Being in India has opened up my eyes, my mind, and my soul to a whole new world and meaning of yoga. After spending a month in the yoga capital of the world, I feel like I have started a whole new chapter in my life. I have an amazing new sense of self and have developed a stronger connection with the here and now. Yoga has become something more to me then an hour work out at the gym. It has become a way of life.
Many Westerners may think of yoga as an invigorating series of postures, breathing exercise and way to stay fit. In fact, yoga is becoming the most popular relaxation and fitness pursuit in the western world. But, physical practices are only part of a vast and ancient spiritual tradition that originated more than three millennia ago in India.
Previously to my travels through India, I had only experienced yoga as it was offered at my local YMCA. As a predominantly visual creature, as humans tend to be, during practice I found myself looking at each yoga pose I was told to hold for a slight moment before they would wander to the Lululemon outfit, or new hairstyle of the student on the next mat. Then of course wherever our eyes are directed, our mind follows. I’d begin to think of what I was going to wear that night on my dinner date, which would lead to thinking about how I needed to do laundry, and so on. Each distraction would only lead me further and further away from control and focus which are fundamental principles in yoga. I would leave yoga class feeling yes, slightly more relaxed, but thinking I could get a much sweatier and beneficial work out by running on the treadmill for ten minutes. I didn’t understood the benefit of this yoga practice, and like many, I was thinking about how yoga would shape me up rather than understanding the true meaning of the practice.
Yoga is a living process. The heart of yoga does not lie in visible attainments; it lies in learning and exploring the inner self. It is about learning about the whole field of life using the energy systems of one’s mind and body to find out how one works and how universal patterns express themselves through individuals. Yoga helps us to balance and calm the body and mind and abolish afflictions of the mind that cause unhappiness and suffering and reach a state of stillness of the mind that is our true self. Yoga helps us to learn to still the consciousness so that it is not disturbed and pure awareness can abide in its very nature. In other words, learning to live completely in the present moment. You may be thinking, I do live in the moment! But do you REALLY? Have you ever just closed your eyes and tried to think of nothing? If you haven’t, try it now. As soon as you tell yourself to think of nothing, your mind begins to race. Your mind jumps from one thought to the next. This happens to everyone. No matter what we are doing, our minds are most likely thinking about the next thing we will do or something we did the night before. Our mind is like an untamed puppy and practicing yoga helps us to train that puppy. It helps us quiet the mind and see things clearly, as they truly are.
All in all, yoga is an lifelong journey with amazing rewards along the way. It is a way of life that I have only just begun to comprehend, but feel that already it a life necessity. If you open your heart and most importantly your mind, you too can discover the power of yoga.
50 Comments
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All things considered, I have likewise been rehearsing yoga since the previous 25 years and in accordance with the Indian way of thinking,
it is tied in with following a procedure in view of no objectives, simply focusing on the current second and living totally with it. It is a wonderful inclination, I am happy you encountered it.
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I learned Yoga from Rishikesh you can read more about it here – Yoga in Rishikesh
Yes!! Yoga is for everyone! I absolutely love yoga and I can no longer get through my stressful days without my practice. Thank you for these great yoga tips! I hope it is ok to share this article with my https://knowledgeguru.info Twitter and Facebook fans?
A very fascinating read! Actually I have also been practicing yoga since the past 25 years and in line with the Indian philosophy, it is about following a process with no goals in mind, just paying attention to the present moment and living completely with it. It is a beautiful feeling, I am glad you experienced it.
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So great post and beautifully informative. Yoga is always a living process. Best for mind and body health
Amazing. Thanks for sharing your great experience.
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It’s an interesting post. I guess I’ll never be able to do it.
It must be quite an experience to practice yoga in India. I love the flow of yoga, the harmony it brings the body into. It can be so meditative as well.
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This was an extremely insightful and knowledgeable Blog. Thanks for the information and cheers to the writer. The ultimate aim of the Yoga is enlightenment,It is believed that liberation could be more quickly achieved through a sophisticated set of transformation practices designed to purify the physical body and mind through energy practices.
