Spirituality and yoga

[Kimberly]

Do you consider your practice spiritual? How can you incorporate spirituality into your own practice? What does it mean to you? Finally, how do you incorporate it into class in a way that is appropriate for all students since you don’t know their viewpoints/preferences on spirituality?

[sally200]

Do you consider your practice spiritual-
Yes, my desire to open my heart, strive for non-judgement, non- violence, and walk a path with the higher consciousness was the reason I chose to study and practice yoga.

How can you incorporate spirituality into your practice. My goal will be to weave the studies of yoga into the class, create the intention that it’s a place and time for students to “be” and discover about body, mind and soul.
Adding meditations, readings, poems, candles, music will add to the spiritual intention.

What does it mean to you.

Connected to my Divine that gave me life,God. Spending time in gratitude of
Body, Mind, and Soul, the gifts.

How do you incorporate it into class in a way that is appropriate for all students since you do know their viewpoints.

My class will start with gratitude,for all who came to class, and our past yogis, yogas community bringing a peaceful vibration to the world. And the class knows they are big part of the peace vibrations.

Gratitude and Peace creates common ground. Thru, Namaste, that is how I connect and feel the pull for more.

[lisaclick48]

LISA CLICK –

My yoga practice has become very spiritual. It’s about bringing my mind, my body and soul into a time of moments where the focus is on me – my energy and the energy around me. Yoga for me is about personal growth and seeing the world differently starting with the deepest parts of my soul and my mind. It’s more than perfecting a pose of flexibility, it’s about mental strength. Blunt awareness of self and acceptance. Opening up my heart and my mind with focus on the jewels of yoga. Seeing myself as I am and being aware of the spirituality of energy that flows throughout my body on my mat.
Spirituality of practice for students – I will provoke thought in my students, reinstate self-awareness, self-acceptance, the personal journey of self. With focus of guiding my students in the present moment, to be on the mat, being strong in a pose, breathe and to feel that energy flowing inside of them. Focus of self and the growth of self with gratitude. The spiritual experience will be different for each student as it should be…

[msinghal]

Meenal Singhal

Do you consider your practice spiritual? How can you incorporate spirituality into your own practice? What does it mean to you?

Incorporating spirituality is still work in progress for me. I feel spirituality is a combination of living your life under the yogic principles of yamas and niyamas. It is also the feeling of oneness with nature, which I feel is the manifestation of the divine. It is acknowledging that there is a larger force above all of us. It is also the ability to contribute back to the community from which we constantly draw so much. It is about living a simple, truthful, and meaningful life.
To me, bringing spirituality in my practice means the following:
Developing a regimen (tapas): That part is somewhat easy for me to achieve. As a methodical person, I am easily able to incorporate that in my physical yoga practice on the mat and in my daily life off the mat. Whether it is providing healthy meals for my family, whether it is regular self-care via massages and facials and time for yoga, whether it is meeting my extended family and friends, I am a committed person, and I take my responsibilities and commitments seriously.
Being gentle with myself and not seek perfection in poses or in life: I have made peace with my limitations on the mat. Sometimes, off the mat, I tend to be harsh with myself and seek unnecessary perfection. With being committed, also comes rigidity. That is where I need to be gentler to myself.
Flowing through the poses mindfully with focus on breath: For the most part, I am able to associate breath in my asana practice. I also have been a believer and practitioner of pranayama for many years now.
Being peaceful regardless of the external situations: This is work in progress. I still have ways to go to learn to let go. In my mind, I know that the external situation in not in my control, and that the only thing I can control is my attitude. However, being an emotional person that is harder said than done. Still, I think I have made progress.
Developing a quiet mind: This is also work in progress. Only recently have I started practicing quieting my mind with short 5-10 minute meditation.

Finally, how do you incorporate it into class in a way that is appropriate for all students since you don’t know their viewpoints/preferences on spirituality?

