Everything We Offer Has Direction & Purpose
It needs to be made clear that Yoga isn’t random! This week’s podcast talks all about how we make sure all we do at the studio has direction. The disjointed Yoga offering that is out there can be so confusing. Therefore, it leads people to believe there is no progression in Yoga other than becoming more flexible.
THAT IS NOT THE CASE!
If most of your ideas about Yoga are formed by gym classes or YouTube Yoga you are not alone. Beacause this is where the majority of us start with our Yoga practice, we all form these misconceptions.
What are the misconceptions in Yoga?
There are many misconceptions in Yoga and because of this a lot of the tradition is diluted or forgotten. Here are a few:
Yoga is stretching – yes, there is stretching involved in Yoga. No, Yoga is not just stretching. Yoga is a journey of mind, breath and body. Therefore, Yoga is about much more than just the physical.
- Yoga is random – NO! You may find this opinion is formed by doing random classes online, or by practicing at a gym where there is no theme to a class. If practicing correctly, there is a direction to each class individually and as a collective. The individual class may be leading to calming the mind, building resilience, controlling the breath e.t.c. As a collective the classes should lead to one goal. Connection with body, mind and breath… therefore connection to yourself.
- The end goal of Yoga is fitness – this is a huge misconception in Yoga. The end goal has nothing to do with your physical body. Yoga is the journey back to yourself, and the end goal is complete connection to who you are. Yoga is way more about the mind than anything else.
- There is no pathway to Yoga – if practicing Yoga properly, there will always be a pathway. For example, Hatha Yoga is a journey through 3 different stages called Moon practice, Sun practice and Fire practice. As you move up the stages the practices become more and more subtle. Creating a deep connection to who you are underneath everything.
- Yoga and Meditation are separate things – this is not the case. Yoga is meditation, in fact some of the more subtle Yoga practices are just meditation. Raja Yoga is a style of Yoga focused on meditation, and Raja Yoga is actually the end goal Yoga practice.
Yoga isn’t random
Yoga is presented in the modern world as a new fitness alternative but that’s not all it is. It’s a lifestyle and a practice that takes you on a journey of breath, body and mind.
This means practices of self care (such as Ayurvedic techniques), diet, your worldview, and daily practicem all create a Yogi. It’s not just about what you do on the mat, but how you live your life.
Here at Yoga Local we try to offer as much as we can to give you the opportunities to expand your Yoga practice beyond your mat.
How we do things differently
Everything we offer is given to you in an intentional way, whether that is to take you through a specific journey or maybe to relate to the current goings on in the world.
One thing we know the Yoga world is lacking in is intention and direction for your practice. Therefore, it often feels like classes are random and not leading to anything, and many teachings are not even mentioned.
Because of this, we want to do things differently here. We want your practice to mean something, and to be directing you somewhere. This includes the other teachings we include from the Yoga philosophy such as Ayurveda!
Ayurveda and Yoga go hand in hand. We don’t include Ayurveda talks and detox’s to our timetable for no reason! Ayurveda can enhance your Yoga practice by eliminating toxic build up and emotional density that holds us back. Josie explains more about this on this week’s podcast.
Check out this week’s podcast where Josie explains the rhyme and reason behind everything we teach here, and how our upcoming events relate to this.
