Philosophy

Take your practice beyond the mat

Did you know that your yoga practice involves a lot more than what happens on your mat during class? Here are a few simple tips to help you to take your yoga practice into your daily life. Yoga is actually an ancient philosophy of which the Asanas (or poses) are a very minor part. You may find that rather surprising (I know I did!), because in the west, as you will have noticed, the majority of classes are focused around the Asanas.

Having studied yoga in a gym for years and then travelling to India to study, it was like a whole other world of yoga was opened up to me. Having philosophy lessons during the day at the Ashram I stayed at gave me a whole new perspective on what yoga is. In my mind yoga truly encompasses all.

Needless to say though, the other levels of the practice do seem to naturally emerge from the classroom style that you are probably most used to. I’m sure you will have started to notice not only the positive effects on your body and physical health, but also the calming and balancing effect that classes have on your mind and breathing patterns.

So that you are able to experience the positive effects of yoga more frequently, here are some things to keep in mind for your daily life:

Food- Eat healthily and consciously. You are what you eat! Be aware of what you put in your body, and also how you put it in. When I was studied at the Ashram, there were signs in the dining area that said we should chew our food about 30 times for each mouthful, and we also ate in absolute silence. My digestion worked much better! Try turning off the tv or computer next time you eat and really focus on your food. Let the vital energy absorb, and stop when you are nearly full (not completely full).

Discover you own Practice- If you can’t make it to class, don’t despair, try to set aside some time to do a few asanas on your own. A few Sun Salutations, a twist, forward bends, backbends and side stretches will keep you feeling mobile and balanced. Even if you only have 10 minutes, it will be worth it!

Sleep well- Understand how much sleep is right for you. We are all different so don’t think there is a definite guide for this. Different days are different as well. Ideally you will go to sleep each night before 10:30pm, and wake up some time close to sunrise. Also try to get some direct sunlight on your face and body in the morning, this helps with the production of serotonin in the brain, and regulating hormones.

Remember to breathe- Next time you are feeling stressed, notice your breath. Take a moment to let your breathing slow down, and try to put everything else out of your mind. If you let the breath become deeper, you should notice some calm start to return, and your ability to handle different situations will be greatly increased. It is interesting to remember that we can go for long periods of time without food or water, but only minutes without oxygen.

Also try to follow some of the Yamas, which are the ethical and moral observations of yoga. These include non-violence to yourself and others, truthfulness in mind, word and action, non-stealing and non-possessiveness, abstinence and moderation in all things, and non-greed and non-hoarding.

This is only very briefly touching on what yoga encompasses, but hopefully will bring a bit more insight into how to experience yoga within your daily life. The most important thing of all however, is to be true to yourself because you are your own greatest teacher. Start to pay great attention to your body and intuition so that you can make decisions that come from within rather from those around. Be true to yourself and everything will fall into place.

With Peace and Love

Alexandra