For me, yoga is the definition of self-love. It is a practice that connects your body, mind, and spirit at a deeper level. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali teaches us how to incorporate self-love through yoga. Listed below are a few concepts from the sutras and other Sanskrit terms that teaches us how to incorporate self-love into our life. This list is not exhaustive by any means, but it is a place to begin practicing self-love through yoga
Self-awareness
Yoga is a process that forces us to quiet our mind and connect with our inner light of awareness or purusa. When you’re able to connect to your purusa, you begin to clear away clouded perceptions and cultivate compassion for yourself and others. You begin to see the divine light in yourself and in all beings.
Positive Intentions (sankalpa)
Sankalpa is a sacred vow, or intention, you set before an asana practice or meditation. It is a promise you make to yourself that supports your best self. The intention you set should be positive and in the present tense. You can set one that is narrow such as I am exercising to lose weight or one that is broader that will help with weight loss but also other areas of your life, such as I am kind to my body.
Non-violence (ahimsa)
Ahimsa is the act of non-violence for our self and all beings. There are many aspects of violence and in every size. Acts of violence can happen we live with fear, when we are living without courage, when our lives are out of balance, and when we worry. It shows up in our thoughts and judgements of our self and others. It shows up in the care we have for our body. When we workout too much, over or under eat, sleep too little or too much. It can show up when we are “giving” others advice, ultimately believing we know what is better for them and not believing they can decide for themselves.
Physical Practice (asana)
Out of 196 sutras, only 3 sutras cover asana. The 3 sutras discuss asana as needing to be both at ease (sukha) and steadiness (sthira). The body should be alert, without tension, and at ease, without laziness. We can reach these qualities by observing our body and breath while performing various poses. Once we understand our reaction to the poses, we can control our body and breath. This allows us to become present and connected to our body, mind, and spirit. When our asana reaches this level of connectedness, it begins to influence other areas of our life.
Non-attachment (aparigraha)
As part of the yamas, non-attachment refers to not being possessive of material things, our bodies, and our thoughts. When we become possessive of material things, we live outside of our means and buy things that we do not need. This not only hurts our bank account, but also puts pressure on our environment.
Non-attachment of our body is a tricky one. We can easily become attached to how we think our body should look like and how it should perform. As we age, we become attach to what our body looked like and how it performed when we were younger. This attachment can lead to body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and overall unhappiness. By practicing non-attachment, we can appreciate and love our body in the present moment regardless of our goals.
Non-attachment also refers to our thoughts. When we hold tightly to beliefs and habits, we aren’t open to new ideas. We are not able to see through the fog to our inner truth. We also begin to create identities based on our beliefs and habits. Those identities can become self-limiting and not represent our true selves.
Contentment (santosa)
Santosa is when we accept and appreciate who we are and where we are in life in the moment, while knowing it could change at any time. Another aspect of santosa is to be content and effortful in our practice and life, but not become attached (aparigraha) to the results. When we are content with our lives, we are living with gratitude. Gratitude is like food for our soul. It allows us to see that what we have in life is enough and that we are enough.
Non-excess (bramacharya)
Non-excess is knowing the difference between enough and excess in every aspect of our life. Maintaining a balance between what fills our cups and our demands on life. Our life ebbs and flows through different seasons and it is sometimes difficult to remember this.
Where to start
Most people begin practicing yoga through physical poses. This is a great place to start if you’re a beginner. If you have already been practicing yoga poses, I recommend beginning with self-awareness. After you practice a yoga flow or poses, sit in a comfortable position and meditate for a few minutes. After your mediation, take a few minutes to journal about whatever comes to mind. Do this a few times a week and you’ll begin to see your true self come through the pages.
