Hello there :) In the first part of this story (https://steemit.com/life/@lick-a-tree/becoming-a-yoga-teacher-in-india-holy-cow) I told you guys about the reason I went for a YTTC and the framework in which it took place.
Now, let's get down to the juicy stuff!
WHAT IS YOGA ?
Who thinks of yoga only as a sport is not yet filled in on the real background of this practice. The sanskrit word yoga comes from “yoke“ or “unite“, which means the union of the individual with the universal consciousness. I know, it does sound a bit abstract (just a teensy bit), but the more you learn about it, the more you understand what the heck the yogis are actually talking about. And all they really talk about is: Enlightenment.
Now, this is somehow not abstract at all, if looked at it right. Every person could get enlighted, right here and there, as long as they are ready for it. All you have to do is to get rid of your ego and see the truth behind it, your real self. What you will see is a power that exists behind your thoughts, your desires, fears, attachments, memories or even knowledge. Your higher self is a force of cosmic energy, pure existence. It's just a still witness of everything happening around you, inside and out. Pure consciousness.
This said, how do you get rid of the ego to be able to look behind it? Well, that's usually the hard part. Especially in the western world, we learn from the youngest age that it js good to build up an ego, or at least to do the things that feeds the ego. Being proud, having desires, owning material wealth, collecting amazing experiences, showing other people how well you have it, all this kind of stuff.
Well, all these things might sound like they would lead you to a happy life. The crazy truth is - they are doing the exact opposite. By having desires, you are building attachements or dislikes which usually lead ro cravings or aversions. In case those cravings are not fulfilled, you will feel miserable about it. And about the aversions - I don't need to explain you how bad those are. So, the to be freed from those miseries, we have to get down to the root of the problem. You might wonder what the heck that could be, well, it's pretty simple: to have desires in first place.
Phew. This went pretty deep. Sorry if I lost you somewhere on the way!
So basically we do yoga to learn how to liberate ourselves from the chains of our ego-self and live a more happy and peaceful life.
This is done through the 8 limbs of yoga, that include various practices of
*self-disciplines
*self-observances
*body postures
*breathing techniques
*sense withdrawal
*focus
*meditation
*and finally - enlightenment!
Well, enlightenment is actually not a practice, it's something that can just happen, like a different state of existence. It's the most blissful and natural thing that you could ever experience, as there needs nothing to be added, nothing to ne taken away. Everything is already perfect. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
I will conclude here for today with this:
Yoga is not only a physical exercise, but it's a way of live. An ancient philosphy that teaches how to connect to your higher self and live freely, greatly, blissfully!
Namaste and see you again for part 3 of this journey!