syoga4u

Moderation

Brahmacharya originally translates to celibacy. We’re going to translate this a little further, thinking of it as moderation and how you direct your energy instead of total abstinence and we’ll relate it to any sensual activity.

Think of activities that stimulate the senses, for example eating or drinking. Brahmacharaya allows you to enjoy more of life by living it moderately. How can you bring in more balance to your day? How are you going to choose to use and conserve your energy?

Now let’s look at how we can practice Brahmacharya on the mat and the difference between excess and moderation. We’re looking for a sweet spot here where maximum benefit is obtained. This isn’t likely to be found by pushing yourself to excess but by practicing moderation. When moving into a posture it could be more beneficial not to go all out but to hold back a little allowing you to maintain that posture for longer, giving time for the mind and body to connect and explore.

Non-Stealing

Asteya is our third yama and means non-stealing. This doesn’t apply only to possessions but also thoughts, ideas and time.

To practice Asteya today, firstly question your needs, then how you fulfil them. Practicing Asteya could be thinking of environmental issues and being aware of what you don’t need, only taking what is essential and what is available from the planet. Alternatively we could twist this around and ensure that no-one steals from you by setting boundaries that limit what you give.

To apply Asteya to you practice on the mat think of respect. Understand your motivations and cravings. If the person next to you is standing on their head, do you really need to do this too?

Non-Violence

The first and possibly the most important of our Yamas is Ahimsa, which translates into non-violence in our mind, speech and actions. 

Today I ask you to find empathy and compassion in those situations that might benefit from them, maybe even going as far as finding forgiveness, love and at the very least kindness. If at any point during today you find tension building up from something you thought, heard or saw, recognise it and maybe search for compassion.

If you wish to adopt Ahimsa into your Asana (your practice on the mat), listen to your body, listen to where it wants to go, if any parts are asking for attention and only go as far as it feels right. In addition to this, recognise negative thoughts in your practice, work on understanding them so you can maybe let them go.

Savasana

Thanks for joining this journey! We’ll take our first day nice and slow. Today I ask you to give yourself five minutes.

Find a position that works for you. This might be the traditional Savasana, laying with your back on the ground, palms up, allowing toes to drop to the outside. Lying in bed is just as good or even sitting in a chair that supports you. Invite silence and stillness. You might find a feeling of nourishment on your inhales and offer some release on your exhales.

I’ve put together a little treat for you. Whether you want to explore a deeper yoga practice or understand a little about how I tick, I’d love you to be part of this. No mat, props, movement or even set postures are involved. This is accessible to anyone and everyone. It is an introduction to how yoga can support you OFF the mat, although you always have the choice of bringing any of this onto the mat too and I’ll give some options as we go along.

We’ll count through the days of December until the holiday and I will provide you with daily snippets of yoga that you can explore and maybe build into your day ahead.

To get the most out of this I ask that you check in on these post at the beginning of your day. This way if you chose to explore them further you have the whole day ahead to build them into your day. There is absolutely no pressure to run through every one of these so skip any you’re unsure of or maybe don’t feel comfortable with. You can contact me to ask me questions too. Keep in touch! Let me know how you get on and maybe give me a thumbs up if you think you’ll join in.