Multi-Dimensional Yoga Practice
There are so many different methods of yoga out there these days, and even more different types of teachers. And thank goodness for that, because there are just as many different types of students. I am someone who believes that there is a yoga for everyone, you just have to find it! It can take a while, sometimes years, before a student finds the right method, teacher, class for them.
The key is to recognize how you approach your yoga practice, and then search for experiences that take you further. According to Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras, an ancient yogic text often considered to be the quintessential guide to practitioners, yoga is restraining the tendencies of the mind. Yoga asks us to identify our tendencies and get out of the groove of our comfort zones, what he calls, samskara. Yoga is a practice of self-transformation. There is no growth when we stick to what we know, what we have always done. It is in the unknown spaces that we discover ourselves.
I see four primary ways that people interact with their world, other people, and themselves. They are Physically, Intellectually, Emotionally, and Spiritually. While we undoubtedly have a combination of these factors influencing our lives, there is probably one that takes the lead. Think about the environments that you feel most comfortable in, your career, your favorite school subjects, your hobbies and interests. Your influencing characteristic will also guide your choice of yoga class. Do you prefer a method that is more alignment based, or energetic? Something vigorous or something restorative? Do you prefer a teacher that focuses on anatomy or one that speaks of more metaphysical directions?
It is easy to settle into a class that feeds our tendencies, the way we are most comfortable connecting to ourselves. We love taking classes with teachers whose sequences happen to be all of the poses we can actually do and enjoy doing! But then, where is the growth? If there is no space to assess ourselves through new experiences, we are missing out on the opportunity to evolve, and this is the true intention of any yoga method - to move beyond the self that we think we know, to get to know the true nature of the self.
A truly beneficial method, teacher, or class, is one that provides enough of what is familiar to you to give you a sense of comfort and trust, to allow you to connect but also encourages you to experience yourself in other ways. The word “yoga” is often translated to mean union. The experience of yoga is a union of all aspects of the self - the body, the mind, the heart, and the soul. It may be a bit scary to step into unknown experiences. In fact, it probably should be! Certainly it should challenge you.
Yoga should aim to move you beyond what you think you know, to what you had no idea was already there. This may mean you discover that your body is more capable than you thought, or that you actually really enjoy meditation, or maybe that you enjoy studying philosophies and reading texts. You are more than your body, a collection of muscles and bones - more than your anatomy. You are more than data gathering and questions - more than your thoughts. You are more than your senses, your desires, and expressions - more than your feelings. You are more than philosophies and ideas - more than your beliefs. You are a combination of these and beyond them at the same time. You are a being having experiences, don’t limit yourself as to how you receive them. Explore them all!
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