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Saturday, May 12, 2012

The Practice of Yoga and Self-Compassion


yoga sutas
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500

The practice of nonviolence, including self-compassion, is one of the primary tenets of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Within the Yoga Sutras are a set of 196 sutras or aphorisms that detail the unfolding process of the practice of yoga and meditation. Ahimsa or nonviolence is one of the core injunctions of Raja Yoga, according to Patanjali. Ahimsa can take many forms. There are different gross and subtle planes that may be affected by violence towards other beings, as well as violence towards oneself. Violent actions detrimentally affect both the receiver of the action and the perpetrator of the violent act. On a non-physical level, the genesis of these acts may be catalyzed by a lack of patience or respect for oneself or another. 

The same is true with violent acts against oneself. Most often, self-violence springs from a sense of unworthiness, shame, low self-esteem and/or a feeling that you may erroneously believe you should be punished for a previous transgression. In the context of a Yoga class, a lack of patience for yourself and pushing yourself beyond what is appropriate for your body on any particular day are also forms of self-violence. If you enter into a practice of Yoga asanas that are unsafe for you, because you want to keep up with the class, this is an act of self-abandonment and a disregard for your own well-being. 

If you have an injury or illness that precludes you from practicing certain asanas or pranayama exercise, letting your Yoga teacher know about these pre-existing conditions before class begins is important. The Yoga instructor may be able to offer you modifications for the poses that will suit your level of physical fitness, health and ability more appropriately. Practicing modified Yoga asanas offers many of the same benefits as the “full” pose with much less risk of injury for practitioners who are beginning Yoga students, or who are recovering from an illness or injury. 

Cultivating self-compassion during your Yoga practice can be quite tricky. It is important to practice in such a way that you are respecting where your body is today without backing off a challenging asana sequence prematurely. In a Yoga class, the opportunity to practice self-compassion arises when you witness yourself falling into an automatic loop of self-defeating thoughts about your inability to master a particular asana or sequence of asanas. 

With the gentleness of compassionate self-inquiry, access your physical state today and determine if you feel ready to go more deeply into an asana, or if you are honoring yourself more appropriately by staying with the beginning stages of the asana or the modified version of the asana. In this way, whether or not you choose to practice the more advanced version of the asana or sequence of asanas, you are cultivated a deep and permeating awareness of self-compassion. 

© Copyright 2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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