Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Kara-Leah Grant of Prana Flow NZ.
“Yoga to me is still a gym class thing for chicks to lose weight, although I know it is so much more than that.” – Albert, Urban Monk
Oh Albert… all jokes aside, you are so right! Yoga IS so much more than that, and it is with great pleasure that I will do my best to open your eyes and your mind to what yoga is and what yoga could be.
Perhaps you’ll even be inspired to go and try a class or ten?
And if you’re inspired to open your eyes and your mind to yoga, perhaps many of your readers will be too.
Many thousands of years ago in India, a complete science of life was discovered. This science, called yoga, is the oldest personal development system in the world and encompasses the entire body, mind and spirit. Ultimately it leads to an awareness of the union between a person’s own consciousness and the universal consciousness. This is not an intellectual idea, but something that one will actually experience with regular yoga practice.
There are many ways to come to yoga, but the one path I wish to discuss today is the path of Asana. This is the entrance of most Westerners to the practice of yoga – postures.
So what is the Practice of Asana?
It is the practice of bringing one’s awareness out of the mind and into the body. This is done via attention to the breath. The breath becomes the link, or the bridge that allows awareness to move from its usual location in the mind, to the body.
When one looks at a photo of someone practicing Asana, usually the first thought is something like “Wow! Look at what they can do with their body.” Yet what is being done to the body is irrelevant – a gymnast can do these things with ease, yet a gymnast is merely contorting the body, they are not practicing yoga. (Which is not to say that a gymnast may not practice yoga… perhaps some do.) No, the difference between a yogi and a gymnast is that the gymnast imposes the posture on her body from without, using her will to determine the position of her body. However a yogi is allowing their breath to take them into the posture, so that the posture is expressed from the inside out.
After all – how was yoga born?
My inclination is to imagine that it was born of men (and women?) simply settling into the silence within and following the path of breath around the body when it was allowed to do it’s work. For when you practice yoga, all you are doing is stopping in the moment and connecting with your breath, allowing it to guide you. When we are in class, we are told which posture to apply this technique to. When we practice at home, we usually have an idea of which posture we wish to do and we send the breath there.
But when you stop in the moment, intending to practice yoga, and connect with your breath… yet are not told which posture to do, and have no idea of which posture to do… then something magic happens.
A posture is revealed to you.
It comes from within.
This is the grace of the Divine revealing itself through your body,
It’s a far cry from weight-lose gym classes.
Yet understanding all of this is not important. Knowing all of this is not important. In fact, better that one forgets all of this and approach yoga with an empty mind.
No expectations.
No projections.
In this way, you will experience what yoga is for yourself.
Yet it is our nature to seek to know what an experience will be like before we commit ourselves to it. We ask those who have done it, those who have gone before.
A scientist with access to the internal energies and responses of someone practicing yoga might observe this:
“The lower back is cramped. The breath is being sent into the lumbar region, causing the tailbone to tuck under and lengthen on the exhale, finding space and opening the spine. The inhale is now moving back up the spine, lifting and broadening the front of the chest.
Oh – the front foot is rolling on to the outside edge. Grounding is required. An exhale is sent down through each four corners of the foot, pressing it firmly onto the ground and an equal force is now pressing back up and through the front thigh, opening the front of the hips.”
And on it goes.
In this way, a posture is quite literally a living, breathing thing. Of course, it takes practice to be able to tune into the breath, practice to be able to feel the flow of energy within in the body. But as one does, an internal world opens up. It’s a world of sensation, and a world of space. It is not a world of words or thoughts.
Until the practice of yoga begins, many people don’t understand that they live completely in their heads. They are unable to direct either their attention or their breath to selected locations of the body. They can’t feel the soles of the feet. They don’t know when their fingers are spread wide and their palms are flat against the ground. Nor can they hold their arms straight or their quadriceps engaged for more than a few seconds at a time.
But over time, practice and the constant direction of attention via the breath changes all of this. Practice of asana increases one’s mastery of both mind and body. Just the simple practice of breathing consciously for 60 minutes at a time infuses one’s biology with prana, or life force. It’s energizing, it’s uplifting and transforms one’s body on a cellular level.
While many think the practice of Asana is all about getting flexible, it’s not just the muscles, or the ligaments, or the tendons that are affected by the practice of postures. Yoga is a whole body, inside out, system of transformation. Everything is positively changed – the glandular system, the circulatory system, the digestive system, the respiratory system, the skeletal system, and the nervous system. Practice of asana affects the body, the mind and the emotions. It brings clarity, and promotes both flexibility of body and flexibility of mind – strength of body, and strength of will.
All of this from just doing a couple of different poses with the body…
Well, yes.
But as with anything, persistence and practice is rewarded. Those who practice asana five times a week for an hour or more experience faster transformation than those who fit in a class every week or so. As with any change, there are challenges to be meet. Regular practice of asana will cause one to confront issues in the body, issues in the mind, issues in the emotional life. At any moment, one can stop, walk away, give up, or find an excuse not to practice.
