By Sangeetha Saran
All types of yoga have their beginning, intermediate, and expert
level students. Of course, this is not to say that any student of the practice
ever fully masters every single aspect -- saying this would be to defeat the
purpose of yoga, which is not to "complete" or "win"
anything, but to continue to grow and change dynamically, as one's interior and
exterior lives continue to evolve.
Yoga is supposed to mold and contour to the changing and
evolving self. Not the other way around, as many students believe: We are not
supposed to change ourselves and strain ourselves for our
practice; instead, our practice will change naturally as we change. This may
not seem like an important mental distinction to make, but it absolutely is.
Those students who are constantly trying to force themselves and their bodies
to become "better," in order to master a difficult pose or class, or
in order to match the perceived skill level of those around them, are not
treating their minds and bodies with the proper compassion.
Asked to think of the concept of "compassion" in yoga,
you are likely thinking of compassion towards others -- is the teacher treating
the students with respect? Are the students treating one another with respect
before and after class? However, much as in other aspects of life, we overlook
the idea that compassion must also be directed inwardly. Don't mentally degrade
and abuse yourself -- "I'm not good enough," "I can't believe I
still can't do this when X does it so easily," etc. We are all our own
worst critics, but part of learning self-compassion -- in fact, one of the core
ideas at the heart of all yoga -- is learning to neutralize those negative
thoughts in favor of projecting openness and goodwill.
If
you find yourself looking away from your mat and scrutinizing your performance
compared to that of others -- the way her legs are straighter, or he reached a
deeper bend -- compel yourself to return to, refocus on, and love
yourself. Your growth and change should not be policed or stifled by
self-doubt; instead, it should unconsciously occur all on its own, and through
self-respect.
© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center –
Publications Division
See our testimonials to find out what our graduates have to say
about our selection of online teacher certification courses.
Please
feel free to share our posts with your friends, colleagues, and favorite social
media networks.
1 comment:
Thanks for posting this informative article.
Post a Comment