By Kimaya Singh
What is the relationship between Yoga and loving kindness? Do Yogic methods bring about states of loving kindness? Are Yoga teachers good examples of compassion or is it too much to ask? What about instructors who teach with their egos and go out of their way to treat students poorly? As there are many different Yoga schools, styles and teachers, we know that loving kindness does not exist in all classes or within the hearts of all teachers. I learned loving kindness meditation techniques Aura Wellness Center over 20 years ago and have been able to apply them both to real life. In fact, I will teach you one of their techniques and you can apply it to your life today.
Practical Methods to Find Calm
Variations of loving kindness meditation may involve a specific series of sitting, standing, supine, and prone asanas to release physical tension within the body and to calm your mind. This is not a prayer, but can be spiritual, not a game, but can be physical. In short, it is what improves the state of overall well being within you. If you think you won’t be able to get out of the stressful life, you need to practice now. Granted, you already have been irritable over the years. Additionally, you haven’t sat in a peaceful environment without getting distracted by the slightest sound. Finally, if everything seems like I’m describing your life, then, you are the perfect candidate for loving kindness mediation.
Honest Self-Evaluation
However, my suggestion to most people with chronic stress and irritability is to practice supervised asanas before attempting meditation. Depending on one’s level of fitness, the activity may be gentle or vigorous. The person who starts a Yoga training program should do a self-evaluation before taking a class. This is why no prospective student should be allowed to take a class without an honest talk (interview) and evaluation process. Some styles and teachers will challenge students to push their physical limits. On the other hand, compassionate teachers will nurture them mentally and physically.
Goal Of Loving Kindness in Posturing
The goal is to be able to sustain for a few minutes with calm posture and gradually improve your state of mind from where you are now. Each Yoga pose can be adjusted to work with your physical and mental abilities later. As you practice these techniques, you can easily expect to be able to go deeper and deeper into the calmness and possibly each pose to increase the range of motion.
Gradual Progress
According to some teachers, men and women have the ability to stretch their spines gradually over time compared to when they initially started Yoga training sessions. There is a saying that you are only as young as your spine feels. Yoga can make you feel younger than you really are. Most of all, Yogic practices can make you calmer by loosening up the tension in the muscles throughout the body and make it relaxed. This practice transcends the body and brings about states of relaxation within the mind.
Breath Awareness Meditation
In many forms of yoga, there is a need to pay close attention to breathing. Breathing deeply or Pranayama by inhaling through one nostril and exhaling, opens your airways, fills the lungs and heats up the whole body from the inside out. This improves oxygen supply through the body, which in turn nourishes the cells. As a bonus, breathing exercise can help you reach states of complete relaxation. The deeper you breath, the more you lose unwanted feelings of frustration, stress, and negative thoughts. The breath awareness meditation makes you stay within the present and put aside all types of distractions that are troubling you during the day.
Practical Application
Yoga and loving kindness enable you to carry this positive energy with you and people around you will start to change. You may ask: How is this really possible? If a woman hates me, but I keep smiling back at her, does she have enough negative energy to keep scowling? It is a test of negative and positive energy, but I have an infinite well full of positive energy! It is called pranayama and you can always weaken negative people with loving kindness by exhaling slowly and smiling right into their eyes. A smile is free, harmless, and it will protect you like a shield.
Yoga for All Ages
Typically, Yoga is a well-known form of exercise that is excellent for increasing strength and loosening tight muscles. While traditional weight lifting and other strength training exercises, these methods often work well for shaping the body of younger practitioners. Therefore, these methods are good for young adults, but pale in comparison for the needs of people over 40. Nevertheless, the reason is physical results from traditional exercises depend on age, metabolism, health, hormones, and the regularity of practice. Add to this, some personal trainers don’t want to work with older or less for clients. In contrast, many personal trainers only want to work with the next Mr. Olympia.
Holistic Benefits
Yoga and loving kindness are also being combined as a form of exercise to promote relaxation, enhance self-awareness, and increase the quality of life. The breath awareness for loving kindness meditation technique improves sleep, digestion, and other functions associated with body and mind. Let’s face it, if you feel better about yourself and people around you, the end results will be good overall health.
© Copyright – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
Do you want to become a mindfulness meditation teacher?
To see our selection of Yoga instructor courses and continuing education courses, please visit the following link.
https://aurawellnesscenter.com/store/
Click here to see our online Yoga Nidra teacher training course.
Are you an experienced teacher looking for YACEP credits or continuing education?
Subscribe to Our Newsletter for Special Discounts and New Products
Related Resources
52 Essential Principles of Yoga Philosophy to Deepen your Practice
by Rina Jakubowicz
A Relaxing Way to De-stress, Re-energize, and Find Balance
by: Gail Boorstein Grossman
YOGA: THE PATH TO HOLISTIC HEALTH
by B.K.S. Iyengar
TEACHING YOGA: Essential Foundations and Techniques
By Mark Stephens
Are you interested in how to become a certified hatha yoga teacher? See our selection of affordable yoga instructor training intensive courses.
https://youtu.be/6-SHrfD_D-k
This world needs more loving-kindness. I saw ways that my yoga practice had been reinforcing and refining my ability to criticize myself, rather than training my capacity to wish myself well. I think of both teachings as the loving-kindness point of view. Thank You!
Thank you so much for sharing these amazing articles, I have found them very helpful. Love and Light to you and yours!
Beautiful article — thank you! I particularly loved the concept of using the breath to open the body from the inside out. I am always trying to find new ways to bring a different understanding to my yoga practice — to keep it (and my teaching) fresh and new. Thank you for using your lovely mind and spirit to benefit us all. Namasté.