relationship serving you? Here are some things to think about if you are wanting to start a practice or want to get more from an existing practice.
A Rich History
Precursors to yoga can be traced back as far as the mid 3rd millennium BCE, or about 5,000 years ago. This is an old, old practice. It was not borne of a desire to look hot in yoga pants, or to lose weight, or to float from one impressive posture to the next. It was borne of a desire to answer the big questions: Why are we here? Is there something bigger, and if so, are we connected to that bigger thing? How can we feel that connection all the time?
Yoga was originally practiced in nature, near rivers and in forests. It was, and still is, a spiritual practice and not a religion. The philosophy comes from Tantra, and is based on the idea of prana, or life force. Prana is the spark of life, the thing that we all have and share - our divinity. Through controlling the prana, we can connect directly with the divine. The work yoga comes from the work yug, "yoke", the thing that connects or unites us. So yoga is the spiritual practice that connects us with divinity through the harnessing of prana. It is important to remember that "divinity" can mean whatever works for you - whatever thing that is bigger than you. It can be God, nature, the Universe or any other word or phrase that describes the thing that embodies and unites us all. It is very important to remember that Tantra and Yoga are based on non-dualism, meaning that we are all one, united with each other and that larger power. God or whatever you want to call is not separate from any of us, but the ego works to make us feel separate. Through yoga we seek to reduce the effects and power of the ego and cultivate the feeling and understanding of that unity.
Yoga was originally an oral tradition. It was passed down from teacher (guru) to student and training was a life-long journey towards enlightenment. In the 2nd century BCE, a man named Patanjali composed and recorded 196 sutras. Sutra literally means "thread" and each sutra is a clear and concise idea which, when strung together, represent a cohesive, step-by-step guide to enlightenment through yogic discipline.
Yoga was originally practiced in nature, near rivers and in forests. It was, and still is, a spiritual practice and not a religion. The philosophy comes from Tantra, and is based on the idea of prana, or life force. Prana is the spark of life, the thing that we all have and share - our divinity. Through controlling the prana, we can connect directly with the divine. The work yoga comes from the work yug, "yoke", the thing that connects or unites us. So yoga is the spiritual practice that connects us with divinity through the harnessing of prana. It is important to remember that "divinity" can mean whatever works for you - whatever thing that is bigger than you. It can be God, nature, the Universe or any other word or phrase that describes the thing that embodies and unites us all. It is very important to remember that Tantra and Yoga are based on non-dualism, meaning that we are all one, united with each other and that larger power. God or whatever you want to call is not separate from any of us, but the ego works to make us feel separate. Through yoga we seek to reduce the effects and power of the ego and cultivate the feeling and understanding of that unity.
Yoga was originally an oral tradition. It was passed down from teacher (guru) to student and training was a life-long journey towards enlightenment. In the 2nd century BCE, a man named Patanjali composed and recorded 196 sutras. Sutra literally means "thread" and each sutra is a clear and concise idea which, when strung together, represent a cohesive, step-by-step guide to enlightenment through yogic discipline.
The Eight-Fold Path
Patanjali outlined eight limbs of yoga:
- There are five yamas which instruct us on how to relate to the world around us. These include non-violence in thought or action, non-illusion and unwavering honesty, non-stealing (which extends to controlling one's desires for external things), abstinence (meaning moderation in all things), and non-possessiveness to the point of only taking what one needs and nothing more.
-There are five niyamas which instruct us on how to relate to ourselves and out inner world. These include cleanliness of both mind and body, satisfaction with one's circumstances to the point of gratitude, recognizing and changing unhealthy mental patterns, self-study and surrender to our true, divine, non-dual nature.
-Asana is the physical practice, the poses that are associated with a typical Western yoga class. These were originally meant to keep the body strong and healthy, able to sit in meditation for hours at a time. In our modern world, our world of sitting at a desk, in a car and in front of a television for hours and hours each day, the physical benefits of asana are especially important. Asana is meant to keep us healthy; it was never meant to inflate the ego through competition or test the bounds of our bodies through pretzel-like contortions.
-Pranayama is the fuel for the fire that burns within us. Through breathing exercises we can gain control of our minds and life force.
-Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses. By withdrawing, we release judgement and distraction and find our inner (true) selves.
-Dharana is focus - concentration on one thing, or in one direction.
-Dhyana is meditation, it is profound concentrating on the divine or intensely focusing on oneness in meditation.
-Samadhi is union with greatness. In samadhi, we lose all judgement, all separateness and become part of the greater energy or divinity, finding the oneness at the heart of yoga.
