Yoga is an ancient method of exercising and has proven to provide many benefits if practiced regularly. It is both an art and a science. It is also considered as the best method to keep in form, both mentally and physically. In recent times, yoga is being talked about everywhere and has gained momentum across the globe. People from all walks of life, regardless of age, social status, and gender, have begun to accept and practice yoga to balance their body and mind. There’s more to it. Apart from these benefits, people seeking spiritual awakening also practice yoga. Yes, you read it right. When done right, yoga creates spiritual awakening, helping you lead a peaceful life.
This article talks in-depth about yoga and how it can help in leading a contented and spiritual life.
Yoga is Both Physical and Mental Practice
Most of you practicing yoga might think that yoga is physical. The poses challenge your body, eventually developing your strength and stamina. Your body will feel better, with more flexibility and energy. However, it is not that all. Yoga is also a mental exercise which, when practiced under the supervision of a trained person, can offer tremendous benefits. It instills positivity within you and provides inner peace, ultimately helping you deal with stress. In today’s fast-paced, hectic, and stressful life, yoga has come as a boon. For those looking to lead a stress-free spiritual life, yoga works like magic.
What Exactly Do We Mean By ‘Spiritual Life’?
Do you know that we have energy within and surrounding us? It is this energy that is the driving force behind all our actions. It is the higher spirit or better-called consciousness that yogis try to explore. When you are aware of and learn more about this super energy, it means you are turning spiritual. In simple words, leading a spiritual life means getting to know how the higher energies work and transforming our lives to sync with them. A spiritually awakened or inspired person has more knowledge and lives a peaceful life.
Can Yoga Change Your Life?
Yoga can certainly change your life for good if you are committed. Please understand that yoga cannot help you land your dream job or earn more money. It is an age-old form of exercise that helps you attain a better physical and mental form, enabling you to understand the deeper meaning of life and the purpose of your soul. Yoga cannot change how things work or remove negativity from around you, but it can certainly help you cope with any circumstance. Most importantly, it calms your mind and helps you understand reality, providing you the much-required confidence to scrape through varied situations in life.
Connect with Your Inner Self
If you are already practicing yoga, you would have tried several physical postures, some simple while some others exhausting. Not yet into the practice? Well, we think it is high time!
The yogic practice involves every single part of your body. Each pose intends to activate an organ or muscle, pushing the cells to work to their fullest potential. In addition, yoga also consists of meditation and breathing exercises, intended to activate the mind. These exercises, besides providing mental calmness, also enable you to connect deeper with your inner self, allowing you to learn more about the higher consciousness. This is spiritual. When you can relate to these energies, you can lead a spiritual life.
Another important thing to note here is, you need not belong to any particular faith to practice yoga. The traditional form of exercising does not relate to any religion and can be practiced by any individual.
Yoga and Meditation
Meditation is an integral part of yoga and it is through meditating that you can explore your inner self. As you know, life is full of highs and lows with happiness, agony, depressing moments and materialistic joy. However, not all are equipped to take both ups and downs in a positive stride. You rejoice during the highs but cannot take it when you feel low or lose something of the utmost importance in your life. This is where yogic practice and meditation helps.
Meditation involves letting go of the things happening around you and focusing only on your inner self. This practice calms your senses, giving immense joy. When you feel free from stress, it is natural that you start loving life and the world. You begin to see positivity in everything and would want to experience more of it. You understand that the materialistic things are of no value and joy lies within you. This is spiritual life, a peaceful life with abundant knowledge about the higher energies.
How Can Yoga Boost Your Spiritual Life?
Yoga keeps you physically fit and practicing for an hour or two every day is a good break from your hectic routine. However, for several people, yoga means much more. They look up to yoga as a path to spirituality.
· Yoga offers benefits that are beyond the physical. Meaning ‘union’, yoga, and traditional exercising art improves your stamina and enables you to work through emotional stress and psychological changes. It helps you connect with the superior power. However, please note that you need to practice yoga under the supervision of a trained professional.
· When practiced correctly, yoga can help you align your mind, spirit, and body which ultimately contributes to your overall well-being. Meditation and breathing exercises bring about a balance between your body and mind by helping you connect deeper with your authentic self. However, to achieve this blissful state, you will be required to be highly dedicated to yogic practice.
· Meditation makes you aware of yourself. Simply said, when you sit in a quiet place thinking nothing but about the unchanging spirit, it is possible to understand what you want out of your life. You will learn to accept the reality of life, understand your motivations, the driving force behind your actions or inaction, and more.
· Yoga enables you to find happiness in the minutest of things. You will not panic even when things do not go as planned by you. You learn to relate things with the higher powers, take life as it comes, and understand whatever happens beyond your control.
· Yoga makes you strong, both physically and emotionally. It allows you to gain control over your life, with a trust in the higher energies.
· Yoga provides an opportunity to sit still and focus deep within you. Most people find it hard to sit still and concentrate but with a little practice, you can certainly do it. Sit comfortably on a bolster or blanket, close your eyes, and calm your mind. Initially, it takes time to take off all the thoughts and quiet the mind since it constantly looks for and consumes information. However, as you practice with dedication, it becomes easier to focus. Free yourself from the thoughts and feelings and concentrate on your breath.
· Yoga is all about cultivating wholeness. Yogis can lead a spiritual life because they recognize and practice wholeness.
Yoga Enables You to Reach Higher Levels of Consciousness
Yoga is a blend of asanas, Pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, yoga philosophy and sun salutations while the practice intends to align you with the cosmos. Apart from providing enhanced balance, strength, muscle tone and immunity, yoga offers the path to spirituality. Yes, it creates awareness and helps you stay calm even during the toughest of times. This way, yoga enables you to reach higher levels and lead a joyful, spiritual life.
Body-Mind Integration
We’ve all heard about body-mind integration but what exactly does this mean?
Body, as opposed to the perception of most people, is not material. It is a field with abundant knowledge and intelligence, connected to the mind. Your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs influence every cell in your body, playing a major role in your overall well-being. Yogic postures, focused breathing, asanas, and movements develop your awareness and attentiveness. Your body and mind listen and respond to each other during the yogic practice, bringing about greater health, vitality, and strength. Regular practice of yoga thus integrates your mind and body, boosting your intuition, insight, creativity, inspiration and imagination.
Conclusion
Yoga is not only about physical postures. The 5000-year-old practice involves much more than attaining physical fitness and flexibility. Yoga is a wide topic, covering a range of forms and practices, but late practitioners focus more on the physical postures alone. However, when practiced regularly, yogic asanas reduce stress, create awareness about your true self, and align your body and mind with the universal forces. Any form of yoga is incomplete without sitting still for a while and meditating.
Spirituality is being able to connect yourself with the higher energies and there’s no better way than yoga to achieve it. Practice yoga and lead a meaningful, happy, spiritual life! Are you ready to transform your way of life?
