The Goal Of Yoga
Millions of people practice yoga each day, but if you asked them what the goal of yoga is they would be at a loss to answer.
So, what is the goal of yoga? Why do we come to the mat?
Some people practice yoga to attain a perfect body—in terms of lasting beauty and health. However, such a goal is impossible to achieve.
Use all your senses
Often we search for happiness in external things, whether it be material possessions like that fancy car, big house, new yoga tights, or we expect other people to make us happy, particularly our significant others.
By doing this we set ourselves up for failure as all of these external things are completely out of our control, and can be taken away at any moment. Further, this is an exercise of ego, it is our ego that wants to be perceived as “successful” and tells us we need that designer outfit or better job title.
When we practice yoga we learn to turn inwards and find happiness within, and once this is achieved it is untouchable. When you have a place of pure joy within you no-one can affect this, it becomes your internal state of being.
Physical Health. Mental Health.
Living from a place of pure happiness is a choice, we must actively choose to cultivate gratitude and inner peace. This is where yoga comes in. If we allow it, yoga empowers us to thrive in our lives, both on and off the mat.
Being happy in your life doesn’t mean you deny yourself other emotions or are constantly a bundle of smiling energy. Allow negative emotions to arise, accept them, and then come back to your yoga.
Practicing yoga we focus our attention on the body and our breath, which enables us to maintain calm and focused energy even when confronted with difficult situations. Yoga brings us into the present moment in body and mind, we become centered and grounded with an overall sense of tranquility.
Yoga teaches us that all we have is the present moment, hence we should not seek happiness in the future but rather make the choice to live from a place of happiness in the current moment.
This state of constant happiness may seem totally unachievable, and many of us will find ourselves losing to negative emotions such as anger and fear from time to time, but by coming back to yoga we can begin to experience real happiness.
I Don’t Care How I Look. I Care How I Feel
The impact of practicing yoga goes far beyond the physical asana practice done on the mat. In our daily life we practice yoga when we practice mindfulness, noticing the sounds and smells around us, the taste and texture of our food, and most importantly our breath.
