Through the practice of Yoga the union, the coming together occurs naturally and in its own time, not when you are forcing it, rather when you are at one with the practice and it is enjoyable, comfortable and brings everything together. After-all the meaning of the word Yoga is “to join”, “to unite” or “to bring together”.
Before you have even come to practice the physical aspect of Yoga, your mind has had the thought to practice Yoga, then you choose to do it. One union of thought and then action has united to bring you to your Yoga mat...so let’s look at how else when you are on your Yoga mat and practicing the asanas (postures) you may achieve the deeper side of Yoga.
Being Present
Yoga aims to create a state whereby you are present, really present in every action, in every moment. The great advantage to this is you perform every task, every asana, every meditation, every action with attentiveness or focus and are conscious of your actions. During Yoga your action is directed solely towards the activity of Yoga that you are engaged in so it brings you to the present moment, to observe what is going on within.
You can bring this “being present” to any area of your life, for example, writing; if you are soley focused on that piece you are composing, all your creative ideas flow, you are present and connected and attentive. However if you are writing whilst thinking what you want and need to do later, then you are not really paying full attention to the present task. You are thus not present, you are divided rather than united and the piece you are writing may suffer as a result.
When you begin to study Yoga, whether it’s the asanas, pranayama (breath work), meditation, Yoga Nidra or the Sutras, you become more conscious, more aware with each step that there is a holistic nature to your being that is made up of the body, the mind, the breath and much more.
With every action there is an effect. The unity of the practice of Yoga helps to stretch the body and the mind in subtle ways that then reflects into your present moment. It enhances all aspects of human life, including your health, your breathing your relationships with others, and your behaviour. Gradually, moment-by-moment subtle changes occur as you mature through your practice of Yoga.
How do you feel...
In the physical aspect of Yoga, the Asana practice you focus on the body, the breath and the mind. These three can work separately from one another; however Yoga aims to unite their actions. Primarily people tend to see the physical aspect of Yoga - how flexible and supple you are or how long it takes to master an asana like Headstand.
What others can’t appreciate how you feel, how you breathe, or how you feel the breath or how you co-ordinate your breathing with your movement. How you feel the postures and the breath is so important. The sense of felling is an aspect of the mind.
The breath is the bridge between the body and mind, the inner and outer body. It is only by bringing together, by uniting the body, breath and mind, that you truly realise the true quality of the asana. The quality of your breath is so important as it expresses your inner feelings. For example if you are in pain or anxious or distracted you cannot control the breath.
Steady and Comfortable...
Asana means posture and comes from the Sanskrit word “as” meaning “to be”, “to sit”. Patanjali Yoga Sutras describe an asana as having two essential qualities: sthira and sukha. Sthira is steadiness and alertness, sukha is comfortable or the ability to remain comfortable in a posture.
Sthira is about being present, alert and steady both physically and mentally, sukha is about finding the ease and finding that place of comfort that feels good. Both of these qualities should be equally present when practicing any posture. The aim of practicing an asana is to achieve the steadiness and alertness of sthira and the comfort and lightness of sukha for the length of time you are in the asana. Without these qualities there is no asana…
If there is real discomfort or tension when you go into an asana, it is hard to think about anything else apart from the tension. This means that you are not ready for this asana, and a gentler one should be practiced until you are ready or you ease out of the posture. If you are comfortable in an asana yet your mind is elsewhere or agitated then you are not being present or connecting with sthira.
Yoga is about accepting yourself just as you are; from the person you are when you start your practise through to the person you eventually evolve into. Every Yoga practice is different dependent on what is happening within you and how you are feeling. Yoga gives you the mirror to see and explore. While you practice keep both sthira and sukha in mind to assist you on every journey with Yoga.
The key...
When you breathe consciously, you become aware of the significance of the breath on the body and the mind. By feeling and connecting with the breath, the quality of the breath while you practice asanas gradually improves. When practicing an asana your focus should be directed towards the movement of your breath; on the inhalation the breath moves from the chest to the abdomen and on the exhalation the movement from the abdomen. Connecting with these movements also helps sthira and sukha helping you to stay focussed and use the breath to find the comfort and stillness of the asana.
The moments of stillness between the inhalation and exhalations can also be observed. If you can master this you can direct your attention towards any sort of activity; so you see Yoga does reflect in everyday life simply by focussing on your breath. Consciously breathing is also a form of meditation.
You
In conclusion, you will perceive that Yoga is not an external experience, but rather something that you experience inside, deep within your own being. You feel it, you experience it, and it is your journey. As you practice asanas or pranayama or meditation or Yoga Nidra, you observe what you are doing and how you are doing it and how it makes you feel. You do it only for yourself to improve, to feel better and to expand yourself and to grow.
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