Life
My life
All of life
The word ‘yoga’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuga’ which means ‘yoke’ – as in the yoke that joins two oxen together that have to work together – working as one, united. So the word “yoga” means “unite”.
What is being united? Basically everything.
On an individual level, the physical practices (asanas), the breathing practices (pranayama) and the meditation practices unite to bring about another unity: the small, body-bound “I” with the larger, cosmic “I”. However, I am assured by the enlightened ones, that all the large, cosmic ”I”s are united, and are united with the whole world, the whole cosmos.
So what we’re aiming to achieve through practising, is no small thing. What we’re aiming for is to become aware that we are united with each other and with all of life.
On the micro level, yoga is all of MY life.
The more I learn about yoga, the more I want to learn, because I can see and feel the effects of yoga in my life, and in the lives of my yoga students and colleagues. I see not only increased physical strength and flexibility but an increase in psychological strength and flexibility and an increase in awareness, the ultimate aim of yoga.
Ideally, my day starts with early morning chanting followed by meditation. I do some asana practice every day, I prepare and conduct classes, and I read books on various aspects of yoga. So, in a very physical sense, yoga is my life.
Reading books by yoga masters is a good way to remind myself of where I’m heading, and some good hints to help me get there. There is always more to learn. The Indian guru of the Satyananda tradition, Swami Niranjanananda, describes himself as a beginner in yoga, even through he has lived in an ashram since the age of 4.
However, as with any swimming pool, yoga is both wide and deep, and there are many different places where you can jump in.
Some of the things I have found most interesting and helpful are yoga psychology, physiology and philosophy. I have only dipped my toe into these aspects of yoga, but they have touched – and changed – my life, as I incorporate them into my daily life. There is a saying that a little knowledge is dangerous. In regard to yoga, I believe that emphatically does NOT apply.
My hope is that I can inspire others to do the same, so they, too, can reap the continuing benefits of the many aspects of yoga. It is, indeed, all of life.