5 Things to Know About Yoga
There is A LOT to know about yoga, but these five things have been on my mind lately as being the top five things all yogis should know, whether you are just starting your yoga journey or already immersed in yoga:
1. No one is “perfect” at yoga.
Sure there are some people who might be really flexible and can do the crazy bendy poses, or other people who can use their physical strength to nail the hard arm balances, but the truth is that no one is “perfect” at all aspects of yoga—even if seems like it at times.
Yoga is a journey for everyone. The goal of that journey is not to be “perfect,” but to show up consistently for your self, be present in your practice, and work towards improving your life. Since it’s a journey, there will be ups and downs. Some days you might nail the physical aspect of yoga, but you miss out on finding peace in your mind. Other days, you might find mental clarity but your movements are messy. And some days, you might not be able to do either the physical or mental aspects of yoga. And that’s okay; it happens to everyone because each day is going to be different for you. So give yourself grace in your practice and keep showing up for yourself.
2. It doesn’t matter how you look in the pose. It matters how you feel.
Because no one is “perfect” at yoga, and because we all have different bodies, the physical yoga poses are going to look different for every person. The poses might even look different in your body from day to day. Some days you might feel strong and push yourself a bit more. But, some days you might be tired and take a modification in the pose. Those days are going to look very physically different for you, and that’s okay! So, don’t compare yourself to others and don’t judge how you look in the pose—as long as the yoga pose feels good to you and meets the level of effort you can give that day, then you’re doing great!
3. Yoga is about more than just movement.
Traditionally, yoga was more about meditation, mindfulness, and self realization. In fact, the only mention of yoga poses in the early yoga texts are seated postures which were used for meditation. Over time, more movement was added to yoga but the purpose was still focused around mindfulness—the movement was to help prepare the mind and body for longer meditation.
Even now, mindfulness is an important part of yoga. Nowadays, in Western Yoga, most yoga classes are still spent leading up to Savasana, i.e., a resting pose, where you lay down completely still for several minutes at the end of class. The physical stillness of Savasana gives students the opportunity to find mental clarity or incorporate meditation into their yoga practice.
While many students start practicing yoga for the physical benefits and movements, it’s common that students will stay with yoga because of the beneficial effects of the mental clarity and meditation from yoga. As you start to dig deeper into yoga, you will find that there are many other aspects to yoga outside of the physical movement, including meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques), and many ethical principals and yogi teachings which encompass a holistic approach to yoga for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
4. Real progress happens when you apply yoga off your mat.
Since yoga is more than just movement, there are principles of yoga that can be applied to your everyday life, like kindness, patience, truthfulness, and many more. When you start to implement these principles off your yoga mat, you will start to see improvement in how you live and interact with others. You might start to find more peace and contentment. And you will certainly be expanding and progressing in your yoga practice by digging deeper than just the physical aspect of yoga.
5. It’s okay to rest; it’s important to rest.
This might be a controversial statement in today’s society—where being constantly busy is associated with the perception of “success” and being tired is often a symbol of being “hardworking” or “worthy”—but it’s nonetheless true.
Rest is important. To rest is not being lazy. You do not need to earn your rest; you deserve and need to rest. When you rest, you give your body and mind an opportunity to restore and integrate the concepts you learned from your yoga practice or from your day. It gives you time to rejuvenate and balance your energy. In fact, listening to yourself and giving in to rest is an act of self-love that honors your needs and builds your self-awareness. So, take your rest frequently and without guilt.