Yoga is not a religion. Yoga is about connecting you to you like described Bhagvat Gita’s quote “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” In a studio, it can be incorporated by inviting everyone to set an intention for the practice that day and constantly reminding them of that intention. When possible, choosing a theme derived from the yamas and niyamas, which are acceptable concepts for people from all faiths and backgrounds. During the practice, it can incorporated also by a reminder to one’s connection to breath. Some other ideas can be playing soothing music, by reading spiritual text, by invoking some meditation, by flowing gently in and out of poses, by involving pranayama, by involving nature, and by chanting “aum”.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by msinghal.
• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by msinghal.

[EmilyD]

Emily

I still don’t know if I consider my practice spiritual. I have always thought of spirituality in the sense of religion. I don’t see my yoga practice in the same way I view my religious practice. However, I just searched for the definition of spirituality, and the Google dicitonary gave me this, “the quality of being concerned with the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.” In that respect, I believe that my practice is becoming more and more spiritual as I dig deeper. I am on a journey to better myself as a human, to dig deeper into what makes me the person I am, and to worry less about material things as a measure for happiness.

Since I don’t have a definite answer on if my own practice is spiritual in nature, I will most likely keep my classes focused on asanas and breath until I get my feet under me. I know myself well enough to say that if I’m not comfortable with how I feel about it, I won’t be confident/comfortable/at-ease being the guide for someone else.

[heatherfly]

I’m finding my practice to be spiritual but I don’t think I’ve alwsys linked it to that. For me spirituality is a constantly felt bedrock of being. In some way, for me, a life of devotion is the road not taken. But truthfully, I love my husband and little family, stiff whiskey drinks and dropping f-bombs so I’d probably make a disconcerting nun:)

I was raised catholic which mostly didn’t speak to me apart from the focus on service so that part I kept. I started studying Buddhism in my early 20’s and that has helped me know myself, see and have compassion for suffering (my own and others) and quiet my mind. Through nature I feel connected to this earth which is a deep sense of peace. I’ve spent time studying other religions and mystical traditions as well. I was always looking for the common thread because I felt there had to be a way to speak to all people, including atheists, in the common language of spirituality without causing anyone to need to close off or defend. This is a huge part of the work I do as a counselor. I have a language of therapy that is actually leading people to a quieter more compassionate way of being in themselves. These are preconditions for feeling truly connected with others, feeling peace, feeling open. This lays a ground work to experience their own spirituality. These are the conditions that allow one access to one’s own wisdom. And for some they may experience this as spirituality. I can’t give them spirituality because that is personal. But I can collaborate with them in the clearing of the path.

Getting back to the questions, I’m realizing in this YTT that what I’ve been doing all along in endeavoring to bring that deep peace and connection to myself snd my clients is yoga. So yes, it turns out my practice is spiritual. and what I’ve noticed in the asana practice is that it helps me be in my body before I meditate which makes it easier to sense my own being, quiet my mind and keep my focus. Which gives me easier access to my heart which fuels the sense of connection. It’s a tool.

In my work I’ve tried to develop a way of talking about these things without excluding anyone or causing anyone to defend against unwanted views. Everyone understands compassion and peace. And everyone loves getting in contact with the present moment. There’s something amazing that happens for people when they experience that on purpose for the first time. So I intend to bring that to teaching. And teaching asana practice in a skillful way that facilitates the opening of themselves can help clear the path to a sense of connection to their own spirituality. I can’t give people spirituality through yoga and if I were to use language too specific to a certain viewpoint I’d steal from some the opportunity to be open to themselves in a spiritual way. So to me and for me, this question comes down completely to right speech. seeing flexibly the potential to practice nonviolence and nonstealing through the careful but brave use of words.

