As a Yoga teacher trained in Traditional Yoga, one of my roles is that of an educator. Rarely have I met a person who has not, when finding out I’m a Yoga Teacher, start talking about their body. “Ah, I’ve tried yoga, my body isn’t that flexible. I need to get back to it. I used to take classes. My body feels so much better when I do Yoga!” Modern Yoga has narrowed the scope of Yoga to mean ‘tools and techniques,’ usually poses, to get the body more limber and strong. This is where my role as an educator comes in – What is Yoga?

TRADITIONAL YOGA

Traditionally, Yoga is a spiritual path that leads to Self-Realization or knowing the True Self. This is also referred to as ‘enlightenment.’ There are MANY ways to reach this goal, many paths of Yoga. In fact, Hatha Yoga is really one of the only paths of Yoga that actively use the body towards Self-Realization. Most paths don’t.

Some other paths are

• Karma Yoga (path of action)
• Jnana Yoga (path of knowledge)
• Raja Yoga (path of meditation)
• Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion and faith).  

As a Yoga Educator, most of my conversations with people center around broadening the definition of Yoga. I let them know that outside a typical yoga class, most of what I teach is Yoga for the mind, using the body for awareness and interoception. The process is refining the mind to move towards a more subtle and real connection with the self.  Yes, I teach tools and techniques but they are not used to just “feel good,” they are to be practiced over one’s life to transform the mind. And the focus is not the strength and stretching of the body.

WHERE’S PEACE???

That ‘peace’ you want? Well, what’s keeping you from peace isn’t outside of you like situations and people. It’s all about your mind. In order to transform the mind, you have to start to get to know it and build a relationship with it. In fact, the more you do this, the more your interactions with the external world will settle down, become less dramatic. You will feel more at peace within and without.

YOGA CLASS

Did you know that the concept of a ‘yoga class’ didn’t start until the 1920s? This was the birth of Modern Yoga, when some highly trained and knowledgeable Yoga teachers in India started to take Yoga tools and techniques to the masses. These ‘yoga classes’ were to help those with body and mind issues to find health and wellbeing. There was still a holistic and spiritual component to the practices at that point.

Over the years, Yoga has continued to be reduced more and more. The fact that it’s a rare person that knows meditation is an important aspect of Yoga traditionally, is proof of this reduction.

YOGA AS A TRANSFORMATION

Because Traditional Yoga is a path of Self-Realization and a science of the Self, one of the main beliefs is that you already have what you need within to heal, grow, and self-realize. There is nothing inherently ‘wrong’ with anyone.  It’s just life’s conditionings, experiences, desires, and ignorance that leads us away from our True Nature.

The path of Yoga is to discern and let go of those patterns that keep us stuck, keeping us from knowing our Self. This takes time, daily practice, lifestyle changes, and commitment. I have not met a person yet, who has stepped onto this path and stayed in a place of ignorance, feeling lost and stuck. Even just a little bit of learning about Traditional Yoga can start to change your life.

If you are practicing Yoga through yoga classes or are a Yoga Teacher, you already know that yoga helps with wellbeing. What would life be like if that was more lasting and transformative to your life?

Want to know more?  Feel free to reach out and talk with me.

Namaste.