Ask someone what they think yoga is about and generally the answer that comes back is flexibility. I often hear new students tell me they have come to class because “I can’t touch my toes”.
Those students who have studied yoga more extensively understand that the asanas (or postures) are only a very small part of yoga.
Yoga is not just about asana or postures, it’s a way of life – it’s what you think, what you say, how you behave to others but also importantly towards yourself.
What you ingest; that is what you feed your body AND your mind on a daily basis has an impact on your well-being. So I’m not just talking about the food you eat. What are you reading, what are you watching and how is it affecting you?
After having children I found I couldn’t watch several of my favourite programs – CSI Criminal Intent and Medium. The stories (which often involved children) were suddenly too distressing for me to watch.
So I stopped. I hardly watch any TV now preferring not to immerse myself in the darker side of human nature (this of course includes most news stories). I’ve found I’m not missing anything and in fact can spend the time reading or watching something more “nourishing.”
If you like to read trashy mags (you know who you are and yes I used to!) try going without for a couple of weeks and see if you miss them.
I mean, do you really need to know which star is allegedly in rehab at the moment? It’s the intellectual equivalent of eating out of your bin, you wouldn’t feed your body garbage so why feed your mind garbage?
Having de-junked what I feed my mind (and don’t get me wrong, I’m no saint, I will be going to see Sex and the City 2), I’m now working on other areas of my life.
We are all on a journey and at different stages of our journey; it’s a constant learning and indeed re-learning process. I have recently focussed my efforts and time on finding alternative “greener” ways to clean my house.
My aim is to create a chemical-free environment for my children and hence reduce our families’ impact on our external environment.
My cupboard is no longer full of cleaning products, many of which had POISON written on the front (really what was I thinking???), instead I have made eucalyptus oil, bi-carb of soda and white vinegar my friends. It’s a gradual process as I change old habits and learn new techniques.
You can see there is a clear theme for me – my children. They are still so small and yet they have taught me so much already.
As a parent you are forced to become selfless, there is no more “me, me, me” with children around. Almost everything you do is about them, for them or impacts them. They are the best teachers in the world!
So you don’t have to be on a yoga mat, in a yoga class, in a yoga studio, with a yoga teacher to be “practising yoga”. Isn’t that a liberating thought?
Top Tip:
To clean your stove top pour boiling water from the kettle onto the surface, leave it for a couple of minutes until cool enough to wipe with a cloth.
Best cloths to use are the re-usable “magic” microfibre cleaning cloths; double points – no chemicals and no landfill waste!
You can find much more information on living a holistic lifestyle in these free magazines and on our YouTube channel.
Liz Kerr
