As most things tend to eventually be deemed ‘tainted by westernization’, yoga is no exception. Yogis and non-claimers to that title alike have seemingly come to a consensus that yoga has evolved from its ever-so-sacred origins into just another ‘workout’. Studio schedules are riddled with classes combining weight-lifting, cardio, Pilates and more with yoga asanas (postures). Then there is the fascination with hot yoga, which has led to many people living under the assumption that to take a Vinyasa flow class it must be done inside a room heated to 90+ degrees. People, including myself in times past, will be mildly disappointed if after, they aren’t walking out of the room dripping with sweat and muscles in full convulsions. There is no denying that somewhere along these lines the yoga that encompasses an ethical way of being, along with the asanas that we are all so familiar with, becomes seriously obsolete.
My mindset seven or so years ago walking into my local yoga studio, was not far off from what I’ve described above; I was booked for a class akin to ‘Yoga Burn’ for example, heated to 90+ degrees with every intention of leaving drenched and sore and exhausted. Not to mention the affixation with needing to be near the mirror so as to not miss a single angle of myself. Seven years ago if someone had told me that my intentions for going to yoga class were inauthentic and that I should be at yoga for more than just a workout, the chances of me continuing my practice would have been slim. Leading to an even slimmer chance of me becoming a passionate yoga teacher eager to spread knowledge of the many facets of a yoga practice. Thankfully, I did not have that experience and my yoga mindset blossomed from that of workout, to way of being. Now - don’t stop going to yoga class because you enjoy the way your body feels after. Having said that – allow your yoga practice to evolve into more than just something you do for your body. Let’s take my beloved father as an example. Even the person whom I received half of my genetic makeup from, says to me he just doesn’t get all that spiritual crap that some yoga classes offer and that it’s not for him. Instead of forcing on him all the reasons why I THINK he should pay more attention to the ‘spiritual crap’, I smile, give gratitude for the mere fact that he practices to begin with, and then I trust. I trust that when the moment is right, my father is going to start paying attention to and find meaning in the spiritual crap. Any interaction in which you are forcing your beliefs onto someone will inevitably end with them resisting. Rather than force, practice the first yama, ahimsa, and offer trust to this person. Trusting someone to navigate their path on their own is much more empowering than bearing down on them with the weight of your beliefs. If the yamas and the niyamas are something that pique your interest, run as fast as you can to author Deborah Adele, she does a fantastic job of laying these ethical precepts out in layman’s terms. The Eight-Limb path of Yoga is as follows: Yamas (moral restraints), Niyamas (observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathing), Pratyahara (turning inward), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), Samadhi (union of the Self with Object of Meditation)*. Note the third limb is the one we are all most familiar with, asana. The chances of everyone that goes to yoga classes are practicing all eight of these limbs, is small. Myself included have not yet mastered all eight as I’m sure is the case with other yoga teachers. However this lack of total mastery does not deem me unworthy of being a teaching figure in the yoga community (thankfully). Nor a student’s lack of mastery deem them unworthy to practice. If you don’t start somewhere, how are you going to get anywhere? If my yoga journey didn’t start at workout would it have evolved into instructor? I’m not sure, but we don’t get to tell people that their starting point isn’t good enough. Some people who practice yoga asana might not ever seek out information on the other limbs of yoga, and that’s okay. I went to space camp and I am never going to be an astronaut, but the requirement for space camp is not that you intend to become an astronaut. The requirement for yoga class is not that you intend to become yogi master. Approach your yoga practice with a well-rounded intention of becoming familiar with and practicing as many of the limbs as you can on and off the matt. And remember, from the revered Sri K Pattabhi Jois, “Practice and all is coming”. *credit to Rolf Gates, “Meditations from the Mat”
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