Building The Right Session

Along with the type of yoga practice that you do, the time of day can play a major role in the effectiveness and the cohesion within the body and mind. Participating in an energising class in the morning works in harmony with our Circadian rhythm. It energises you, it can enhance focus and mental clarity, in turn preparing you for a great start to the day. However, if practised in the evening your nervous system can become confused. If a session incorporates āsanas that are stimulating on the nervous system, like deep backbends for example, it could interfere with your sleep cycle.

Similarly, a restorative and soothing class in the evening synchronises with your natural rhythms and cycles. It will calm the nervous system and prepare you for a deep and restful sleep. However, the same principle also applies here. If a restorative soothing session with deeply calming forward bends and long exhales is practised in the morning, this could create lethargy and tiredness through the rest of the day affecting your energy and productivity.

HA – Divine Masculine

For a stronger  morning session, that will: Increase energy and focus, improve strength and stability, cleanse the body, start the day in an uplifting way… We recommend including the following postures and tips. These will work together to create a Brāhmana (energising) practice.

• Initiating postures or sequences with the right side of the body 
• Surya Namaskar, sun salutations to build heat and open the physical body
• Backbends, such as Bhujangāsana (Cobra Pose) and Urdhva Dhanurāsana (Wheel Pose)
• Lateral bends, such as Parshvakonāsana (Side Angle Pose)
• Focusing on holds that challenge you physically and mentally
• Focusing on longer inhales
• Yogic breathing practices that emphasise the inhale, such as Kapalabhati

THA – Divine Feminine

For a softer divinely feminine evening session, that will: Reduce physical, mental, and emotional stress, prepare mind and body for a restful night’s sleep, nourish you with gentle movement and breath, allow you the time to turn inward and connect deeply… We recommend including the following postures and tips. These will work together to create a Langhana (calming) practice.

• Initiating postures or sequences with the left side of the body
• Forward bends, such as Paschimottanāsana (Seated Forward Bend Pose), Balāsana (Child’s Pose), and Janu Shirshāsana (Head to Knee Pose)
• Using a bolster, blocks, and blankets to support postures allowing you to hold them for a longer period of time
• Focusing on longer exhales
• Yogic breathing practices that stimulate the vagus nerve and help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, like Ujjayi breathing (Ocean breathing) and 3 part breathing.

Balance and Healing

It is worth noting that of course, a well-sequenced session can be both energising and relaxing. When the effects on the nervous system are balanced, we call this Sama Vritti. This is a wonderful way of practising that is flexible but doesn’t always help you on that deeper energetic level. An intentional Brāhmana or Langhana practice is an incredible way to support yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. It encourages you to tune into your being and understand what it is you truly need.

There you have it… the exact formula you need for a yoga practice that brings you closer to where you want and need to be. This deeper more intentional way of practicing yoga can support huge growth and transformation not just on your mat, but also in your daily life.

Love and Light,
The Eye of Hatha Team

Yoga and Energy 

From its Tantric roots, at the heart of Hatha Yoga lays a practice grounded in energetic principles. Masculine energy is shaped by the ‘ha’ in hatha, representing the sun, heat, force, and strength. Feminine energy is embodied in “Tha”, representing the moon, softness, stillness, open expression. If we understand that within each of us is a balance of divine masculine and divine feminine energies, we can see that yoga is a practice that intertwines the two and brings us to equilibrium.

What Do You Need?

The question becomes what is it that you need? What resonates with you? Do you feel like you would benefit more from the fire the strength the force? Or do you intuitively feel like you need a softer more soothing practice? We as humans are full of dualities and polarities, so more often than not, we do need a bit of both. However, knowing the difference allows you to intentionally build a yogic routine that is more supportive of your needs at certain times.

Maybe you’re looking to cleanse the body, to build mental resistance and discipline, maybe you are feeling lethargic or unmotivated. These are all instances when an energising practice that channels masculine energy would be very beneficial. On the other hand, if you are feeling overstimulated, emotionally physically or mentally stressed, or maybe you’re looking for inspiration and creativity to flow, these are times when a practice with soothing feminine energy would be supportive.

