What is yoga?
Hello,
I'm Lisa Neller and I am a yoga teacher on Insight Timer.
My yoga style leans towards the Anusara style because it is a heart-centered practice with a focus on safe alignment.
I'm not certified in this particular method.
However,
It has been my main practice for over 20 years and all my primary teachers are Anusara certified.
This style offers variety and allows students to build on their strengths and flexibility.
As of this recording,
I am currently almost 66 years old and my yoga practice has led me to a very successful life in ways that matter the most.
This would be in my relationships,
Particularly my marriage,
My own personal growth and development,
And in making decisions with regard to my vocation.
The thing I want people to understand about yoga is that it is not just a physical practice.
And most people who practice know this through experience.
But there are those who focus on the physical and really miss out on the mental part of the practice.
And the mental part I'm talking about comes from the second aphorism in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,
Which states,
Yoga is the ability to direct and focus mental activity.
I almost feel like this statement should be mentioned before every single yoga class as a requirement,
Because there is nothing more important about this practice than this piece,
In my opinion.
This aphorism asks us to notice if our practice transforms the way we think,
And if so,
Which parts of our thinking.
How much do I apply yoga to my daily life?
Meaning,
How am I allowing yoga to manage my mind?
As I draw these questions from the essence of yoga,
Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Bernard Bouchon,
One of my favorites is this,
Questions,
Through yoga,
Can I become more aware of what I am and what I am doing?
These are big questions in my mind,
And it's a focus of my work outside of teaching yoga.
Quoting from the essence of yoga,
I'm going to share a little more about this concept.
Yoga consists of keeping the mind quiet and wakeful,
So that one is totally present to what one is doing.
Thoughts no longer rush forth of themselves in all directions,
But are fully controlled and directed.
The word mind here is taken in a very large sense.
It is the psyche,
Intelligence,
Thought,
Sentiment,
And emotion,
Whether in the conscious or the unconscious.
In the yoga state,
Mental activities,
Which were previously a source of disturbance,
Are submerged by a stronger,
More harmonious,
More correct state of mind,
Which is directed at will.
This major aphorism defines yoga and specifies its limits.
It concerns the mind,
Its activities and fluctuations,
Which often cause human suffering.
It aims to alleviate suffering through purifying and harmonizing the mind.
The other aphorisms will not be properly understood unless they are approached in relation to this one.
So mind management is at the forefront of the yoga practice.
Yes,
It means to yoke or unite,
And the goal is to have the mind,
Body,
And spirit working in harmony.
We have to learn to connect the dots,
And we use our minds to do that.
The body is a conduit.
The spirit guides everything.
So I think the mind must endeavor to stay connected to spirit at all times.
Spirit is the supreme intelligence of the universe,
And when we are connected to spirit and we tune in,
Our minds have a chance of going in the right direction.
And then,
Of course,
Our teachers are conduits of spirit also.
In the last six years or so,
I have been practicing a few mind management methods that work in helping people choose helpful thoughts and getting rid of non-useful thoughts.
These methods are so yogic,
And yet,
In my yoga classes,
I have never actually learned these methods,
Like from my teachers.
There are several methods out there that can help people manage their minds,
And the good news is that yoga is a fabulous introduction into waking up to our own awareness and abilities to manage our own minds.
This is my passion and what I love most about yoga.
I hope that whenever I teach a class,
That this message gets across and impacts my students in a transformative way,
And that they begin to see the practice as the main tool that helps them experience a life well-lived.
And then my hope is to encourage all students of yoga to go deep into the yoga sutras for a serious self-study and find some mind management tools to help them evolve into their highest potential.
