By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Does life feel like a carnival ride? How do we deal with life’s challenges? What do you consider happiness to be? Can Hatha Yoga really open the “Gateway to Happiness?” Let’s look at solutions to happiness, which you can find in your Hatha Yoga practice.
Life is often compared to a carnival ride. The “ups and downs” of life cause us pleasure and pain. To a degree, we all need a certain amount of stress, but Hatha Yoga practice can help you gauge the amount of stress you take.
Picture stress like water: You need some water to live, but too much water can become a flood. Hatha Yoga controls stress, like a dam controls water. We want a steady flow, but not too much.
How do we deal with life’s challenges? Many people want to avoid challenges and stress, but in the proper “dosage,” challenges are what keep us going. Start or finish your day with Yoga, and you will face life’s daily challenges with positive energy in your heart.
What do you consider happiness to be? Is it money, possessions, power, fame, retirement, or something else? All of these things tax our spirit. The more we have, the more we want, the more we are bored, and the more there is to worry about.
Happiness cannot be bought. Look at the lives of the “rich and famous,” if you need proof. Happiness is a choice, and Hatha Yoga can help anyone find the path of happiness.
Can Yoga really open the gateway to happiness? Absolutely! All forms of Yoga teach meditation and Pranayama. In Hatha Yoga, these concepts sometimes become secondary to Yoga postures (Asanas). Yet, all three of these concepts combined will help you feel more cheerful – even during disappointing times.
Yoga can be practiced all day long. When you display acts of kindness, you will feel gratified in knowing you helped someone. Loving kindness is a universal Yogic concept. This is just one of many methods of “Yoga off the mat.”
You can practice loving kindness by giving to others. Let someone in front of you, while you are in traffic, or help someone in need. If you have no money, loving kindness does not have to be material. Karma Yoga is selfless service; all you have to do is help or listen to someone who needs you.
Lastly, every time you give, help, or listen, it “comes back.” This should not be your primary motivation for helping others, but giving is always rewarded in one way or another. This is just one example of the law of cause and effect, which we also know as “Karma.”
Non-judgment is a universal principle that exists in Yoga and many religions. Judgment of noise, surroundings, smells, and sensations is a common distraction during Yoga meditation.
In Yoga, the mind is often compared to a monkey because of distraction, but judgment is different. When we judge, the mind classifies and categorizes everything, but the system of organization can be flawed if the mind is not tolerant, loving, and respectful of others.
Judging others is a “prison.” Yoga teaches us to avoid judgment of others. Many of us judge ourselves, and other people, too harshly. Do not expect others to fit into a “template” of what you consider to be ideal or moral.
Skin color, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, gender, age, or choice of a favorite ice cream flavor, are not significant reasons for us to judge each other. When your mind begins to judge others, “hold your tongue,” and be mindful.
Think carefully before taking action and purge your mind of negative thoughts. When we speak hateful words, we can apologize, but we cannot “strike them from the record.”
Do not turn your back on a person in need. If you do, even once, you will always regret it. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to help someone who needs you.
You cannot wait for success, giving, and happiness to come to you. The Yoga practitioner, who finds happiness – takes action, helps others, seizes the moment, and moves forward with optimism.
Many Yoga teachers speak of “living in the moment,” but many of us have past regrets. None of us can afford to waste time with negative thought.
If you find yourself regretting the past, learn from the experience, and move forward with newfound optimism. If you are in negative surroundings, you must make a concerted effort to change.
We must accept, what we cannot change, but we are in control of our present and the future. We have no control over natural disasters and the economy, but through Yoga practice, we can learn to appreciate our surroundings.
Each choice, we make, has a cumulative effect on our health and the lives of those around us. If we are content with our family, friends, and co-workers, we contribute to their happiness.
In turn, happiness and good health comes full circle and returns to us. Hatha Yoga, and all forms of Yoga, are for the health maintenance of mind, body, and spirit. When we take positive action, on a daily basis, through loving kindness, mindfulness, and optimism, we practice Yoga and open the “Gateway to Happiness.”
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
Yoga is an excellent motivational tool. When you consider starting your day with Yoga meditation, Pranayama, Japa, Yoga postures (Asanas), warm-ups, Sun Salutations, or a combination of any of these – Yoga offers many useful motivation techniques for all of us.
