What is yoga?
For many people 'yoga' is thought of as a class you do that lasts about an hour, in which you perform postures (asanas). It is supposed to make you feel relaxed, happier, stronger, healthier and more flexible.
And yes that is part of it, but yoga is also so much more than just that...
Yoga is not about already having a capable and flexible body to do complicated postures. This belief keeps many people from trying yoga, which is a shame because yoga is for everyone.
So what is yoga for me?
- It is about being aware of whatever I do, including a yoga posture.
- It is about connecting with my breath.
- It is about accepting feelings, thoughts, emotions, fears, judgments and pain. Not from my mind, but from my being.
- It is about working with my longing to know reality, my longing to be home, right where I am.
- It is about listening to my body when it talks to me through tension or fatigue and giving the body what it needs when it does.
- It is the practice of quieting the mind.
- It is about enjoying strength and flexibility, physically, emotionally and mentally.
- It is about connecting to the source of the body - the here and now - so the body can stay strong, energetic and healthy.
- It is being present when there is pain, allowing it fully without running away, understanding that pain is as much a part of life as happiness.
- It is about being present with happiness, without the fear of losing it; fully embracing it, knowing that that too shall pass.
- It is bringing together body, mind and breath.
- It is connection with myself, life and the present.
- It is about seeing the miracle that life is, and that life is much more than just the story of “me and my life”.
- It is about seeing/realizing that we are all made of the same substance, so I can see myself in everyone and everything.
- It is about seeing that everything changes, understanding the impermanence of life and knowing I am not that what changes. I am that what observes the changes.
- It is ultimately about seeing myself in everything, without holding on to a separate identity.
I'd love to know your thoughts: what is yoga for you?
Practice beyond the asanas
For our members. If you feel inspired to explore yoga on a deeper level then why not try my program: Freedom Series. This program of 9 classes is built up around spiritual concepts in yoga, combining it with our physical practice. Explore key philosophical teachings in yoga with a great physical challenge.
Love,
Esther x
Esther Ekhart, face and founder of EkhartYoga, brings years of personal yoga and meditation practice, therapy training and study of yoga philosophy into her teaching.
Artikel veröffentlicht: 22.06.2014|überarbeitet: 02.04.2021
Kommentare zu diesem Artikel
Esther25.06.2014
Thank you so much for sharing Annemarie and Jane! Love to hear your stories.. x
Esther23.06.2014
Thank you Noreen! I love what you discover... xxx
Vera27.06.2014
Yoga is peace of mind!
Anne Berit04.08.2015
Yoga is eveything on this list and no matter what your starting point is, the rest will find its way into, and enrichen you and your life. By realising more and more of our own nature and behavioural patterns it becomes so much easier to see other people, too, and letting go of our judging of every one and every thing. Yoga, is potentially a great way to a sense of freedom, which in my opinion, is the closest thing we could ever come to "control" which seems to be such an important thing to so many people. Got to love the irony in that :-)
Still, for me, the one thing that makes the difference, what makes a yoga practice more than physical exercise is the guidance of the teacher. When there is little or maybe no connection between the physical body and the emotions it is very helpful to have someone, something to point us in the direction and offer some explanation as to what we might experience in addition to the physical aspect. Modern culture and life style, growing up, being brought up, turning into adults often means learning to suppress and/or redirect our emotions. Having these returning, sometimes full force, during a practice can be both overwhelming and scary, even if it is super useful. A wise and knowledgable teacher is crucial to the outcome. Ekhartyoga has a brilliant and versatile group of teachers, presenting and explaining the basic philosophy from different perspectives and backgrounds. Yoga is indeed for everyone, everyone desiring better health, growth, freedom and more quality of life, that is :-)
Annemarie24.06.2014
Yoga for me is..
exploring yoga, this changed my life in a positive way.
I have pituitary gland hypofuction, which affects all the glands in my body, the different medications helps me to live a normal life, but I always was tired, the tendency to store water in my body, and tendency to be a bit depressive.
Yoga changed this fundamental. I started doing yoga 2010, and this was like someone pushed the right button!! I am awake, I am full of energy, I am balanced, I am fit, no medicin could give me this!!
