Why practice yoga?
Why do we practice yoga? What's it all about? What's the purpose of this exercise called 'Yoga'?
I go through swings and roundabouts with the motivation behind my practice. Some weeks I'm feeling immensely spiritual, offering my practice to the Gurus and teachers that have come before me. Other weeks I'm practising solely because I feel out of shape.
Yoga can be many things to many people. It doesn't always have to be a spiritual practice if you don't want it to be. But for those of you wanting to learn a little bit more about this ancient science, read on...
The most important thing is to remember to keep your awareness on your breath throughout your class or home practice. Without this awareness, you're no longer practising yoga, you're practising stretching exercises. But why is this?
The word 'yoga' means 'yoke' or to unite. The aim of this ancient practice is to unite your inner Self or Soul with your True Nature - that of divine bliss and happiness. It's a practice designed to open your mind and expand your consciousness. If you aren't focusing on your breath during your practice, you aren't practising consciously. Drawing our awareness to the breath gives the mind a steady point to focus on.
By keeping our body (which is viewed in yoga philosophy as the vehicle for your Soul) healthy and supple it means we are releasing tensions built up from stress, worry and anxiety that we all experience from living in a material world. If you physically release these tensions by stretching your body out, it helps to create a clearer mind. All forms of exercise can be used to create a sense of calm. Some people run so they can clear their head. Yoga has the same principle. If we have a clearer mind, we can see deeper into ourselves. We can notice more about our behaviours. We can observe our thoughts and thought patterns. We can learn to live more harmoniously within the world. We can learn to unite with ourselves again and those around us.
As yoga108.org explains, "If, deprived of a mirror, you want to see your reflection in the water, a lake with many waves will offer no reflection or a very distorted version of your likeness. Upon cessation of wind, gradually the waves will subside and the reflection of your face will become closer and closer to its true form. Likewise, trying to look within and find your own true Self, your soul, the purusha, is impossible when the mind is agitated. All you see are the waves that stand in the way of finding your inner self. Only once the mind is perfectly still, in the state of samadhi, can one identify with one's true nature, the purusha."
