Monthly Archives: October 2014

How to Live Like a Yogi

Leave a reply

Living the life of a yogi doesn’t mean you have to carry your mat with you and roll it out every chance you get. Neither do you need to live in a cave or wear a loincloth; you don’t even have to be all that flexible. There are many misconceptions about how true yogis choose to live their lives and some of the greatest yogis ever might not have even known what a yoga mat is. Here are some commonalities that yogis throughout antiquity shared with those alive today.

How to Live Like a Yogi

Start your day with a sunrise

  • *Rise and shine. Get up early in the morning and accomplish something, even if it’s just watching the sun come up. Simply watching the sun rise helps you remember that the world is a mysterious place and although it sometimes seems chaotic there is a great sense of harmonious order and you are part of the symphony. Marveling at something beautiful in nature is also an awesome way to start your day. By doing this we learn to appreciate life and all its inter-connectedness and learn to grateful for just being alive. The fact that you are alive today is a miracle in itself. So, yogis think about connection, and appreciate all life.
  • *Remember to nourish your body well with good food that suits your dosha. The food you eat gets digested and then becomes part of you and you become part of your food. When you choose your food, also consider the amount of energy and work went in to finding and preparing that food. Everything affects the food you eat; the amount of hands that have touched it or the miles it has travelled or maybe the just how the power of the sun created it or made it grow. Regardless of whether you or someone else prepares your food, assure that the food been made with love? A yogi always does their best to make wise choices for their body.
  • *Get in the habit of spending some quality time every day in contemplation and/or meditation. Don’t fall prey to rushing through life not even considering where you’re going. Set your intention for each day. When you do this your life will naturally become clearer and have more meaning.
  • *Be kind, exercise empathy. The first commandment of a true yogi’s practice is to be kind. Start by being kind to yourself and then be kind to others. The Dalai Lama has been quotes as saying that his religion was kindness. It is possible for us to be kind all day, every day.
  • *Look within. Yoga is a journey of the self finding the Self. Even the purpose of the physical aspect of yoga (asana) is not necessarily to make you bend further, but to use the poses (asanas), techniques and sequences to rid yourself of toxins and harmful elements that contaminate your inner, spiritual life and bring you closer to your true benevolence. Self-knowledge is one of the greatest of all spiritual practices. In this practice we learn to trust our own inherent inner wisdom, stop blaming the (outside) world for our situations and ultimately break completely free from our habitual identify with negative thought patterns.

So, start this practice today and begin to live like a true yogi: Be kind, nourish your body, cherish nature, and contemplate yourself and your connection to the world and those around you.

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500

Yoga Should Be Fun Too!

Leave a reply
Yoga Should Be Fun Too!

Lighten up your practice

Most people tend to be little too serious about their yoga asana practice, but adding some fun to their routine (or sequences) helps them to relax and lighten up.  All across the US, yoga teachers and their studios are now recognizing that a bit of humor can help a yoga businesses thrive, not only by attracting new students but also by keeping them coming back. Students and teachers both to laugh and they soon realize that it helps them relax their muscles, surrender to their practice, and take themselves, and their practice less serious.

There are even scientific studies that show that laughter has the very similar effects as asana practice. They have both proven to lower blood pressure, reduce the production of stress hormones, boost immunity, and reduce pain, plus the actual physical act of laughter can be easily be looked upon as a form of spontaneous Pranayama (yogic breathing).

So, just how can you use humor improve your yoga asana practice? The Sanskrit word for play is leela and when we infuse leela into our yoga sessions we get more creative and broaden our possibilities.  Humor helps us laugh off those poses we can’t seem to get right and helps us to take delight in them when we finally do get them right; it also helps us brave asanas that we’ve never approached before.

Whenever we’re laughing, we are present with the moment and leela can also help us achieve one of the core purposes of yoga which is to stay focused on the here and now.

Successful yoga teachers like to spice up their business with an occasional laugh or two and here are some tips that you can use to help your students “enlighten up.”

  • – When the opportunity presents itself, tell a short joke or relate a funny story, just keep it light easy so doesn’t feel forced.
  • – Facial expressions can often bring an element of silliness to an otherwise awkward situation.
  • – When your students arrive, greet them with cheerful smiles and a friendly hello or welcome.
  • – Add bright and colorful décor to your studio, and watch your students come flocking back for more. Bringing in as much natural light (especially sunshine) as possible makes the space even more cheerful.
  • – If you see someone is having a hard time with a certain pose, tell them to check in the corner of their mouths, there’s probably a smile hiding there.
  • – Have your students introduce themselves to their neighbors before the beginning of class and then encourage them to partner-up, both on and off the mat.
  • – A slight bit of innocent misbehavior and free expression in class often makes practice more fun and playful.
  • – Don’t forget to laugh at yourself, it nurtures joy in yourself and by showing that you are responsible for your own happiness and healing you’ll be able to transmit that message on through your teaching practice.

Yoga asana practice should be a transformational experience, helping students to achieve calm and balanced minds, while they build strong and flexible bodies. But remember to keep your philosophy simple by reminding yourself that yoga should also be fun!

*Rae Indigo is ERYT500