Building The Right Session

Along with the type of yoga practice that you do, the time of day can play a major role in the effectiveness and the cohesion within the body and mind. Participating in an energising class in the morning works in harmony with our Circadian rhythm. It energises you, it can enhance focus and mental clarity, in turn preparing you for a great start to the day. However, if practised in the evening your nervous system can become confused. If a session incorporates āsanas that are stimulating on the nervous system, like deep backbends for example, it could interfere with your sleep cycle.

Similarly, a restorative and soothing class in the evening synchronises with your natural rhythms and cycles. It will calm the nervous system and prepare you for a deep and restful sleep. However, the same principle also applies here. If a restorative soothing session with deeply calming forward bends and long exhales is practised in the morning, this could create lethargy and tiredness through the rest of the day affecting your energy and productivity.

HA – Divine Masculine

For a stronger  morning session, that will: Increase energy and focus, improve strength and stability, cleanse the body, start the day in an uplifting way… We recommend including the following postures and tips. These will work together to create a Brāhmana (energising) practice.

• Initiating postures or sequences with the right side of the body 
• Surya Namaskar, sun salutations to build heat and open the physical body
• Backbends, such as Bhujangāsana (Cobra Pose) and Urdhva Dhanurāsana (Wheel Pose)
• Lateral bends, such as Parshvakonāsana (Side Angle Pose)
• Focusing on holds that challenge you physically and mentally
• Focusing on longer inhales
• Yogic breathing practices that emphasise the inhale, such as Kapalabhati

THA – Divine Feminine

For a softer divinely feminine evening session, that will: Reduce physical, mental, and emotional stress, prepare mind and body for a restful night’s sleep, nourish you with gentle movement and breath, allow you the time to turn inward and connect deeply… We recommend including the following postures and tips. These will work together to create a Langhana (calming) practice.

• Initiating postures or sequences with the left side of the body
• Forward bends, such as Paschimottanāsana (Seated Forward Bend Pose), Balāsana (Child’s Pose), and Janu Shirshāsana (Head to Knee Pose)
• Using a bolster, blocks, and blankets to support postures allowing you to hold them for a longer period of time
• Focusing on longer exhales
• Yogic breathing practices that stimulate the vagus nerve and help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, like Ujjayi breathing (Ocean breathing) and 3 part breathing.

Balance and Healing

It is worth noting that of course, a well-sequenced session can be both energising and relaxing. When the effects on the nervous system are balanced, we call this Sama Vritti. This is a wonderful way of practising that is flexible but doesn’t always help you on that deeper energetic level. An intentional Brāhmana or Langhana practice is an incredible way to support yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually. It encourages you to tune into your being and understand what it is you truly need.

There you have it… the exact formula you need for a yoga practice that brings you closer to where you want and need to be. This deeper more intentional way of practicing yoga can support huge growth and transformation not just on your mat, but also in your daily life.

Love and Light,
The Eye of Hatha Team

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, finding moments of tranquility is essential for our well-being. Yoga, with its myriad styles and practices, offers a sanctuary of calm amidst the chaos. Among these serene practices, restorative yoga and yin yoga stand out as beacons of relaxation, inviting practitioners to delve into deep states of rest and restoration. Let’s explore the subtle yet profound differences between these two forms of yoga and discover their unique benefits.

Restorative yoga is like a gentle embrace, coaxing the body and mind into a state of complete surrender. It aims to encourage deep relaxation and rejuvenation through comfort and the use of props such as bolsters, blankets, and blocks to support the body in passive mainly floor-based poses. Unlike more dynamic styles, restorative yoga postures are held for longer periods, allowing muscles to release tension gradually and promoting a profound sense of ease. The length of time these poses are held has no strict requirement allowing for ease and fluidity in a restorative yoga sequence.

