Yoga is very different to other physical activities. The moment we step on our yoga mat is the moment we enter in a different world, in our very personal space of intimacy and interiorization. But is it that easy to enter in depth, when we are usually experiencing a daily environment full of prejudices, judgment, competition, control and perfectionism?

 

We need to create these moments of self acceptance to connect deeply with us: allowing my self to be just as I am, in a non judgemental way.

 

When I am with me on the mat, it’s a very special moment of being me without judgement nor control. It’s a moment of pure being, of presence and awareness. And of connection. But sometimes it’s hard to create or keep this holy state for yourself on the mat.

Here I want to provide some simple rules, which support to enter in this yogic experience. Postures you can follow not only on the mat but off the mat, as a daily attitude.

TOP TEN rules for a yogic attitude

 

1 Accept your limitations

Don’t push yourself through your present limits. Respect your body and its needs.

 

2 Be kind and nice to yourself

Cultivate a self caring attitude. With a warm heart and loving smile. Embracing your needs and accepting if something is not working as your ego would like to.

 

3 Give yourself time

There’s no rush in yoga. If you don’t reach to the final position of a pose, or you are less flexible than yesterday, be patient and simply breath into the pose.

 

4 Enjoy, don’t stress

Enjoy that your body is not a fixed object, but flexible and transformative: different everyday. Enjoy every sensation you observe, every movement that happens in your body. No stress to reach the pose. Enjoy the way.

 

5 Don’t judge

Being non judgmental is one of the most important parts of yoga. There’s no need to judge, not your neighbor and not yourself. Be your own neutral observer.

 

6 Don’t compare

Don’t compare yourself to your neighbor. She/He is different to you, different body, different mind, different person. We are all unique and that’s why eveyone’s yoga is unique in itself.

 

7 Don’t compete

No competition in Yoga. Competition is Sport, is Ego, is Fear. In Yoga we accept and love ourself and our uniqueness.

 

8 Listen to your body

This goes hand in hand with respecting your limits. Stay with yourself and your body and listen. The body has a supreme intelligence which will tell us exactly what it needs to be healthy. We only need to listen.

 

9 Stay calm and breathe

Again: no rush, no stress, no drama. Joy and Love: deep, long breaths lead you to calm your mind and enter deeper within yourself.

 

10 Love

There are basically two emotions: love and fear.  Any other emotions comes from those two. If we concentrate on love instead of sticking with our ego driven fears, we can enter in a state of peace and happiness, a state of self love and self care. Then we experience union of our Self.