Yoga- A Skill for Life

A thought shared by my Teacher KapoorJi in Sivananda is embossed on my mind “Yoga has changed you, it will stay in you forever and you will never be the same again EVER”…so true

As I got back to my life post ashram environment, I found myself struggling trying to maintain balance between leading a Yogic life & the world around me. It was in one such unsettling moment, when I resolved to stay as present, open, stable and clear, as I felt after my practice session. But the big question was ‘HOW’? Then the above quote echoed in my mind & I truly got attuned to the relevance of the above statement.

I started reading the Niyamas or observances from the Yoga Sutra, with a new perspective of keeping it in harmony with my real surroundings. I focused on the last three- Tapas (Effort), Svadhyaya (Self study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to divine).

Yoga is much more than a discipline and will power…it is a study of self. With a healthy dose of surrender, I decided to practice these three together to go deeper in my practice; to be mindful of its influence on my day to day living & how it promotes clarity and peace of mind.

Place of Persistence- Tapas

We are slave of our habits and habits become nature. Often when life sets us a challenge, our mind responds in despair or act in desperation to avoid the situation. So what Tapas got to do with habits?

Derived from the word root ‘Tap’, tapas is defined as austerity, discipline or unwavering commitment. Simply put, tapas is the hard work involved in to break the barrier of unfruitful Habits and bringing transformation in life. One appropriate & simple example of tapas can be sitting in a sweltering hot sauna to sweat out toxins. 

There have been days when I was tempted to stay  in the bed for few more minutes, pushing myself to practice even when I don't feel like. Then my mind tricks me with flashing a visual of me in a seemingly impossible asana and nudges me to attempt the challenge, creating conflict between mind and heart. But the discipline developed because of the daily routine restricted the vacillating thoughts. So now I've accepted to comfortably live through my phase of sore back, throbbing hamstrings and quivering arms to boost my will power to stick with challenges, no mater what. 

So if you are thinking, planning or dreaming anything then, JUST DO IT.

Attune to Introspection- Svadhyaya

Traditionally Svadhyaya means the study of scriptures. But in the mundane life, Svadhyaya is a way to be self aware and taking an honest glance at one’s thoughts. The mind tends to be a mechanical sort of instrument, which keeps going round and round in circle stuck in fixed action and fixed outlooks. For eg: The increase in the number of Teenagers who are struggling with ‘Body Image Problem’ and are willing to go to any length to be accepted by others. They fail to observe it as a natural phenomenon of their body undergoing changes and be comfortable about it.

As for myself, I am getting more aware of my surroundings. I no longer get caught up in a Target driven life and miss out the simple joys of yoga. Once in a desperate attempt to be in a Scorpion pose, I end up bouncing off the wall.  But without awareness (Svadhyaya), I’d have missed appreciating my efforts (Tapas) of being in a Headstand (Sirsasana) for few minutes & comfortably attempting variations. I realized that my effort (tapas) gives me the courage to venture for new challenges & Svadhyaya is giving me the mindfulness to take safe, accident free risks, bring me more clarity of action & thought.

With endless information available at our disposal on the click of button, the importance of Svadhyaya has become vital & inevitable to keep our peace of mind. We have to relentlessly remind our self to be an inquirer of truth and not just attain knowledge.

Surrendering to the Divine- Ishwara Prani Dhana

Doing yoga is a lot like gardening. As a gardener you cultivate the ground, plant seeds, water them, and diligently pull out all the weeds. You know you can’t actually make your flowers bloom, but you do all you can to create the optimal conditions for that to happen. Similarly as a yoga practitioner, I cannot force myself into an asana. As a teacher I can’t force an open minded attitude to learn yoga on my students, either. But I can engage in the process of being a committed, consistent practitioner, paying attention to how my students’ body and mind unfold along the way of learning and surrendering  the outcome. Ishvara Pranidhana gives me the patience and the ability to trustfully receive the fruits of my actions.  

Yoga is a way of Life. It encourages us to practice diligently, listen carefully to the whisper of your soul and stay open to the outcome, not just on a yoga-mat but in all aspects of life.