Yoga philosophy. Why give it time and attention?
There’s more to yoga than the stuff we do on our yoga mats. Understanding yoga philosophy, the ideas and thinking behind yoga, really helps us get the most out of our practice.
And if you teach yoga it can really enhance and enrich the messages you’re sharing too.
What is Yoga Philosophy?
It’s what yoga really is. Yoga has a much broader remit than what it’s generally come to mean – it’s a much more holistic and well rounded practice than the postures and exercises we use to become fitter, healthier and less stressed. Yoga philosophy is the thinking, reasoning and knowledge which underpins all of these practices.
Yoga is a real, no-nonsense philosophy for living a full and rich life. It’s many teachings help us find ways to live more skillfully, make better choices and be more comfortable with ourselves.
One of the things yoga does is help us see behind who we think we should be and all the expectations put on us by ourselves and others, to get a clearer sense of who we actually are. Warts and all!!!
What this means is that we can begin to appreciate the good things and address those that don’t serve us so well. Then we’re better to be around – the fruits of our yoga practice ripple out to everyone we come into contact with!
Where to start with Yoga Philosophy?
When you begin to explore the areas of yoga that don’t require a sticky mat it can very quickly seem too confusing and overwhelming to make any sense.
You might even be thinking that you’re too new or definitely not experienced enough yet to get anything useful or relevant.
I’ve got some favourite books that I’ve listed below. I like them because they’ve made a subject which can seem intimidating and mind boggling very accessible.
BUT nothing compares to being in the room with a gifted teacher who brings the teachings of yoga to life.
Why am I telling you this?
Because it’s time now for YOU, no matter how long (or not!) you’ve been practicing yoga, to look beyond your mat and find out how practical, reliable and universal yoga’s thinking is.
We’re lucky enough to host the wonderful teacher of yoga philosophy, James Boag, right here at MCY every year. You might know of him already? I definitely talk about him A LOT…
I know a whole weekend of yoga philosophy either sounds like an awful lot to take in or awfy dry and dusty. So start small. Come along for the opening session on Friday evening to get an idea what it’s like.
If it’s your first time coming along to a guest teacher, don’t worry. Remember how you felt coming along to your first yoga class and look how that’s worked out for you!
James is here 11-15 September 2019 for our Bhagavad Gita Immersion, helping us expand our understanding of Patañjali’s astanga yoga, the classical eight mutually supportive limbs of practice. You can come to one, a few or all of the sessions across the Immersion weekend and we’d both love to have you with us.
Yoga Philosophy Reads
Here’s some of my favourite yoga philosophy reads to get you started:
Bringing Yoga to Life by Donna Farhi
The Mirror of Yoga by Richard Freeman
The Path of the Yoga Sutras by Nicolai Bachman
The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran
PS If you’ve found this post of interest please share as other people you know may find it interesting too…