However, some of us like to sleep late, skip work, unplug the phone, and wonder where the day went. This lack of stress can cause depression. This is not an endorsement of a stressful lifestyle, but the reality is: We all require a little daily stress to stimulate, strengthen, and motivate ourselves.
How could an early morning Yoga meditation create motivation for the entire day? There are many types of meditation to choose from, but you could choose a form of positive visualization to raise your level of motivation.
This will require you to set aside a little time and solitude. You could start with a 15 minute Yoga meditation session and allow your mind some forgiveness – if it wanders. Do not judge your mind or any distractions around you.
This is a key to Yogic meditation, and Yoga in general: Be mindful, be kind, do not judge anything, avoid extremes, and live life in moderation. The purpose of your meditation will be aided – if you write down your goals, for the day, and meditate.
With this form of Yogic meditation, you will be pleasantly surprised with how often you accomplish your daily objectives. Keep in mind that Yoga meditation is just one technique to stimulate motivation. Pranayama, Japa, Asana, and Sun Salutations, all work well for stimulating the body and mind.
Another factor, which causes depression, is lack of trust in others, and from deep within our inner being. We must believe in ourselves before we have faith in others. This lack of trust can cause a form of scaring to our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Can Yoga turn any of us into “eternal optimists?” The answer is, “maybe.” Most eternal optimists are born that way; but optimism can be conditioned, and you have the power to harness it, if you want to.
A Yoga student asks, “Teach me about self-empowerment.” The lessons are within all forms of Yoga, but you will find more answers within Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Karma Yoga.
Most Yoga students, outside of India, practice Hatha Yoga sub-styles. This is fine – but are you learning anything beyond the physical aspects of Yoga? Yoga is a vast topic, with solutions to many of today’s health problems.
However, can the world learn to trust a 5,000 year old health maintenance system, with a proven track record of success? On a global scale, most of the world’s population still seeks short-term health solutions in the form of pills.
Sometimes prescriptions are required; especially, in the case of severe depression. It is promising that Western medicine now embraces Yoga as an alternative therapy. This will create an evolution in health care which will improve the quality of life for humanity.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
By Dr. Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500
What is Karma? Can Karma be a cloud hanging over us? Here are some ways to look at Karma, regardless of your religious belief.
Karma is the universal law of equal reaction for any initial action. If you give anything, you will receive the same, or more, in return. We commonly see this effect with love, hate, and money.
Therefore, be careful to avoid having hateful thoughts or displaying hateful actions. Obviously, you should be generous about acts of kindness, giving to loved ones, and giving to charity. The person who does not share love or money is rewarded with loneliness and shallow relationships.
Regardless of your religion, Karma has an effect on your life. If you visit a church, temple, shrine, ashram, or mosque, you are taught to give to people who are less fortunate. This is a universal and ethical law: Those who give – always seem to receive.
Many people feel they live under the shadow of “bad Karma.” Karma is not bad or good. This is only the human perception of Karma. Everyone has bad experiences; this is a natural part of life. Bad experiences must be addressed with solutions. Look at a crisis, cry if you must, find a solution, and learn what you can from it.
We all feel grief, but we cannot solve anything by crying about it. It is natural to cry, but we must move on. The old saying, “Don’t cry over spilled milk,” applies to life. Look at each situation and learn from it. Otherwise, you can fall down and the world will “walk all over you.”
Why is this aspect of Yoga not taught in your Hatha Yoga class? Perhaps your Hatha Yoga teacher does not talk about Yogic philosophy because it might not be considered to be as popular as Yoga postures. Loving kindness, mindfulness, and Karma Yoga rarely make the cover of Time Magazine.
However, you should still privately mention your interest, in Yogic philosophy, to your Yoga teacher. Most Hatha Yoga teachers are very familiar with Yogic philosophy, but many do not want to be seen as a guide toward spiritual health.
This situation occurs more often in a multi-cultural society where Hatha Yoga students have different religious orientations. The typical Hatha Yoga teacher does not want to insult anyone, who comes to his or her class.
There is a solution for this: When a Yoga teacher explains the commonality of universal laws – no offense is taken. Karma is just one of many universal laws. You can find more universal laws, within the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, or take a close look at the first two limbs of Yoga. These limbs are Yamas and Niyamas.
Once you read the first two limbs of Yoga, think about each universal law carefully. Any person, of any religion, can live by these universal laws and practice Karma Yoga – Union by selfless service.
© Copyright 2006 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
