Can We Change the World by Improving Ourselves Through Yoga?
As a Yoga practitioner and teacher, I’m aware on a daily basis of the benefits Yoga brings to myself personally and to others. I believe it could literally help everyone in one way or another. And while it’s ok to be passionate about something like this, it doesn’t pay to go around preaching about it too fanatically. We know that actions speak louder than words and usually the results of our practice speak for themselves. Our challenge is not only to do our Yoga practices each day but also to “practise” yoga in daily life which involves much more than asanas. It involves adopting a healthier lifestyle and more positive habits for the body, the mind and the soul.
Personally, I find my own Yoga practice provides an ongoing, gradual development for me on all fronts. But it is an ongoing effort that requires regular reassessment of one’s responses, reactions and expectations in one’s daily life – including relationships at home, at work and in the social arena. Again, this year my intentions included changing some negative habits by substituting them with more positive ones – including habits of mind. As we become aware of fears, negative thoughts, attitudes, or reactions, we can try to replace them with something more constructive and beneficial to ourselves and those around us.
I’ve also been working on gradually eliminating superfluous activities and commitments which have detracted from my peace of mind and not necessarily provided fulfilment. A bit like sorting the wheat from the chaff! It’s rather liberating to reach that point in one’s life where we don’t feel the need to prove anything or to live up to others’ expectations. Fortunately, age can give one the wisdom to be more patient and kind to oneself and less driven to prove anything to anyone else. But do we necessarily need to be older to learn this?
Interestingly, I have noticed recently, a number of articles and television programmes examining and discussing some of the modern discoveries with regard to health issues, both physical and mental. Such topics as the neuroplasticity of the brain along with the notion of retraining our minds, is being increasingly acknowledged. Todd Sampson’s programme, “Redesign My Brain” on ABC television explored this in detail utilising control of the breath and thought processes.
Then there’s Dr Michael Mosely’s programmes on SBS exploring health through improved diet and fasting with trial groups testing different approaches to losing weight around the torso. It turns out that, along with dietary restrictions, simple “stretching” is actually very effective in burning calories and lowering blood sugar levels etc. And that’s with someone else stretching you! It doesn’t take much imagination to see why Yoga could be so effective with maintaining a healthy body (and mind).
There’s also the increasing interest in anti-aging and the discovery that regular short-term fasting and calorie reduction actually enables the body to regenerate and repair. This improves the functioning of the body’s systems and the result is a longer, healthier life. What is not generally acknowledged is that the science of Yoga incorporates all of this knowledge in its philosophy and systematic approach to life.
The ancient Yogis wouldn’t have used such terms as “telomeres” to describe the caps at the end of our DNA that protect our chromosomes and which are the key to human health and aging. But they certainly understood enough about human physiology, psychology and the subtle energies in order to live long, and healthy lives. In my view, Yoga fits the bill perfectly in understanding the human condition and providing a blue-print on how to live. Is it only a matter of time before modern science turns its attention to Yoga and what it has to offer?
So, each day as I do my yoga – realigning my posture, stretching my muscles and tendons, strengthening my spine and core, mobilising my joints, increasing my circulation, improving my flexibility, tuning my nervous system and respiratory system – I am grateful for the amazing benefits that result, and the good health that I experience. Naturally, one wants to share the experience and let everyone know how fantastic it is and how we can all benefit physically and in other ways. Add some breathing practices, relaxation and mind quietening techniques and you’ve then got the added benefits of improved concentration, increased immunity, increased energy and physical and mental relaxation.
But it doesn’t stop there. Holistic yoga addresses all facets of a person’s life. If you incorporate the code of observances and restraints – you have the guidelines for living a happier more fulfilled life with reduced levels of stress and increased confidence, self-esteem and self-reliance.
The importance of being taught by a properly trained yoga teacher needs to be emphasised otherwise one might learn inappropriate practices for one’s level of experience. It’s also important to take into consideration any existing individual health issues or restrictions. There’s no point in doing practices that can aggravate or even cause injuries.
Yoga can certainly help us become a better version of ourselves! It’s not so much that we need to “change” ourselves but perhaps we do need to change the habits and practices that prevent our true selves from coming to the fore. It has often been said “we are perfect just the way we are”; we just need to realise it!
Embodied Yoga Studio, Toowong, Brisbane
