Engagement Model: Go with the Right Mindset

When we practice yoga, the result varies from person to person. Some of us get good result; some of us get “not so good” result and some simply give up after few days of practice. Here are the guidelines for the novices who want to engage with the practice of yoga and get the result that they really deserve. These guidelines primarily set the right kind of mindset as one enters into the world of yoga.

Commitment: First, get yourself committed. This is the fuel that needs to be ignited which acts as a guiding light as we take up the unknown journey. There is a BIG difference between “commitment “and “Interest”. There is a vast difference when I say

I am interested in becoming healthy &

I am committed to become healthy.

There is a nice saying, “committed people always do the things and achieve the result whereas interested people always watch the committed people getting the result”. Interest is doing on convenience where us commitment is doing things without constructing stories and excuses.

So, the first guideline is to stay 100% committed. Here in yoga, you are not only training the body but also mind & emotions. There is a learning period which takes considerable time but provides a definitive shift in you.

Priorities:  Regularity is the key fundamental element for the success. Why we need regularity in the practice? Body has its own intelligence and it can understand clearly our intention when we do things in a repetitive way. But, generally during the course of our progress, we may come up with certain excuses or some sort of stories just to break the regularity. It is an undesirable path where we compromise the high priority that was set in earlier.

It is important NOT to give excuses or create stories that disrupt the regularity and it essential to train the body appropriately.

Faith: Each one of us operates and takes actions based on his/her own faith & belief structure. Yes, our daily actions in life are based on our faiths. Now, when we start to learn yoga, it is important to have faith on the person who imparts the knowledge, faith on the practice and faith on yoga itself. Do not compromise on any of these and blindly follow until to a point where you start to experience the changes by yourself.

So, trust the person who imparts the knowledge, the practices & Yoga.

Value: You are not only trusting but you completely value the things that are given to you. There is a saying & it goes as, “Value has value when its value is valued”. It is simply translated as, “if I really value yoga and its practices then I get the true value from yoga and the practices.” The intensity of the “return energy” , the energy that comes from other side depends on how much energy we create from our side.

So, simply VALUE yoga, the person who imparts the knowledge and the practices.

Sustainability:  The initial enthusiasm at the beginning slowly dies off as we progress. This is mainly because of many surprises such as pains/aches, not getting the expected results etc.

The fundamental key point to ensure sustainability is not to over/under do the practices. Just, identify the boundaries of the comfort and discomfort zone and try to stay at the boundary of the comfort zone and never jump straight away to the discomfort zone. For this, you need to develop the art of listening to the body, especially to the subtlest signals.

Knowing & Owning: The idea here is not to KNOW but to OWN the things. Knowing is an intellectual knowledge whereas owning is an experiential knowledge. Intellectual knowledge does not give the experience. The one which we do not experience fades away from our memory. Unless, we subject ourselves to the “experiences”, we cannot OWN.

So, pay attention to your experience/feelings. We are here to OWN this skill and keep it forever and lifelong.

Energy for productivity: Each one of us has infinite power. Yoga provides an opportunity to tap this infinite power within. Generally, when there is no clear direction and purpose in life, we tend to have worries, fear and doubts. We waste this energy in solving our worries, fear & doubts. With the inner clarity that one gets by the practice of yoga, one no longer divert energy in solving mundane issues but using the energy for the REAL constructive purpose setting up the life in the positive direction.