Love the way you think

A hundred and fifty years ago when modern yoga started to evolve the revolutionary gurus of the time recognized a number of different things.  Firstly they recognized that aspects of yoga could be presented outside of the Hindu guru tradition to a general population, including most scandalously women and foreigners. Secondly, they realized that some of the techniques of yoga could be related to the universal human desire for health and happiness. To understand what a departure this was just imagine the ancient yogis shivering in their loin clothes in the caves of Tibet and we can be sure that their priority was not personal health and happiness. Yet this is exactly what yoga has to offer us now – a series of tools to build a lasting self acceptance and the health, happiness, and self love which results from that.    

The most well known of all yoga practices are, of course, the asanas.  Asanas can be practiced either as part of a vigorous flowing series or as gentle stretching exercises but in both cases they can ease the body of pain, help us to feel good about ourselves physically and contribute to our general sense of well being.  As useful as asanas are however it is the breathing practices, the observation techniques and the meditations that go with the physical practices that have the most benefit in terms of developing self acceptance and ultimately self love.  In yoga we talk about the ‘sankaras’ which are basically the negative trains of thought we can get into.  All of us have experienced this – replaying arguments, past hurts, personal injustices for days, months even sometimes years.  We repeat negative mantras to ourselves--I’m fat, I’m not good enough, I am not loved enough.  There is nothing, nothing, that is more destructive to our wellbeing and the possibility of self acceptance then these destructive thoughts. 

Yet when we practice yoga a big part of what we do is to observe and finally try to still the mind so that we do not become victims to these negative thoughts.  In yoga we treat the mind just like another muscle or organ of the body, something that we can exercise control over.  Ultimately we aspire to settle it and to change the direction of negative thoughts.  The tools for this are simple.  Watch the breath, watch the thoughts that come up, but do not get involved in them--just watch them and let them pass like sounds in the night.  By watching dispassionately the thought waves of the mind we start to slowly let them go and when we let go of negative thinking we can open ourselves up to experiencing and accepting and loving who we truly are.  There is no need for caves, or special diets or even asanas to practice this.  Just sit, breath, watch, allow.  The rest will come of itself. 

Previously published in Women Today