The perfection of posture that so much worries many of the people who practice yoga today, should not only concern the physical aspect, all in all marginal, but also and above all the mental aspect, linked to our ego, our desires, our expectations. Understand which wishes it is appropriate to follow and which to eliminate, understand which are our weaknesses and which are our strengths, our real needs and those which are only an unnecessary ambition.
“Taking on a style needs vigilance and a lot of time. It is necessary to be vigilant about oneself and one’s life, to take care of the body, as well as of the inner life, to always exercise responsibility towards the other. Style cannot be episodic, but must become a habitus, a posture “This writes Father Enzo Bianchi, prior of Bose community in Italy, and this means having the ability to concentrate in our own life. Being always aware of our actions and reactions, our positive and negative thoughts, what is happening in our mind and the surrounding environment allows us to understand who we are and what we need to change. The purpose of introspective activity is not only psycho-physical well-being, understood as a form of relaxation detached from everyday life. The aim is not to remain seated for hours in the lotus position to estrange from reality, but to be constantly present in what we do and how we do it, in what we think and in how we think it, to realize what is our reality. Of how we place ourselves in our existence and whether ours is the right way to behave.
The pillars on which traditional yoga rests are, in order of importance, a simple and regular lifestyle, a daily sadhana, the knowledge of ourselves. If we want to evolve, improve ourselves, we must change the way we face the world, change ourselves. Yama and niyama have this purpose: to change in it. There are ten rules of behavior and lifestyle for those who practice yoga, to improve their conduct towards others and themselves. An extremely ancient text speaks of it for the first time, but still today they constitute a fundamental basis for the practice of yoga and for individual spiritual path.
They are rules of behavior, of a social order (non-violence, honesty, sincerity, continence, non-attachment) and moral (cleanliness, willpower, adaptability, introspection, subordination to the will of God). Millions of people today practice yoga … which is mostly Yoga gymnastics. Let’s try to imagine what social revolution would start if all these people started to change their lifestyle, to implement the principles of Yama and Niyama, acting with others and with society in a different way.
“I have often found myself with a goodbye to make, a suitcase to prepare, a radical change to deal with and a new dimension to find. Managing changes in work, life and prospects have led me to my most authentic metamorphosis: to make a profession of the travel experience.