Spirituality & Yoga in Practice

What is Yoga? It is a set of specific physical movements and progressions along with deliberate, precise breathing. There are so many physical benefits of yoga, and the most prevalently advertised are increased flexibility and strength, as well as weight loss and endurance. Of course, it is all of that, but it is also the process of looking inward at oneself. It is different from a religion, which generally has a deity that we pray to. Rather, yoga is an inner conversation we have with ourselves. Hence, yoga is a spiritual practice – a holistic mind-body wellness practice. 

The aim of spirituality.

What is it that we aim for when we try to lead a more spiritual life? We look for inner peace. We look to liberate ourselves from the conflicts that are inside of us: the feelings of anger, frustration, hate, and so on. We try to align ourselves with the universal energy; we try to connect to the higher power to elevate our consciousness. It is an evolution of the soul that is the goal, where we free ourselves and rise above the petty concerns and the bickering of every day.

We also endeavor to declutter our minds and our lives with the help of spiritual practices. We free ourselves of the past so that we are no longer hamstrung by the wounds and the negativity of the past. Nonviolence in thought and deed, and a benign love for all around us – these are the hallmarks of a spiritually enlightened soul – what we all hope to become one day. The element of spirituality in yoga is why so many people make yoga a part of their spiritual practice – me included.

Spirituality and yoga in practice.

I find that just a few minutes of yoga in the morning helps boost energy levels and creates a positive mindset. This is because yoga is a conversation that we have with our inner selves, just like any other spiritual practice. While doing yoga your body stretches and assumes positions that help strengthen the muscles, massage the inner organs, and improve circulation and flexibility. These are the physical benefits. However, at the same time, there are mental and spiritual improvements that yoga brings about.

Spirituality in yoga is best experienced when we perform meditation and pranayama along with it. Meditation is the focusing of our mental energies and centering of the mind. It is the calming of the inner self and expelling of negative thoughts and energies. Similarly, pranayama is a set of specific breathing exercises where we literally and symbolically inhale positivity or oxygen and exhale negativity or carbon dioxide. So really, yoga is this holistic mind-body practice – something that the ancients created as a prescription for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness.

Yoga is something that I do myself, and advise my clients to do as well. You don’t have to devote hours of your time each day to this. Just a few minutes in the morning will bring you tremendous benefits. You can start to enhance your wellness today, with just a bit of time management and by prioritizing your own spiritual well-being. Check out this episode to know more about spirituality in yoga. Find out how you can easily incorporate this spiritual practice into your life, and start to transform your physical and spiritual wellness.