The mind is wily and will throw up all sorts of obstacles.
“This isn’t my thing.”
“This is ridiculous!”
“I don’t feel like going anymore.”
“This is silly – it’s a chick thing!”
But if one is serious about personal development, then yoga is the perfect practice. It is not something to be debated, or understood by the intellect. It is experiential. You don’t have to know how it is going to change you, or even what it is doing. You just need to turn up to class with an open mind and be curious about what you are experiencing throughout the practice.
As Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois says;
“Yoga is 99% practice and 1% knowledge. Do your practice and all is coming”
So Albert – forget all you think you know about yoga. Forget even this article. All you need to do is turn up to class.
There has never been a better time.
Kara-Leah Grant is passionate about the ability of yoga to transform one’s life mentally, physically and emotionally. She lives and teaches in Wellington, New Zealand and has recently launched her new website, Prana Flow NZ. This site is dedicated to providing inspiration for practicing, living and sharing yoga.
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42 Comments
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Thanks. I really enjoy Yoga. I feel it is great for my body and soul
Wonderful article, thanks. I practice Iyengar yoga at the Yoga Stable in Edinburgh and I am constantly amazed at what yoga can do for us.
Great article, KL. I am constantly telling my clients to get themselves to a yoga class. From a spiritual development perspective, the physical practice of yoga is actually designed to assist our bodies in holding a higher Soul vibration rate – something very necessary if we’re doing intense spiritual development work.
Lots of spiritual seekers at some point find themselves uncomfortable or disconnected from their bodies (as well as being generally disinterested in getting all that third-dimensional practical stuff done). Usually this lack of groundedness can be corrected with a regular yoga practice.
Great stuff!
Blessings,
Andrea
Gosh Andrea, your second paragraph just leapt out at me. 3rd dimensional practical stuff – so true for me. Haha! Another reason for me to go off and look for a yoga place now.
Great article but I was hoping you’d get more into the different types of yoga and the differences that they have. I’ve read up plenty about yoga but I was never sure about which one to get into.
I’ve started Kundalini yoga classes some time back and have found it to be a rather interesting experience and different compared to regular yoga. For those who are interested in their spiritual growth, Kundalini Yoga is something worth exploring. However, I’m told that a good teacher is necessary as it has to be properly applied. Some form of regular meditation is a pre-requisite to getting improved results.
Hey Albert,
The article looks great – thanks for featuring me on your wonderful site! Much appreciated.
KL
Thanks for this piece. I’d add that, for me, yoga is a way of expanding my tolerance for discomfort — not just my discomfort with the feeling of stretching my muscles in certain ways, but the anxieties that can get in the way of achieving my goals. The more I can breathe through the intense sensations I experience in yoga, the more I can breathe through the emotional blocks that prevented me in the past from taking risks in my business, relationships, and so on. — Best, Chris
Hey Bobby,
There are so many different types of yoga, and it was just beyond the scope of this article to go into it. But it is something I will be exploring in future on my website. Thanks for the input!
In the meantime – just go and try a few different classes, and trust your own experience. Which one calls to you?
KL
I’m more into Kriya yoga or Kundalini…I’ll see if I can get into that one day…
This is such a greatly informative post that goes along the same path as the movie I just recently watched called “Yoga Unveiled” – it was 3 hours, but likewise so informative as it takes one through the entire history of yoga.
Bottom line, yoga feels amazing for the body and mind and I am just a beginner in this area, I can’t wait to see the effects when this becomes second nature to me.
Great article. My personal favourite yoga style in Bikram yoga. And as for yoga is only for chicks to loose weight – visit a Bikram class one day and you find that many classes have 50% male participants.
We have many surfies here in Sydney that love to stay fit this way.
Hello Albert / Kara Leah,
Great article and thank you for bringing this to your audience.
I have recently resumed yoga classes 2/3 times a week and am already feeling the huge benefits. I am fitter, more supple and calmer.
So anyone out there who is still hesitating, just go and find a local teacher.
And Albert – this applies to YOU too!
Arvind
I attempted to get into yoga about 3 months ago and enjoyed it, but lost focus due to time constraints. I definitely want to get back into it though!
Many people think that yoga is just stretching. But while stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses or postures, each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement (vinyasa-style yoga) or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. The poses are a constant, but the approach to them varies depending on the tradition in which the teacher has trained.
nice article
What I understand about yoga is that it promotes inner peace and more discipline towards the person who is practicing it…
Really great blog.This is useful to one and all.Yoga makes people mentally and physically fit.It is good for health.Yoga will creates inner peace who are practicing it.
Thank you for good information about yoga.
I’ve never done yoga before but a bunch of my friends have convinced me that is is fun and healthy for you. They take a yoga class twice a week and enjoy it thoroughly. I’m still trying to decide if it’s for me. Maybe I should just try it, huh?
Wow! Wonderful to see so many great comments. I wanted to come back and answer them.
