Why we want to take our practice + teaching Beyond the Asana

I want to share this with you as someone who has both a deep admiration for Yoga in it’s most comprehensive way, and who has struggled with anxiety, and overwhelm (on and off that mat) and why I feel so passionately about sharing the wisdom of Yoga Beyond the Asana.

I also want to share this from a “yes, AND” perspective. 

The “yes AND” comes from the idea that while we can appreciate, and honour the importance and value of one perspective/thought/idea (in this case it is Asana), we can acknowledge the and..

AND, there is more.

Asana is great, AND there is more to Yoga than asana; AND finding the balance is a process and a practice.

First, I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for the physical part of Yoga. 

I come from a background in Ashtanga Yoga, for which I have tremendous respect for the lineage, discipline, and value of the entire practice.

I think committing to, and showing up daily to an Asana based practice is not for the feint of heart.

It builds character, and discipline, and acts as a powerful mirror to observe the fluctuations of the body and mind.

It also strengthens the physical body, the mind and supports the detoxification process not only on a physical level, but an energetic level as well.

It shows us what we’re made of - it challenges us to go beyond our comfort zone, and to do things we never thought possible.

It’s powerful, no doubt...

AND it is only one limb of the 8-limbed path, and one part of the broader context of Yogic and Vedic wisdom. 

With so much emphasis on Asana in the west, and fancy Instagram photos and challenges that inundate us in the Yoga world, it can be hard to conceive of Yoga beyond those postures.

It’s important to understand that asana was never meant to be practiced outside the context of the 8 limbs, and the practice of Yoga is so much more than Asana.

As teachers, and serious students of Yoga, I believe we have a commitment to honour this tradition in its entirety; not simply taking a tiny piece of one of the greatest wisdom traditions of all time and forgetting about the rest.

There are a few places we can start honouring this wisdom:

1. Studying/Practicing the 8-Limbs

One of the first ways we can begin to bring this wisdom into our lives, is by practicing and implementing the 8-limbs of Yoga into our lives.

Starting with the Yamas + Niyamas, working in Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and I mean, we’re not necessarily reaching Samadhi per-se, but practicing total awareness, presence and absorption into the present moment is helpful

We can then begin to bring this awareness off that mat and into our lives… One of the most powerful things we do within Embodied Ayurveda, and The Presence Project is implement “off the mat” practices to help you fully embody this wisdom in your daily life.

2. Deepening our understanding of Ayurveda

Ayurveda is known as Yoga’s “sister science” for a reason. Ayurveda is thought to be the medicine, while Yoga is the practice. These two wisdom body’s are heavily intertwined in that originally they were designed to be practiced alongside one another.

A yogic practitioner was also an Ayurvedic practitioner, and Yoga was taught with Ayurvedic wisdom in mind.

It was generally taught 1:1 with one’s constitution, and prakruti in mind. Today it is not like that, which is why I feel it’s so important for teachers and practitioners of Yoga to understand this wisdom so they can implement it into their own practice + teaching to more deeply support themselves and their students.

To me, Ayurvedic wisdom is Self wisdom. It gives us a language to understand ourselves - what makes us, US, and how to create balance within ourselves everyday both on and off the mat. 

3. Study of Yogic/Vedic texts

Svadhyaya is one of the yamas/niyamas of Yoga, and for good reason. Study of the Self AND study of the scriptures and ancient texts is important. All serious students and teachers of Yoga should study:

1. The Yoga Sutras
2. The Bhagavad Gita
3. The Upanishads

One thing we are super passionate about here at Yogi Fuel is making this wisdom accessible and applicable to modern life. 

All of our courses, programs, and certifications are steeped in what we call transformational learning. We follow our three step process of:

1. Learn
2. Embody
3. Teach

First we teach you the information, and then we help you to powerfully embody and live out that wisdom as a natural extension of who you are being.

From that space of integrity, we support you in how to share and teach that information to your students and in your own programs.

To book a complimentary call to see which of our program are for you, click the link here:

BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY CALL