Why Touching Your Toes Won’t Save the World...But Yoga Could
When it comes to grounding and hearing your intuition, figuring out what you are meant to do on this earth plane, and how to be of service when the world seems a bit crazytown, I recommend two things (both completely legal): Nature. And yoga.Nature reminds you that you are part of something bigger. When you connect with the earth, you remember you are part of a collective and instinctive pulse that often gets crowded out by daily to-do lists and sociopathic media. If the birds and mountains are here (without cell phones), there is certainly a deeper reason you are here than running in the rat race mania.Yoga has that same capacity to illuminate our deep knowing, empathy, belonging, and intuition. It’s not about the pretzely poses you see on the cover of Yoga Journal. Yoga isn’t about flexibility or relaxation or exercise, though those things can be part of your practice. When I ask people about their yoga practice, most talk about asana, maybe meditation. Both of these are powerful practices. If that’s what yoga is to you right now, do it. Those two practices along with pranayama, or breathing practices, are some of the best ways to promote self-regulation, self-awareness, curiosity, the rewiring of your brain, and training the nervous system to effectively process trauma, fear, and anxiety while finding calm, trust, safety, and connection. So by all means, keep doing the physical practice of yoga, meditate, and breath! You and this world will be a better place for it.In addition to spending time on your mat, here are five other ways to work a little more yoga into your life:
Cultivate contentment. Next time you find yourself lamenting what you don’t have, remind yourself of something you do. I wish we had more space turns into we have a roof over our heads and happy memories in this home.
Practice compassion. Be kind to yourself and others. This could be a kind action to a loved one or stranger. I could mean holding back harsh words. Or it could mean listening to your own body and not pushing too far. It could be remembering that we’re all human beings, with loved ones and fears, families, joys, and sorrows. Compassion leads to empathy.
Avoid jealousy. Try applying this one to your asana practice. Instead of wanting to be or do what you see on the next mat over, focus on your own practice, your own body, your own amazing being. Be awed and humbled by what you can do right now. We all carry our lives experiences inside our bodies. Do not compare your insides to someone else’s outsides.
Practice nonstealing. Don’t take other people’s stuff. Duh. But what about time? When you run late, you steal other people’s time. Same thing when you monopolize conversations or meetings. Think about it. Leave a little earlier. Listen a little more.
Let go of “stuff.” Decluttering space helps declutter your mind (for reals), and letting go of things you don’t need makes room for new energy. Trust that you will have what you need instead of hoarding things to cling to the past or prepare for just in case. (Note to self: Ask “Do I really need this?” as I’m packing to move.)
There are so many ways to live your yoga and live more fully every day. I’m going to be at the South Dakota Yoga Conference with my partners from dharma. later this week. We’re leading a 90-minute session called “Awakening Your Dhama” to help people bridge the gap between wanting to live more fully and actually doing it. If you’re at the South Dakota Yoga Conference, come join us! Can’t make it there, but ready to step up on onto life’s path? Carve out 50 minutes to get into your body with this yoga class I taught a few years ago.I’d love to hear how you define your yoga practice and what it’s like these days? Tell us in comments below.