Some popular supported postures in restorative yoga include:

1. BALĀSANA
CHILD’S POSE

This soothing posture gently stretches the hips, thighs, and lower back whilst inviting a feeling of support from Mother Earth below. By resting the forehead on a bolster or stack of blankets, practitioners can release tension in the mind and invite a feeling of groundedness.

2. VIPARĪTA KARANI
LEGS UP THE WALL or WATERFALL POSE

With the support of a bolster or block beneath the sacrum, this posture gently opens the chest and shoulders while releasing tension in the spine. It encourages deep breathing and relaxation, making it ideal for relieving stress. It is a perfect posture to implement Ujjayi breath, to massage the vagus nerve and bring you straight down to Earth, activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

3. SUPTA BADDHA KONĀSANA
RECLINED BOUND ANGLE POSE

This restorative variation of the classic Bound Angle Pose provides gentle support to the back and hips, allowing practitioners to soften into a state of deep relaxation. It helps to ease tension in the hips, inner thighs, and lower back, promoting a sense of openness and release. This comfortable posture can be held for long durations where meditation or Breathwork techniques can be implemented for deeper reflection. Using a strap around the waist and feet can also lead to a strong sense of support and grounding.

In contrast, yin yoga invites practitioners to explore the depths of their physical and emotional experience through long-held poses that target the connective tissues and fascia. Often an in-depth yin yoga sequence will also be planned around certain meridians, these are energy points mapped around the body used in Chinese Medicine. Usually these āsana holds last 3-5 minutes. These āsana holds are more physically intense than restorative yoga as the goal is not to find comfort using props but instead to surrender into the discomfort as you give your body time to open. While restorative yoga focuses on relaxation and rest, yin yoga emphasizes stillness to encouraging practitioners to observe sensations and cultivate mindfulness.

Some frequented āsanas in the realm of yin yoga:

1. PASCHIMOTTANĀSANA
SEATED FORWARD FOLD 

During yin yoga, this posture is held for several minutes to gently stretch the spine, hamstrings, and lower back. As this āsana is held,  gravity assists in guiding the body deeper. As this release happens practitioners can ease tension and promote a sense of inner calm.

2. MANDUKĀSANA
FROG POSE

This deep hip opener targets the glutes, hips, inner thighs and groin making it ideal for releasing stored tension and increasing flexibility. Although often uncomfortable as hip mobility is restricted for many, by holding this posture for an extended period of time, practitioners can access deeper layers of the connective tissue and promote energetic flow throughout the body.

3. SALAMBA BHUJANGĀSANA
SPHINX POSE

This gentle backbend helps to open the chest and stretch the abdomen. By lying prone on the ground and supporting the forearms this allows the spine to gently arch. During Sphinx pose yogis can release tension in both the anterior and posterior upper body. This gentle chest opening encourages prāna to flow through the heart space encouraging love, joy, and compassion.

While both restorative and yin yoga offer profound benefits for the physical, mental and energetic bodies, they differ in their approach and focus. If we were to assign these practices energies, Restorative yoga would be the divine feminine… soft, nurturing, restful, prioritising passive relaxation and the use of props to support the body. Yin yoga would be the divine masculine… strong, steady, and unwavering, emphasizes stillness and the targeting of connective tissues through harder long-held poses.

Ultimately, whether you prefer the nurturing embrace of restorative yoga or the challenge of stillness in yin yoga, both practices offer an opportunity to cultivate presence, awareness, and inner peace. By incorporating these forms of yoga into your self-care routine, you can create space for deep rest and rejuvenation, allowing yourself to thrive in body, mind, and spirit.

We’ve curated 10 of our favourite restorative yoga props and accessories below to help you create a perfectly calming and peaceful yoga practice at home.

Palo Santo Bundle of 3
£11.11

Lavender Eye Pillow
£10

You can shop all these beautiful items by clicking the images.