[regmarlew63]

Yes! My yoga practice has ALWAYS had a strong spirituality to it. I am pretty sure that is why I was hooked immediately. 19 years ago, I was dealing with alot of uncertainty and felt lost, and anxious. I couldn’t seem to hear the message that was being sent to me from my divine power. When I got on the mat, and started focusing on my breath, and my alignment in asanas…it brought an amazing stillness to my world. And in that stillness, I could see what was important. What deserved my attention.
In the branches of yoga, the emphasis is on love, connection, consequence, and awareness; all to a higher power. Whatever that divine power is to each person practicing, there is a relationship happening. Once a person starts a practice of living a yogic lifestyle, the benefits of waking up feeling stronger, healthier, relaxed, focused are evident. We realize our physical body is a temple. And when we honor the divine one who dwells inside, it only exemplifies the spirituality that comes with yoga.
I would try to bring my students awareness to their physical body & the changes they feel when practicing and afterwards. I would remind them to pay attention to this feeling and to revisit it during the ups and downs of life. I would also tell them, it is a safe space they create with the practice and it is always there for them to return to whenever they feel the need.

[KHuttsell]

To me, spirituality is believing in something greater than one’s self. Whether that is a deity, nature, or a calmness felt within – it is all spiritual. I believe that we as humans are called to act in a certain innate way which we know is “right.” In my opinion, this must be guided by some type of spiritual feeling. This feeling allows us to respect one another one and make the choices that we know cause the least harm.

Therefore, I see a direct link between my spirituality and yoga. I do believe that as I practice yoga I am able to open my mind to allow whatever energy, purpose or intention flow freely. During yoga – I have been able to introspectively see myself or more clearly see the world around me. At my toughest moments – I have found yoga to be a comfort, a way to move my pain through, and a form of healing. And at my times of self-doubt – it can be a form of expressing appreciation for myself. And on a positive day – it just makes me feel great and it reminds me I am in the right place.

From a class perspective – spirituality is a very personal thing to me. I would not want my students to feel right or wrong for either having or lacking spirituality. Therefore, I would like to focus on how students feel. We all have feelings – happy, sad, calm, angry – we can all relate to them. I would like to remind students to truly feel whatever it is they feel in a pose, in a class or that day. I would remind them that yoga is a personal experience which has no judgment and to allow oneself to experience whatever they feel.

-Karen

[betshellhaas]

I do consider my practice spiritual. I believe that is what kept me coming back to yoga before I knew the mental/spiritual benefits. I want my classes to be spiritual, to be a place for the exploration of spirituality. I can incorporate spirituality into my practice by allowing the movements to become a mediation. Also by focusing on the practice, staying in the moment with the movements and breath. When anyone asks me what spirituality means to me, my mind goes to a quote that has stuck with me. It states “Religion is belief in someone else’s experiences, spirituality is having your own experience”. I love this because I am not religious or a church goer but nature is my church, yoga is my church, meditation is my church. These are activities that give me that connection to the Divine. You can have a personal relationship or connection with Divine/God without needing the middle man of a church.

The last question is probably the hardest for me to answer. Seeing as how many people are religious and go to church and probably do not believe in many things I believe in. However, yoga is universal. It is not a religion and does not associate itself with any one in particular. For me, I would want my classes to be spiritual in a way that allows students to make that connection on their own. Meditation would be a big part of my classes. I would also express different ways to connect with the Divine on their own, such as walking in nature, taking your shoes off and walking barefoot, Reiki, stones/crystals, massage and coincidences/signs. I hope to give my students new ways to make this connection and show themselves that they can experience miracles all on their own.

[Beth]

