Many people think of yoga as several weird poses. However there is definitely more to a yoga class than just stretching and turning your body inside out and upside down. If you walk into a yoga class, you will be able to see a room filled with individuals who are determined about dropping their outer facades while seeing themselves falling into the present moment.
If you observe a yoga class, you will have the chance to see people’s faces soften, their shoulders relax and their defenses melt away. It may be difficult to describe the people that you will see inside a yoga class but it is definitely a beautiful witness of human expression.
Yoga is Not Just About Doing Several Poses On the Mat
The beauty and inspiration of yoga is that it consists of many different elements which are incorporated into the eight limbs of Yoga Sutras. These eight limbs are niyama, pranayama, niyana, pratyahara, dhyana, yama, samadhi and pratyahara. The different limbs will allow you to experience more about love, depth and the spirit of yoga.
This is why it would be wrong to say that yoga is just about performing certain asanas on the mat. For each limb of yoga that one performs, there will always be plenty of aspects to discover and explore. As you continue to practice yoga, you will find yourself opening up doors to more and more possibilities that will often and usually exceed your expectations.
Yoga Allows You to Honor the Present Moment, Regardless of What It Is
There are certain yoga moves that are difficult to perform. There are also those that flow with ease. Some people may find themselves cursing their teacher when holding a pose that takes longer than they expect. As a yoga practitioner you have to remember that everything – physical, spiritual or emotional – that comes up during your yoga session is very real.
Each experience and lesson learned inside a yoga class is important and therefore should be acknowledged. Most of all, each yoga move that you perform allows you to be present in the ‘now’, and put a halt on all thoughts that are running around in your head. This seems easier said than done, but it is an important aspect of yoga and perhaps the most challenging lesson of yoga.
Don’t Just Try to ‘Perform’ Yoga, You Have to Learn to ‘Feel’ Yoga
If you are trying to imitate the look of that svelte Yogi lady on the cover of a magazine, then you are at risk of leading yourself into frustration. It is true that some yoga students can do some yoga poses better than their teachers. However, you should not forget that how you look on that yoga mat is not the purpose and it does not matter at all.
What matters most is how you feel while you are doing each move or pose. As you move your body in a dancer’s pose, don’t worry about not looking like a professional dancer.
Instead, focus your mind on what is happening inside your body in the present moment. Try to feel your heart as it paves the way for positive energy to come in and your muscles stretching as they welcome greater strength into your body.
