Finding freedom in everyday life is one of the greatest things I have learnt this far on the path of yoga. Freedom in my body from moving mindfully every day, freedom from limiting thoughts and patterns through self-inquiry, freedom from destructive habits and the liberation of fully becoming who I am.
If anyone had told me when I started to practice yoga that it would change my life, in more ways than just making my body bendy, I would have laughed! I would have thought “how does making organised shapes on a mat, change your life?” How-ever in the past 22 years that I have been practicing, I’ve seen that the philosophy of yoga and the experience of tuning into my body and mind have radically transformed every area of my life and way of being in the world.
I have learnt so much from my time on the mat and how to apply that to my everyday life. You too, can become the same kind of person you are on the mat off it.
Mindfulness
The practice of mindfulness is thankfully becoming more common place as more people are beginning to understand the need to simply reconnect to their body, mind and breath as an important way to decrease stress and anxiety. I came about mindfulness through my yoga practice on the mat, learning to feel into my body and be present to moment to moment sensations, thoughts and emotions. Over time this awareness started to seep into all parts of my life.
By reconnecting to the present moment before we act, it allows our next expression to be less reactive, pure, unconditioned and less laden with past interpretations and emotional charge. Even just pausing to take one breath before we respond – allows us to bring more of our authentic self to our thoughts, our words, and our actions.
Compassion
I think we can all be hard on ourselves and that is what can make us harsh and judgemental towards others. Through practice I am becoming kinder and more accepting of myself, my limitations, shadows, awesomeness, strengths and vulnerabilities, in turn I have become more accepting and tolerant of others and what they may be going through.
When we open our minds and our hearts to view each other with compassion, we need not agree with each other, but we can learn from our interactions. This way every meeting, every encounter both positive and negative can be viewed with gratitude as we all help each other grow.
Connection
As humans we are hard wired for connection, it is what brings meaning and inspiration to our lives. Through practicing yoga, I have started to experience the reality that we are all connected in this world. The actions that I make or in fact, also the actions that I don’t take, affect not just me but the world around me. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the state of the environment, poverty and war and feel as though the problems of the world are so big “what can I do?”
Practicing yoga has taught me to be responsible for the way I behave towards people, the example I am setting for my daughter and community, the ethical choices I make of where I shop, how much waste I am producing, what causes I donate my time and money to, as these choices have an impact on the world around me and that is how I CAN have a more positive impact in the world. Just imagine what kind of world we would live in if everyone was taking a similar kind of action within their own lives and local communities.
I choose to support the great efforts of Woman’s Refuge with weekly koha classes at Urban Ashram Ponsonby on Saturdays at 4.30pm, feel free to join us any time with all donations going directly to Woman’s Refuge.