I have always loved yoga and wanted to do a teacher training course since my teenage years. Not with an aim to become a yoga instructor or anything, but just to deepen my own practice. And I was fortunate enough to do the yoga certification from ‘The Yoga Institute’, one of the finest yoga schools. During my time over there, I learned so much more than just the cat-cows and down dogs. The life lessons I picked up while practicing on my mat later went on to shape my life. I now take Specialized yoga classes based on the theme ‘Life lessons’, and are a hit. (Yes, as much as it was unplanned I went ahead to become a yoga instructor cum wellness coach, and I love it so much!!)
There is so much I want to include in this article (so freaking much), but it’ll get too overwhelming, so I am going to try and keep it as brief as possible. Here are my favorite takeaways from yoga which work wonders in my daily life, on and off the mat, both!!
Let it go: We hear this all the time, don’t we? “ Let it go, forget about that, don’t think about it…” so on and so forth. Is it as easy as it sounds? No. Worth giving a shot? Definitely yes. Letting go doesn’t mean you should gladly accept someone’s bad behavior. It simply means you should move on with your life, without their behavior affecting your mental peace. Let their rudeness be their baggage, not yours.
There is always something to be grateful for: With all the crazy things going around and a pandemic like Coronavirus affecting us, this would be a rough time for a lot of us. But, one thing I would want to remind you’ll, is that there is always always something to be grateful for. Just take a minute, reflect on your life and think of all the good things you are lucky to have. Be grateful for things as simple as having a proper meal, or having a family who has your back. When you are grateful, good things become better and the simple joys of life become magical!! What are you thankful for today?
Be present, you’ll never get this moment again: The only way to get the best out of a yoga practice is by being present. Focusing on one breath, one movement, and one asana at a time. No other thoughts of the past, and no worries about the next step. And similarly, to get the best out of our lives, we need to live in the present. One breath at a time, one task at a time.
Balance is the key to getting things done: It is very important to have good balance when attempting the tree pose or even more so if you’re aiming for a headstand. Little do we realize that the art of balance is equally important in our daily lives. Be it the work-life balance or striking the right balance between dieting and eating desserts. A balanced life not only gifts you mental, physical and emotional peace but a better professional life, happier relationships, and a contented life.
You need Patience for wonderful things: I get so many students who want to get into headstands within days after joining yoga. ( I am myself guilty of doing something similar in the past.) But now I know better. This lack of patience is a sure shot recipe for yoga-related injuries, and I can’t imagine it being any different in our daily lives too!
Consistency is what transforms ‘average’ into ‘excellence’: The most successful of the Yogis are the ones who showed up on their mat, every single day. Not because they were super flexible, or had great strength. Similarly, talking about life outside the mat, success comes to those who show consistency in their work, without any excuses, not letting the external factors affect their determination.
Go with the flow: No two yoga sessions can ever be the same. And yet, each one can make us feel amazing. That is because we decide to go with the flow. And like every other yoga learning, this one also works wonderfully off the mat. When we move along with the events of life and enjoying the natural flow, we can get the best out of what we have.
Sometimes it’s not about how things look, but about they feel: A warrior pose looks amazing, but there are times when a simple child pose makes you feel better. It’s these examples we need to remember when we are stuck and have to make some tough decisions. One thing might appeal to the people and the other one might appeal to you. Choose what feels good for you, always. Nobody knows you better than you.
You just can’t compare your life with others: Different students on different mats learn yoga at their own respective paces, find their own little modifications, different from the rest, like to experiment with various forms of yoga and attain the same poses at different ages. And there’s absolutely no competition. Then why do we compare ourselves with others off our mats??
It is truly said, “Yoga is a journey of the self, through the self, to the self”. I hope you too have an amazing one!!
