TLDR: a yoga class is only the beginning. Yoga off the mat honours the ancient traditions of this practice and involves a bit (OK a lot) more work. But good news, you may already be doing it.
For a brief moment, imagine that you are an olympian. (Bear with me.) Select your sport. You are suddenly covered in country cladding. Become aware of your peak mental and physical conditioning. As an Olympian, everything you do revolves around your sport. It's taken years of practice with your coach, team, equipment, daily devotion and the support of friends and family to get to this level. You are very aware of what you need to work on to get to where you want to me. And you've likely learned the hard way that your life outside of practice is just as important to your success:
Quality of sleep
Self-talk
Diet
The people around you
Time to rest & recover
This is not entirely dissimilar to a yoga practice.
Of course a yoga class takes place at a specific date, time and location. But really, that 60- or 90-minute experience is intended to strengthen, or bring you back to, your practice throughout the rest of the day. The true challenge comes from living yoga off the mat, coming back to yoga when you don't want to and turning every activity, interaction and moment of daily life into an opportunity to strengthen your practice. A yoga practice does not start or end in class. A yoga practice can start anytime, anywhere, at any age. Everything you need is already within you.
So often when people think of yoga they think of the poses, or "asanas", probably because this fits into the worldview that values physical beauty over most other things. Or maybe because it is simply an easier way to perceive the practice. Either way, the poses are a common entry-place for many yogis but their ultimate purpose is not physical refinement, it is to allow the yogi to comfortably meditate for longer periods of time.
The Asanas are only one of eight components or "limbs" of yoga. An overview of the eight limbs of yoga is provided below. Click here for some tips to help you come back to your practice throughout the day, no mindbody.com booking required.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
It is intended that each limb is mastered before advancing to the next one.
Yamas Yamas are the principles that guide how we treat other people and the world around us. - Non-harming (Ahimsa): treating and caring for yourself and others. - Truthfulness (Satya): live to be your truest, most authentic self. - Non-stealing (Asteya): respect what is not yours. Energy, boundaries, resources, etc. - Abstinence (Brahmacharya): treat primal (sexual) energy as sacred. - Non-hoarding (Aparigraha): non-greedy towards wealth, materials and people.
Niyamas Niyamas are the standards by which we should practice self-discipline. - Cleanliness (Saucha): of one's space, hygiene, diet and having pure and positive thoughts. - Contentment (Santosha): practice feeling content with things exactly as they are. - Heat (Tapas): to be disciplined and accept the pains that lead to growth. - Self-knkowledge (Svadhyaya): turn inward. Explore your consciousness. - Surrender (Ishvarapranidhana): let go of the need to control, acknowledge greater forces at play.
Asana The physical practice of yoga postures. Move slowly and maintain focus on the breath. Flow with ease and a relaxed state, feeling joy and lightness. The goal is to be present in each of them. Yoga as a workout is dangerous for the mind and body as it may push students to compete with others and have ego-based motivations that lead to injury. Take each pose as an opportunity to connect with your mind and body. Every body is different. A daily practice will improve overall feelings of wellness.
