How does one find time for practice, when Life has become so hectic and stressed?
This is something which I have been mulling over the past few months.
The same question is also asked by many of my students, who have careers, kids, deadlines, sick aging parents..the list of responsibilities is seemingly endless.
Then, how does one, in all honesty, find time for practice?
It seems another thing to be added onto the already too-long list of to-do things on one's agenda. This question seems to have no straightforward answer, but I feel there's something fundamentally wrong in the way we approach the practice of Yoga. Maybe we need to change the way we perceive Yoga has to be done, if we are to practice everyday. Maybe we need to widen our understanding of what it really is..Is it just the body which stretches and moves with the asanas? Is it the breath which deepens and changes the layers of tight muscles and tissues? Is it the speeding layers of thoughts which slow down as we move through the practice? Or is the practice a combination of all these and more?
These are the questions we need to find answers for to change, widen and understand our perception and depth of the practice of Yoga.
As I sit with these thoughts, some sense of understanding emerges.
I feel we all compartmentalize our lives as inner and outer layers of our existence. The outer layer deals with our lives on the outside, who we are, where we work, how we define ourselves etc. The inner layer is the deeper layer of each one of us, quieter, softer, maybe buried deep within. These two layers are seemingly at contrast with each other, but the true value of practice seems to be an inter-dependent mode of both of them.
In a Yoga practice session, we start by centering the mind, we follow it up with asanas, quieten the mind further with Pranayama breathing and finally end with Shavasana. I feel we could approach our Daily Life the same way as a Practice of Yoga.
For example, we could start the day with a connection to our ever-flowing breath and a silent prayer of thanks that we are alive and well. As we get to send the kids off to school, we really connect, look at them and say "have a great day!",instead of a mad dash to the bus-stand and a hurried goodbye. We give ourselves and partners a little time to be with each other,before the rush of the day starts.
During the day, we could practice a 'breath-break', maybe once after every three hours. A 'breath-break' is a couple of deep abdominal breaths, which would help release collected tension from the body and the mind. It gives the nervous system a jolt of fresh oxygen, lowers the blood pressure and reduces the surge of the stress hormone, cortisol, through the blood stream.
After the work day, we could practice the same mindful awareness on the way back home. Being caught in a traffic jam is considered a great way to practice mindfulness!! We unclench our jaws , release the need to beep our way through traffic, come back to riding the waves of our breath again and again.
After coming home, we again bring awareness to our family and connect with all of them and understand their journey of that day. We could end the day with gratitude for all our blessings of that day, both tangible and intangible.
Is this even possible?
I have started believing this is possible. Yes, it takes effort, awareness and a strong inner motivation to make this possible, but I feel its worth it!!
The inner shift towards a more peaceful existence with oneself and others starts in our own lives.
I feel when we have a deeper understanding of who we really are, not our external labels, but our inner compass --- then these changes really do help maintain a dialogue between our inner and outer worlds.
How does one measure one's progress then? We become aware of our choices and are connected responsibly to the consequences thereof. For example, we offer to act mindfully about our community we live in and reduce our dependency on plastic. We ask if help is required and offer our help, maybe by being there with our time, energy or by monetary means. Basically, we keep re-connecting the inner to the outer!!
This is one of the best ways in which we can embrace Living Your Life As Practice- the deep connection between the Body, Mind and the Breath...and it can be done without stepping on the yoga mat!!
In Peace,
Asha
This is something which I have been mulling over the past few months.
The same question is also asked by many of my students, who have careers, kids, deadlines, sick aging parents..the list of responsibilities is seemingly endless.
Then, how does one, in all honesty, find time for practice?
It seems another thing to be added onto the already too-long list of to-do things on one's agenda. This question seems to have no straightforward answer, but I feel there's something fundamentally wrong in the way we approach the practice of Yoga. Maybe we need to change the way we perceive Yoga has to be done, if we are to practice everyday. Maybe we need to widen our understanding of what it really is..Is it just the body which stretches and moves with the asanas? Is it the breath which deepens and changes the layers of tight muscles and tissues? Is it the speeding layers of thoughts which slow down as we move through the practice? Or is the practice a combination of all these and more?
These are the questions we need to find answers for to change, widen and understand our perception and depth of the practice of Yoga.
As I sit with these thoughts, some sense of understanding emerges.
I feel we all compartmentalize our lives as inner and outer layers of our existence. The outer layer deals with our lives on the outside, who we are, where we work, how we define ourselves etc. The inner layer is the deeper layer of each one of us, quieter, softer, maybe buried deep within. These two layers are seemingly at contrast with each other, but the true value of practice seems to be an inter-dependent mode of both of them.
In a Yoga practice session, we start by centering the mind, we follow it up with asanas, quieten the mind further with Pranayama breathing and finally end with Shavasana. I feel we could approach our Daily Life the same way as a Practice of Yoga.
For example, we could start the day with a connection to our ever-flowing breath and a silent prayer of thanks that we are alive and well. As we get to send the kids off to school, we really connect, look at them and say "have a great day!",instead of a mad dash to the bus-stand and a hurried goodbye. We give ourselves and partners a little time to be with each other,before the rush of the day starts.
During the day, we could practice a 'breath-break', maybe once after every three hours. A 'breath-break' is a couple of deep abdominal breaths, which would help release collected tension from the body and the mind. It gives the nervous system a jolt of fresh oxygen, lowers the blood pressure and reduces the surge of the stress hormone, cortisol, through the blood stream.
After the work day, we could practice the same mindful awareness on the way back home. Being caught in a traffic jam is considered a great way to practice mindfulness!! We unclench our jaws , release the need to beep our way through traffic, come back to riding the waves of our breath again and again.
After coming home, we again bring awareness to our family and connect with all of them and understand their journey of that day. We could end the day with gratitude for all our blessings of that day, both tangible and intangible.
Is this even possible?
I have started believing this is possible. Yes, it takes effort, awareness and a strong inner motivation to make this possible, but I feel its worth it!!
The inner shift towards a more peaceful existence with oneself and others starts in our own lives.
I feel when we have a deeper understanding of who we really are, not our external labels, but our inner compass --- then these changes really do help maintain a dialogue between our inner and outer worlds.
How does one measure one's progress then? We become aware of our choices and are connected responsibly to the consequences thereof. For example, we offer to act mindfully about our community we live in and reduce our dependency on plastic. We ask if help is required and offer our help, maybe by being there with our time, energy or by monetary means. Basically, we keep re-connecting the inner to the outer!!
This is one of the best ways in which we can embrace Living Your Life As Practice- the deep connection between the Body, Mind and the Breath...and it can be done without stepping on the yoga mat!!
In Peace,
Asha
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