What a confusing headline for an article I hear you say, what on earth does this writer even mean? Well, if you continue to read on, all shall be revealed.
I stumbled upon this idea during one of my morning Mysore practices in the City. Aside from my normal question that I pose to myself; how does one avoid feeling useless during this practice? I remained hopeful because I’d actually manage to turn up. Speaking as person armed with the best of intentions I struggle to keep up a regular practice but even harder than consistency in my practice, I struggle with early mornings. To appear at all at that time is an achievement and I recently decided that if I could turn myself into a morning person then I stood a better chance of sustaining a regular practice.
Beaming with pride during this particular practice session I waited patiently for my teacher’s observation of my consistent attendance record. I know this isn’t very yogic like and indulging in the ego but this is just what goes on in the workings of my mind.
Well it was noted alright but my teacher threw a spanner in the workings of my mind too by reminding me that it was a spiritual practice and that one should practice from a heartfelt place. Added to that she told me that I shouldn’t practice out of obligation but I should take to my mat with joy. Not to practice in order to achieve or improve anything but through the sheer enjoyment of it.
I found this very profound and heart warming but at the same time a little disturbing. Why am I disturbed by this news? Well, because almost everything I do comes from place and sense of purpose. For example; my life, I spend my entirety looking for purpose for my existence. As I continue to evolve as a human being on this planet I look for the reward at the end of the dirt trodden road in order to keep me going. What’s the point in continuing the hardship, the slog, the effort even if there’s absolutely no need at all for it? I realise now that this could turn into a philosophical debate on what is the meaning of life so I shall bring it back to what is the meaning of yoga.
I’ve spent a long time pondering this idea about practicing yoga with no purpose in mind and so much so that when I first thought of using the idea for an article I was lost for words. However, after longer consideration here’s my personal opinion, why I believe it’s important to practice yoga for absolutely no reason at all.
1. Enjoyment returns.
Not related to yoga but related to this article, I remember going on a date once with a rather interesting character. Yes, we asked all those superficial questions about one another like you do on first dates but I was taken aback by some of my date’s answers. When I asked him about his hobbies and interests they were plentiful; drumming, Spanish, cooking, poetry etc. This caught my interest and so I continued to follow up on this vast list of activities. Before my further questioning I assumed that this man was either in a band or moving to Spain. My mind became curious as to his need to attend so many lessons in a variety of subjects. However, what it all came down to was no reason at all. This chap just loved the sound of the Spanish language, there were no Spanish friends (as of yet) or purpose for his Spanish lessons. It was the same with his drumming lessons. There was no ambition to add a fifth member to One Direction it was just for pure enjoyment of learning to play this instrument. I noted that this inquisitive mind didn’t necessarily want to master his skill but was happy to enjoy the fulfilment of learning.
I admired him immensely for his attitude but did ponder his method, was it madness? Why would you give up valuable time to learn something that is potentially at times hard if you had no intention of moving forward with this new skill? It provoked me into thinking; by taking the pressure off oneself and studying a subject through the sheer love or passion of it how great that must actually be.
Admiring beauty without being a part of it. In the way that one would watch a ballerina performing and observing the beauty in the performance. The music matched with the movement, with all the senses in the body heightened and enlightened it becomes breath taking. However, one is not a part necessarily of this performance but is still able to enjoy it from afar. How uplifting and liberating it must be to enjoy doing something without looking for the purpose or reward behind it.
I’ve thought about my own life, the everyday things that I cease to enjoy at times because they have become chores. For example dog walking. I love my dog and I love walking but it becomes a chore to take him out if the walking has a purpose. However, if remind myself that by having a dog and having a purpose to take him out it actually forces me to take time out of my everyday life to enjoy the beauty in the park and enjoy him then I’m able to sit back observe and enjoy. This is just one small example but you can add your own.