If you are looking for a path to enlightenment, continue on the path until you reach the end. If you just want to feel a little better, that's fine, too. Do as many of the eight limbs as you want, and stop when you have had enough. Make it your own.
- There are five yamas which instruct us on how to relate to the world around us. These include non-violence in thought or action, non-illusion and unwavering honesty, non-stealing (which extends to controlling one's desires for external things), abstinence (meaning moderation in all things), and non-possessiveness to the point of only taking what one needs and nothing more.
-There are five niyamas which instruct us on how to relate to ourselves and out inner world. These include cleanliness of both mind and body, satisfaction with one's circumstances to the point of gratitude, recognizing and changing unhealthy mental patterns, self-study and surrender to our true, divine, non-dual nature.
-Asana is the physical practice, the poses that are associated with a typical Western yoga class. These were originally meant to keep the body strong and healthy, able to sit in meditation for hours at a time. In our modern world, our world of sitting at a desk, in a car and in front of a television for hours and hours each day, the physical benefits of asana are especially important. Asana is meant to keep us healthy; it was never meant to inflate the ego through competition or test the bounds of our bodies through pretzel-like contortions.
-Pranayama is the fuel for the fire that burns within us. Through breathing exercises we can gain control of our minds and life force.
-Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses. By withdrawing, we release judgement and distraction and find our inner (true) selves.
-Dharana is focus - concentration on one thing, or in one direction.
-Dhyana is meditation, it is profound concentrating on the divine or intensely focusing on oneness in meditation.
-Samadhi is union with greatness. In samadhi, we lose all judgement, all separateness and become part of the greater energy or divinity, finding the oneness at the heart of yoga.
If you are looking for a path to enlightenment, continue on the path until you reach the end. If you just want to feel a little better, that's fine, too. Do as many of the eight limbs as you want, and stop when you have had enough. Make it your own.
What to Expect from a Yoga Class
You can expect that people will generally be really nice. They won't make fun of you for not knowing the poses, or for not being able to do them. Yoga is therapy for a lot of people - they don't go there to be mean or to focus on you, they go to feel good.
You can expect to be at least a little lost the first time or two, but you'll find your way. It might feel weird. They might chant, or say things like, "Breathe into your feet, open your third chakra and engage your mula bandha." Some of it will literally be in another language. But not much, and you'll be able to follow along. Some classes will be more mainstream, entirely in English, focusing more on the physical than the energetic or spiritual or mental aspects. Most classes will give you at least a little of everything.
Some of the etiquette you should know includes:
-Be respectful of the atmosphere - enter and leave quietly, especially if you are coming in late or leaving early.
-Turn your cell phone OFF or SILENT. We can still hear it vibrate.
-Do your best to be still in sivasana (corpse pose) at the end of class.
-If you borrow a mat, clean it when you are done.
-Put your straps and blocks and blankets back when you leave.
-Farting is okay, there are even a few poses that are meant to move things around in your digestive tract - but make sure you're not poisoning the air to the point that others won't be able to breathe. Another reason that chili dogs and yoga don't mix.
-Be mindful of your modesty - for everyone's comfort, wear clothes that cover your parts when you are upside down, lifting your legs, bending backwards, etc. It's not about being prude, it's about respecting that everyone is trying to keep their focus on their practice, and seeing your nip slip is very distracting.
You can expect to be at least a little lost the first time or two, but you'll find your way. It might feel weird. They might chant, or say things like, "Breathe into your feet, open your third chakra and engage your mula bandha." Some of it will literally be in another language. But not much, and you'll be able to follow along. Some classes will be more mainstream, entirely in English, focusing more on the physical than the energetic or spiritual or mental aspects. Most classes will give you at least a little of everything.
Some of the etiquette you should know includes:
-Be respectful of the atmosphere - enter and leave quietly, especially if you are coming in late or leaving early.
-Turn your cell phone OFF or SILENT. We can still hear it vibrate.
-Do your best to be still in sivasana (corpse pose) at the end of class.
-If you borrow a mat, clean it when you are done.
-Put your straps and blocks and blankets back when you leave.
-Farting is okay, there are even a few poses that are meant to move things around in your digestive tract - but make sure you're not poisoning the air to the point that others won't be able to breathe. Another reason that chili dogs and yoga don't mix.
-Be mindful of your modesty - for everyone's comfort, wear clothes that cover your parts when you are upside down, lifting your legs, bending backwards, etc. It's not about being prude, it's about respecting that everyone is trying to keep their focus on their practice, and seeing your nip slip is very distracting.
