I recently took a course to become certified as a Level 1 Yoga
instructor. Having never practiced yoga before, I went into the
course knowing very little about what yoga was really about. After
having taken the course, I still don’t know much about yoga (it’s
one of those things that the more you know about it, the more you
know you don’t know), but I do know that I had a few misconceptions
about Yoga. So here are three things that I learned:
1. You Don’t Have to be a Contortionist to Practice
Yoga
Most of us in the Western world are at least somewhat familiar
with the concept of yoga. We know that yoga is an ancient practice
intended to tone your body, relax your mind, and bring your body
and mind into blissful harmony. But many people get intimidated
when they see some of the more complex positions yogi masters
seem to do with ease.
However, what most people don’t know is that yoga is only as
difficult as you make it, and it allows you to proceed at an individualized
pace. Moreover, yoga is more than just a set of poses. In general,
yoga is the practice of “mindfulness”, or the process of directing
our attention towards whatever we are doing at the moment.
2. There Are Different Types of Yoga
Within the umbrella of yoga are the practice of the physical poses,
called Hatha yoga (pronounced “hatah”). Different styles of Hatha
yoga include Ashtanga, (commonly referred to as “power yoga”),
Kripalu, and Iyengar, to name a few. Performing these poses allow
us to become more aware of what our bodies are doing and how they
are feeling as we pose. Variations in Hatha styles are based on
the intensity of the practice as well as integrating meditation
and chanting. If you come across a yoga class called Hatha yoga,
most likely the teacher is using a combination of Hatha styles.
There is also a non-physical component of Yoga that is not as
well-known. Some other types of yoga practice include Jnana Yoga
(the practice of wisdom), Karma Yoga (doing good unto others),
Mantra Yoga (using sound to rebalance the body), and Tantra Yoga
(rituals that energize the spiritual energy of the body, sometimes
involving sex). I won’t go into more detail on this topic because
there are plenty of good books out there that have covered this
topic in depth. However, it is important to realize that the practice
of yoga can carry over into many parts of your life and help you
lead a more peaceful and happy existence.
3. Yoga is Not About Self-Improvement
In our Western world we mainly utilize the principles of Hatha
yoga. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because the practice
of Hatha yoga also involves breathing and meditation exercises.
In combination, the meditations and postures in yoga help you
to focus on your breathing, your body and your senses. Nevertheless,
this doesn’t mean that the ultimate purpose of yoga is for self-improvement.
Instead, yoga is a means to reconnect with yourself and the world.
It really goes no deeper than that.
That’s not to say that yoga doesn’t have its benefits: yoga can
improve your flexibility, reduce stress and encourage weight loss.
However, in the end what yoga really does for you is change your
perspective on the world in a way that enables you to help yourself
make the most of what you have.