Yoga Breath

Meditation is one of the hardest aspects of yoga, and for me, an integral part. There is a reason that corpse pose is considered one of the hardest pose in yoga, and it all has to do with the meditation part. There are many benefits to meditation including and not limited to: mental health, […]

Last week, I attended a class with a new yoga teacher. He obviously knows his stuff. He had me sweating like a pig within moments. The thing is, we sat on the mat at the beginning of class and dived right into yoga poses. Where is the fun in that?

For me, intention is a very strong part of yoga. Every time I step on the mat, it is with a particular intention. For a while now, it’s been to unify mind, body and spirit, and I feel, very much, as if I’m making progress. But that’s just practice in preparation for the real world. I’m practicing being clear about my intention by doing that in yoga. The goal is to be clear about my intention on or off the mat.

Today, Wednesday, according to the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga by Deepak Chopra, is the day of the Law of Least Effort. The Law of Least effort is not about laziness or slacking. It is about “effortless ease”. Nature does not strain, a flower does not struggle to grow. These things happen effortlessly. The Law of Least Effort is about putting in minimal effort to maximum effect. We can do less and accomplish more.

One of my current goals or intentions in yoga is to put in less effort and find more ease in every pose. One of the mistakes a novice user makes is to put so much effort into each pose, your whole body tenses up. This is the opposite of what yoga tries to achieve.

The question came up on whether I am unhappy. Why would I be pursuing spiritual growth and unity in mind, body and soul if I wasn’t unhappy?