Love and Light Friends, The Eye of Hatha Team

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, finding moments of tranquility is essential for our well-being. Yoga, with its myriad styles and practices, offers a sanctuary of calm amidst the chaos. Among these serene practices, restorative yoga and yin yoga stand out as beacons of relaxation, inviting practitioners to delve into deep states of rest and restoration. Let’s explore the subtle yet profound differences between these two forms of yoga and discover their unique benefits.

Restorative yoga is like a gentle embrace, coaxing the body and mind into a state of complete surrender. It aims to encourage deep relaxation and rejuvenation through comfort and the use of props such as bolsters, blankets, and blocks to support the body in passive mainly floor-based poses. Unlike more dynamic styles, restorative yoga postures are held for longer periods, allowing muscles to release tension gradually and promoting a profound sense of ease. The length of time these poses are held has no strict requirement allowing for ease and fluidity in a restorative yoga sequence.

Some popular supported postures in restorative yoga include:

1. BALĀSANA
CHILD’S POSE

This soothing posture gently stretches the hips, thighs, and lower back whilst inviting a feeling of support from Mother Earth below. By resting the forehead on a bolster or stack of blankets, practitioners can release tension in the mind and invite a feeling of groundedness.

2. VIPARĪTA KARANI
LEGS UP THE WALL or WATERFALL POSE

With the support of a bolster or block beneath the sacrum, this posture gently opens the chest and shoulders while releasing tension in the spine. It encourages deep breathing and relaxation, making it ideal for relieving stress. It is a perfect posture to implement Ujjayi breath, to massage the vagus nerve and bring you straight down to Earth, activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

3. SUPTA BADDHA KONĀSANA
RECLINED BOUND ANGLE POSE

This restorative variation of the classic Bound Angle Pose provides gentle support to the back and hips, allowing practitioners to soften into a state of deep relaxation. It helps to ease tension in the hips, inner thighs, and lower back, promoting a sense of openness and release. This comfortable posture can be held for long durations where meditation or Breathwork techniques can be implemented for deeper reflection. Using a strap around the waist and feet can also lead to a strong sense of support and grounding.

In contrast, yin yoga invites practitioners to explore the depths of their physical and emotional experience through long-held poses that target the connective tissues and fascia. Often an in-depth yin yoga sequence will also be planned around certain meridians, these are energy points mapped around the body used in Chinese Medicine. Usually these āsana holds last 3-5 minutes. These āsana holds are more physically intense than restorative yoga as the goal is not to find comfort using props but instead to surrender into the discomfort as you give your body time to open. While restorative yoga focuses on relaxation and rest, yin yoga emphasizes stillness to encouraging practitioners to observe sensations and cultivate mindfulness.

Some frequented āsanas in the realm of yin yoga:

1. PASCHIMOTTANĀSANA
SEATED FORWARD FOLD 

During yin yoga, this posture is held for several minutes to gently stretch the spine, hamstrings, and lower back. As this āsana is held,  gravity assists in guiding the body deeper. As this release happens practitioners can ease tension and promote a sense of inner calm.

2. MANDUKĀSANA
FROG POSE

This deep hip opener targets the glutes, hips, inner thighs and groin making it ideal for releasing stored tension and increasing flexibility. Although often uncomfortable as hip mobility is restricted for many, by holding this posture for an extended period of time, practitioners can access deeper layers of the connective tissue and promote energetic flow throughout the body.

3. SALAMBA BHUJANGĀSANA
SPHINX POSE

This gentle backbend helps to open the chest and stretch the abdomen. By lying prone on the ground and supporting the forearms this allows the spine to gently arch. During Sphinx pose yogis can release tension in both the anterior and posterior upper body. This gentle chest opening encourages prāna to flow through the heart space encouraging love, joy, and compassion.

