How Yoga Integrates into Our Daily Life
Yoga is a psycho-physiological discipline that harmonizes the body, mind, and spirit. It combines physical postures with psychological and mental practices to turn our consciousness inward, leading to concentration and inner tranquility. At Akshara Yoga School, we are dedicated to offering yoga based on its authentic principles to make its integration into daily life accessible and transformative.
We follow a systematic yogic approach, based on the following principles:
- Purification (Shodhana): While yoga primarily disciplines the mind, purifying the body is a necessary first step. A purified body helps release energy blockages and maintains the balance and harmony of internal systems.
- Dietary Modification (Ahara): Yoga emphasizes mitahara i.e.moderation in eating, focusing on both the quality and quantity of food. Food should be light, freshly prepared, and consumed with a calm, positive mindset and full attention.
- Postural Modification (Asana): Training the mind requires a stable and comfortable posture. Asana cultivates the ability to remain still, allowing the mind to function without physical distractions. It promotes balance, poise, and endurance.
- Relaxation (Vihara): Joyful recreation and creative engagement are essential for mental relaxation. Specific yogic postures like Shavasana and Makarasana effectively release physical tension and induce deep relaxation.
- Breath Modification (Pranayama): Breath and mind are deeply interconnected. Slowing and regulating the breath calms the mind and enhances focus. Pranayama refines our inner awareness and stabilizes emotional fluctuations.
- Concentration (Dharana): Concentration is the practice of fixing the mind on a single internal object. It develops one-pointedness, allowing the mind to penetrate and understand the essence of the chosen focus.
- Meditation (Dhyana): When concentration becomes effortless and uninterrupted, it transforms into meditation. In this spontaneous flow, the mind experiences deep stillness and can perceive reality beyond the senses.
