It was one of the post lockdown days when I got a text from my teacher to tell me that she is conducting online yoga classes and If I would be interested in joining the class. Well, I am a fitness enthusiast or that’s what I thought I am till I started taking these classes. I have been a regular with weight training since my mid 20s and the thought of practicing yoga never came to my mind, to be honest. Though, I would look at all the Yogis around the world with jaw-dropping awe and I would always wonder if I could ever do that.
Anyway, let’s go back to the point when I took my first Yoga class (after the mandatory yoga classes at my school). I thought to myself that I should give it a try and decided to take the class that morning and. To be honest, all these years, I didn’t try to dive into it because I thought it wasn’t really for me. I always used to think “How can I start doing Yoga if I am not even a wee bit flexible” (and to save myself some embarrassment too). Well. all this notion changed once I started practicing Yoga. Well, I don’t mean to say that I find it easy or absolutely comfortable (I have been practicing for a little over 5 months now) but my teacher taught us one of the most important lessons – the practice of acceptance. Yoga helps you to be more self-aware and helps you to accept where you are right at that moment. One should let go of one’s ego and not just on the mat but off the mat as well. They say that Yoga denotes a deeper mind-body connection and transforms you from inside but I am not claiming that the change is discernible yet but it’s a journey that I have embarked on and I am really glad that I decided to. My Key learnings so far are:
A. Importance of Breathwork & Pranayama
Breathing – something that comes so naturally to us but can be so powerful if done mindfully. Proper breathwork helps you to alleviate any discomfort that you may be facing while doing an asana or even as you go about living your daily routine life.
Pranayama brings in that sense of peace and tranquility everytime you are doing it mindfully. You begin to see the benefits if you continue to practice it regularly
B. Your unique journey but most importantly, enjoy it
It’s only natural to imitate the yoga poses as you see it on social media or the way your teacher does these poses but it’s really important to understand that as a beginner, you must listen to your body. Did I not go through this urge to mirror those beautiful perfect poses? Ofcourse, I did and I still have that urge but everytime I tend to go off the track, I bring myself back to practice asanas while listening to my body. For example, If Adho Mukha Shvanasana(downward facing dog) doesn’t feel right when I try to straighten my legs, I go back to bending the knees slightly to ensure that I feel right as I breathe through the discomfort. This is your unique practice and don’t let the ego come in the way. Use modifications and your breathwork to go through the poses in a way that it starts to benefit your practice. And if you are in a group class, then it benefits others also as my teacher says that the positive energy that you bring to the class can benefit everyone else in the group.
Illustration of Downward facing Dog (with modification)
Pic courtesy: Yogajournal.com
So, remember that Yoga practice is not a competition with other practitioners. You can get inspired, gain from their energy and practice but refrain from competing with others. It’s your journey and you should enjoy every second of it as you progress. Find those smaller milestones that you feel happy or motivated about. Compare your progress with yourself alone. I feel I have made some (read little) progress (I hope my teacher feels so too)
PS: My sincere apologies to all the teachers and practitioners if I made it all look or sound like a breeze. It is not easy (definitely not for me yet) but I tend to be more aware of it all when I practice and try and put it to practice as well.
C. It’s a way of life
What we learn during our practice hour shouldn’t just stay there but its important to follow or atleast keep those learnings in mind as we move on to our routine lives after the practice. My learnings that I take away from my practice and my teacher’s words of wisdom are: Patience, discipline, ability to take on challenging situations, staying calm as you fall but get up again to try once again (learning from the failures) and being compassionate –be kind to yourself & others. It is my constant endeavor to put these to practice in my day to day life . I succeed at times and I fail at times but I continue to try!
D. Importance of your teacher (Speaking from my experience)
Every teacher will have their own and unique way of teaching Yoga. As a beginner, I have greatly benefited from my teacher as she doesn’t just guide us through the poses but understands us, our potential and the areas we need to focus on. She tells us when to go deeper or try harder in a pose or when to use the right modification or even slow down while paying attention to the minutest of details during the practice. She gives personalized suggestions or advice to enhance your practice unassumingly, respectfully and with utmost compassion. This too is a great learning for me especially when I have to interact with others in my life wherein I could be playing the role of a mentor or a coach
My teacher regularly makes us understand the concepts in the class and shares her knowledge, wisdom and own experiences or even others’ experiences in a very cohesive manner that segues well into the class
So, build a very respectful relationship with your teacher, gain and learn a lot from your teacher’s experience and knowledge and finally, be grateful to them and thank them as much as you want.
E. Commitment
Stay committed to your practice. Show up for every class unless it’s really unavoidable to do so. Consistent practice under the guidance of an able Yoga Guru can work wonders for your journey
I am just a beginner and I don’t know where will I reach and by when But I will stay committed ad continue to be consistent and disciplined and put efforts in my practice.
I realized that it’s never too late to start your yoga journey. If someone who hasn’t started his or her journey yet and is reading this post, the right time to start the journey is now. It starts with researching and looking for options and committing to it. Good luck 👍
pic courtesy: the healthy.com
At the end, I would like to agree with what I read somewhere that
Such a wonderful journey 🙏 Yoga is for the willing,