While both restorative and yin yoga offer profound benefits for the physical, mental and energetic bodies, they differ in their approach and focus. If we were to assign these practices energies, Restorative yoga would be the divine feminine… soft, nurturing, restful, prioritising passive relaxation and the use of props to support the body. Yin yoga would be the divine masculine… strong, steady, and unwavering, emphasizes stillness and the targeting of connective tissues through harder long-held poses.

Ultimately, whether you prefer the nurturing embrace of restorative yoga or the challenge of stillness in yin yoga, both practices offer an opportunity to cultivate presence, awareness, and inner peace. By incorporating these forms of yoga into your self-care routine, you can create space for deep rest and rejuvenation, allowing yourself to thrive in body, mind, and spirit.

We’ve curated 10 of our favourite restorative yoga props and accessories below to help you create a perfectly calming and peaceful yoga practice at home.

Palo Santo Bundle of 3
£11.11

Lavender Eye Pillow
£10

You can shop all these beautiful items by clicking the image.

Love and Light Friends, The Eye of Hatha Team

“A yogi measures the span of life by the number of breaths, not by the number of years’ – Swami Sivananda

YOGIC BREATHING

In yoga we are predominantly breathing through our nose unless specifically instructed otherwise, for example you may hear a teacher say “take a deep sigh out the mouth”. Nasal breathing is beneficial on a biological level as it filters out microbes and allergens, humidifies the air we breathe in, and increases oxygenation by up to 20% compared to mouth breathing. Energetically nasal breathing also helps us to better balance and manage our energy, nervous system, thoughts, and emotional state.

In addition to breathing through the nose, we are also directing the breath down to the belly, or breathing diagphramatically. We tend to take shallow breaths into the chest and need to breathe more times because of this. Breathing fully with the diagphram will allow us to take less breaths protecting the body physically over time and take in more air, rleaxing our nervous system, mind, and energy body. In addition deeper breaths allow you to move with more ease through the physical practice of yoga asanas.

 BREATHING RATIOS

Ratios of breath, ie. the length of your inhale, exhale, or any retentions will deeply influence the effects of your emotional, mental, and energetic states. For example, longer inhales will be energising for the mind and body. This energetic principle is referred to as Brahmana, or ‘expansion’ in Sanskrit. Longer exhales will be calming on the mind and body, Langhana in Sanskrit, meaning ‘reduction’.

When practicing yoga postures we tend to aim for a Sama Vritti, ‘equal’ breath ratio. Meaning if you inhale for 4 counts you would exhale for 4 counts. However during pranayama we work with a certain ratio depending on the exercise. Below are some examples of ratios.

1 : 1 (Inhale : Exhale)

1 : 4 : 2 (Inhale : Hold : Exhale)

1 : 1 : 1 : 1 (Inhale : Hold : Exhale : Hold)

The first number in the ratio is always the length of inhale. If there are just two numbers in the ratio it will represent inhale and exhale. If there are three numbers in the ratio it will be inhale , hold the breath, exhale. If there are four numbers in the ratio it will be inhale, hold the breath, exhale, hold the breath. The numbers written are not the number of breaths you have to count, but rather the ratio of counts. Below are some examples:

1 : 1 : 1 : 1

This ratio means you would inhale, hold the breath, exhale, and hold the breath out for the same number of counts, eg.

• Inhale 1 : Hold 1: Exhale 1 : Hold 1
• Inhale 4 : Hold 4 : Exhale 4 : Hold 4
• Inhale 6 : Hold 6 : Exhale 6 : Hold 6

We hope this post has given you some real insight into how incredible the breath truly is, how to breathe during your yoga practice, and a little information into the beginnings of breathwork practice with ratios. Stay tuned for lots of specific prānāyāma techniques and tutorials, but for now keep taking those deep breaths in and out through the nose, they are the most tangible form of love notes for your nervous system! 

