While most yoga practitioners can tell you that Yoga is a spiritual practice, they still find it hard to focus on the spiritual aspect. Moreover, many practitioners are not even sure what “Spiritual” or “Inner” Practice means. This is quite normal, considering the tradition of Yoga comes from a land and a culture far, far away.
To practice and develop the inner aspects of Yoga, we must collect our attention to this moment, being in the now. But every Yogi knows from experience - keeping our focus is not easy. The mind keeps getting distracted. Yet, if you have practiced Yoga for a while, you probably experienced the deep sense of peace and tranquility that arises from a well-focused practice.
How can we Develop our Inner-Practice and Grow in Yoga?
Three main elements can help you develop the inner aspect of your Yoga practice –
1. The surroundings – practicing in a serene environment can greatly support your practice
2. Having a ceremonial moment - Separating the practice from the rest of the day with intention
3. Working with Dhāraṇā & Drishti – keeping a focus point will put you on the highway inwards!
In this article, we will address the first two – The surroundings and the intention. The subjects of Dhāraṇā & Drishti are discussed in the second part of this series.
The surroundings - Keep it serene:
If you practice Yoga in Berlin, you can join our classes and enjoy the benefits of practicing in the atmosphere of a Yoga studio. If you keep a Sadhana at home (a daily spiritual practice), it will be advisable to maintain a peaceful environment and stable habits:
Keep a permanent, dedicated, and quiet practice space
Practice daily at the same hour
Use candles to create an atmosphere
Keep the space clean and tidy
Consider playing relaxing music
Consider using gentle essential oil scents
The Intention in Yoga - Create A Ceremony:
A ceremony is a set of symbolic actions, inner and outer, that helps us collect our presence in the moment. It makes us conscious of our actions. Doing a little ceremony before or as we step on the Yoga mat helps us collect our intentions.
It could be as simple as sitting in Sukhasana, closing your eyes and taking 3 deep breaths, or chanting AUM 3 times. It could be lighting a candle and reminding yourself why you practice Yoga. It could be singing a short relaxing Mantra. Anything that helps you concentrate on the fact you are about to go into practice.
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