This is the second of a two-part series that that deals with the purpose of practicing yoga.
In the first article, we described yoga as a practice that unifies the body, mind and spirit. It creates awareness and allows you to get in touch of your present self.
Who are You?
The present world order has made us too involved with the external world. The pace of life has become so demanding and filled with stress and we become entangled with our states and conditions. In the process, we identify ourselves with the state or condition that we are in at the present. It makes us lose touch of the person that we really are – our inner selves. For example, when you say “I am stressed,” you are identifying yourself as a condition. That’s definitely not who you are because “hungry” is not your name.
With yoga, you will be able to separate yourself from your state or condition, your emotions, your title or position, your job, and the things you own. They are not you and you are not them. Strip them away and what’s left is the real you.
The world identifies us with our emotions, desires, achievements of failures. But yoga is different because it separates you from these things and lets you know the person inside you. It makes you learn to develop a greater psyche. It helps you to discover better ways to manage your thoughts, feelings and responses to the different situations that you encounter every day.
A Sense of Freedom
A greater sense of awareness can help you to separate yourself from your physical, mental and emotional states. You will no longer identify yourself with your feelings because they are not who you are, so instead of saying “I am stressed,” you will now say “I feel stress.”
The ability to recognize your feelings apart from yourself will help you to be on top of the condition that you are in at the present moment. It allows you to apply relaxation and calming techniques that can help you to manage your condition and prevent it from developing into a more serious matter.
Yoga is meditation. It is about being aware of your inner self at the present moment, and it’s not about self-absorption.
Learn to separate yourself from what you do, what you have and what you feel and you will see the real you. This is where union of the body, mind and spirit begins.
Some people practice yoga for spiritual reasons while others do it for its physical, physiological and psychological benefits. But whatever their purpose for practicing yoga maybe, one thing is certain: it makes people feel real good.
