Yoga isn’t just something we practise for an hour on a mat, its teachings can give us useful tools for navigating the rest of our lives too. The physical practice can be a kind of laboratory for life – we notice how we respond when something feels difficult, how quickly we judge ourselves, whether we can accept things as they are and how attached we become to a particular outcome. Then we can start taking those observations with us when we step off the mat.
In our Yin class last week I shared five ideas from yoga philosophy that I use quite often in my own life, and some simple ways you can start applying them to yours too if you fancy 😊
1. Santosha | Contentment
Santosha is often translated as contentment. It doesn’t mean giving up on our goals or deciding that we shouldn’t want anything more from life. It’s about learning to be okay with where we are, while still allowing ourselves to grow.
On the mat
A yoga practice, particularly Yin, gives us plenty of opportunities to practice contentment. We might compare today’s practice with yesterday’s, look at the person next to us, or wish our body could move further into a posture. Instead, can we accept the version of the practice that’s available to our body today? Contentment doesn’t mean we stop wanting to improve; it means we stop making our happiness dependent on being somewhere other than where we are.
Off the mat
It’s easy to live our lives waiting for the next thing that will finally make us happy: when we get the job, move house, have more money, finish the renovation etc. There’s nothing wrong with looking forward to things, but if we’re always waiting for life to be different, we can miss the life that’s happening now. Contentment encourages us to notice what is already good, even when everything isn’t perfect.
For me, that might be something very ordinary — enjoying my mid-morning cup of coffee after I’ve done my yoga/weights/walk/whatever (I love this so much – I do absolutely nothing else when I’m drinking it so that I’m not distracted and can maximise my enjoyment!), walking up the garden with Bess at 6am when the world is quiet, a walk by myself down to the coast even if it’s raining – all the simple things really.
Something to try
Once a day (even if it feels like a bad day), pause and ask yourself: What is already good about this moment/this day?
2. Anitya | Impermanence
Anitya is the recognition that everything changes, nothing stays exactly as it is forever. This can sound gloomy when we think about loss, ageing or death, but impermanence can also be a beautiful reminder to appreciate the things we have while they’re here.
On the mat
Yin gives us a very direct experience of impermanence – we settle into a posture and perhaps the sensation initially feels strong, then something changes… the body softens, our breath settles or the sensation moves. The same pose may also feel completely different from one day to the next. Instead of deciding “This is how this pose feels,” we can simply notice, “This is how it feels right now.”
Off the mat
The difficult things in our lives change too — stress, uncertainty, grief and pain can feel as though they’ll last forever when we’re in the middle of them, but circumstances change. And the beautiful things change as well – children grow up, relationships evolve and seasons pass (I feel this right now as this wonderful summer is starting to end 😕). However, knowing this can encourage us to be more present and appreciate the things we love while they’re here.
Something to try
When you’re going through something difficult, remind yourself: “This is just how it is right now — not how it will always be.”
And when something is particularly lovely, ask yourself: “What can I notice that is great about this right now, because it won’t last forever?”
3. Pramāṇa | Right Knowledge
Pramāṇa is one of the ways yoga philosophy describes valid or reliable knowledge. In everyday life, think of it as learning to distinguish between what we actually know and what we think, assume or fear might be true.
On the mat
Yoga isn’t about blindly forcing our bodies into a particular shape because we’ve been told that’s what a posture should look like. Instead, we use our knowledge of our own body and the sensations we’re experiencing to make sensible choices. There may be a recognisable shape to a posture, but there isn’t necessarily one perfect version that everyone needs to achieve. There are plenty of postures I can’t do with my knees – I could probably force my bum back to my heels in Child’s Pose but I choose not to as I know that’s not the right thing for my body.
Off the mat
Our minds are very good at filling in gaps in information – we hear something, make an assumption and before we know it we’ve created an entire story around it based on nothing but our imagination.
As a parent, I know how easy it is for the mind to create stories that in turn create stress. An example I often refer to in class is when my son Louis was doing his GCSEs – despite lots of pep talks, he did hardly any revision and I would worry that he was going to fail his exams, ruin his summer, have to do re-sits…and so I asked myself, do I know for a fact that he is going to fail them? The answer was no, so I parked the mental turbulence and every time a little thought crept in I’d ask myself the same question. In the end, he did fine, he got the grades he needed and I saved myself hours of worrying. I use Pramāṇa all the time in my life – it is my absolute favourite part of yoga philosophy 😃
Something to try
The next time you notice yourself worrying, ask: “What do I actually know? What am I assuming? And where did my information come from?” Sometimes separating facts from assumptions can completely change how we feel about a situation.
4. Aparigraha | Non-attachment
Aparigraha is often translated as non-attachment or non-grasping. It’s about learning not to cling too tightly to things, people or particular outcomes. It doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t care or have ambitions -it’s about finding a little more freedom in our relationship with what we want.
On the mat
We can practice letting go of the need for the pose to look or feel a particular way. A two-sided Yin posture is a great opportunity to explore this – perhaps one side feels open and comfortable while the other feels much more restricted. We might instinctively want the two sides to match but can we let go of that expectation and allow each side to simply be as it is?
Off the mat
We often attach our happiness to particular outcomes: I’ll be happy when I get that job, I’ll be happy when we move, I’ll be happy when the house is finished etc.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things. The difficulty comes when we convince ourselves that we can’t be content until we have them. As a yoga teacher, I can relate to this. I spend a lot of time preparing my classes and hope people enjoy them but I can’t control exactly how a class will go or if everyone will like it. So in this situation, I can care about the outcome without becoming completely attached to it.
Something to try
Think about something where you’re very attached to a particular outcome and ask: “Can I work towards this without making my happiness dependent on getting it? You don’t have to stop wanting it — you’re simply practising holding the desire a little more lightly.
5. Svādhyāya | Self-study
Svādhyāya means self-study and our yoga practice gives us so many opportunities to notice our habits, reactions and patterns, without necessarily judging what we discover.
On the mat
Notice what happens when a posture becomes challenging. Do you immediately want to come out? Do you hold your breath? Do you become frustrated or start comparing yourself with someone else? Instead of trying to change the reaction, simply observe it.
I speak like I’m an expert in this and I’m most certainly not! I remember when I first tried Yin and I couldn’t do quite a few of the postures because of my knees and I would get so frustrated, telling myself “Uhhhh this practice is just not for me” or “why am I wasting my time here, get me back to a flow class” – I had absolutely no patience to explore how to make it work for me. Unbelievable how I went from that to absolutely loving Yin!
So the practice becomes a mirror, showing us something about how we respond when we’re uncomfortable or challenged.
Off the mat
Those same patterns often appear in everyday life. Perhaps we notice that when someone disagrees with us, we become defensive, or that we get frustrated when things don’t go according to plan. Once we’re aware of a pattern, we have more choice about whether we want to continue responding in the same way.
Something to try
The next time you have a strong emotional reaction, pause and ask: “Hmmm interesting, why do I feel like this?”
That’s a lot to take in – here’s a quick summary…
These ideas don’t need to remain ancient Sanskrit words that we think about during a yoga class and then forget when we leave.
We can practice Santosha when we stop waiting for the next thing to make us happy.
We can practice Anitya when we remind ourselves that difficult and beautiful things will change.
We can practice Pramāṇa when we separate facts from the stories our minds create.
We can practice Aparigraha when we work towards something without becoming completely attached to the outcome.
We can practice Svādhyāya whenever we become curious about our own reactions and patterns.
See you soon in the cabin!
Michelle x
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