HAPPY YOGIC 2019! LASTLY ON YOGA AND RELATIONSHIPS
We are forever surrounded by immeasurable knowledge or counselling on how to behave or maintain good relationships. Usually this knowledge remains at the level of concepts because we are not given practical tools to actually move from “concept phase” to “practical or application phase”. Even people who are abusive may know deep down that it is not good to abuse others, but at a practical level they fail to live the knowledge because all is at the level of the mind only. The practical nature of yoga presents the “how”. When you’re doing yoga stretches (asanas), breathing exercises and meditation, your awareness about your body increases, you also become more aware of how to manage your mind, and you regain your natural tendency to love. To develop good relationships, you need your body and mind to be connected. If you only relate to people from just the level of the body, or just from the level of the mind, your relationships can tend to be shallow and unsatisfying. Yoga brings one to the present moment as we pay attention to the body, the thoughts and the breath. This is a skill that can benefit your relationships as you become less distracted and pay more loving attention to others, and consequently together experience much more pleasure, such as laughter and joy. The regular practice of the yoga asanas, breathing exercises and meditation brings a positive dimension to life which helps one to open up and release, reduces the stiffness in the body, releases tension and opens your heart. Opening the heart is a powerful way to open yourself to giving and receiving love in your life. Yoga is a gentle and supportive way to bring more love into your life and allow you to give more love to others. When a relationship is reduced to just receiving and not giving, it becomes strenuous and dry. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The purpose of “Yoga Corner” is to de-mystify yoga to present it in its simplicity and effectiveness. Every month Art of Living offers programs that bring wholistic yoga to people. Let us make 2019 more meaningful, more loving, peaceful and exciting by getting closer to our inner. As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “….inner peace is the key to world peace”. More next week……….