Ever struggled through a yoga class?
Have you ever struggled through a yoga class, resisting the way the teacher teaches, their voice, their flow, their song choices, the space?
Have you ever avoided going to a class because you feared it would be too hard, too hot, or too easy for you?
Have you ever felt a fierce resistance to a certain teacher or class? Annoyed when your teacher mixes up the sides or stumbles through a class? Maybe you’ve been annoyed with me, Bryana, Stacy, Jessica, Elizabeth, Nora, or one of our other teachers.
I know I have! (I used to only practice fast-paced vinyasa!)
I think this is especially prominent earlier in your experience practicing yoga. As the years go by, you soften into your practice and learn to appreciate every class and every teacher for their own unique gifts.
In my yoga class this week we created a beautiful flower mandala with wildflowers and flowers from our gardens. This is one of my favorite summer practices. It’s a celebration of all the hard work we put into cultivating our gardens, summer’s bounty, and beauty for the sake of beauty.
Mandalas remind us of impermanence, they help us practice letting go, or non-attachment.
At our retreats, we do our best to share yoga philosophy. Yoga is much more than the physical practice of yoga.
In the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances), the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eight-fold path, aparigraha (non-possessiveness) reminds us to let go of our attachments.
This is a helpful reminder in our physical yoga practice.
We can let go of what we think is a “perfect” embodiment of the posture, and instead take the variation we need. Aches, pains, and injuries are part of life. Our yoga practice has to shift to the needs of our body.
We can let go of the ideal time and place to practice yoga. We don’t need a perfect wooden floor in a beautifully decorated studio. We can practice yoga in a shed, in an old town hall, in a community center, in our bedroom.
We don’t need a perfect yoga outfit, in fact, sweats are probably a lot more comfy!
And don’t get me started on a “perfect body.” If you have a body, you have a yoga body. Anyone can practice yoga. After all, as long as you are breathing, you are practicing yoga.
Non-attachment can also help us overcome feelings of jealousy, insecurity, guilt, and shame.
When we feel jealous of others, we can shift our focus to our own gifts and center on gratitude for all that is.
When we feel insecure or inadequate, we can gently let go of our own beliefs about the way others perceive us. You are enough just as you are.
When we feel guilt that we aren’t doing enough in some way, we can let go of the expectations that have become too much to live up to.
When we feel shame, we can let go of the way we are perceiving ourselves as “not enough” in some way. Return to the centering mantra that you are enough, exactly as you are.
As we watch summer begin to fade from bright greens into soft yellows and browns, we celebrate the impermanence. We remember that things are always shifting and changing. We soften into aparagraha, and accept the changes as they come, welcoming the gifts of each new season.
Reminder/Overview: What are the yamas and niyamas?
As many of you know, the first two limbs of Patanjali’s eight-fold path are the yamas (restraints) and niyamas (observances). The eight-fold path comes from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The remaining six limbs include asana (physical postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (focused concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (contemplation, bliss).
Invitation: create your own art project of the eight-limbed path. This one is my first attempt.
In America, we are familiar with asana, the physical postures of yoga. You’ll notice that the yamas and niyamas are actually the first two limbs on the eight-fold path, falling before the physical postures of asana. Whether you’ve been to one yoga class or ten-thousand, the yamas and niyamas are gifts of wisdom to provide guidance on the path to a contented and peaceful life.
YAMAS (EXTERNAL ETHICS)
Ahimsa (non-violence)
Satya (truthfulness)
Asteya (non-stealing)
Brahmacharya (non-excess)
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)
NIYAMAS (INTERNAL ETHICS)
Saucha (purity)
Santosha (contentment)
Tapas (self-discipline)
Svadhyaya (self-study)
Isvara Pranidhana (surrender)
Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)
Aparaigraha reminds us to let go of our attachments. Seeing your attachments more clearly may help you breathe, pause, and let go. Remember, life is not perfect. Breathe it in, breathe it out, let it go.
Sometimes we have to let go of traditions, friends, family members, ideas, and beliefs that bring us too much harm. It’s okay to peacefully let go and redefine your ways of thinking.
Remember your mantra: I am peace
*Musical Inspiration: Breathe it In by Beautiful Chorus
