Has yoga changed your life? Its transformative power touches just about everyone who decided to step on the mat. I love yoga because for me it’s a safe place, I feel most myself while I’m practicing. It releases feelings of ‘not being enough’ and also helps me to ‘allow myself to be happy’. It is hard to pinpoint when exactly Yoga started changing me, because I was of course unaware of the need for change at that time. So it wasn’t one profound realization, I just started feeling better and making better choices for myself. After my first Yoga class in the Yoga Shala in Galway, I walked out of the class with my legs wobbling and I remember thinking: “Yes… I want more of that!” There are lots of ways to get a ‘feel good’ factor, not all healthy and I was indulging in many of them at that time. But after that first true taste of Yoga I started seeking more of ‘that kind of feel good’ in all my activities. Is it the experience of feeling connected, feeling peaceful, feeling strong and calm, helping you feel and deal better with life. But I didn’t know that’s what was happening then…I just liked it and I wanted more.
When I started teaching I had a full time job in pharmaceuticals. I continued in that job for about 3 years until eventually my hunger to understand the benefits of Yoga far out weighted the need to understand chemistry. I had to make the decision to do one or the other because I couldn’t sustain doing both well. Each year I gain new insights into the benefits of yoga and how it works on the nervous system, the endocrine, the cardiovascular system, on emotions, mood, and spirituality. And realize it will possibly take a life time to fully comprehend it all. Yet all of these benefits can be felt in one session. It’s mind-blowing. But I’ll share what I can when I can, it takes longer to simplify the explanation than it does to write it in full, but here are some of the simpler pieces I have.
Always listen to your body
To make any change possible, we must understand that the mind is not separated from the body. Mental and emotional trauma gets stored in the body and a lot of the time can be released from the body through physical practices without deep emotional and mental investigation. It is possible to achieve a sense of emotional and mental wellbeing through the physical practices. Indeed, after practicing yoga for a while, your life may change in ways you don’t expect. Sooner or later you will discover who you are and that underneath all they layers of crap that life puts on us. Underneath, in essence, we are each awesome… allowing ourselves to believe this is the obstacle. Simply start by listening to your body, find the points of tension so that you can release them so you can start connecting into your inner awesomeness.
Importance of proper breathing cannot be overestimated
Your breath is your life. You can’t live for more than a few minutes without breathing. As you relax, and your body releases tension and toxins, you’ll be able to breathe more deeply. Use your breath. Direct your breath into the tight areas in your body. As your body becomes more flexible, so will your mind. Some techniques are based on controlling your breath while other techniques are more mind-oriented and focus on paying attention to your breathing pattern. You can easily take advantage of both and use them to handle difficult situations once you grow your awareness.
Practice yoga on your terms
The traditional view is that yoga should be practiced first thing in the morning, ideally as the sun rises and before breakfast. Why? My simplest reason is because it makes you feel like a winner! You’re going around for the day feeling like you’ve the best secret inside you, ’I did yoga this morning and I feel great today’. Smug might be a word that comes to mind, but my memory of when I first started was having an enormous sense of relief that it was possible to feel ‘that good!!’ And it lasted all day, sometimes all week. Now with hindsight I realize it never really went away, because that kind of feeling goes in at the base level and starts creating new foundation, so when you do bottom-out you just don’t go as low anymore. And it certainly beats spending your precious waking moments on autopilot, checking your phone, emails and messages.
Again it’s about connecting with yourself, doing it first thing can place you in a position of mental strength and resilience leaving you unruffled by events of the day. Physically, it can help your body to wake up and release the tension and inertia of sleep. Depending on your choice of practice, it can leave you bouncing with morning energy like a happy little yoga bunny, or calm and serene like the yoga god or goddess that you are.
However, there are times when early morning practice is not desirable, or even possible. For some people, their body really protests physical movement first thing. This is especially true for anyone who suffers with back pain. The discs in the spine naturally swell overnight, which can increase sensations of stiffness and tightness in the back when you wake up. While gentle yoga may help, if you’re having to force yourself to do it, this is unlikely to be a pleasant experience. It may even potentially put you off practicing yoga altogether.
There are also practical reasons why morning practice may not work. Especially people with families or jobs that start very early, their morning routine may mean they simply can’t carve out their practice time then. The flippant advice to “set your alarm an hour earlier” is unhelpful if it’s also not practical for you to go to bed an hour earlier, or if this would mean making an already early start to the day absolutely unbearable. So, there’s no need to be down on yourself if early morning practice isn’t for you. Let go of the “shoulds” and find something that suits your own life instead.
Stand up against your ego
Judgement and comparison – you should, I should, and this is how it should be! You’ll find yourself making comparisons between your own body and those of the other people in your yoga class. You’ll want to be as calm and serene as one person, and as flexible as another. Or you may feel superior — or further along in your practice. This is one to really watch out for, time spent thinking about someone else is time you’ve missed out on yourself. This is easy to understand when referring to someone else being ‘better than you’. But it is equally as distracting when you’re seeing yourself as better than someone else. Finding comfort in yourself exactly as you are without comparing yourself relative to others is massively difficult. Start by being honest with yourself and notice the judgments you’re making on yourself and on others. Without judging yourself for judging, simply start by noticing how much of your time you waste doing it, and you’ll naturally let it fall away.
Bring yourself back to yourself by noticing your breathing and how your body feels. Be warned that the simplicity of this guidance is the most common denominator leading to ‘ah-ha’ moments and emotional releases. Emotional breakthroughs are common in yoga. Yoga releases emotions that are buried in your body. The first time another student bursts into tears during practice, you’ll be startled. If you’re the person who’s emotional, you may feel as if there’s something wrong with you. There’s nothing wrong. Accept whatever happens.
Wear comfy clothes, relax and have fun
You’ll quickly come to look on yoga class, and your daily practice of yoga as the best part of your day. Expectations will arise. Forget them, and just relax into the postures. Yoga does its magic subtly and powerfully and all you need to do is enjoy it. Wear comfortable clothes, and if you’re practicing in your office, close the door and take off your shoes.
Practice at home and in your workplace
Do I Need a Home Practice if I’m Regularly Going to Yoga Class? My clients often ask me this question and they are often very surprised when I give them positive answer. You need to practice yoga wherever you feel comfortable to do so simply to stay “in touch” with yourself. While you only get an hour or so on the mat with your teacher and like-minded people practicing with you, it does not end there. You also need time in isolation so you can focus on what is going on inside you. Some people spend 15 minutes a day with their eyes closed while other choose to isolate themselves for month. Do whatever works for you but make sure you understand the difference between practicing yoga postures and having a Yoga practice. A yoga practice does not require of you to know any fancy terms or advanced concepts, just breathe. If all you can remember when you come on to your mat is child’s pose, then do child’s pose and breathe. This is Yoga!
Use these tips to enhance your yoga experience. Yoga will subtly transform every area of your life, unlocking the person you are as it unites your body, mind and spirit. You do have the capability to get through your tough times, yoga helps you tap into the innate strength you already have. Think of it like a key to a door through which you will find all the energy reserves you need for the life you choose to live.