How does Yoga work?

Many of you who have practised yoga know that it "works". That it helps navigate the ups and down of life. We can ease physical pain with yoga practices, ride emotional highs and lows and navigate complex mental challenges all with Yoga.

But how does it work? How can one thing do all of this?

By not being "one thing".

Yoga is an umbrella term for an integrated system. It uses a variety of tools - movement, breathing, mindful awareness, relaxation training, mantra and meditation. Together these tools influence our human system.

The human system as defined by yoga is the complex inter relationship between our inner and outer worlds. I have written about the Koshas previously, and this model really is a good way to understand ourselves.

We understand that we are multi dimensional and that all of the layers, external, physical, emotional, energetic and mental each other. Permeating all layers of our being is our core essence that is inherently joyful contentment.

Yoga teaches us that we forget this core layer, or more accurately that this is obscured from us by obstacles in all the layers. Think bad posture, poor breathing, emotional dis-regulation, obsessive thoughts etc. All of these, regular everyday things prevent us from accessing our inherent essence.

Yoga and its various interoceptive practices help us to see and understand what our obstacles are. We can then learn what it is that we need that supports us to be well, content and at ease in life. Remembering of course that as life goes on, our obstacles also change. The practice of Yoga offers us ongoing opportunities for self discovery.

As obstacles break down we can then more freely taste that pervading essence of contented joy. The goal of tantric yoga practices was to learn to live in this state as a default state of freedom, to realise that we are the universe experiencing itself.  Tantric Buddhism would call it enlightenment. You might just call it being ok with who you are.

Whatever your goal of yoga is, whether it is to manage back pain, grief, anxiety, or for preventative self care, or for spiritual awakening, know that you can use any of the practices offered by this wonderful holistic method towards how and who you want to be in the world, and it will most probably work!