How to keep your Yoga Mojo
Starting a committed yoga practice can be an inspirational experience. All is new, the body starts to change with the demanding daily practice and you feel great energy and new power. Many yogis start the practice because of the physical benefits it brings, but with time, experience that there is so much more to it. It starts with small lifestyle changes, like going to bed earlier to wake up for practice, not eating a late dinner to feel lighter in the morning, skipping the party as you’ve got to practice early the next day. After a while, it seems that all your choices are made consciously, to fit into your yoga lifestyle. Many yogis even go through breakthrough changes like quitting smoking, alcohol or drugs. Yoga can be a path to a better life, a kinder approach to yourself and those around you.
The first months or even years of practice bring so many new things into your life that it is easy to stay motivated and inspired, and never skip a day on the mat.. You are discovering a whole new lifestyle which makes you feel good in your body and better in your everyday. Life becomes more balanced, you start to live more consciously, seeing how your choices impact the world. As we learn more about yoga, going deeper in self-study, it all transfers into a way to live, the yoga path.
Living the life of yoga is staying committed to the philosophy it brings, following all of the eight limbs. Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dhyana, Dharana, Samadhi. Read more about these in my blog post “Yoga off the mat”. The Asana practice is only one of the eight limbs, but it is very important. To have a balanced daily asana practice, we also need to practice the other limbs, it is all connected, a truly holistic practice. First and foremost you need to show up every day on your mat. This needs great dedication from a yogi, it is part of the practice of tapas – self-discipline, one of the Niyamas. The energy that we find in the newly discovered path keeps us going, helps find that much-needed motivation. But, what happens as the years go by, how to make this a lifetime practice?
Today, I wanted to focus on ways to stay inspired and motivated over the years, on how to maintain a balanced practice. As time goes by and life happens, with all its ups and downs, it is easy to stumble somewhere on the way. You might find you practice less, skip days and at some point, just lose that sparkle you once felt. So, how do we keep our Yoga Mojo?
It has been 7 years since I have started a committed practice of Ashtanga Yoga, and it has been a real journey. I have gone through periods of great insight, where everything just came together, and practice flowed, but also there were times when it felt like a burden, this path that I chose. I am constantly learning and trying to find my own balance in this lifestyle, in this journey of yoga. But I know that yoga has made me who I am today, it has helped me find my true self and live accordingly to my beliefs. Staying true on the yoga path, choosing it as a lifestyle is not always easy. We all need to find our own ways to help us stay on it, true to ourselves and the practice. Below I am listing ways that help me keep my Yoga mojo.
Make your practice a daily habit
It’s not possible to be constantly motivated and full of energy, so on days when your power is low, you need to be able to rely on something else. Make your practice into a daily habit, like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. If you stay committed for a long time, practice the 6-days a week, traditional to Ashtangis, then with time it will become a real habit, something you will not question. It needs to become automatic in the sense, where you just roll out your mat and and start with chanting “Om”. Everything else will come, “Practice, practice and all is coming” K.Pattabhi Jois
a well-grounded practice
For yoga to become a lifetime practice, it needs to be well grounded. Set on a fundament of a path true to the yoga philosophy. The practice needs to go deeper than the asana. It has to be much more than the physical to keep you with it through all the good and bad times. My teacher, Sharathji, says that we should focus on practicing the first four limbs of yoga and the second four will come naturally. So, start with the asana, add pranayama, daily breathing techniques. According to the Yoga Sutras, being able to control the breath is the first step to controlling our mind. Study the Yamas and Niyamas, the do’s and don’ts of yoga, a guide to live a path of yoga. Learn what they mean to you personally and stay true to them. Practice them daily.
a healthy & balanced practice
It’s not possible to practice every day at your 100%, to always give it all you’ve got. So, we need to find the balance between pushing ourselves and listening to our body by practicing with kindness and compassion. If we constantly push, day after day, then this will most probably either lead to injury from overexertion, or to losing your power at some point. Remember that you need to listen to your inner teacher, knowing where your own limit is and not hurting yourself in this practice. It is supposed to help us have a healthy body, it’s not about looking amazing in very advanced asanas on Instagram, that is only making shapes. The real yoga is happening on the inside. In the physical practice we need to be conscious of our body’s limitations and know that progress happens in time, and in yoga it is very often a long time! So, appreciate the little changes, and just be in the moment with your breath. The asana practice can become a moving meditation, a way to connect with yourself on a daily basis.
Always a student
For the past three years I have been teaching yoga, which has become a practice of its own. I am truly happy to be able to share what I am most passionate about, and this also helps me keep motivated in my own practice. I think that in order to be a good teacher you need to firstly have a stable and committed practice yourself. If you go through the highs and lows yourself, go through your own journey, then you can truly be there for your students with compassion and understanding. Most importantly I need to remember that I’ll always be a student, learning from my own teacher. There needs to be an openness and willingness to learn and change your approach if needed, being able to admit you were wrong. I am constantly learning and will always continue growing my understanding of this practice.
Another thing about being a student is finding your own teacher. Someone who will keep you inspired and aproach you with understanding, but also push you, when needed. Practicing regularly with your teacher in a Mysore group, is something not all of can do. So, even if it’s just once in a while, it is a must for me. Practicing together in a community of yogis is something that gives so much energy that we can share with each other. It is the true magic of Ashtanga Yoga.
Learn to let go
The asana practice can be very beautiful, I do not mean to the eye of others, but in your heart. The way you feel when you practice can be magical; it can even become a daily worship of life, a way to be grateful and happy. But the way we practice will change in time, during the seasons of the year, as the years pass by, as our bodies change. It is important to learn to accept these changes. If you put on a bit of weight, you might not be able to bind where you used to. If you get an injury, you will need to change your approach and learn to practice differently, to help you heal and get better. A pregnant practitioner will need to modify her practice completely during and after the pregnancy. As we grow older, our bodies will also change. The practice needs to be flexible, it needs to change together with us. In order for this to happen we need to practice Santosha, contentment. Being content in the present moment, whatever it may hold. Being happy that you are on the mat practicing and not worrying how it looks or if it used to be easier in the past. Sometimes, we might need to let go of some postures, due to an injury or change in our life. So again, we return to practicing yoga philosophy in real life. Practicing aparigraha, non possessiveness, non greed. Mentally letting go of the postures that don’t suit our body anymore and going on.
Each yogi needs to find their own way to keep going, to practice, practice, practice. Not only asana, but all of yoga. But remember that yoga should make us happier, better people and not the other way around, so let’s not be too serious in our practice, just enjoy it. Namaste.