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I am so grateful I found your post, you are inspiring me for doing yoga. You’ve really covered up almost all the possible tips should follow to doing yoga. I have been thinking of doing yoga. Actually, I got a lot of information from your blog which can help to make a yoga plan. Thanks.
Yoga is such a good stress reliever and have very big health benefits. It is also a good meditation workout that relaxes. Great workout plan.
Yes!! Yoga is for everyone! I absolutely love yoga and I can no longer get through my stressful days without my practice. Thank you for these great yoga tips! I hope it is ok to share this article to my https://ponderingyogini.com Twitter and Facebook fans?
Hi, Thanks for your top-notch article. Actually, Yoga poses to stretch your muscles and increase your range of motion. Yoga isn’t considered aerobic exercise, but the more athletic varieties, like power yoga, will make you sweat. And even though yoga is not aerobic, some research finds it can be just as good as aerobic exercise for improving health.
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Studies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate, increases endurance, and can improve your maximum uptake of oxygen during exercise—all reflections of improved aerobic conditioning. One study found that subjects who were taught only pranayama could do more exercise with less oxygen.
Yoga is a powerful medicine.
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Great share ! Yoga is a way of living that aims towards ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body.
thanks
That’s so great Tanya! You should check out the book “Wisdom of Yoga” by
Stephan Cope. You learn a lot about the history of yoga and it’s power
and how to make it your lifestyle. I highly recommend it. Thanks babe!
Dude, this is bananas! I’ve “The Wisdom of Yoga” by Stephen Cope in my mano like righ tnow. This is the second or third time that I’ve read that book and it is amazing. It is certainly difficult to comprehend the beauty of yoga when we live in such a fast-paced and seemingly contrary nature to that of ancient yogis. The book by Stephen Cope certainly opened my eyes to the meaning of true practice. Sometimes we think that going to a couple yoga practices and classes and, all the sudden, we are Buddha Patanjali in the flesh Americanized version with new tights and leotard, but it is so much more than that. It is beyond the yoga mat and downward-facing dog every Tuesday and Thursday after work. Yoga is a way of life and it is awesome that someone went to yoga to search this out, awesome. Read the book ma, it is well worth your efforts.
That’s exactly what happend to me when I read the book. It actually changed my life, especially because I was reading it while practising in India. It made me realize that yoga is not just a sport, but a way of life.
Great journey! I have been practising hatha yoga in France and would like to know where you have been practising Yoga in India? I am planning to go to Kerala. Any tips?
Hey Olivia! I did yoga all over India, but most of my time was spent doing yoga in Rishikesh. I meant to just pass through Rishikesh and ended up staying there for a month. It was amazing! I tried quite a few different yoga teachers but my favorite was Surinder who taught in Ram Jhula. Everyone there knows who he is. He is a very very good hatha yoga teacher. I didn’t get to explore much of the yoga in Kerla, but I hope to when I go back to India in the near future. Good luck:)
Awesome report Kristen. You tell it how it is. I can relate to the part about doing yoga in a classroom setting. There’s just to many distractions.. All the scantily clad women doesn’t help much, not that im complaining of course 😉
Hey Kristen, Love the piece! I started practising yoga around the same time that I became a vegetarian and I am absolutely impressed with how my life has changed overall. Keep up the great work honey and stay safe out there! xo
That’s so great Tanya! You should check out the book “Wisdom of Yoga” by Stephan Cope. You learn a lot about the history of yoga and it’s power and how to make it your lifestyle. I highly recommend it. Thanks babe!
That’s so great Tanya! You should check out the book “Wisdom of Yoga” by Stephan Cope. You learn a lot about the history of yoga and it’s power and how to make it your lifestyle. I highly recommend it. Thanks babe!
I live in the Caribbean and recently visietd Brookings. The cold SD wind had me chilled to the bone. I happened to see Yoga-versity’s advertisement in the local paper.The studio was fantastic and I had a wonderful experience. And yes I was able to get warmth back in the core of my body.
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