Living Yoga

Living Yoga means far more than performing difficult poses, practicing breathing techniques or being on your mat every day.

Rather to live your Yoga is to understand the rich, encompassing philosophy that Yoga is + embrace the wisdom into all areas of your life.

We take the technology + tools of the Yoga system;
꩜ Asana
꩜ Pranayama
꩜ Meditation
꩜ Svadhyaya
꩜ Yamas
꩜ Niyamas
꩜ Bhakti

As a guide help us to;
꩜ Adopt Yogic practices + attitudes.
꩜ Achieve balance + harmony between the mind, body, + spirit,
꩜ Heal + evolve both individually + in relationship with the world around us.
꩜ Align your actions + choices with your personal values + aspirations.
꩜ Experience a more purposeful existence.

To understand each element deeper read along…

Asana ~

Is the aspect of Yoga that most of us are familiar with, usually we start our Yoga journey's lured in by the physical desire, to stretch + move in new ways.

Asana is often translated to posture or pose.

Though it’s true meaning translates to ‘a steady, comfortable seat’—an invitation to ground yourself in both body and mind. While it’s often associated with postures, its true purpose is to prepare us for the deeper stillness of meditation.
The more comfortable we become with the practice we begin to utilise the Asana, the shapes made with our body, to shape our energy, our mental state + ultimately our whole lives.

Pranayama ~

"Prana" is Breath or vital energy in the body. On subtle levels prana represents the pranic energy responsible for life or life force, and "ayama" means control.

So Pranayama is "Control of Breath".

We are our breath, and our breath is the language that tells us how we are.

~ Joy Manné

How we breathe affects what we feel, how we relate, how we live, how we think.

It affects our physical and mental health, our personal and spiritual development, our state of consciousness.

Pranayama is the technology in Yoga to master our breath + therefore our life.

Meditation ~

Meditation is the art of focusing the mind to image, mantra or silence. from daily practice we learn to train the mind away from distraction + relentless thoughts. cultivating a calmer state of mind when not in the practice.

Meditation is a vital yet very challenging aspect of your Yoga practice.

There is no such thing as being a good or bad meditator or having a good or bad meditation. It's all a part of the experience.

The most important thing is that you try, even for just a couple of minutes each day.

There are so many different meditation styles + practices for you to choose from, we are happy to prescribe you a practice best suited as sadhana or you can choose daily what you need most from practices you have experienced in class or from our prescription selection.

Svadhyaya ~

Means "self-study" or "self-reflection" in Sanskrit

Svadhyaya involves actively examining your thoughts, emotions, motivations, and actions to gain a deeper understanding of oneself.

The goal of life is so we can know ourselves or remember ourselves more fully.

There will be no one big moment of this knowing.

What a regular svadhaya practice will give you is this continual drip, of knowledge + knowing, of who you truely are.

Education is drawing out the best that is within a person. Svadhyaya therefore is the education of the self

The person practising svadhyaya reads his own book of life at the same time he writes it + revises it.

Yamas ~

Are the first of the eight limbs of Yoga, as outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are five ethical guidelines that support us in developing a more mindful and ethical relationship with others and the environment.

Ahimsa ~ Non-harming ~ Refraining from harming oneself or others, both physically and emotionally. This includes cultivating compassion and kindness towards all beings.

Satya ~ Truthfulness ~ Being honest in words and actions, and speaking truthfully while avoiding negativity.

Asteya ~ Non-stealing ~ Refraining from taking what does not belong to you, both materially and emotionally.

Brahmacharya ~ Movement towards the truth ~ It emphasises directing energy towards constructive activities, such as spiritual practices or personal growth, rather than indulging in impulsive or fleeting desires.

Aparigraha ~ Non-possessiveness or greed ~ Refraining from greed and attachment to material possessions, and practicing generosity and non-accumulation. Is to take what is necessary and not to take advantage of a situation.

Niyamas ~

Saucha ~ Cleanliness ~ Encompasses physical, mental, and spiritual purity. It encourages maintaining a clean environment, a clear mind, and a pure heart.

Santosha ~ Contentment ~ Is about finding satisfaction in what you have and not constantly desiring more. It involves cultivating gratitude and appreciating the present moment.

Tapas ~ Self-Discipline ~ The ability to overcome obstacles and cultivate self-discipline. It involves maintaining a strong sense of purpose and pursuing goals with unwavering dedication.

Svadhyaya ~ Self-Study ~ Discussed in more detail above as we wanted to highlight the importance during our living Yoga experience.

Ishvara Pranidhana ~ Surrender to a Higher Power ~ Surrendering to a higher power, whether it's a god, a spirit, or the universe. It involves recognising that there is something greater than oneself and trusting in the flow of life.

Bhakti ~

Bhakti Yoga, meaning "devotion" in Sanskrit, is a path of yoga focused on cultivating loving devotion and surrender to a higher power or Divine.Bhakti Yoga is about nurturing a deep love and devotion for a chosen deity or form of the Divine.

As a practice is too often forgotten, when it's always so easy to welcome into daily life.

Bhakti Yoga practices include ~
꩜ Chanting, Mantra, Singing Bhajans or listening to mantra or attending Kirtans,
꩜ Prayer
꩜ Acts of service to others.
꩜ Reading or Writing poetry.
꩜ Tending to an altar.
꩜ Reading sacred texts.
꩜ Connecting to nature.

We would love to both hear more about your current experience of Living Yoga + guide you to through the more practical aspects for you to deepen your relationship with your practice.

We have an upcoming 40 day Living Yoga Sadhana or we are able to work together one on one with our holistic mentoring session.

Because Yoga is Life + Life is Yoga. ❤️‍🔥