Living Yoga

The month of January has been one of the most moving periods of my life. It was a time I had the privilege to dedicate myself to one thing only - Yoga. Each day, from sunrise to sunset body, mind and spirit were focused on practice. I have been reluctant to write about this journey as it is something no words can do justice. At the same time, it was such a powerful experience, I feel compelled to share it. Being fully aware that this blog post will only be able to scratch the surface, it is with this humility that I want to talk about yoga beyond the physical practice of asanas and to share a few of the lessons that stayed with me.

What is Yoga?

Ethimologically the word Yoga is derived from sanskrit ‚yug‘ which means to bind, join, attach and yoke. As Mahadev Desai phrased, ‚it means the disciplining of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will, which that Yoga presupposes; it means a poise of the soul which enables one to look at life in all its aspects evenly.‘

One of the first things clarified in our yoga philosophy class during the teacher training were the two common misconceptions of Yoga in modern societies:  First, Yoga is not fitness, and second, Yoga is not religion. Then what is it about?

I frown and smile at this frequently posed question, the answer to which goes much deeper than the scope of the conversation allows. It is something that has filled books, entire seminars, influenced philosphers, artists, freedom fighters and shaped generations across continents. It is to vast and something I am still discovering. Tracing back to the the Vedic times, Yoga is an Indian philosophy that dates rougly 5000 years . It is a way of life and a philosophy of many facets developed by ancient sages with the goal of enlightenment and liberation.

One of the main foundations is the understanding is the impermanent nature of everything. The yogi realizes that no sensation experienced by sense perception is lasting. Any emotion positive or negative is fleeting. Therefore, nothing external has the power  to rattle your inner equilibrium. A wise person shall withstand any storm, and be alike in both heat and cold, pleasure and pain success and failure. There is a beautiful verse in Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita (6:19) comparing the mind to a steady flame: The nature of the mind is restless and constantly wandering here and there. The untrained mind flickers wildly like a flame and is at the complete mercy of the wind. But the mind can be trained to become steady much like an unflickering flame in a windless place. Only then can the human being find true fulfillment.

Therefore, one of the key aspects of yoga is to train the mind. The yogi strives to conquer their senses. They shall not be subject to ever-fluctuating circumstances of the external world. For the yogi the body is only the vessel to achieve this state. By showing up on the mat day after day we train tapas (self-discipline) and learn to accept discomfort to gain strength. But the Asana practice only represents one of the eight limbs of Yoga according to Patanjalis Yogasutra. Of course if one does Yoga for health benefits, they will surely see results on the physical body, but that is all there will be. And yet, Yoga goes far beyond the physical practice of Asanas and that is why it resonates with so many people around the world. Yoga is also meditation, breathwork, concentration and focus. It also means to be compassionate, to speak the truth even if would be easier not to, to not react immediately and let the waves pass. It means to abstain from violence in thought and action, to nourish oneself with balanced foods and to find contentment in what is. It is a journey inward.

Integration

Understanding Yoga on an intellectual level and practising it in your every day life are two different things. At times the duality between ancient philosophy and modern life seems striking and the wisdom of the past may clash with the structures and needs of today. Two worlds could not seem further apart from another. But there is a way to practice Yoga as a skill in daily life. This is what the process of integration essentially entails. We can't stop life from going up and down, but we don't have to go up and down with it. The moment we become too attached to emotions and sensations and start to identify with them, we cause our own suffering. As much as attachment can be to physical objects and possessions, it can also be to emotions and relationships. One of the ethical foundation of Yoga is Aparigraha, meaning to detach from material outcomes and one's ego. An often misunderstood restraint, detachment is not indifference. It does not mean you're shutting yourself down or you are cold and refusing to feel anything. It is actually quite the opposite: You allow yourself to be immersed in the human experience, being fully aware of your sensations, to feel joy and happiness and love and heartache alike. You live through these emotions but are never overwhelmed by them. You recognize that your true Self is always intact and no outside force can cause you harm, because you are already complete.

In practice, this means that when disturbing thoughts cloud the mind, we can try to not let them influence our behavior. With every time we practice this, we gradually bring detachment in our lives. Another example is to work on the basic attitude of the mind that separates everything in two broad categories: likes and dislikes. We are happy when we get the things we like and unhappy when we don't. This is what keeps the mind moving up and down, constantly reacting to things around us instead of enjoying whatever there is. If we systematically stick to the things we like, we limit ourselves from reaching happiness in many situations. Let's take working out in the gym - Is it hard? Yes. Can it be unpleasant? Yes. Does the body hurt after? Yes. Do we still do it? Yes - not because it's particularly enjoyable but because of the benefits it brings to our physical health. And at one point, we learn to enjoy it. This is a rather trivial example, but the same principle is applicable to any other situation. That is why Yoga is also known as the training of the mind - when the mind is even, we can be comfortable everywhere.

An important thing I have come to understand is that the yogi is a very active person. Through the physical practice of Yoga he keeps his body healthy and strong, through meditation he trains his mind to achieve one-pointed focus, through pranayama he regulates the life-force energy, through the yamas and niyamas he guides his decisions by the ethics of the yogic path.

Perhaps some of these principles seem hard, impossible even, but that shouldn't mean we do not try to reach for them.

To me Yoga is a way to look inward, to find joy, ananda, in oneself rather than the outside world. It is my reminder to always act, but never feel entitled to the fruits of action. It is striking a careful balance of taking control of the things that are in one's control and to let go of everything that is not. It is to trust and be patient even when things do not go your way. It is the practice of gratitude and compassion toward others, be it family or strangers, toward the natural surroundings that hold us and toward ourselves. Yoga is the goal but it is also journey.