Just Yoking
/Dear Yogis.
The definition of yoga is often given to be ‘yoke’ or ‘union’. It isn't a definition I can relate to! Yoga philosophy says that there is a universal and absolute consciousness that we have departed from and need to regain access to! Uh oh! This loses me. I wasn’t brought up with the idea of a God or supreme being and, for me, that ‘union’ idea isn’t working. On the other hand, there is a spiritual side of life that I want to access and be better at.
I found a Ted Talk which gives a really nice and useable analogy of the ‘yoke’; it’s like harnessing an animal to a cart. In this analogy, the animal is the untamed mind – the beast that runs amok and leads you along every erroneous path, to unwise associations, airless attachments and unsuitable jobs and pursuits. The reigns represent a higher awareness. Yoga is the process of yoking that higher consciousness to all of those unhelpful habits, impulses and non-thinking actions. You develop those reigns in yoga! Our practice on the mat is about getting noisy thoughts to settle and allowing the mind to be a more useful instrument, a less disobliging instrument!
The Ted Talk was by Aimee Bohn, called Recognizing Your Self Through Yoga. It’s a nice little talk, explaining yoga’s roots in tantric philosophy and how the idea of supreme consciousness worked for the Tantrics. For us, she finishes up with the message that “Tantra looks at life as a supreme gift in which we get to do what the Divine does; become ever more refined versions of ourselves”. That’ll do!
Zoom Classes
Fancy an Ashtanga class today at 4.30? Round off your week with a little self-care! For any class on any day, you can book all classes here.
Workshops
I’ve signed up for this: A Conversation with David Williams on his book My Search For Yoga. It’s online tomorrow, Saturday, February 27 at 18:00 GMT (Not for the fainthearted! 1 hour 30 minutes). David Williams was one of the very first students to arrive in Mysore to study with Pattabhi Jois in 1973. He has a lot of entertaining stories. It’s £15 to sign up. Join me!
Yoga in the news
The Telegraph has: Tess Daly on yoga, body confidence issues and being inspired by Bruce Forsyth to stay active.” I’m in my fifties and I feel exactly the same as I did in my thirties. I know I look different, but working out and yoga is all about maintaining that sense of well-being and quality of life. It makes me feel stronger physically, and health is everything – we have nothing without it.”
Stars and Stripes has: Army tests fitness benefits of yoga and meditation in basic training. “The yoga training aligned with the Army’s new comprehensive health and fitness program, introduced to accompany the service’s first overhaul of its fitness test in four decades. The Holistic Health and Fitness System is intended to help reduce injuries, obesity, chronic sleep deprivation and mental illness, an Army statement said. Declining fitness among American youth, including huge jumps in the rate of first-time failures on modified fitness tests given to basic trainees from 2000 to 2010, was also cited as driving the need for a new approach”.
Have a sunny weekend!
