Why Yoga is More than Asanas and Tips for Creating a Movement Routine

I don’t usually discuss much yoga or its philosophical teachings. For me yoga is my main form of movement or physical activity but at the same time a way of life. It’s wonderful how physical practice helps to heal and strengthen the body but mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits mean more to me. Asanas (the Sanskrit word for posture) are certainly not the most important thing. They will come and go like our physical bodies. 

Personally I don’t mind what brings people to my classes. Everyone will benefit from it. Originally yoga was meant to be the study of the mind. Different schools, lineages, and teachers are probably going to give a slightly different answer to the question what yoga is. Yet, the overall purpose is to learn, understand and master the mind. Yoga teaches you to become the observer or seer of your mind. If you are truly interested in yoga or meditation, I highly recommend reading classical texts like a book, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali which consists of almost 200 philosophical and spiritual teachings that are timeless. It’s a book I like to revisit every once in a while.

For me yoga is all about learning to be still and at peace with myself and with the rest of the universe. The physical asanas are there for us to help to focus on being in the present moment with our breath. I would describe yoga as movement meditation. I find traditional seated meditation more challenging because you don’t have any tools there to focus on - you are just there with yourself and with your mind and breath. The yoga postures are very powerful, healing and transforming when practised consistently with deep breathing, intention, and patience. For me the reason to always challenge myself physically with asanas is to be able to breathe and move through any obstacles with mental peace. We can take these mental skills from our yoga mat and use them in our daily life. 

Now that I look back it’s funny how I ended up practising yoga since it certainly wasn’t on my original agenda. But life is unpredictable and sometimes it takes us to places and interactions that can change the trajectory of our lives. I remember someone recommending yoga or meditation when I was still at the university and struggled with my anxious mind and stress. I laughed and responded that I could never do something so boring. Yet, there was something about yoga that began to fascinate me. At that time I was desperate to try anything to find more depth and meaning to my life. I had adopted a very rational and materialistic world view, which made my life feel empty, shallow, and meaningless. I randomly started taking yoga classes almost ten years ago but it wasn’t until the summer 2015 when I committed to it.  The first months were challenging: my spine felt really stiff in the mornings - almost like a bamboo stick - and I struggled with my ego because like many new students I would have wanted to learn everything immediately. Nevertheless, I kept coming back because finally I had found a place where I could feel more safe and at peace with myself. My spine also started to become more flexible and healthy again. Over the years my asana practice has shifted from traditional Ashtanga yoga to more modern vinyasa flow mainly inspired by Shiva Rea and her Prana Vinyasa Flow.

I have always struggled with my mind and yoga has helped me to become more peaceful and less selfish. I am a human being so this certainly does not mean that I wouldn’t be selfish at times. Unfortunately, we live in a world where kindness and compassion are often underrated. This materialistic world tends to reward greediness and egocentrism. However, I know few people - you probably know too - who by their very nature live and breathe yoga. They have never needed to do asana practice. They have always been humble, kind, and extremely loving and compassionate.

Fortunately, daily practice of yoga, meditation and any other spiritual practice or studying of philosophical and ethical questions can help to get there. Yoga teaches you to move with your breath through any emotions, feelings, and thoughts without attachment. Some days are full of joy and excitement, others filled with sadness, darkness, exhaustion, and even fear. That’s the beauty of life. When you learn to conquer your mind on your yoga mat, you can use the exact same tools in your daily life. I cannot emphasise how much yoga has helped me during challenging and transformative times. When days have been dark and almost hopeless I have had this practice to remind me that I am not my body, I am not the mind. As long as I don’t let my mind take over, I will be fine. 

This is something very beautiful and happens slowly over time. Yoga will show you that happiness and peace are already within you, and that genuine joy can be experienced when you serve others, express compassion, and you follow your dharma or purpose in life. The material stuff and status symbols only bring joy temporarily, and we soon want something new and the next thing, and the next thing. Your hungry ghost will never be fully satisfied. I’m still far from perfect and I have issues with my ego, or ahamkara as it’s described in sutras. In this modern world it’s all about finding a healthy balance. It can’t be all about me, me, me and identifying yourself with external things but at the same time if you ignore your self-care routine and only focus on worrying about the planet and spend all your time serving others, you are not showing up as your best version on this planet. We need to take care of ourselves first so that we have the energy to serve others in the long term. We can have and should have goals but these should not come by causing more suffering or violence on the planet. In yoga that is called ahimsa. We coexist with all living beings and we all contribute to the health of our planet. When we start to follow these principles, we can start to see the world differently, through a much wider lens.

