Aikyam Yoga

Because your attention will be completely directed within, and this makes a huge difference. In group sessions, when you learn yoga, a great part of your attention is diverted into following the teacher, listening to the cues and even perhaps getting distracted with other people around you. If the sequencing changes continuously then most of your attention is external. It is when your attention is within that the experience of real yoga can take place. Having the support of a teacher is fundamental, but it is just that, support and guidance, so that you fine-tune your practice and evolve through it, with proper alignment etc. But at some point, you should transition to be independent, with your home practice the main one and the group sessions or private sessions for guidance, support, and progress.

Boredom is a state of the mind that lingers in the past or in the future. Basically, you are expecting things, aka the present moment, to be something other than what it is, usually based on a memory of past experiences or an expectation in the future, the desire for something to happen. This impedes you to be present and find contentment in what you are living in the moment. By allowing this you shut yourself from experiencing what the present moment is bringing to you. In yoga classes, the main idea is to use our bodies to train our mind. But when you are continuously following a led sequence, as in vinyasa classes, there is little room to train your mind through conscious will. Your mind has just been led. You get the feeling of relaxation because to pay attention you have to stop overthinking, but after the class is over how long does that effect last? Did it persist when you had a challenging situation? The mind needs to be controlled by conscious action in order to be trained. Therefore, boredom is just a lack of mind control and an inability to appreciate and/or sit consciously with what life gives you regardless of likes and dislikes. This is contentment. Challenging situations are difficult and we wish not to be there, we avoid being present and thus, create and prolong our suffering. However, for a mind that is controlled, there is no boredom, there is no suffering. Now, when you learn yoga, repetition is fundamental, not only is it good for your body but fundamental for training your mind. It allows the mind to become meditative and with time, you'll find that there is flow even when externally it may not seem like it. It is the flow of the present moment, where your full attention is within.

Yoga was never meant to be an easy thing. In fact, it is meant to get you into discomfort so that you get the opportunity to train your mind. It is in discomfort that we grow. When we learn to sit and breathe in discomfort, we begin to detach from the pain of suffering. We become the witness, that who observes without judging good or bad, pleasure or pain, like or dislike etc. When this becomes a habit, you take that skill with you throughout your everyday life and you find yourself going through challenging situations with a sense of equanimity and serenity you never thought possible. This happened through repeated action of facing discomfort with grace, right effort and full awareness. Additionally, feeling good is not the best indication that something is the best. You can get into bad habits of posture that feel good only because your muscles are weak, and when you get into the proper posture it is uncomfortable. An example is seating with your spine straight. If they are not usually straight, you'll find it difficult and uncomfortable to do so. Contact us now to learn yoga in Kensington.