Hi friends. You ever just thought YOGA – What is it? Why? What’s the point?

Yoga exists as a vast collection of spiritual techniques and practices aimed at integrating mind, body, and spirit to achieve a state of enlightenment or oneness with the universe. What Westernized culture has deemed as “yoga” is actually just one path of it called “Hatha Yoga” which is the physical path. Yet, there exists so much more, and with such variety, yoga can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. 

I’ll be showing you my way – my individualized yogi lifestyle. From my beginning half-hazard practices to my deepened version now, I’ve experienced many different levels of yoga. At some point, you begin to learn so much just from the practice – that you then seek to apply the growth you learned within it – to the rest of your life, to become healthy in every area, not just one.

It is not a religion, but a practice of personal inquiry and exploration.

Yoga is a constant and life-long practice – it’s a lifestyle.

LIFESTYLE OF A YOGI

A yogic lifestyle is consciously shaping our attitudes, habits, and way of life to align with the philosophies, principles, morals and ethics of yoga. As mentioned, a yogic lifestyle is highly individualized to each person, but there are some universal qualities of a yogi that remain the same.

FIRST, yogis make lifestyle choices that bring them towards a place of sattva, a state of equanimity and inner peace. 

SECOND, yogis prioritize their health – in terms of body, a focused mind, and a calm heart.

FINALLY, a yogic lifestyle should align with the pursuit of yoga, truth, and spiritual knowledge by following the philosophies of yoga. 

YOGA’S MAIN PHILOSOPHY: your mind, body, and spirit are one – connected. If one part of you is off-balance, the entirety of you is off-balance. That’s why true yogis seek healthy practices in all parts of their life – it’s about balance and connection and understanding yourself.

HOW DOES ONE BEGIN THE YOGI LIFESTYLE?

If the practice and philosophies of yoga intrigue you, I encourage you to follow my 5 basic guidelines.

1. MAKE TIME FOR YOUR PRACTICE

It’s been said that you should practice meditation and yoga at least three times a week at an hour each. I personally think that it’s easier to break it into shorter moments in more days, which makes the process of carving out a routine that much easier. I recommend getting up 30 minutes earlier each day and dedicating that time to your practice. You can practice with your coffee for the day, you can start half -asleep. But just begin. It’s always best to practice before you really begin your day, so that your day is set up with happiness, balance, and self-love.

2. SLEEP AT LEAST 8 HOURS

Sleep is needed to keep us balanced. We know this, but sometimes let it go to the wayside for a project or person or event. A full eight hours of sleep is essential for a clear mind, rested and energized body, immune system, and happy heart. The importance of sleep in balancing our emotions and body cannot be overstated. Aim for at least eight hours of sleep a night to maintain an overall balanced life, and ideally try to wake up at a time closest to sunrise (the best time of day for yoga and meditation).

3. BE MINDFUL OF WHAT YOU CONSUME

In the pursuit of healthiness, we must be mindful of what we are putting in our bodies, for our own health and the environment’s health. Traditionally, a yogic diet is vegetarian or vegan, but it’s most important to eat nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Seek out food that is organic and minimally-processed. Eating like a yogi will support your yoga practice and daily emotions, feeling more vibrant and centered throughout your day. 

4. LIVING WITH LOVE TOWARDS EVERYONE

Treating yourself and others with love may sound complex sometimes, but the five yamas of yogi philosophy will guide you along. The understanding in yoga is that we all come from the same divination, and my pure inner self recognizes the same pure inner self in you. We come from the same, yet recognize the constant human turmoil that we all battle daily, thus we must treat each other with compassion in all moments. Advanced yogis usually notice that their empathy levels are much higher than they were before their practice. My best advice to love like a yogi, is to make sure that you yourself are practicing self-love every day, so that you are better equipped to know how to love others, and learning and embracing the five yamas.

5. RETAIN MENTAL AWARENESS

Practicing non-judgemental awareness throughout your day will change your life. By simply retaining awareness of your actions and emotions, it will allow you to act in ways that bring more peace and richness to your life, no longer wasting your time and energy in excessive negative thinking. I highly recommend a regular meditation to allow you to become more deeply aware of your own emotions, which can be as simple as a 15 minute session sitting with yourself after your yoga practice. After all, if you don’t know yourself, what do you know?

THE YOGI LIFESTYLE

Choosing the path of a yogi will better you, without a doubt. 

I’m not saying that every day will be easy and flooded with spiritual breakthroughs. I definitely don’t always follow my yogi guidelines, but when I find my way back to it, it’s much easier for me to recognize how “off” I truly was.

The lifestyle of a yogi naturally changes, fluctuates, deepens, and develops over time and the benefits last far past the time on the mat.

There’s many ways to begin. Having a specific yoga teacher will absolutely help you a ton. Going to a yoga retreat or yoga classes are great too. 

However, it’s about you, so you learn it how you want to. I’ve learned bits from all over, self-teaching a lot as well. Whatever works best for you, is best for you; it’s as simple as that. If that’s following a certain yoga practice on youtube, or just feeling it out how you go, that’s fine and that’s okay.

Remember – your yoga practice is for you, it’s an investment in yourself. Start today.

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