5 Everyday Ways to Live Like a Yogi

 Let’s face it, modern life is tough. We’re working longer hours than ever before. We face financial pressures unseen by generations previous. And research has found that our little worries add up to 2 hours 28 minutes of preoccupation each and every day. Just how’s a girl to maintain her Namaste and pull some killer Full Natarajasanas when faced with so much on her plate? It’s time to take a lotus leaf out of the book of the average Yogi – with simple life switch ups that lead to a calmer, more zen-like life (even in the midst of your daily commuting traffic jam).

The constant hustle, bustle and movement of modern life places us in a pressure cooker – little wonder we continually seek out ways to become more productive, to save time, to get things done more quickly.

Mindfulness was inspired and influenced by Buddhism, and it can help us keep pace yet simultaneously slow down, mentally at least. The core concept of mindfulness is being present in the here and now, appreciating and engaging with what you are doing right there and then. This should be coupled with breathing exercises throughout the day – at your desk, in the staff room, just before bed – wherever works for your hectic schedule.

The modern world features harmful pollutants, toxins and dust at every turn – clear your breathing and your vision with the following ayurvedic cleansing exercises (an important pointer here is to use only mineral water, drawn from your cupped hands).

Cleanse your sinuses by gently breathing in water through your nose and up to your brow, taking care to not draw the water any further. Repeat this three times over.

Follow this with cleansing your eyes by blinking three times in submerged water – this exercise aids your ajna chakra – in turn allowing you to see the world clearly.

Immersing yourself within perfect quiet before the day begins is pretty important to set your day off on the right foot. This could be as simplistic as running through three straightforward yoga movements, such as the Downward-facing dog, a Two-knee spinal twist and finishing upon Warrior II.

 

Knowing yourself at the deepest level can only be achieved through ‘self-study’ (known in the Yoga world as ‘svadhyaya’). Whilst all manner of methods exist for this, perhaps the simplest of all is to make a concerted effort to listen to your still, inner voice – practising a perfectly quiet mind. Your inner voice is the one that reacts positively to actions and choices that are right and moral – it is the voice that may seek out clarity, and voice your ‘gut feelings’.

Known as Isvara pranidhana (which translates to means “to give your life-force to a higher power”), you can think of this tip as surrendering to a higher power – to devote yourself wholly. A higher power can take many forms – from holding a religious faith, to being a lover of Mother Nature. Surrendering in this modern age of control, strength and domination is thought in the mind of a Yogi to achieve the ultimate victory.

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