Yoga Practice

As a Yoga Practitioner and a longtime yoga student, I ofter wonder what yoga practice mean to others. I can only speak for myself.

As I started practicing yoga trying to find balance among other acticities. It was not to replace any other activity that I like such running, biking or playing soccer or dancing. When I am on my mat, I try my very best to remember to breathe, to concentrateof my own practice, I keep reminding others to find comfortable and steady posture. I try to embrace the true feeling with each and every asana. I am kind to my thoughts and I try not to judge my practice or others because each day my body is new to yoga. I focus on how to better each posture. I only try each asana by the courage of my breather and surrendering to the posture. It is different from lifting weight. Yoga is a therapy in respect to people will rather say it is form of exercise. It is only an exercise when you muscle through each posture, but you would last the ideal 2 to 3 hours doing that.

As a teacher now, I find strength in my student to instruct yoga practice. I often will tell fellow yogi, that yoga comprises of other aspect apart from physical asana (posture), it is also the breathe work, meditation and much more. There is no reason to invent my own version of yoga. The eight limbs of Astanga Yoga was based Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Of these eight limbs, the first five limbs are bahiranga sadhana or external practices while the last three represent antaranga sadhana or internal practices.

According  to Pantanjali Sutra, the first limb is Yama. This is to develop our attitude towards the world around us. The five components of Yama, which is as follows: Ahimsa (the principle of non-violence), Satya (the principle of truthfulness, Asteya (the principle of non-stealing), Bramhacharya (Continence / Celibacy), and Aparigaha (the principle of non-possessiveness)

The second limb is Niyamas, which is to self-regulate and to develop and maintain a positive environment in which to grow. The five components of Niyama should be practiced for purifying the physical and mental body. These components are  are as follows: Sauca (the art of purficiation) which comprises of yoga breathing techniques or kriya, yoga massage, and pure and flawless diet. The second component is Santosa (Contentment), Tapas (Endurance), Swadhyaya (self study of scriptures), and Ishvara Pranidhana is dedication and complete surrender to God.

Third limb is Asana - steady and comfortable posture. If it is not comfotable and steady, it is not Asana.

The fourth limb is Pranayama or yogi breathe. Pranayama is to regulate the proper flow of “Prana” in the body, make the body lighter and to increase the Life-Span. It is important to note that Patanjali expressly advises the practitioner to practice pranayama only after attaining perfection in asana.

The fifth limb is Prathyara - :withdrawal of “Pancha-Indriya” or five senses organs & Control over “Sada-Ripu” or Six enemies.
The sisth limb is Dharana or Concentration the stage of concentration whereby one gathers the scattered mind in one place and get it to concentrate on a certain object.

The seventh limb is Dhyana or Meditation - maintaining constant uninterrupted flow of attention on one point or region and meditating on it

The Eighth limb is Samadhi- this stage when the object of meditation becomes the subject and whereby self-awareness is lost.

There is no reason to forward explain each of the limbs; one could see that we can incorporate yoga as we walk, run, eat, sleep, shopping and many other activities that you do. Yoga is not when you carry your mat to yoga class. Obviously, most studios have made it hard to instruct all these in a 50 minutes class. My practice are usually last for a minimium of 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Yoga is not consicous about time. If you are consicous of tme, then you are not practicing yoga. How can you look ahead in the future. That also mean you are not present. Where are you going to? If the body, mind, and spirit is not in union that is not yoga. I understand we all have work, meeting, and many other things. Devote time to your yoga practice whether on the mat and off the mat.

Namaste
Hare Krishna