2. Removes ego.
I appreciate that not all people practice yoga for self realisation or to obtain enlightenment. I’m not even sure my reasons are always pure. Sometimes I practice because if I’m honest I want to become better at it. I always want to set an example for the students I teach. Sometimes I practice yoga for its physical benefits to the body and sometimes I practice because I want to feel that warm cosy feeling that you sometimes get afterwards. Some of these reasons are superficial and shallow but I wouldn’t be human or honest if I didn’t acknowledge them.
By having this attachment to these benefits it affects my mood. If I cannot obtain whatever it is I’m hoping to obtain from my practice then maybe I start to feel a failure.
By wanting to get better at my practice it puts huge pressure on me and sometimes during those moments I start to look around comparing myself with others in order to measure my progress. It’s in those moments that I’m caught up in their moment, their beauty and elegance. Observing how they move from one posture to the next, admiring their grace and fluidity and realising that I don’t yet have that. It’s in those same moments that I feel this negative emotion pour out of me; I’ll never be able to move like that, achieve that, what have they done in this life time to achieve that, how can I achieve it. Suddenly my yoga practice has become a competition and already I’ve decided I’m no good to compete.
Other times I get frustrated when trying to obtain alignment or achieve a full posture. I judge myself, I judge others around me and it’s no longer yoga because I’ve lost all essence of it.
If I practice yoga to get “that feeling” then I’m not accepting where I’m currently at or what I’m currently feeling. I’m putting pressure on myself to feel good. This has to feel “good”. I have to feel; peaceful, warm and fuzzy at the end otherwise it isn’t yoga. What a pressure and what labels I’ve put on everything rather than simply letting it be and evolve.
3. Letting life evolve.
I’ve read many books by Eckhart Tolley and Louise Hay about the power of the mind, the universe and trusting in it to bring fulfilment and happiness. I want to allow things to evolve but I find at times this to be hard to put into practice – literally.
There are times when I’m not happy with my physical body and my mind set so I decide to take to my mat for yoga, for inspiration. In order for me to better myself physically and mentally I practice because I believe that all really is coming. I really do believe that however, by believing in that I’m waiting not so patiently for what is coming. When I think about my life and how I chose to live it this is what I’ve spent my lifetime thinking about; purpose, meaning and reward. I wonder if by thinking in such a way I’ve missed those beautiful moments in between.
A personal example of this is my quest to find love. Not content with the love that is already in my life; my beautiful mother, dog Taz and my love that I have for my work. I wanted to meet “the one”. Due to my need to make this meeting of my soul mate happen I’ve no doubt missed subtle opportunities that have come my way. I’ve tried to put myself in the right place at the right time. It was only when I met someone on the internet and had already said to myself this isn’t going to be the one that I met someone really special.
If you take to your mat with a specific outcome in mind and are only narrow minded to seek that then you will miss the beautiful achievements and changes along the way. I’m starting to find the beauty in my own struggles during my yoga practice. It brings me closer to the people that walk through my door that I teach. I’ve found my own little unique way of easing into some of the postures that I can now offer to others that have their own struggles too.
4. Space.
I’m not talking about the life on other planets I’m talking about the bits in between; inhaling and exhaling. By taking to your mat for no reason you can give yourself space. Exactly what you would expect (although don’t expect it of course) from a moving meditation – space.
We all lead such busy lives. At times there seems to be no room in our lives for anything or anybody else but our own immediate friends and family. Sometimes we move from one week to the next and wonder how got there, how did we manage to get it all done. Maybe we didn’t get everything done. What did we have to sacrifice this time in order to finish a project and pay the bills? What demands have put upon ourselves and each other for tomorrow? What expectations have we in this present moment?
We do and think about all of this when all we really want is peace of mind and space to literally breathe. Let’s allow ourselves the space to breathe and to move freely within our own bodies. Let’s provide the time for ourselves to think clearly without anything binding us. Sometimes these chains that we’ve built around our body come from the mindset that we’ve been living everyday and it and it has impacted upon our own body.
Ahhhh breath and enjoy the space.
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