I also have a stressful job, many people around me, sometimes felt like the suck my energy... When I practice yoga regular,I feel grounded and safe with myself :) This is such a big difference!
As a perfectionist - I am - it is a THE challenge for me, to not overforce my body.. this I also learned (and I am still learning) by doing yoga.
So Yoga for me as healing for body and mind, centering and getting to know the boundarys on mental and physical leve.
I am so thankful for Yoga, and also for all of you at EkhartYoga ♥
Jane24.06.2014
Thank you for sharing your yoga practice with us, Esther. Only a few months back, asanas play the only role in my yoga practice. But more recently, I discovered that setting intentions and focusing on these intentions helped me act more kindly and compassionately towards others. Sure, I can still be quick-tempered and impatient. However, I noticed how more mindful I am about these negative emotions and how my practice allows me to just observe them without attachment, without judgment. As a result, I noticed how easily I can let go of these negative emotions. This is yoga for me at present. I am sure I will discover more in my journey as I deepen my practice. More power and lots of love to you and your team! Namaste.
Alessia26.06.2014
(changing the perspective....sorry :))
Alessia26.06.2014
Yoga for me is...Changing the perspection and discovering the power of gratefulness for what I have. I suffer from anxiety and practice helped me to understand that I often stick to worrying thoughts and fear of future, while my life happens with a lot of wonderful things, people, emotions. Yoga for me is also the power to let go, but this is still the most difficult part (but the most fascinating!)
Thank you so much Esther, I truly can't almost live without your videos ;))
I apologize if my english is not perfect
Namaste
Alessia
Nikola27.06.2014
Thank your for this beautiful insight, Esther!
To me, coming from Zen meditation to Yoga practice, Yoga has always been a lot about the mind. Staying focused while letting go, being in the moment while expanding consciousness. Plus, I feel that more and more, it becomes important to me to take my Yoga "off the mat". To connect with the divine part of myself and to extend the principle of "nonharming" to others around me. Not that I'm fully there yet ;-P But I feel that the more I practice Yoga and feel the benefits, I want to share and channel that positive energy that develops.
Love
Nikola
Shobana02.09.2014
Yoga - a saviour that's helping me with my transformation. When I'm on my mat - I can "just be". There is no pretending or trying to be anyone else. It is my raw emotions, keeping my mind focused and accepting what comes. Initially when I started, I realised, on and off the mat, there were so many differences in my character and mindset. And slowly I began to realise, that I love the person I am on my mat, as I can "just be". And slowly that transformed into my daily life.
I have begun to embrace the person I am, practising to accept whatever comes my way, and being in the moment. I still have slip ups and I am still learning, just like how when I fall out of a pose in Yoga, I accept my limitations and keep trying.
A big part that came with this whole process is setting my intentions and focusing on my goals on the mat - also made me a more discipline and organised person with my daily routine.
And Yoga has also been a stepping stone for me to practice meditation and helping me connect with the divinity within.
These experiences and changes within me that I've shared have been a very personal experience and I hope it will inspire more to get on the mat and enjoy the lovely transformation.
Namaste. __/\__
Nikita27.11.2014
Great discussion and post. For me it's a safe place and time. It lets me explore my current mindset and also connect with my body and what it can do. The mind and body are not perfect and I always want to change something, but through yoga you get to connect with what there is in the present.
Noreen23.06.2014
Thank you for sharing Esther. This was really beautiful and thought provoking. I think I am still working out what yoga is to me, but so far, it has been about honesty. It is impossible to lie to myself in yoga...I cannot safely do what my body won't allow, no matter what my "perception" of what I can do is. This has taught me to practice that same honesty in my life, in my actions and decisions as much as possible. Less ego and forcing, more intuition and accepting...which has led me to discover that my limits are flexible and movable. I've realized my "limits" were set by myself but that doesn't make them true (another "lie" to myself). My apologies for the essay! Your ideas really got me thinking :) What I'm starting to realize that life is yoga. Everything thing is an asana - of the mind, of the emotions, of the spirit. And that's lovely. Practice and all is coming indeed.