What is yoga?
This is a BIG question! So what follows is just a tiny glimpse into what yoga might be…in asking this question, I have realised that you could study yoga your entire life and still be unsure of how to answer it. Yoga can be different things to different people and that’s ok! Yoga is a living, breathing practice and so it will continue to evolve for as long as people continue to practise.
The rich and diverse history of yoga means that we have an abundance of inspiration available to us. Every day we step onto our yoga mat, we are adding to the lived experience and deep wisdom of yoga.
The practice of yoga is 1000’s of years old. The first written use of the word yoga appeared in the Rig Veda, an ancient Hindu scripture over 3000 years ago. Yoga comes from the root Sanskrit word ‘Yuj’ which means to yolk - to unite or bring together. In this context Yoga is a state of being where our physical self merges with our spiritual self. Some may describe this experience as enlightenment, awakening or oneness.
There are many yogic texts which provide guidance and teaching on how to achieve the state of yoga - the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras are just a few examples. A theme throughout all the many wisdom texts is that there is not only one way to experience yoga, there are many ways. This has led to teachers and spiritual guides experimenting with various techniques and practices on their journey to spiritual awakening and there can be vastly different paths laid out by different yogis.
The Bhagavad Gita lays out 4 unique paths to yoga:
Karma yoga - The path of selfless action or helping other people.
Jnana yoga - The path of knowledge and wisdom.
Bhakti yoga - The path of love and devotion.
Raja yoga - The royal path of controlling the body, mind and senses through meditation.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras describes yoga as: “yogas citta vritti nirodhah” which is often translated as: Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. According to Patanjali is it only by quietening the mind that we are able to experience true spiritual awakening. There is plenty of practical advice in the book to help us quieten our minds and he also sets out three separate paths to yoga:
Sutra 2.29 - Sutra 3.8 describe ashtanga yoga (the 8 limbs of yoga). The 8 limbs are: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana & samadhi. These can be translated as restraints, observances, poses, breathing techniques, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and enlightenment. This method is comparable to raja yoga - experiencing yoga through control of the body, mind & senses.
Sutra 2.1 describes kriya yoga, a path based on action (similar to karma yoga). He tells us to practise tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (self-study and study of the scriptures) and ishvara pranidhana (surrender to the divine).
Sutra 1.23 describes ishvara pranidhana, the path of devotion (like bhakti yoga). For those who are able to completely trust in life and surrender to a higher power, the experience of yoga will come naturally.
Perhaps the beauty of the teachings is that we are given options. Unlike a religion, which asks you to have faith in a particular set of beliefs, yoga asks you to try out these practices and see the results for yourself. This is why yoga is considered by many as a science - we are literally conducting experiments on ourselves and observing the effects they have first hand. It teaches us to trust our own experience, the guru within, above all.
Yoga in a modern world
We are living in a time where societies are built around individualism and independence over communities and collaborations. This can lead to deep divides, feelings of separateness and disconnection, and more and more people feeling lonely, isolated and fearful of ‘other’.
Experiencing yoga - the spiritual experience of knowing that you are one part of the greater whole holds a tremendous amount of healing power. As Thich Nhat Hanh beautifully writes “Enlightenment is when a wave realizes it is the ocean”. When you realise you are part of it all, you no longer want to cause harm to yourself, other beings or nature. And through remembering our true nature, we are able to live with less fear and more compassion and love. A great source of inspiration is the poem “Call me by my true names”
So perhaps each of us holds the responsibility to seek out ways of living that can help us recognise our interconnectedness, our oneness. To look for what we have in common, rather than what separates us. What is it that helps you to recognise the light within yourself and others?
Yoga in the West has become synonymous with asana (yoga poses) but it is so much bigger than just movement! And when we understand this it can give us much more freedom in being able to adapt our practice to suit our current life situation. As a modern practitioner of yoga, we have an abundance of teachers, lineages and styles available to us. We may resonate more with some than others. You certainly do not need to like all styles of yoga and you could easily live a yogic lifestyle without ever stepping foot into a yoga class or studio!
Our practice will change and evolve as we do…some days my practice is simply sitting. Other days I crave something more energetic and active. Movement, pranayama, meditation, gratitude, loving kindness & spending time in nature are just a few of my favourite practices; they all have their place in helping me find a yogic mind state. You may experience the state of yoga whilst running, wild swimming, playing music, dancing, reading poetry or some other activity that brings you into the present moment and reminds you of who you really are.
We all arrive at yoga classes with different life experiences, perspectives and expectations. If we can show up with an open mind and a sense of curiosity, we learn all sorts of skills that can be incredibly helpful in our lives! I’ve had students tell me the breathing exercises they have learnt in class have helped them whilst waiting for a hospital appointment, whilst stuck in traffic or before taking an exam. Other students have told me that their balance has improved hugely since practising yoga, an essential skill to avoid falls as we age. One student has told me a meditation technique she has learned has helped calm her anxiety at work and another has expressed how she has noticed her responses in every day life have slowed down. The benefits of yoga are vast and diverse. It is a practice that can meet us where we are and somehow provide what we need in that moment.
So, my question for you is: What is yoga to you? Leave me a comment below! xxx