Of all the benefits of yoga, one that seems to be the most attractive is the calm awareness and inner peace, maybe because life often feels anything but calm and peaceful. However, for many of us, the inner peace part isn’t always so easy to find. How do we take that feeling of calm away from the mat when we leave class?
There is a difference between practicing yoga and living a yoga lifestyle. When you are living your yoga, there is more to it than the asanas you perform on the mat. Working to make changes to a healthier diet and brining a calm awareness into your daily interactions are important factors to finding that inner peace.
One thing that meditation in yoga class can teach us is how to become more aware of our unconscious thoughts and learn to silence them or replace them with positive mantras. When you find negativity creeping in, you will become more aware of these thoughts and learn to dismiss them and focus on gratitude and happiness.
You can take the calming pranayama breathing techniques from your yoga class and use them in your daily life when you need to feel calm. People who practice yoga have been found to breathe slower and deeper, which helps to improve oxygenation and calm the body.
These techniques can be used in all your dealings with other people, whether at work, in the community or at home. Developing an awareness of your own thoughts and feelings and learning to calm your body and mind will help you approach all situations with increased awareness.
Remember that each day gives us a new opportunity to begin to bring the awareness of yoga into our daily lives. If you aren’t there yet, most of the world is with you, so don’t focus on the past. Live in the present moment and take small steps to bringing calmness and peace into all areas of your life.