The Art of Yoga

Instinct
The cry of an infant is one of  first display of instinct. As the child grows, it learns to do many things by itself without any guidance.

Physical activity is one of the things that came to most of us instinctively. Any open space is a playground for children, and most of us spent our childhoods running amok even in the smallest of places we could find.

Among my favorite ways to kill time as a child, was to go on an endless spree of front rolls, until I was confronted with a better distraction.

Strangely, as we grew, we outgrew our instincts. The rolls, the runs, the agility, disappeared one by one from our routine. To go out and play became a task and we settled for the life we got, as we forgot the one we had. 

Initiation:
It took me a long time to discover yoga. It had been all around me and I had seen many relatives, friends, television, people immersed in practice.

It was curious thing to see the experts practicing on TV, with calm and focused faces, as they moved slowly from one posture to the other. I largely thought it was a part of an act, a gimmick to gain viewers.

I gave it a try several times. A few twists here, some turns there. I got hang of some of the easy poses and decided to stay clear of the seemingly difficult ones. The distractions ended up getting the better of me. In the absence of proper guidance, I largely ignored yoga as a viable option for fitness.

In a casual conversation about the perils of adulthood, such as weight gain, a friend suggested I accompany him for yoga practice. Slightly apprehensive due to previous experiences, I agreed, and thus began my tryst with the age old practice.

Practice:
The clock strikes 7 and the class echoes together with the singular sound, OM. Eyes shut, spine erect, head erect, shoulders rolling back. The breathing gets deeper as the world outside disappears. The class begins shortly.

It has been 5 years of practice. Seems like a long time. It is not.

Many of my friends are curious about yoga but most drop out after a few sessions of practice. Some find no visible change in body structure, others find it too slow. Many feel there are better ways to lose weight.

In the world promising instant solutions, yoga requires investment. It requires weeks of practice to see the slightest external change. Perfecting even the simplest postures takes months and even years of practice. And even after that there is always scope for improvement.

Perfection
This brings us to the biggest contradiction in yoga - Perfection.

It is something you strive for in each pose, knowing fully well that there will always be scope for improvement. Yet you continue.

The position of the feet, the angle of the knees, the alignment of arms, and the precision of every movement makes each yoga pose unique. All this, as you constantly remind yourself to keep breathing.

It is within the hours of efforts that you put in that you find moments of exhilaration. When you manage to get into a perfect pose. When the effort disappears, when the mind becomes quiet and the senses become calm.

As your practice becomes better, the moments of exhilaration increase and the joyfulness multiplies. This is the perfection we strive for.

Fulfilment:
When I first started practicing Yoga, I used to set aims for myself. I was inspired to get into the handstand. Or dreamt of a day when my torso would descend perfectly into a forward bend.

I looked at others. In the class, on video, as they perfected different poses. I wondered how long they had taken to get where they were.

However, with time, I realized that we were all on our own paths with our own discoveries. Our journeys were different. The only aim was to be the best we could be, do the best we were capable of, and to attain joy within our own practice.

The perfection that we seek needs to come from within, as we became the best versions of ourselves.

Learning:
The practice of Yoga has many lessons. In the focus behind each pose, and the quietness around, you begin to notice the chirping of birds, the movement of breeze and the fragrances that abound. You begin to value them and realize what they add to your life.

You leave behind the pollution in the city, the negative experiences, toxicity of thoughts and embrace the joy of solitude, the beauty of silence and the wholesomeness of life.

Experts in yoga have devoted entire lifetimes, many schools propagating the practice have devoted generations to study the effect and benefits of the practice. Yet even they acknowledge that they still have a lot to explore.

It is this depth that draws the people who have rejected plush corporate jobs, foreigners who queue up to join Indian ashrams or saints who have decided to spend large portions of their lives away from materialism.

While it has originated in India, yoga can be viewed as a universal practice and suitably adapted to suit ones’ sensibilities. While it may be impossible as we live our regular lives to let go of all the issues that surround us, yoga can bless us with little moments to discover ourselves and the beauty that nature has to offer.