I started practicing yoga years ago trying to find an alternative to running. I had an injury and I couldn’t run every day, so I needed another form of exercise on the days when I wasn’t running. I didn’t go to a studio to practice, I got 15 days free on a website with a random teacher (thanks to some yogurt lids with codes that you could trade for goodies) and I just never stopped. Eventually, running was not fulfilling anymore, I craved the practice on the mat, so I quit.
Your story is probably similar: you started your practice of yoga on the mat maybe out of curiosity and it helped you feel more relaxed, more flexible, less stressed; it made you feel good. And it is because it felt so good in my body and in my mind, that I became very interested in learning about the philosophy behind the practice on the mat.
I learned that yoga is an ancient practice that was born in India thousands of years ago, and that its goal is freedom from suffering - the suffering that is born out of forgetfulness of the truth of who we are. I learned that there is a way out of this suffering through the practice of yoga, the practice of making a sincere effort to control our mind.
I learned that detachment is another important element to achieve the goal of yoga. Practice and detachment go hand in hand. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, detachment means the absence of craving for sense objects; letting go of our desire to satisfy our senses for the sake of material pleasure. When we are too attached to our desires and aversions we act in the world according to what we want and what we don’t want; we act for the sake of finding pleasurable experiences and avoiding painful ones.
The Bhagavad gita prescribes non-attachment to the fruits of our actions and, therefore, acting because it is the right thing to do, also called Karma Yoga - acting for the benefit of all beings without concern for what you will get in return. Krishna tells Arjuna to perform his duty and to let go of his attachment to success or failure (2.48); and to let go requires us to surrender to the experience of the present moment. Most of the time, the end result that we envision after working hard doesn’t come the way we wanted; other times we are so attached to that vision that we miss other opportunities while we wait for a result that may not come.
In any case, whether from attachment to the sense objects or to the results of our actions, we live in a cycle of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Yoga offers us a detailed map of practices, and a vast philosophy behind the practices, to find contentment - the ultimate happiness - in our lives.
Practice yoga, both with knowledge and devotion, with effort and detachment, and experience how, little by little, you become more satisfied and content knowing what it means to live in the world.
NEW GROUP ALERT!!
Add one more layer to your practice on the mat and study the philosophy of yoga. Yoga gives us a roadmap to follow on our journey through life, opening our eyes, and our hearts, to understanding who we are, why we are here, and how to move forward. As a science of self realization, yoga gives us the tools to move through life with presence, focus, and inspiration.
We’ll meet once a month for a couple of hours. Everyone is welcome.
If you are interested in learning more about this study group, reply to this post or send me an email at beluecke@gmail.com
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Click here to visit my website to learn of all the ways in which I can guide you with yoga and Ayurveda, so you can stay healthy in mind and body. As an ayurvedic lifestyle and nutrition coach, and an experienced yoga teacher, I can help you come back to balance using a personalized, holistic approach to health. There is also a library of yoga classes and meditations that you can join and access anytime, anywhere.
Schedule of classes at U Chicago:
Beginners Yoga:
Tuesday and Thursday, 7:05 am
Wednesday, 12 pm
Intermediate Yoga:
Tuesday and Thursday, 6 pm
Saturday, 8:30 am
Thank you for being a part of my life, I will see you around! In the meantime, please be safe and peaceful.
Love,
Be.