Love and light friends,
The Eye of Hatha Team

“A yogi measures the span of life by the number of breaths, not by the number of years’ – Swami Sivananda

YOGIC BREATHING

In yoga we are predominantly breathing through our nose unless specifically instructed otherwise, for example you may hear a teacher say “take a deep sigh out the mouth”. Nasal breathing is beneficial on a biological level as it filters out microbes and allergens, humidifies the air we breathe in, and increases oxygenation by up to 20% compared to mouth breathing. Energetically nasal breathing also helps us to better balance and manage our energy, nervous system, thoughts, and emotional state.

In addition to breathing through the nose, we are also directing the breath down to the belly, or breathing diagphramatically. We tend to take shallow breaths into the chest and need to breathe more times because of this. Breathing fully with the diagphram will allow us to take less breaths protecting the body physically over time and take in more air, rleaxing our nervous system, mind, and energy body. In addition deeper breaths allow you to move with more ease through the physical practice of yoga asanas.

 BREATHING RATIOS

Ratios of breath, ie. the length of your inhale, exhale, or any retentions will deeply influence the effects of your emotional, mental, and energetic states. For example, longer inhales will be energising for the mind and body. This energetic principle is referred to as Brahmana, or ‘expansion’ in Sanskrit. Longer exhales will be calming on the mind and body, Langhana in Sanskrit, meaning ‘reduction’.

When practicing yoga postures we tend to aim for a Sama Vritti, ‘equal’ breath ratio. Meaning if you inhale for 4 counts you would exhale for 4 counts. However during pranayama we work with a certain ratio depending on the exercise. Below are some examples of ratios.

1 : 1 (Inhale : Exhale)

1 : 4 : 2 (Inhale : Hold : Exhale)

1 : 1 : 1 : 1 (Inhale : Hold : Exhale : Hold)

The first number in the ratio is always the length of inhale. If there are just two numbers in the ratio it will represent inhale and exhale. If there are three numbers in the ratio it will be inhale , hold the breath, exhale. If there are four numbers in the ratio it will be inhale, hold the breath, exhale, hold the breath. The numbers written are not the number of breaths you have to count, but rather the ratio of counts. Below are some examples:

1 : 1 : 1 : 1

This ratio means you would inhale, hold the breath, exhale, and hold the breath out for the same number of counts, eg.

• Inhale 1 : Hold 1: Exhale 1 : Hold 1
• Inhale 4 : Hold 4 : Exhale 4 : Hold 4
• Inhale 6 : Hold 6 : Exhale 6 : Hold 6

We hope this post has given you some real insight into how incredible the breath truly is, how to breathe during your yoga practice, and a little information into the beginnings of breathwork practice with ratios. Stay tuned for lots of specific prānāyāma techniques and tutorials, but for now keep taking those deep breaths in and out through the nose, they are the most tangible form of love notes for your nervous system! 

Love and light friends,
The Eye of Hatha Team

This Sanskrit word is a biggie in the yoga world. Avidyā is a word that translates to mean ignorance, misunderstanding, or misconception. It relates to all the things in life that cloud our judgement, mislead our thoughts and actions, and in turn cause humans to feel separated from our inner divinity and chase finite things like wealth, material objects, stature, and power. 

THE 4 BRANCHES OF AVIDYĀ

• EGO (asmitā in Sanskrit)
  This is the concept of “I”, ego pushes us to feeling of superiority

•  DEMANDS (rāga in Sanskrit)
  This is the idea of always wanting more, to have, to enjoy, wanting out of desire rather than need

•  REJECTING (dvesa in Sanskrit)
  Rejecting people, places, things, or thoughts that make us uncomfortable, and rejecting the unfamiliar

•  FEAR (abhiniveśa in Sanskrit)
  Fear can be felt on many levels, from the most subtle to the most extreme. It could be anything from doubting yourself to feeling fear, worrying about being judged by others, to fear of new experiences

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN YOGA?

The goal of yoga, contrary to popular belief, is not to lose weight of be able to do a headstand. The true purpose of yoga is to reduce avidyā so that we can realise our true nature of divine perfection and therefore act from a place of clarity, a place or true knowing and understanding, and live in the most honest and pure way possible.

