Yoga: the way back home
In today’s modern society we seem to spend so much time being busy: cramming as many things as we can into each day, always thinking, analysing, and filling our minds with all sorts of plans and information.
There is, of course, a place for all these things. But somewhere along the way we seem to have upset the balance... that beautiful balance between doing and being, thinking and feeling/experiencing, effort and surrender, action and stillness. We seem most of the time to be caught in the external world of form and have forgotten or neglected the formless, timeless, stillness within which holds the simple wonder and joy of being alive.
The practice of yoga is one of many ways to rediscover that balance. It is often thought of as a process of shedding the physical, mental, and emotional tension, which we carry around needlessly - often without even realising that we have it. It also helps us to know the nature of the mind so that we can free ourselves from being trapped by thoughts and egos, and allows us to shed the burden of judgement so that we can speak and act from a place of pure wisdom and compassion.
Of course, this is a life-long process and practice. Life continues to happen, our minds continue to create thoughts and judgements, but through the practice of various forms of yoga, we can continue to shed what is unnecessary and blossom into a beautiful alignment and balance between action and awareness.
Thus, one of the definitions for the term “yoga” (and it happens to be my favourite definition!) is “the way back home”: the way back to the home deep within ourselves where all the knowing we need about loving and living resides.
Learn yoga philosophy online
Would you like to explore the purpose of practicing yoga beyond Asanas, as a road towards self-realization? If so, take a look at Anat Geiger's Fundamentals of Yoga Philosophy course on the YogaEasy Academy.
A suggested program for EkhartYogis...
Give yourself time to bask in the benefits of yoga with our Home Yoga Studio program - 60 minute classes for you to dive in.
Tracey Uber Cook is an internationally recognised yoga and meditation teacher with over two decades of experience helping adults and children maintain joy and wellbeing. She specialises in teaching pranayama/meditation, personal development, yoga philosophy, and yoga accessibility for the whole community.