Sara, Lucinda, & Arvind – Great to hear that you’re already loving your yoga classes.
Andrea – you are so right about the effect yoga has on our rate of vibration, and the way it prepares our bodies/minds for higher frequencies. It’s a great way to get in touch with what’s going on in the body moment by moment and therefore being able to respond with the appropriate action.
Evelyn – You bring up a great point about being mindful of the teacher you study with, regardless of the style of yoga you’re doing. Kundalini yoga in particular though can be quite powerful, as it’s specifically designed to shift kundalini energy up the spine, which can have all sorts of affects. It definitely pays to practice Kundalini with a wise teacher!
Chris – I love what you say about expanding your capacity for discomfort. That is definitely one of the major benefits of yoga, especially if you’re doing something like Bikam. Just practicing staying with the discomfort and focusing on the breathing does make all the difference in everyday life.
Evita – I haven’t heard about that movie – thanks for the heads up! Enjoy your journey into yoga.
Life Coach – Gotta agree with you on that one, of all the styles of yoga I’ve practised, bikram has had the highest male/female ratio. I think the challenging nature of it might appeal more to men initially. But then I’m not a man so not the best to offer wisdom on that one!
Jessie and Hawaiin Shirts – I would suggest just doing it. Get thee to a class! And if you don’t enjoy that class, try another, and another, and another. Styles and teachers can vary enormously, and you need to find a right match for you. (And something that fits your time constraints!)
Ice & Rachelloury – Yoga is all about inner peace. I can’t stress that highly enough… because stress does cease to happen. Peace is impossible to describe intellectual, but when a moment sneaks up on you and unfolds from within….. aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh.
Thank you so much for everyone who commented – Ershad, thanks too for the smiley face!
Namaste and blessings to all,
Kara-Leah
al the same..yoga could be more popular among young people…
Nice post Kara-Leah, thanks!
I have tried a few beginner lessons, and really enjoyed it.
Now I practice on my Wii Fit whenever I can
nice info, i saw a lot yoga-ners in one of the park in sydney, does it really refreshes your spirit and soul? thats one of my friends comment… it confused me since i was doin some tai chi..
Hey Zobel,
I would love to see more young people doing yoga! So how do we make that happen? Ideas?
Health Gaming,
I’ve heard that Wii Fit has some great beginner yoga on it – anything that gets more people doing yoga has my vote!
Edison,
YES! Yoga does amazing things for your spirit & soul. It reconnects you and expands that part of Who we Are. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Namaste,
KL
Certainly Yoga is a very essential for keeping balance in life. It refreshes body, mind and soul. It’s cures for a lot of physical and mental problems. So I am doing it regularly, How about you? Don’t think much ? Join Yoga classes Now, It’s never too late..
This article is great. I agreed with that yoga positively improves our glandular system, circulatory system, the digestive system,respiratory system,skeletal system and nervous system. I think improving nervous system is most important today because that gives a relief from our daily stressful life.
Yoga is all about balance of mind and body. A fine tuning between the two ensures that you have a brilliant thought process resulting in amazing vigour and vital to your body.
Many beginners of yoga initially look into yoga as a way to loss weight. I like how your article stresses the mentally, physically and emotionally benefits of practicing of yoga and how yoga is truly a personal development system. Great Article!
Great post on yoga.Thanks for suggesting good ideas.Its good to know the history about yoga which i haven’t come across any where.
Thanks for reminding me how powerful Yoga can be. I used to practice a lot of asanas earlier, but then during the time turned my attention to other things. Of course, there are different types of Yoga that complement the Hatha Yoga
I gotta say I disregarded Yoga for a lot of years, until I actually tried it and while I was in very good shape at the time it absolutely kicked my ass.
I still don’t do it enough, but i enjoy the hell out of it when I do.
I was a chronic asthma patient, there was no help when I used to suffer. But after practicing yogic asanas specially the deep breathing exercise, I’m cured. Thank you and a nice post.
Great article.
I really like the discussion on body and mind. I wish you would have went into a bit more depth. I practice yoga for the reason that i can escape the life I live in my mind. I still remember the first time I was able to escape my mind (i like to call it my ego) and focus on being able to feel parts of my body such as my feet and hands. I can’t wait to read more post on your blog Kara-Leah.
Thank you so much for your comments everyone.
Solid good article. My personal favorite yoga style is classic static Hatha yoga. But it is not for weight loss of course.
Great post. As a martial artist for over 25 years, I took yoga for 8 weeks and found it to be incredibly useful.
It helped me with my flexibility and stress relief. I highly recommend it to everyone.
- Vic
your article says it all…to understand yoga..just do it!
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story on yoga.. I Do enjoy it alot and wonder why not everyone around start practising it… it is simple and very good for health…
Kara-Leah you have a good views about yoga. I’ve learned that from a friend and when I’ve tried it its more than exercise not just with the body but also as a whole. The tranquility you will experience is mind blowing and refreshing to one’s soul.
Wishing you the Best.
Rob Smith
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