What is yoga?

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Is it exercise? Religion? Lifestyle?

I originally got into yoga for the physical aspects. I was told that it would help me relax, and it did. I liked the way I felt after a yoga practice—calmer, certainly, but also more flexible and stronger, too.

In the yoga studio where I first started practicing, there were these printed signs around the ceiling: Ahimsa, Asteya, Satya, Aparigraha, Brahmacarya, Saucha, Santosha, Tapas, Svadhyaya, Ishvara Parnidhana ... I remember vaguely wondering what they meant but ultimately I did not care enough to inquire until several years later.

Eventually I learned that these were the first two steps on the path to yoga: the Yamas, or how you act in the world and how you treat others, and the Niyamas, or observances and practices that you do for yourself. I also learned that while the yoga poses were a doorway inside of yourself, these Yamas and Niyamas were the real tools that helped you be calmer and more content in your life.

It seems that I followed the natural progression of most people in yoga of starting with the physical when you are young and moving toward the more philosophical as you age. (I was in my early 20s when I started.) As a general rule, as people get older, they tend to turn more inward, becoming more philosophical.

Over the years, I have become more interested in the other steps on the path to yoga other than just asana. There are eight of these steps. The first two are the "Yamas" and the "Niyamas." The third is "Asana," which is what we practice as Hatha Yoga, and then "Pranayama," or breath work.

The next four steps are about turning inward. This was probably the real reason I wanted to get into yoga, but I just didn't know it. It took many years to get here. Like most people, I resisted these steps.  I just wanted to do the poses.  These four steps start with "Pratyahara," or withdrawal of the senses. This is the ability to not be swayed so much by our senses; to not be affected as much by attachment and aversion, which is often the cause of suffering. The next step is "Dharana," or concentration. If you can control your senses, then you can concentrate. It is hard to concentrate when you are being pulled by different likes and dislikes. After you develop the ability to concentrate, then comes meditation or "Dhyana."

Meditation isn't something you do; it is a state that can be entered into after controlling the senses and developing your ability to concentrate. When you can keep your concentration and stay in the present moment, without worrying about the past or being anxious about the future, you might be able to enter into a state of "Samadhi." This is the last step on the ladder of yoga. It is often called Bliss, which can be misleading. It is more like a calm and connected state. While Joy is part of Samadhi, it is not the joy of winning the lottery. It is more of an inward contentment and sense of connection with the world around you. Most yoga practitioners experience brief states of Samadhi. Maybe you have, too, and just didn't know what it was.

If you are ready to learn more about yoga, it might be time for you to sign up for an immersion experience. I recommend that you start with the Foundations Module of my Yoga Teacher Training Program. You don't need to want to become a teacher to take this module. This first step is simply to learn more about yoga. You will learn how to develop your own home practice. I will introduce you to Pranayama, or breathing exercises. We will begin to develop habits that lead toward meditation. We will also contemplate the Yamas and the Niyamas, the practices that lead to more happiness and contentment in your life.

Contact me to find our more about teacher training.