The Importance of Keeping Things Fresh 

As I discussed earlier yoga is a way of life and more than asanas. In a way I need a place where I can do crazy circus tricks and have fun, which is probably the reason why I want to do something else outside of my yoga mat. There’s something sacred about yoga and I want to keep things separate. Also, I still want to be a student myself too to remember how it feels when you learn something new so that I can better teach  my students. Since I teach yoga and demonstrate to my students, there’s no need for me to do high intensity workouts, running or anything else strenuous. I like to dance for fun and challenge myself with new tricks. The other reason for taking dance classes again is the fact that teaching yoga is also my ‘job’. I absolutely love teaching it but at the same time I like to do something in my freetime that has nothing to do with asanas.

As I discussed in my recent video, I personally prefer using the word ‘movement’ or ‘physical activity’ instead of talking about exercise or workouts. There are so many ways to move our bodies and we can still get all the essential health benefits. It’s very important to find the thing(s) that you love to do because otherwise it can become a chore and we can soon end up quitting. Yes, this may take time and in my case it certainly did but who cares. It’s better to finally find the most critical corner stones to your life than spend your entire life doing the things that don’t bring any value to your personal life or to this world. 

So here’s a list of a few things to keep in mind when you start incorporating yoga or any other physical activity to your life. 

Start Now

Procrastination is not going to help you - and before you even notice tomorrow can quickly become next week, next month, or next year. 

Fully Commit 

Whether you learn to practise yoga or something else the most important things are consistency, patience, and focus. To progress you want to repeat the same things over and over until you master them. It’s important to commit to something instead of constantly jumping from one thing to the next. This is the cardinal mistake that I used to make all the time in the past - in all areas of my life. At the beginning, yes, you may need to experiment with different things until you find ‘your thing’ but at the same time it’s worthwhile to remember that at some point you need to commit or you will remain at square one for the rest of your life. During your first sessions you are very likely to be confused, clumsy and feel awkward. It will pass. Unfortunately, many of us lack patience today and this can backfire on us in all areas of life: healthy eating, relationships, career, etc. And physical activity is not an exception. You need to keep on practising for years to see the biggest transformation. You may think, ‘I’d love to be able to do that, but that could never be me’ or, ‘what’s wrong with my mind? Why can’t I just have peace of mind?’. Your turn will come when it’s the right time, but you need to be a student first. 

Change Your Mindset 

Have fun with yourself! Learn not to take yourself so seriously - otherwise it won’t be fun! You will wobble and fall. I did and I still do it and that’s part of the journey. When you incorporate movement fully into your life and fully embrace it as a part of you, being patient is no longer an issue because you enjoy moving, and all the amazing things that you accomplish or the tricks you learn are only a big bonus. Take it as an investment in your future and your health. 

Always Challenge Yourself 

Not too much, not too little - just right. If you always take the same group fitness or yoga classes week after week, year after year, you may hit the plateau and lose your interest. Some of us are absolutely fine with this (e.g. if they have a lot going on in their personal lives), but others (especially those who are addicted to dopamine) can soon start to feel bored. If you are willing and capable of learning more challenging tricks and you do not have anyone near you to teach those things, your home practice is essential. Yes, it’s not necessarily going to be easy but it’s not impossible either to learn more advanced things at home. There are many yoga asanas and movements that I have learned at home by practising with videos because I haven’t had the chance to practise with a teacher. 

Find Your Tribe

You want to find people who inspire you. Even better if you have a chance to practise with teachers, instructors, or coaches whose approach and teaching style resonate with you. Try different studios to find the right energy and environment for you - and stay with your main teachers so that they can support you to evolve. Yes, this may not always be possible due to lack of resources or other factors (such as location), but even attending a few workshops per year can tremendously help you to stay motivated on your path.

Hope this post inspired you! Have an amazing day!

Lots of Love!

Resources:

Book:

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali