I am not a scholar of all things yoga, but I have been studying and practicing my version of the eight limbs for many years. Even without the teachings, I feel I live a yogic way of life, albeit with some distractions.
My skydiving years weren't exactly relaxing, but in their own way, they were an attempt to alter consciousness without drugs or alcohol. I sought to move from unconscious anxiety to relaxation. In my 20s, I often felt out of place and anxious. I tried to find comfort through consumption and relationships, but they only offered temporary relief, often leading to more anxiety.
Throughout this, I practiced yoga, though inconsistently. I'd switch to other activities like kickboxing, training intensely. But what I really needed was an understanding of yoga's basic concepts and the discipline to practice daily.
I didn’t have a mentor to guide me; I taught myself. I had a head start by getting sober at 15, as the principles of 12-step recovery are deeply influenced by Eastern philosophy.
I love philosophy and used it to find my way to stillness, deep breathing, and being present. In my 20s, such concepts were hard to grasp. With today's resources, like YouTube, I might have understood them sooner.
Let me explain using Einstein’s E=mc². Understanding this equation is a metaphor for how the mind moves from confusion to comprehension. It often requires time and different explanations before clarity emerges.
You might say it’s up to me to seek out teachers. Each one might offer a unique perspective on the equation, gradually leading to understanding. Similarly, shifting into the present moment requires recognizing that we often live in our minds, distracted by past or future thoughts.
Being present matters because it’s all that truly exists. Even in danger, like being chased or facing an eruption, presence focuses us. Panic, on the other hand, can lead to poor decisions, stemming from knee-jerk reactions rather than thoughtful responses.
Yoga is key to presence. Unlike the gym's physical focus, yoga emphasizes being in the moment, using breath and gaze to maintain focus. Practicing yoga postures with specificity aligns us with the present, much like a samurai perfecting a swing. It takes time, but with practice, we can fully inhabit the present moment.
Yoga also teaches us to handle stress. In difficult postures, the mind might resist, but by focusing on breath and technique, we return to the present. Yoga requires no equipment, just good instruction, and practice. Through sequences and breathing exercises, we build strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance.
The present moment is a real, provable concept. By practicing presence, we learn relaxation and mind control, leading to joy. We're training ourselves to cope with life's anxieties, developing character and positive states like compassion.
Compassion, like E=mc², is complex and requires contemplation and time to understand.
Let's start with the word compassion and ask ourselves: what is it?
In our yoga practice, we must also consider the nature of reality. This isn't easy and can create anxiety if overthought. Many of us live in a fictitious reality shaped by our minds and beliefs. We often believe our perception is the full truth, but it's only a fraction. Much of what we perceive is created by our consciousness and misunderstandings.
As we deepen our meditation and relax, we connect more with reality—the interconnectedness of all things in the universe. Early in yoga, I learned that all things are one, a challenging concept. Physics lectures helped me realize its truth. Every event in the universe is connected to the next, and every particle is linked to something larger. This perspective influences how we treat others and the planet, realizing we are part of it all.
Yoga isn't the only path to relaxation and character development. Ancient peoples worldwide practiced similar principles without calling it yoga. They lived closely with the land and cared for each other and the environment, often avoiding exploitation and warfare.
These people might seem mythological, but ancestral teachings from around the world show they existed, emphasizing compassion and non-harm long before recorded history. Aboriginal Australians, for example, lived simply and closely with nature. Though considered primitive by modern standards, their practices were practical and lacked the mental illnesses and anxieties of today.
We shouldn't use disparaging terms for our ancestors; we come from them. While technology advances, can we say the same about our character, understanding of the natural world, or philosophies about compassion? Likely not. As we embrace technology and modern living, we often need systems like yoga to heal and return to a relaxed state of mind.
There are other systems, but yoga is a comprehensive path. It’s about healing, understanding the body, maintaining strength, and developing practices to relax and focus the mind.