Why do we call yoga practice ‘practice’?

We ‘do’ Pilates, we ‘go’ to the gym, we run, swim or cycle - so why do we ‘practice’ yoga?

As with so many things, the answer lies with intention. With all of the activities listed above, the goal is an overtly physical one - to improve our physical capabilities and capacities in one respect or another.

The goal of yoga is very different. Although it’s often presented as a physical practice it’s actually anything but. In fact Patanjali (who’s system did NOT include practice of postures beyond meditative seated poses) explicitly tells us to cultivate ‘disgust for our bodies and the bodies of others’.

Even in the non-dualistic school of Tantra in which the body was considered as sacred and indistinguishable from spirit, the physical form was simply used as a tool to achieve transcendence.

And though it might sound a strange admission for a yoga teacher to make - yoga really isn’t a great ‘movement’ discipline. Think about it...we move in mostly linear and basic ways on a small rectangle of rubber. Of course there ARE physical benefits to doing this - but if you want to be a great ‘mover’ you’d definitely be better served with dance, gymnastics or martial arts.

But that’s ok - because yoga postures weren’t intended to help us move better, they were intended (within the context of the Tantric philosophy mentioned above) to help us move towards realisation of Self.

This is why, as I’ve written before, there’s no such notion as being ‘good’ (or ‘bad’) at yoga. And this is also why we call it ‘practice’ - because we’re practising cultivating a sense presence and stillness in which we can access a truer understanding of Self.

There’s no doubt that at times in our yoga practice we will find ourselves in unfamiliar and potentially even slightly uncomfortable (but I hope not ‘painful’) places…both physically and mentally. But by grounding and centring ourselves in body and breath we have an opportunity to retain a sense of balance and presence - a connection to that underlying sense of stillness that’s with us at all times.

We also have an opportunity to recognise patterns of the mind as they arise. If discomfort is present how do we meet it? Do we immediately back away, do we grit our teeth and ‘push on’, are we able to simply be with that sense of discomfort, exploring it gently? Taking the opportunity to know ourselves better.

And most importantly - are we able to exercise discretion and care, to take the most skilful and appropriate course of action in each moment?

This is where great value in ‘practice’ lies - developing the capacity to meet the challenges and discomforts that life will throw at us without losing our centre, without losing our connection to that inner sense of stillness. Using the situations we encounter in our physical practice, or when we sit for meditation, as ‘training for life’ so that we can retain our connection to Self as we move through life’s ups and downs - responding appropriately rather than reacting instinctively.

We won’t always get it ‘right’ - nobody does - but hopefully over time, and by approaching our practice with the right intention, we’ll find that our progress through life becomes just that little more easeful as a result.