Did you know that Yoga is actually a state of being? Interesting right, because all the language we have for Yoga surrounds us using it as somewhere we go, and something that we do, as if this Yoga thing is something outside of us that needs to be completed or achieved.

The truth is that Yoga, according to The Sutras of Patanjali, a 3500-year old text that describes both why and how we should practice Yoga, says right at the beginning: “Yoga chitta vritti nirodha” or when the mind (chitta) stuff/thoughts/fluctuations (vritti) have ceased/stopped (nirodha) this is Yoga. Which based on this translation means that Yoga is something that happens when the mind becomes clear and calm. The next sutra goes on to say: It is in this state that we feel most connected to our true Self. Patanjali continues to share all the different ways our mind becomes like a monkey, bouncing around all over the place distracting us in ways that are both permanent and impermanent, but also not painful or painless. He then tells us to use the practices of Yoga to help either dissolve the impermanent obstacles (like egoism and attachment) or turn down the permanent ones (like illusion and memory).

Patanjali is then kind enough to share what practices we should be doing to help our “chitta-vritti” which you may know of by their description – the eight limbs of Yoga. However, out of the eight limbs, only one of those branches represents postures. And while a lovely experience it is to practice Yoga postures or asana, there is so much more that you might be missing out in your Yoga classes. Aspects of Yoga that can truly shift your perception and experience of Yoga from something to be mastered (like wheel pose) to rather something that has the potential to completely change your life, expand your capacity for gratitude and compassion and stop negative thinking patterns for good.

This is not to say that those things can’t be achieved through practicing Yoga poses. A regular Yoga practice involving movement and deep breathing will help most people feel good. But when we start to practice the other 8 limbs, this is where the magic truly happens. And not only on our mat, but in every moment of our day. The other limbs involve how we interact with the world around us (Yamas), and how we take care of ourselves (Niyamas), but then also just as much attention should be paid to our breath work, (Pranayama) and there are so many more breathing practices then just 3-part breath or our whisper breath. The remaining 4 limbs are all dedicated to meditation, involving withdrawing our senses (Pratyahara), concentration (Dharana), experiencing the meditative mind (Dhyana) and the bliss that bubbles up from these experiences (Samadhi).

So, if your regular Yoga practice is simply taking you through a series of poses and reminding you to breathe, while an excellent first start, you are actually missing out on so much more. But no matter what I’ve inspired in this article (and hopefully a little spark!), please know that every bit of Yoga that you do, in any capacity, is a positive and wonderful thing.