But how does yoga help us reduce avidyā I hear you ask. How does it make us be better and do better? Well in a practical sense, yoga has three main ways of doing this:

1 | Heating and Cleansing (Tapas in Sanskrit)
Through the yoga poses (āsanas in Sanskrit) and breathing exercises (prānāyāma in Sanskrit), we heat and cleanse the body. We purify ourselves from the inside out, we remove blocks, and get rid of impurities.

2 | Self-Study (Svādhyāya in Sanskrit)
When we study the major yoga texts, like the Yoga Sutras, we understand ourselves and our true nature better. We reflect, relate, grow, and learn.

3 | Quality of Action or Love of God (Īśvarapranidhānā in Sanskrit)
This is the idea of doing all things as well as possible. Giving all your focus to carrying out the task at hand rather than worrying about the outcomes.

Together, these three intentions of yoga will help reduce your avidyā, or misconceptions, and enable you to grow as a person, to leave behind human deceptions of happiness and find true inner peace. Happiness is an inner state of being, it comes from within you, from the deep knowing of what you and everything around you truly is. Yoga is an incredible and rewarding way to get you this state of understanding, acceptance, and happiness.

We wish you the gifts of joy and self-discovery in your yoga practice, wherever you may be.

Love and light friends, 
The Eye of Hatha Team

This Sanskrit word is a biggie in the yoga world. Avidyā is a word that translates to mean ignorance, misunderstanding, or misconception. It relates to all the things in life that cloud our judgement, mislead our thoughts and actions, and in turn cause humans to feel separated from our inner divinity and chase finite things like wealth, material objects, stature, and power.

THE 4 BRANCHES OF AVIDYĀ

• EGO (asmitā in Sanskrit)
  This is the concept of “I”, ego pushes us to feeling of superiority

•  DEMANDS (rāga in Sanskrit)
  This is the idea of always wanting more, to have, to enjoy, wanting out of desire rather than need

•  REJECTING (dvesa in Sanskrit)
  Rejecting people, places, things, or thoughts that make us uncomfortable, and rejecting the unfamiliar

•  FEAR (abhiniveśa in Sanskrit)
  Fear can be felt on many levels, from the most subtle to the most extreme. It could be anything from doubting yourself to feeling fear, worrying about being judged by others, to fear of new experiences

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN YOGA?

The goal of yoga, contrary to popular belief, is not to lose weight of be able to do a headstand. The true purpose of yoga is to reduce avidyā so that we can realise our true nature of divine perfection and therefore act from a place of clarity, a place or true knowing and understanding, and live in the most honest and pure way possible.

But how does yoga help us reduce avidyā I hear you ask. How does it make us be better and do better? Well in a practical sense, yoga has three main ways of doing this:

1 | Heating and Cleansing (Tapas in Sanskrit)
Through the yoga poses (āsanas in Sanskrit) and breathing exercises (prānāyāma in Sanskrit), we heat and cleanse the body. We purify ourselves from the inside out, we remove blocks, and get rid of impurities.

2 | Self-Study (Svādhyāya in Sanskrit)
When we study the major yoga texts, like the Yoga Sutras, we understand ourselves and our true nature better. We reflect, relate, grow, and learn.

3 | Quality of Action or Love of God (Īśvarapranidhānā in Sanskrit)
This is the idea of doing all things as well as possible. Giving all your focus to carrying out the task at hand rather than worrying about the outcomes.

Together, these three intentions of yoga will help reduce your avidyā, or misconceptions, and enable you to grow as a person, to leave behind human deceptions of happiness and find true inner peace. Happiness is an inner state of being, it comes from within you, from the deep knowing of what you and everything around you truly is. Yoga is an incredible and rewarding way to get you this state of understanding, acceptance, and happiness.

We wish you the gifts of joy and self-discovery in your yoga practice, wherever you may be.

Love and light friends, 
The Eye of Hatha Team