What is Mindful Yoga?

Yoga and mindfulness are both complex and subtle subjects. To help gain a clearer perspective, we will explore different interpretations and philosophies within the traditions of yoga, and from there, introduce mindfulness, considering what it means, whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner. With this understanding, mindfulness can be a tool for transformation, bringing lasting positive change into your life.

The Meaning of Yoga?

Different cultures across the world offer a vast array of interpretations when it comes to the question, 'What is yoga?' Even if you asked two people from the same school or tradition, you would likely receive two very different answers. But there do seem to be some common uniting threads running through most of these interpretations as to what lies at the heart of yoga.

It is generally accepted that yoga is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual practices, which focus on strength, flexibility and breath control to improve overall well-being. The bodily postures, breathing techniques and simple meditation are commonly used for health and relaxation purposes.

While yoga is such an ancient art that its precise origins are not known, the best evidence we have suggests that it started out in ancient India around two to five thousand years ago.

Etymology

In Sanskrit the word yoga comes from the root yuj, which means 'to yoke' or 'to attach'. Therefore, the most common definition of yoga is 'union'. This has been interpreted as the union between the ego-self and the divine self; union with God; union of mind, body and soul; and union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

Another, similar, interpretation of yoga is integration — between mind and body, and between our outer and inner worlds. Many would say that the real purpose of yoga — instead of focusing purely on the form — is to embody this principle of integration in your practice.

Yoga as a Spiritual Practice

Yoga is commonly thought of as a physical practice: many view it as a way of bending and stretching the body and nothing more. However, the physical postures are only one aspect of yoga, known as asana. And as R. Sharath Jois said in a conference I attended in Mysore, India, in March 2014, 'Knowing only asana is like having a vehicle but not knowing how to drive it.'

One of the key elements of any yoga practice is the breath — indeed, the union of yoga also applies to the union of breath and movement. Unless you are practising a specific type of pranayama, or breath control exercise, it is important never to hold your breath during yoga but to inhale and exhale in harmony with your body's movements. Keeping this connection going is what sets yoga apart: if you are not linking breath with movement then it is not yoga, it is merely physical exercise.

Mindful yoga is not about bending your body into a pretzel. In fact, it really does not matter what you do on your mat, as long as you are getting on it in the first place. There are no goals in yoga; there is nowhere to progress; there is nothing to be achieved. It is about the journey, not the destination. You could practise advanced postures every day for the rest of your life, but if you never meet your true self, never find peace within and are not able to live a happier, more aware existence, then what is the point?

If you can let go of the grasping and the attachment to goals, this is when real transformation can happen. It is about turning up, going through the process, facing yourself and dealing with your own personal challenges.

Mindful yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline, connecting our body, our breath and our mind so that we can turn our attention inwards and start getting to know ourselves a little better. We can learn to identify our habitual patterns and negative thought processes, making ourselves more aware of our experiences in the present moment.

Although yoga is a spiritual practice, you do not need to be religious in order to practise it. I think in the West the term 'spiritual' has become synonymous with 'other-worldly', belonging to another dimension. To my mind, spirituality simply means 'of spirit'. As human beings we are all made of, or have, spirit within us. Therefore, a spiritual practice is actually a human practice. It is anything you choose it to be — reading, writing, gardening, knitting, cycling, swimming, drawing, painting or yoga, for example. What makes it a spiritual practice rather than simply an activity, is bringing awareness to it. If it is something you do regularly, with intention, and with mindfulness, then I would argue that it is a spiritual practice.

What is Mindfulness?

In order to understand how to practise yoga more mindfully, it is important to first understand what mindfulness actually is. A brief introduction is included here, and in chapter three you will find a detailed explanation of some common mindful practices.

Mindfulness is a way of training yourself to focus on whatever is happening in the present moment. It can be thought of as paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement.

As the pressures of modern life in our digital age increase, mindfulness is rapidly emerging as one of our most useful resources. The ability to bring more awareness into our lives and to ground ourselves in the present moment helps us to avoid being sucked back into the past or catapulted into the future. Even schools, prisons and government institutions in many countries are recognizing what an invaluable tool mindfulness can be.

Blending East & West

Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhism. The Satipatthana Sutta — the Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness — is considered one of the most important texts of the ancient Theravadan tradition. In the East, mindfulness and meditation have existed as Buddhist practices for nearly three thousand years, and during the last two centuries these ideas have also spread to the West.

One of the key figures responsible for increasing the popularity of mindfulness in the West in recent years is Jon Kabat-Zinn. Originally a molecular biologist, he gave up his scientific career when he discovered Zen meditation and yoga, as he wanted to see if he could use these practices to treat sick patients. He founded a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and has achieved remarkable results from teaching mindfulness meditation to people suffering with stress, chronic illness and pain.

Benefits of Mindfulness It is generally thought that mindfulness can lead to a longer and healthier life. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that regular mindfulness meditation offers many benefits, including:

• Increased concentration,...