NIRVANA

I have learned so much since I have started to teach Yoga. The world of yoga being so vast, the knowledge is infinite. Yoga taught me to respect the uniqueness of every person, to be vulnerable, to take time for my own practice, to teach and understand the needs of my clients by providing a safe place for exploration, healing, and stillness.

1. I will Forever be a Student in Yoga

Yoga originating since more than 5000 years ago, it is incredible how the knowledge of yoga is so vast – the history of yoga, asanas, pranayama, meditation, the eight limbs of yoga, ayurveda, chakras, cleansing techniques, body anatomy, among others, and most importantly the deeper practice in itself. My role as a yoga practitioner is to impart the knowledge that I have received to individuals while continuing to learn and enhance my own knowledge.

2. Teaching as per the Needs of the Individuals in my class

I teach as per the needs of the people in my class not what I want to teach. When I design my class, I ask myself what do my clients need out of this practice. In doing so, my clients become more open and they also experience the benefits of the practice. They revert back to me and tell me that they have less body pain, posture and flexibility is improved, feeling more calm and at peace with themselves.

3. Respect the Uniqueness of Every Person

Yoga teaches us that every individual is unique and that yoga is made for everybody not only for the flexible people. Every person has their own body anatomy, strengths, and weaknesses. Yoga teaches us to respect every individual as they are. When I teach yoga, I am respectful towards each person’s capabilities.

4. Providing a Safe place for Exploration and Healing

I do my best to provide a safe place where people feel comfortable to explore and be with their own body, notice their breaths, and heal physically and emotionally. Meditation becomes that space where we become one with stillness. It is a place where we go beyond our body and mind and find inner peace.

5. Being Vulnerable

Yoga taught be to be okay with being vulnerable. I have my own injuries but this also made me become more understandable towards other people’s conditions. Yoga has a major role in my own healing journey. That is why I always encourage people to listen to their body. The aim of yoga is not to create more pain but also knowing when to stop and gradually taking it to the next level.

6. Taking Time for my Own Practice

While I do rehearse my classes, it is also important to take time for my own practice like practicing daily meditation, asanas, or breathwork. In doing so, I keep on learning and stay grounded in my practice. It also helps me to recharge my own energy so that I will be able to give back to other people.

7. Learning more Deeply about Myself

When I practice yoga and meditation, I notice everything in that space – my impatience, my overthinking. Yoga helps me become aware of my inner state and sit with it. That is when everything changes. You can only change what you notice and that is emotional regulation. It is not that yoga practitioners are always zen type people, it is just that they notice their inner state more often. Meditation is an important aspect of the practice.

8. The Art of Surrendering

Yoga and Meditation taught me the art of surrendering. It taught me to surrender to being uncomfortable, impatient, angry, or any feeling I am experiencing in that moment. Meditation teaches to not block our thoughts but become a witness of our mind. In doing so, instead of resisting we surrender to the present moment and just be.

9. The Law of Impermanence

Yoga teaches us that nothing remains permanent including our body, our breath, our mind, and our emotions. It also teaches us that both suffering and happiness are temporary. Hence, we are able to enjoy the good moments and accept moments of hardship without attaching ourselves to the situation.

10. Yoga is a Way of Living

Yoga does not stop off the mat but it touches every aspect of our lives. Being in alignment and being in complete alignment with who we really are. Yoga is not only about breathwork, yoga postures, or meditation but also teaches us important yogic philosophies like ethical living, non-violence, non-greed, being truthful, contentment, and self-discipline.

My Final Reflection

Yoga continues to teach me something new every day including the lessons I have learned. While I will never consider myself as an expert in yoga, my aim is to keep on learning and improving myself through consistency, patience, and self-discipline.

If you are a yoga and meditation practitioner, what lessons has yoga taught you?

Yashna Veera, Life Coach and Yoga & Meditation Practitioner

NIRVANA