What does it mean to practice Yoga?
Does it mean how flexible you are, how long you can sit in lotus , or does it mean to embody the principles of non-harming, truthfulness and becoming non-judgemental about everything and everyone you meet? Sounds like a tall order especially in a world full of turmoil doesn't it? What if you felt so happy and content that even the most challenging situations did not manage to trigger a fierce reaction ?
What exactly does it mean to be happy?
The Sanskrit word for happiness is Sukha , the word kha means space, an open radiant accommodating space and is derived from the word for a chariot wheel, which would have it's hole in the centre and the spokes of the wheel would radiate from this centre. This would enable a comfortable and smooth ride. The word for unhappiness or suffering is Dukha , in which the hole would be off centre or out of alignment, this of course would result in a bumpy and very uncomfortable ride.
These two words are the basis of a healthy Yoga practice, we are either centred and balanced or we are in suffering and feel out of alignment with our selves. So how can we change our mind when it is prone to suffering and unhappiness? Below is a link to my recent blog post on how the breath and pranayama was traditionally the only practice the Ancient Hatha Yogis were concerned with, it describes why the breath is the most important tool to managing your mental and emotional state by shifting the you from anxious and nervous state to relaxed and calm one.It is our breath that creates a spacious and open body , It is the aspect of Yoga that makes Evolve Yoga Training unique. The breath is central to everything that we teach , we begin our 200 hours with the breath and the teaching of Yoga Asana is deeply rooted in breath centred awareness .
Change your breath, change your mind
https://www.evolveyogatraining.com/single-post/2019/10/22/Change-your-breath-change-your-mind