Let’s talk about Doing Yoga.

I hear often rather everyday .. Let’s DO Yoga !! Ranu AAP Yoga Karao 🙂

I want to ask them How do they DO Sleep ? Silly ! isn’t ? The Question is grammatically wrong!

The Sleep Ensues. When one tries to sleep hard it takes longer to fall asleep. The sleep happens as a result of surrender.

Similarly Yoga is a state that ensues. Meditation ensues. We don’t do Yoga and meditation rather it happens as a result of surrender. In sleep we are not aware. In meditation we are aware. Its a restful yet aware state of being.

The Ashtanga yoga tradition offers 8 limbs to inculcate the yogic routine.

Yama (moral discipline)

Niyama (observances)

Asana (physical postures)

Pranayama (breathing techniques)

Pratyahara (sense withdrawal)

Dharana (concentration)

Dhyana (absorption or meditation)

Samadhi (enlightenment or bliss)

When these steps are followed with consistent discipline then the Samadhi happens over the period of life times. There are always the exception to the cases. Some are born with the pre work as the impressions of the work done in the previous life times thus with much less efforts they are able to arrive.

So, ideally considering the kind of vasanas we (Modern Junkies) have none is arriving over night. But as we Practice and

Live our Yama/Niyama

Do Asana and pranayama

Reflect to be a Pratyahari

Sit for Dharna/Dhyana

Finally slip in to Samadhi/Meditation through the natural progression of the practice .

Apart from this to make the entire journey fruitful there are few must acquire enablers.

Like doing regular physical practice (Asana/Pranayma),

Nourishment, preferably Satvik Food,

Keeping Good company, reading, learning, reflection and

ensuring deep rest regimen.

The consistency is also over rated as nothing remains consistent and there are fluctuations that are part of living. So factoring that persisting nonetheless is the secret receipe to develop YOGA as a way of life.

If there’s one thing to be sure of though, it’s that yoga (8 steps discipline and consistency) offers us a way of life that can be much more transformational than DOING a 60-minute yoga class once a week….