Seeking Spiritual Freedom through Yoga Practice
The practice of yoga has a profound effect on our daily lives. It can do wonders for our physical well-being, but it also has a definite influence on our spiritual freedom. Yoga can help us liberate the mind and elevate the spirit.
What Is Spiritual Freedom?
There is something within all of us that wants to become boundless. That is what we call the spirit. But being spiritual isn’t related to looking up at the heavens or pondering our navel. And it goes beyond praying or attending a religious service. To be spiritual means to enter into an experience beyond the physical. Spiritual freedom implies moving beyond our physical limitation and into a boundless space. This longing is what makes us human and helps us achieve a closer understanding of who we are.
The Practice of Yoga
Yoga comes from the Sanskrit yup, which means to yoke, join, or apply. It is literally translated as “union.” This millennial practice optimizes the health of the body and quiets the mind. It achieves it via asanas or postures, pranayama – which are breathing techniques – and dhyana or meditation.
The essence of yoga is exactly that: the union of body, mind, and spirit. Our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions influence everything we do. But through conscious breathing, movement, and attention to the postures in yoga, we can achieve a state of body-centered awareness.
How to Achieve Spiritual Freedom?
First, we must understand that our body is itself a limitation. Our mind is a limitation. Even our emotions are limitations. However, they can also be possibilities. Think of them as ropes that bind you. Until you see them as what they are, you cannot begin to release yourself from them.
This is what yoga can help you achieve. Through daily practice, you will come into contact with your body, your mind, and your emotions. With each pose, you enter and each breath you release, yoga will allow you to see what binds you. Then, you can slowly grow past those limitations towards spiritual freedom.
Yoga Poses – daily yoga practice
While the holistic practice of yoga can help you achieve spiritual freedom, there are some specific poses that can aid you in your journey:
- Tadasana or Mountain Pose: This pose helps us to take in the power of the earth and focus on ourselves by holding our palms together at the heart.
- Sirsasana or Headstand: This pose cultivates poise, focus, and strength, and will help to awaken these qualities inside you as well.
- Garudasana or Eagle: This pose aims to cultivate grace, surrender, and grounding. It helps us to seek balance and establish our foundations with the earth.
- Balasana or Child’s Pose: A pose that cultivates surrender and faith. The relaxed position of our bowed head and compressed belly offers relief from stress or fear.
- Parivrtta Parsvakonasana or Revolved Side Angle Pose: This deep twist will stimulate the Manipura chakra and ignite your inner fire. It can help increase confidence and promote a new sense of self.
- Urdhva Hastasana or Upward Salute: This pose will help to open your heart chakra and receive the grace of the divine.
- Astanga Pranam or Knees-Chest-Chin Pose: By prostrating yourself to the earth in full pranams, you harmonize your earthly body with our living planet.
- Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose: In this pose, you will receive the radiant light of the sun.
- Anjaneyasana or Low Lunge: This pose allows your lower chakras to be closer to the earth, while your upper chakras can aspire toward the heavens.
- Ustrasana or Camel Pose: This backbend is both energizing and uplifting. It will help you achieve the right attitude to overcome challenges and free space in the mind.
Body and Mind
Something that is often overlooked in our yoga practice is how our outer reality can affect our inner reality. For example, the right yoga wear can help us move freely and wick away sweat. In turn, this lets us focus more deeply on our yoga practice. By eliminating possible distractions, we can move deeper into our poses and harmonize body and mind. The right clothes and a proper yoga mat will help out with this.
Achieve Freedom With Yoga
Yoga is a practice that empowers and guides. Every individual is different and finds themselves in a different dimension of growth. Through yoga, each one of us can find the inspiration we need to achieve spiritual freedom.
Yoga shows us a path into the timeless world of the spirit. It gives us the gift of the calm mind in the midst of chaos. It can help us bring awareness to every moment. By reaching for this expanded state of consciousness, you will experience spiritual freedom and make life more joyful, meaningful, and carefree.
In our daily lives, meditation is very helpful on the part of overcoming physical and psychological problems. Always stay in the motion, let your body try it in different positions and find its mental balance. Let the yoga be the language of your physical and mental inner world.
Namaste.
Author Bio: Emily Adams is a marketing specialist at YogiWear having a main focus on development and implementation of marketing ideas. Her primary talking points are yoga life, benefits of yoga, yogi lifestyle and yoga wear.
