Yoga is an art of self-discipline based on the principles of simple living style and high self-awareness. When we understand the true meaning of Yoga and involve the five following rules, which are built upon the ancient Yogic wisdom for a better life, we will gain the inner strength and balance, in which our body, mind, and soul are harmonious to each other, to heal ourselves and the world
I have practiced Yoga for 2 years and four months and dedicated most of the time for self-practice. However, at first, I did not know the true meaning of Yoga, I merely focused on the physical practice after doing some research from the Internet that Yoga might help me relieve my depression since the mind and body were intertwined together. I started with the book named “B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health” without knowing who Iyengar was, and what Iyengar Yoga style looked like. At that point, the only motivation kept me consistently practicing yoga was the belief, which was statistically based, that yoga might improve my mental health. After six months of practice, I progressively feel the benefits that yoga has brought to me and began to methodically study about yoga.
Yoga Is More Than a Workout
I wish I know about this fact earlier. Yoga is usually being misunderstood as only practicing “asanas” or physical workout, I used to be a part of such mythology. When I looked up the keyword “Yoga” on Google, it showed a whole bunch of beautiful, flexible women who did the “hard” poses that required advanced skills or great strength. They take photos backed on the splendid landscape like on a beach or in a forest. They look pretty cool and fascinating to me initially, I used to be motivated by them and want to be one of them in the near future. However, I shortly found myself under pressure and lost in yoga practice. I felt that Yoga was overwhelming to me, I could not do middle stretch, headstand, or dancer pose, I could not improve myself with yoga, and yoga was a sport for somebody else, not for me.
After being encouraged and mentored by a Yoga teacher, I realize that “Yoga is more than a workout”, it is a practice largely based on self-consciousness, self-love, inner peace, and independence from the materialistic world, in an advanced level, Yoga is usually practiced as a spiritual activity. Yoga is further than a trendy or physical exercise.
What Yoga Truly Means?
“Yogas Chitta vritti nirodha” (“Yoga is the neutralization of the vortices of feeling.”)
--- Patanjali ---
Literally saying, Yoga means “union”. This union can be explored on different aspects of life: philosophically, we harmonize the limited self with the absolute Self; psychologically, we understand and integrate our “Whole” personality, we do not label ourselves with any specific character such as introvert vs. extrovert; emotionally, we do not distinguish like and dislike, love and hate, but allow ourselves to experience all emotions in all circumstances to be more complete. “Yoga is the neutralization of ego-directed feelings” because once these feelings become quiet, we can realize that who we truly are, harmonize ourselves with the Infinite, without the limitation.
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, the eightfold path (or Ashtanga), which literally means "eight limbs" (ashta=eight, anga=limb). These eight steps basically act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. Yogic asanas are just the third one of yoga’s eight limbs. Practice yoga means including other limbs of yoga such as Yamas and Niyamas (the first two limbs) (i.e., purification of body, mind, and speech; controlling human impulses), Pranayama (or breathing practice to control the Prana or life force within our body); and Meditation (or mental exercise). It might be boring and uncomfortable when we stay focus inward instead of outward; however, we can only develop self-awareness and life transformation if we leave a space for ourselves to shape our mind, body, and spirituality.
More than physical exercise, the following 5 basic principles, which are extracted from ancient Yoga wisdom, that are incorporated into our modern life, will bring benefits to our lives: proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet, proper thinking, and meditation
Proper exercise rejuvenates our body system, including joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and so forth by improving blood circulation and flexibility. Unlike other physical exercises, which merely focus on muscle development, Yogic exercises emphasize the importance of the health of the spine. The spinal column is the center of the nervous system when the core of our body is nourished by the sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients and is maintained flexible and strong, our body will remain the state of being energetic and youthful. Asanas should be performed slowly and mindfully with the steady poses, they work on the whole body, especially bring the Prana (life force or vital energy) to the subtle parts of our body. Therefore, they bring tremendous benefits not only for physical health but also mental well-being through meditation and pranayama (breathing exercises).
Proper breathing is usually neglected by our daily habit, in which we only breathe shallowly by using a small part of the rib cage, consequently, we suffer from lack of oxygen and feeling of tiredness. By practicing Pranayama or Yogic breathing exercises, we increase the capability of our lungs, which will bring more life force to the body’s internal organs, nervous system, and brain. Such vital energy will be released for our daily physical and mental activities; furthermore, they might help relieve our tension and stress during our working day.
Proper relaxation is a natural way of cooling down and recharging our body. If the body and mind are continuously working without relaxation, we might feel exhausted, as a result, the efficiency might deteriorate. Work-life balance or relaxation technique is the key factor for us to learn how to manage our energy more effectively. During relaxation, there is no Prana being consumed but preserved beyond a small amount is being utilized for metabolic process. There are three levels of relaxation – physical, mental, and spiritual, no relaxation can be complete unless all three are attained.
Proper diet can be visualized through the quote “We are what we eat” or “Eat to live, not live to eat”. A Yogic diet is a vegetarian one, which is associated with “Ahimsa” or non-harming – the first Yama – towards the environment and beings, including pure, simple, whole food, meeting five basic nutrients: protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins to balance our diet.
Proper thinking and meditation bring us true purification for the whole body, especially mental and spiritual elements. As Master H. H. Swami Sivananda said, “The only basis of true and lasting unity of all humanity is the religion of the heart. The religion of the heart is the religion of love” and “Samadhi (super-conscious state) is a blissful union with the supreme Self. It leads to the direct intuitive realization of the infinite. It is an inner divine experience which is beyond the reach of speech and mind. You will have to realize this yourself through deep meditation”
Recommendation for articles relating to Yoga: https://www.yogajournal.com/. You are able to find out a great range of useful information for your yoga practice enhancement.
If you have any further questions relating to this post particularly or yoga in general, contact me at vynguyen@wellanda.life or leave comments below. Namaste 🙏
Source:
Ananda. “The Yogic Encyclopedia”. https://www.ananda.org/yogapedia/yoga/
Carrico, Mara. “Get to Know the Eight Limbs of Yoga”. Yoga Journal. 10 July. 2017. https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/the-eight-limbs
Hindu Online. “Patanjali Yoga Sutras”. http://www.hinduonline.co/DigitalLibrary/SmallBooks/PatanjaliYogaSutraSwamiVivekanandaSanEng.pdf
Joshi, Puravi. “Do you really know the true meaning of yoga? Thoughts from a British Indian Yogi”. Yoga Journal. 19 July. 2018. https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-true-meaning-of-yoga-thoughts-from-a-british-indian-yogi
Vishnu-devananda, Swami. “The complete illustrated book of yoga”.
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