I definitely consider yoga practice to be my spiritual practice as well. I include meditation and journaling a part of my practice because it is all of these things which are helping me get closer to myself. I discovered yoga when I was just leaving Christianity. I have always considered spirituality and a practice important to staying in touch with myself and learning more about myself. When I was in church, I enjoyed many aspects of study, self-awareness, giving back and encouraging others. I did not like other aspects, such as the self-denial, judgement, exclusivity, and time expectations. When I began yoga, I was searching for a way back into my spirituality but in some new form that did not carry the same negative aspects of Christianity, particularly judgement of self and exclusivity. I have always had friends from other countries and other religions because this isn’t a factor in friendships to me. I have always been interested in how other people live their lives and find meaning. I was never comfortable with the idea that my religion told me my friends were going to hell. But not having any spirituality or practice left me feeling very disconnected from myself and others.
Yoga and particularly mediation, and self study appealed to me very quickly. In my own life I had and have to do some re-parenting, as well as un-learning bad habit patterns. These habit patterns, as Mary talked about, kept me from understanding relationships and my role in other people’s lives. Yoga and meditation have helped me do some important work within myself which has changed my relationships and work-life balance, both of which were critical to my state of mind. I truly believe yoga teaches us to quiet the mind to hear our true voice and learn about our true nature, helping us repair old wounds, and inspire new understanding.
Yoga does not feel like a religion but it has all the aspects I missed so much from religion. It has everything I was looking for and still challenges my thinking. I feel better with myself and those I love, and those I don’t know, than I have throughout my life. I think yoga has the answers I seek because I have been asking the wrong questions. I am looking forward to having my practice as a part of my life until I’m too old to move, but I can still meditate!

[CindyHurst]

To me, spirituality means focusing on my spirit, my soul, and the energy in the room during practice, rather than just the physical aspect of the practice. Repetition of vinyasa is very meditative – no thinking required, just the connection of breath to movement.

To incorporate more spirituality in my own practice, I need to be more disciplined about daily meditation as part of my morning ritual. I’d also like to add an end-of-day Yoga Nidra practice a couple times a week.

I really enjoy when there’s a poem or a reading at the beginning of class; it sets the theme and it’s something that I can go to after class to re-read. I’d like to share the same with my students – to entice them to be more curious about the history and philosophy of yoga. Express my gratitude for their presence in the class. Continuously help my students to connect the breath with the movement. At some point in time, they will discover the spiritual aspect of their own yoga practice.

[melross1]

Yes, I consider myself very spiritual. I have always used yoga as my time with God, my meditation is my time to listen to God and to let him know what’s going on with me. When we are quieting our minds, that is when I’m listening to the Lord. And when I find my mind chattering, I say silent prayers.
I’m finding myself more spiritual as I grow in my yoga practice, it helps me cope with daily struggles. It helps me be a more centered and kind person. I often had a short fuse, now I can let things roll. It take a lot to make me upset. I give that to yoga and I think yoga has brought me closer to God. Yoga has helped me leave a church that I wasn’t truly happy in, and wasn’t helping me grow or be the person I wanted to be. Yoga is making me the spiritual, loving, well rounded, more peaceful person I want to be. While I may never be perfect I feel calmer and more peaceful than when I sat in a church every Sunday. I feel like I know who I am and who I want to be.

I plan to open my class with quiet breathing and meditation. And cloth with something like may you and all beings be well and loved.

[dooley]

I do consider my practice spiritual. I use this time to connect to connect and communicate with God. I continue to incorporate spirituality into my practice by consistent with my meditation so that I can stay connected to God and myself. Spirituality is very important to me. Besides allowing me to stay connected to God but allows me to reconnect with myself and explore any issues that I need to address and make changes. Doing yoga has given me that chance to enhance my spirituality and I love that.

I can incorporate spirituality into my class through centering and savasana. I can have students use their breath to connect to their inner self and meditation to assist with that. This way I will guide them to look deep within themselves to see how they feel when doing each pose and acknowledge that feeling to help them understand themselves in a better way. Spirituality doesn’t always have to mean connecting to a divine one but can just looking deep within yourself and finding out who you are and accepting who that person is.

[LAD92761]

I have found my spirituality actually grow since being in YTT. Being focused on the mind/body and working toward inner health and peace has actually allowed me to turn over a number of things to a power greater than I. I believe in the energy and light source in our bodies and I feel you need to live light to be the light. I believe our purpose on this earth is to shine and be the light for others, introducing them to the power greater than ourselves. Kundalini is a very spiritual practice that helped me fine tune my thinking. I believe everyone has a power greater than themselves and that is what I hope to allow my students to breath into that power, surrender to it, and feel the inner peace.

[Author]

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