What is yoga?
Yoga is an ancient practice that combines spiritual, physical, and mental aspects, originating from India. It aims to bring balance among these elements through meditation, chanting, Asana (poses), and readings. Yoga signifies the unity of all living things and recognizes the divine connection we share.
The phrase "Namaste" translates to "I bow to the divine light within you." It's about recognizing the light in others, which is fundamental to yoga, as it emphasizes inclusion and compassion.
How did yoga come into my life?
When I was 16, a sports injury caused Brown-Sequard syndrome, affecting my spinal cord. The fall had damaged my lower back and neck vertebrae, reducing the motor and sensory function of my legs.
My neurologist, who had just returned from Macao, suggested I try yoga. At that time, I was skeptical and thought, “He's crazy.” Yoga, to me then, meant sitting and chanting OM.
Years later, in 2005, I was studying for my doctorate at the University of Valencia in Spain. During that time, I felt a strong desire to explore the yoga field. I found yoga classes at university after many tries, and that's when I felt a strong connection. The saying "The teacher comes when the student is ready" truly resonated with me.
A great yoga teacher taught me Ashtanga Yoga, a new style that I found amazing and had never heard of before. It was a Flow-based yoga that emphasized sun salutations and holding poses for extended periods. The practice was intense!
For ninety minutes, I experienced profuse sweating, which led to a puddle of perspiration on the ground. It felt good for my body and helped calm my mind. The peace and tranquility I felt at the end of each session were beyond words.
It was love at first sight! Yoga practice not only improves flexibility but also has benefits outside the studio. I faced my fears and realized I was in a toxic relationship, that ended after ten years, two years later.
I have been doing yoga regularly since then. At first, I went to yoga studios, but then I started practicing at home. I tried different styles, but always kept it up.
Yoga became very important to me because it helped my body and mind. The yoga mat becomes a sanctuary!
As time passed, the symptoms of my spin trauma got better, and I no longer needed regular MRIs.
Years later, Kundalini yoga arrived, and I felt a profound need to become more aware. I left my job and started to travel around several countries, to explore and learn about myself. This journey led to more changes in my life, helping me overcome fears and break down barriers.
In this new phase of my life, I focused on healing and transformation through various therapies, readings, and workshops. Meditation became a part of my life without any outside influence. After doing yoga for a long time, I started to feel like I needed to meditate. I investigated different styles and practiced until I found my style.
Meditation helped me feel more peaceful, balanced, and healthy. The benefits were so good that I knew I had to keep doing it. I understood that meditation is something important that I should always make time for in my life. The meditation floor pillow and blanket become the best yoga gifts!
I kept going up the spiral and got the chance to do the Sivananda International Teacher Training Course (TTC) as a gift. Furthermore, I can't describe how amazing it was to spend 30 days fully immersed in yoga. We did poses, learned about philosophy, chanted, read religious texts, prayed, volunteered, lived together, and detoxed.
Living with 40 people from different countries in a jungle setting filled with love was simple and joyful. We respected each other's differences and helped each other shine. I had never been so happy! If everyone lived like this, world peace would be easy to achieve.
Coming back to reality was hard. The course taught me that the challenge is not only about doing difficult yoga poses. It also involves staying positive and peaceful in daily life. This includes maintaining a positive mindset even when surrounded by different people's personalities.
After the course, I had to find a balance in my life. I realized that it's normal to lose balance sometimes, but what matters is that I now have ways to get back on track quickly. Just like bamboo, I can regain my center and inner peace more easily now.
How do I integrate yoga into my daily routine?
Yoga is the middle path, the path of balance. We are spirits living a human experience, which means we are already spiritual. But how do we live a human life without ceasing to be spiritual? How can we have a working and family normal life, while maintaining a serene, balanced, and healthy life?
These are the daily activities I practice, and recommend:
- Wake up early, around 6 am, in silence. Listen to nature. Express gratitude for all the blessings of the new day.
- Practice yoga (Asana) for 20-30 minutes and meditate for 5–10 minutes. It's significant to focus on consistency and discipline, not duration. It's better to meditate for 3 minutes daily than to meditate for 1 hour every 6 months.
- Take a shower. Have a silent breakfast or listen to relaxing music like mantras. Keep the cell phones outside the table.
- Drink water with lemon, ginger, or apple vinegar all day to stay hydrated. Let the water bottle be your best friend!
- Respect work hours. Don't stay extra hours at work. Don't bring work at home.
- Take a shower in the evening when returning home, to remove any dense energy from the street. Have dinner early around 6-7 pm and make it light. Keep the cell phones outside the table.
- Create a serene environment in the bedroom, approximately one hour before sleeping. Stay in silence or play relaxing music. Be sure to turn off the cell phones and preferably leave them outside the bedroom.
- Meditate before sleeping (3-5 minutes). It can simply be expressing gratitude for all the lessons of the day and how blessed we are.
- Get sleep around 9 pm.
Other tips that may help you:
- Zero news consumption, especially before sleep.
- Minimize or eliminate television. Filter incoming information.
- Make time for activities you enjoy weekly, like dancing, painting, crafts, embroidery, writing, or singing. It's important for your well-being.
- Take walks in nature to ground yourself and release stress. Hug a tree.
- When overwhelmed by human responsibilities, seek communities, groups, and spaces that offer meditations, yoga, and retreats. Seek spaces and people of high vibration.
These are just guidelines, of course. Everyone must find what best fits their lifestyle. Remember step by step and if you live with family or with your mate you might have to make agreements.
To sum up, yoga has been and remains an invaluable gift in my life. I strive to share this gift through designs that draw inspiration from the yoga lifestyle. A gift to yoga lovers!
By, Catarina Carvalho