Pranayama Also known as breathwork or breathing exercises. Through regulating the breath we are able to change the state of our nervous system, how it reacts to stress, and improve overall mood. There are various breathing techniques that offer a range of effects on the practitioner. Be sure to practice with a professional yoga teacher who is experienced at guiding you through this style of work. Here are a few entry-level breathing exercises and a brief overview of their benefits: • Box-breathing: for stress relief, effectively distracting your mind to calm your nervous system. Inhale to a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale to a count of four, hold for a count of four. Repeat four times. Consider counting even slower or to a higher number (like 5 or 6) if you want to intensify the experience. • 4-7-8 Breathing: for a better night sleep, revered for helping people fall asleep in as little as one minute. Inhale to a count of four, hold for a count of seven, exhale for a count of eight. Repeat as many times as you like, I tend to feel the benefit after eight rounds. • Deep belly breathing: slow down your breathing and heart rate as you increase mindfulness. Consider before a big presentation or performance, the advice is always "take a deep breath." The same practice can be said at any time of day. Focus on following the breath in through your nostrils, it fills up your chest, your ribs expand up and out, and lastly it reaches your belly. Release the breath slowly from the belly, ribs, chest and out through your nostrils.Repeat 10 times or until you feel the desired reli
Pratyahara The Bhagavad Gita, a spiritual Hindu text about the inner struggle for self-mastery and attainment of happiness through yoga, states, "Just as a strong wind sweeps a boat off its chartered course on the water, even one of the senses on which the mind focuses can lead the intellect astray." Meaning that the senses distract the mind. When we cut off the senses - sight, sound, touch, scent, taste - we can turn our undivided attention inward. The easiest way to practice this is to close your eyes or turn off any music while practicing.
Dharana Also known as concentration. Think about how energy flows where attention goes. We are growing so accustomed to short bursts of information, doom scrolling on social media and multitasking. Dharana is about learning to focus the mind on a task to do it well and with care. It is essential to living mindfully.
Dhyana Dharana prepares the mind for dhyana, also known as meditation. Meditation is about being fully present in the moment. It is common for people to feel nervous or anxious about meditating, as though anyone can be bad at it. But it is likely that you have meditated before, even if you did not set out to. When you do an activity that you enjoy that brings feelings of peace, clarity and stillness, you are meditating. It is a state of mind that overcomes you and brings you into the present moment. When we sit down to meditate, we improve our chances of experiencing it, but in general it should not be painful or discouraging. It helps if you bring a light-hearted open-mind to the practice, and try to embrace the present moment with ease. Focusing on each breath helps.
Samadhi Enlightenment. The eighth and final limb in the journey from human doings to human beings. Samadhi is about staying in the present moment indefinitely. A state of being that is detached from the past and the future. There is no need to ruminate on previous events or dwell on the outcomes of our actions. Everything is done with pure intention, love and with a present state of mind. Focusing on this will transform your spiritual journey.
Tips for practicing yoga off the mat
Stretch to feel good, not to look good. Practice deep listening and turning your practice inward. Close your eyes. Feel the effects that any given pose has on your mind and body.
Take deep breaths throughout the day. As often as you can remember, come back to your breath. It may help to focus on the area surrounding your nostrils as you inhale through the nose, and draw your attention to the gentle wind on your upper lip as you exhale through the nose. Repeat as desired.
Mindfully enter the present moment while completing tasks. Whether you are reading, walking, cleaning or cooking, train you mind to focus on the task at hand. Attempt to concentrate for a longer period of time. Let the experience overcome you to the extent you are no longer trying to do it.
Let go of the past and your expectations of the future . One simple way to do this is to focus on your inhale, followed by focusing on your exhale. Practice for one minute, then two, then five, then ten. Strengthen your ability to focus on the present and you will eventually be able to effortlessly bring yourself back to this place throughout the day.
Remember it is a practice. Critical or negative self-talk will not lead to progress, compassion will. Remember that you, like others, are trying your best. If your mind wanders or you do not feel in the right mindset, tell yourself "it's okay, this takes time," and begin again.
Embrace a lightness in your approach. The Dalai Lama is known for keeping things light, best exemplified by the time he wore a wash cloth over his head to be playful even when speaking about serious topics. “Everyone too much formal,” he said, “That is self-torture.”
In essence.
Yoga is so much more than a physical practice. The asanas that we practice on the mat are an important catalyst for opening and connecting the mind and body. However, when we practice all eight limbs of yoga we honour the ancient roots of this practice and are better able to flow through life with more ease, lightness, compassion and joy. In every one of her classes, Mir offers tips and techniques that may help you on your yogic journey. Contact yinwithmir@gmail.com to learn more or book online to experience a class for yourself.
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