Getting a degree/diploma in Yoga does not get you an edge over others, till you practice regularly and sincerely. It's truly a science of experience. And a person like me with two daughters and an army of relatives to cater to regularly, this sincere practice gets regular and irregular on and off. Months after passing a diploma and not so regular practice, I realised a few things I was doing wrong during my practice. They are:
- Doing Surya Namaskar when I have less time to spare in hand
Whenever I had lesser time, I practiced Surya Namaskar assuming that full body gets a thorough workout and overall blood circulation improves. I used to pant, not very heavily though, and in sometime, start doing my regular chores. I used to stay in that hyper active mode throughout the day. It helped me a lot to lose weight but it did not give me that essential balance.
I did my project in Surya Namaskar and had written myself that it is incomplete without relaxation. But to experience it yourself is something else.
Surya Namaskar increases your heart beat exactly opposite to asanas that help to balance your heart beats. Therefore, if you practice asanas and do not get time for pranayama or relaxation, you will still feel that balance in your body and mind. But after Surya Namaskar, if you do not get time for pranayama, shavasana or omkar, it does not help to that extend. You will be energetic throughout the day but will not get a balanced blissful feeling.
- If you have an ailment, you concentrate only on asanas affecting that organ
This happened when I failed to practically implement the theory and practical we learnt back in diploma. With the ancestral history of thyroid, I over emphasised on the asanas that were impactful on the throat gland.
Diseases are just numbers getting higher and lower. What I should have aimed was getting beyond it. Such a practice did not harm me anyways, but there were few difficult asanas that I did wonderfully at the time of diploma, and after not practicing them occasionally my body is unable to bring that beauty in the posture. I can reach the antim sthitee, but sthirta is missing in those poses.
For example: I did ardha matsyendrasana very comfortably from both the sides. But, due to lack of practice I am unable to get the stability in the left hand version of such an important asana.
- Teaching without practising
If you get a degree or diploma, your friends and relatives assume they have got someone who will help them with their ailments. Helping others is an excellent idea to alleviate oneself but not at the detriment of neglecting your own practice.
When you have two dependent daughters of age eight and five (current age) and all household demands to cater to, time is always limited, as is with everybody. So I needed to practice before I preach, in whatever time I got. That was something I did not do regularly.
- Skipping the shuddhi kriyas
Shuddhi kriyas- especially neti and dhouti, was something I practised regularly at the time of diploma and one year after that. But, emphasising too much on asanas and not on shuddhi-kriyas was not at all a good idea. We eat a lot of unwanted and unhealthy stuff, a lot of times. All that manifests in the body and mind. Sadhana should start from shuddhi kriya to have the best effect.
- Doing only meditation
At times, when the routine was hectic, I did only meditation. But somehow if I think back, only when meditation is preceeded by asanas it has the proper benefit, not otherwise. Doing few simple asanas would suffice, but this sequence is very necessary to follow, according to my experience.
But again, that's not the case with jaap- or what I mean by chanting the guru mantra on a beads mala. Jaap is best practised anytime, anywhere- empty stomach for the best results.
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