Beyond the physical movements of yoga, there’s a wider philosophy that encompasses ideas, principles and practices that guide us towards a more nourishing, compassionate and harmonious way of living.
In practising yoga, I feel more in touch with myself and other beings around me, especially when we start and end a class by chanting ‘Om’ together. I really get a sense of oneness.
The spiritual aspects take it so much further for me. As well as feeling physically stronger, yoga gives me more energy, enthusiasm and creativity. It’s helped me to find discipline in my life and has lifted me out of depression that lasted many years.
Sitting in a yoga class and paying attention to my physical self made me realise how much I wasn’t paying attention to most areas of my body. I wasn’t familiar with the feelings going on in my body. I was very out of touch with it. Really ‘listening in’ has made me moderate my self-destructive habits and has given me strength and resilience outside of the classroom.
Hot yoga can be a particularly uncomfortable experience, but in time, I’ve learned to embrace the heat and that’s had a big impact on how much I can tolerate discomfort in life. Things like feeling cold outside or noises that would usually be distracting or frustrating, I can embrace these kinds of sensations and feel at one with the environment around me.
I think one of the greatest lessons in yoga is accepting that you have good days and bad days and simply sitting with where you are on that specific day. Some days I stumble over when trying to balance and I don’t know why, but I’ve learned to show up as I am instead of getting frustrated with myself.
That is so reflective of life. There are times when I’m going to feel more super-powered than others and I just have to accept where I’m at.
Ultimately, making yoga a regular part of my life and embracing the yogic philosophy in all areas of my life has given me a greater sense of Self Love. I’ve never sat with and acknowledged myself enough to feel conscious of what I need and how I’m feeling, until I gave myself the space, time and investment in myself through yoga.
This is how I feel that Yoga is truly a Self love practice, and there is everything right about that.
