Why Do You Practice? UTMOST IMPORTANT!

Of late, I have been very disturbed by how people practice and their way of approaching yoga in general. Practitioners are getting complacent about their practice, dependent on the techniques and deluded about "higher" intentions and goals. I thought as yoga evolves to better fit human lives and to merge with modern societies, shouldn't it be more convenient and comfortable to arrive at certain goals and attain balance and equanimity in a shorter period? However, what I have observed was actually the opposite.

I found out that the general intention was to alleviate back pain, relieve from stress or become flexible but along the way, people tend to move away from their intention and start to join this ridiculous race of who have the longest hamstring or the most open hips! Instead of searching in our own bodies and understanding its capacity, we end up pushing, fighting, forcing our way to be who we are not. Then we ask our teachers why we get injured, why are we in pain and why we cannot come into a certain pose after a long time. Do I really need to answer this question? Yes I actually do. I started to do my research, called my teachers, looked up in the internet on yoga news, reflected on my teachings and delved into my students profile.

Eventually, I got the answers. Its our own honest intention and the yearning to learn. I mean common, you don't have to be told "spread your fingers wide" in downward dog 10 times to get it right or "don't bring your knees further than the line of your ankle" 20 times to feel that its right do you? There is so much that a teacher could share in his class but are our intentions enough for the teacher to see to deemed right to share more?

That is when a workshop manifests itself. When the teacher finally decides it is time to unravel more in a more personal environment where there is more time and capacity to focus and learn. Workshops are investments for those who are willing to learn and passionate about the practice. Workshops are the only time for both teachers and students to go deeper into the aspects of yoga, apply the techniques immediately after getting them and feel and experience the joy of the new revelation.

It is natural to assume that our practice and our life are totally separate, that we practice for an hour or so day and forget about it. But after a while, the two inevitably begin to merge. Like Kali Ray, founder of Triyoga said at the Asia Yoga Conference, "What is not Yoga? Nothing. Everything is Yoga."

Its no secret that we often do things for reasons we're totally unaware of. Sometimes our unconscious motives become clear only after a great deal of self reflection. So it is important to realize that questioning the intent of our practice inevitably leads to inquire about the meaning of life as well. We might as well be asking one day, "WHY ARE WE ALIVE?".

Namaste,

Azmi