There are many yoga traditions and every person will choose the right path for them. Yoga is a way to help us all achieve the same goal: to be better people.
To become a better person and to make a positive impact on the world, we practice meditation, breathing techniques, and physical poses. We strive to be calmer in stressful situations such as frustrations caused by traffic jams or work situations. Finding a way to defuse stress is a better option than a reactive one. Bad traffic can force us to admit that angering more will not get us there faster. When we are in stressful situations at work, it is important to communicate positively and effectively to find solutions, rather than argue and create more problems. This can be done by reminding yourself to ask: “Is there anything that I can do to make this world a better place?” We can see what a yogic lifestyle looks like. It is living in such a manner that you have inner peace and compassion for everyone, no matter where you are.
Inner clarity can be achieved by calming the mind and quietening your ego. It’s about gaining a deeper awareness of your life and how it affects the world. Yoga is about practicing yoga to create this awareness inside and out. If you are looking to practice yoga daily, it is possible to be open, kind, and honest with those who have hurt you. We can refer to philosophical texts like Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras to understand the significance of ancient wisdom intertwined with a yogic lifestyle. Yoga Sutras have been viewed as guidelines that help us connect with the Divine.
These texts will help us become better human beings by helping us learn and study them over time. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras outlines sutras (which means ‘threads in Sanskrit; think of them as ‘thoughts-threads’). These sutras discuss physical postures, ethics and meditation, as well how to deal with everyday life issues. This text, which dates back over 4,000 years, contains wisdom we can use in modern times. Some of the philosophical concepts Patanjali provided, including “aparigraha”, (nonattachment), and “satya,” (truthfulness), can be used to create more mindful connections in our lives, careers, and relationships. The Bhagavad Gita is another important ancient text. It tells the story of Arjuna as he chooses to follow the yogic path, and how he comes to stand up for what is right.
A portion of the Yoga Teacher Training course will focus on yoga philosophy and its application. These teachings will not only help you discover something more than a morning practice of yoga, but they will also help you to teach your students and classes. You can help students accept themselves, their bodies, strengths and weaknesses, and let go any self-doubt. Yoga philosophy can be taught in classes by demonstrating “ahimsa”, which means doing no harms. For example, encouraging students to not get lost in their negative thoughts or pushing themselves beyond their physical limits when they do yoga poses. A yoga class can also be used to translate Sanskrit words into a simple language. It is important to include philosophy in classes. This reminds students that yoga is more than the poses and helps them to connect to themselves and to something greater than themselves. Yoga is more than a physical exercise. It’s a way to help yourself improve. This guidance will help us to think critically and debate the issue. Are we really just trying to move our bodies and hope for miracles when it comes time to change our psyches and behaviors?
Yoga Philosophy – Why Yoga Philosophy doesn’t Always Matter?
Although yoga philosophy is vital in the practice of a student, there are times when it can be difficult to see the point. These concepts can be used as a defense mechanism or barrier to support our beliefs. What if we only used ideas that were compatible with our beliefs? It is possible to twist the meaning of the words so that they lose their originality.
Yoga Philosophy isn’t Always Important?
If we try to influence their eating habits by putting unfair pressure on them to stop eating meat, for example, we might push the idea that “ahimsa”, (nonviolence), onto others. As our words and emotions can be seen to be another form of violence towards the person we criticize, this is not a way we practice ahimsa. A second example is if you judge someone who has a lot of material possessions. It may appear to you that the other person isn’t trying to practice “aparigraha” (nonattachment). We are not encouraging them to find their own path on the path of yoga by judging. Sometimes it takes time to change your lifestyle. We should also be aware that if we are too focused on the mistakes of others, it might be difficult to see our own actions. Be understanding of others as they decide which path to take in yoga and in life.
Some students might find yoga philosophy to be a great way to discover new ideas, as I mentioned earlier. The trick is to be open to new ideas, even if you don’t feel like you are aligned with them. You don’t have to be able to do everything on the yogic path right away. It’s a lifetime practice that will change as you grow and evolve. All of us are human beings. We all make mistakes as we attempt to do everything at once and follow the spiritual path. It’s easy to become obsessed with our lives and spend countless hours criticizing them. If we become too judgmental, the potential to constantly beat ourselves up could rise to the surface.
How do you find the balance?
Sometimes it is best to just get on the mat and start moving. It is possible to take the compassion we have developed in our practice and spread it out into the world without worrying about whether or not we are following every example.