Most people practice yoga in some form or another, whether they are aware of it or not. It isn’t solely done on the mat. In Ashtanga yoga (aka Patanjali’s classical yoga) there are eight limbs - here’s a brief description of them:
1. Yama: the rules of social behaviour, of which there are five:
Ahimsa: non-violence
Satya: honesty; truthfulness
Aparigraha: non-covetousness
Brahmacharya: control of sensual pleasure; celibacy; sexual restraint; continence
Asteya: freedom from avarice
2. Niyama: the rules of personal behaviour, of which there are five:
Saucha: cleanliness
Tapas: ardour; burning desire; fervent effort
Isvara-pranidhana: the yoga of devotion; surrender of one’s actions and one’s will to God
Santosa: contentment
Svadhyaya: self-study
3. Asana
4. Pranayama: regulation of breath
5. Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses
6. Dharana: concentration
7. Dhyana: meditation
8. Samadhi: nirvana; enlightenment; etc.
I’ll go through some examples of how people practice yoga in their everyday lives.
1. Honesty
Whenever you speak the truth, whenever you are being honest with others and yourself then you are practicing satya.
An example is when an alcoholic goes to an AA meeting. That person is no longer in denial of their problem and, by accepting that, they are being honest with themselves.
2. Pacifism
This is directly in line with the principle of ahimsa. Whenever you choose not to be violent, and not just physically but also verbally, then you are practicing ahimsa.
Ahimsa also applies to yourself. Whenever you take care of your health and safety then you are practicing non-violence. If you eat unhealthy foods, smoke tobacco, work without using PPE, then you are being violent towards yourself and could also be putting others at harm (ex: second-hand smoke).
3. Celibacy
If you practice this then you’re practicing brahmacharya.
However, brahmacharya has different interpretations; it does not have to be about abstaining from sex. When you focus on satisfying your partner and not just yourself then you’re practicing sexual restraint which can be considered brahmacharya.
4. Cleaning
Anytime you clean then you are practicing saucha. Housewives are real yogis with all the shit they have to clean.
Saucha also applies to the body. When you eat healthy foods then you are keeping the body clean. When you exercise then you’re cleansing your internal organs.
5. Work-life balance
When you deprive yourself of sleep, over-exert yourself physically, don’t get enough food, and overall find yourself feeling burned-out then you’re going against the principle of ahimsa.
6. Introspection
Anytime you practice introspection then you’re practicing svadhyaya. This could also include trying new things as you attempt to discover your likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses.
7. Meeting your goals
For example, those who have met their new-year’s resolutions have practiced tapas. When you exercise the determination and perseverance to stick with things when they are tough, when you refuse to give up, then this is tapas.
8. Focus
When you focus on a task without letting your mind wander then this is dharana. This can also be considered brahmacharya if you interpret it to mean allocation of using your resources effectively to achieve your aspiration. To hone our practice of this principle, we must learn to conserve and not waste energy on things that do not serve our purpose. Distraction goes against dharana and brahmacharya.
9. Vegetarianism
This could be considered a practice in non-violence.
10. Religiousness
When a person devotes themselves to a god of their choice, regularly goes to church, and/or prays regularly, then they are practicing isvara-pranidhana.
11. Fighting addiction
This can be considered a practice in pratyahara. The senses are like horses pulling a wagon. You can control the horses or you can let them take you wherever they want. Addiction is when you let your senses control your directions. Taking back control, fighting addiction, is an exercise in pratyahara.
12. Sometimes people practice yoga by the things that they don’t do, which should be obvious with the principles of asteya, aparigraha, and ahimsa.
I’ve said that most everyone practices yoga. Some exceptions are criminals and terrorists. Also, not everyone practices yoga all the time – no one is perfect. I just want people to realize two things: yoga does not end when you leave your mat, and you don’t even have to get on a mat to practice yoga.
How do you practice yoga?
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