Yes Yoga is for Everyone

“Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice – to make us teachable; to open up our hearts and focus our awareness so we can know what we already know and be who we already are.”

Rolf Gates

Yoga for Everyone

Anyone browsing social media may get the impression that yoga = perfect bodies, impossible poses, trendy yoga gear. This often alienates potential yogis who find the stereotype inaccessible. This article brings a ‘Yoga for Everyone’ attitude. In a deeper vision of yoga we find a practice that integrates into the entirety of life; one that serves increased health and happiness, that embodies the flowering of liberation no matter body type, age, race or gender. Yoga for everyone. Kundalini yoga teacher Chloe Guilhermino explores yoga as the practice of self-mastery and one of the many paths we can follow towards enlightenment.

More than a physical practice

Yoga dates back over 5,000 years originating in ancient India. At the time it was popularly followed by royalty as a way of maintaining a high state of consciousness. Far more than just a physical practice, it allows you to become aware of and develop a deep conscious relationship with your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self. As human beings, we are clearly more than just physical. We also have a powerful mind; emotions and spirit, that makes up our unique persona. The word yoga means union, and is the practice of unifying body, mind and spirit. Practicing yoga is a lifestyle and an ancient science of being.

It teaches that life is not happening to you but rather through you. Every moment of our lives is shaped by the flow of our thoughts, words and actions. And so, importantly, we want our thoughts, words and actions to be in alignment with the life we wish to create. By becoming the master of our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self we become the conscious creator of life, understanding that in each moment we create our next moment. This is why Yoga is For Everyone.

Many different forms of yoga

There are many different forms of yoga, each a personal expression brought forward by different yoga masters. Similarly, our quest is to find our own yoga  as each and every one of us will have a unique expression and way of connecting to ourselves.

Three fundamental expressions of yoga are practiced through:

• physical movement (asana),
• breathing (pranayama) and
• meditation

Yoga For Everyone means something different for everyone. The physical movement or postures connect us to our physical bodies and maintain a state of health. Think of yourself as 75% water, then consider what happens when water becomes stagnant. It quickly becomes murky and grows all sorts of algae. Our bodies do exactly that. When stagnant or when there’s an energy build up in certain areas we begin to experience disease. Physical yoga allows the release of stagnant energy and keeps the body flowing like a beautiful vibrant river.

The spine

Key to the physical component of yoga is the spine. It’s the energy and communication channel for the entire body – the highway for communication between the body and the brain.

Energy travelling through the spine is known as Kundalini energy. Blockages in our spinal channel means the body is not able to receive and send information to its full potential. Yoga activates each vertebrae of the spine to increase the energy flow through the body. Doing this keeps the body at a high energy level. This in turn enhances bodily health and facilitates an energised emotional and mental state of being.

The breath

Breath is another crucial part of yoga. Breath is the life force energy (prana) that fuels every cell of the body. The more prana we have in our cells, the more energy potential we have. Oxygen used in yoga breathing increases the purification of the cells and blood. Yoga offers many breathing techniques that consciously oxygenate and energise the body and mind. Yoga breath is a tool to anchor us in the present moment. Concentrating on your breath ensures you are absolutely present in the moment.

Meditation

Meditation is the ultimate goal of yoga – the practice of purifying the mind to maintain present moment awareness. Ever tried standing on one leg and thinking about anything else but balancing? The practice of yoga is in itself a meditation as it uses movement and breath to put the mind in the present moment. In this way, the opportunity to practice yoga lies within each moment.

Being present

Yoga encourages unification of body, mind and spirit. Very often we are somewhere physically, and mentally somewhere completely different. That means we’re not truly present to the gift of life unfolding in front of us and we go through life existing predominantly in our minds. Practicing yoga trains the mind to exist within the body and within the senses. It allows a shift from living life through the mind to living life through the senses – through the gift of sight, sound, touch and taste. As Osho famously said, ‘when you live within the present moment, your life becomes a continuous song and a blessing unto itself’.

So yes, yoga is not about being in a precarious looking pose while wearing a crop top.  It is about true self awareness of your thoughts, words and actions on a moment to moment basis. What are you thinking right now? Are your actions and words in alignment with the person you want to be? Are you serving your body with the food you choose to eat? Yoga is the ultimate practice of self-responsibility as you choose to take ownership as the creator of your own life and consciously choose the thoughts, words and actions in alignment with the life you wish to create.

Yoga is not something external you need to practice or do. It is you, and the opportunity to practice yoga lies within each moment. Are you truly present here and now? Are you aware of the thoughts you put out and the words you speak over your life? This is the true practice of yoga – continuous self-awareness of yourself as the creator of your own life experience.

Try it yourself

Here are 2 simple techniques anyone can use to shift into a higher physical, mental and emotional experience. There is no right or wrong. You are always exactly where you are meant to be.

Cat and Cow Pose

This phenomenal exercise in our Yoga for Everyone routine releases and activates each vertebra of the spine and massages all the muscles in the back. It stimulates the digestive system, opens the heart, throat and chest and releases tension in the hips and lower back. If you have sensitive knees or wrists, practice on a soft blanket or towel. Practice for 1 to 5 minutes daily.

1. Come onto all fours with knees and hands firmly on the floor. Your hands and knees should be shoulder width apart with your back in a comfortable neutral position.
2. Flatten your hands and spread your fingers for good support (place a blanket under knees if sensitive).
3. Inhale to lift up your chest and neck while dropping the stomach towards the floor and hips towards the sky.
4. Exhale to drop the head down with chin towards chest arching the back, stomach and chest up towards the sky, tensing your stomach muscles.
5. Continue  in a slow breath cycle – inhale to breathe forward, lifting the head and dropping the stomach down and exhale to drop the chin towards the chest and arch the back as high as you can towards the sky. Remember to activate your stomach muscles on the exhale. Continue until you feel it is time to stop.

Cat and cow pose

Breathing Meditation

This can be done anytime anywhere; sitting, standing, in the car or shower. Whenever you feel like you need to calm and re-centre yourself.

As you now know, Yoga is the process of self-awareness. The awareness of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual self. So when we feel overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions, it’s important we acknowledge what we are experiencing and take action to return to a clear peaceful state of being.

Conscious breathing in the Yoga for Everyone set immediately brings us into the present moment and slows down bodily processes and mental patterns. It allows excess and unnecessary thoughts and emotions to melt away, leaving us feeling at peace, with clarity on what is relevant and how best to move forward. We want to create and experience our lives from a place of love, peace and clarity – not from a place of confusion and stress. Through self-awareness we are blessed to be able to shift ourselves back to our preferred state of being anytime we wish.

The practice of yoga is in itself a meditation, as it uses movement and breath to put the mind in the present moment.

This practice in particular is Yoga for Everyone.

Yoga for everyone was written by Chloe Guilhermino. For more articles on movement, have a look in the Movement and Yoga category of our articles section.

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