Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self. Yoga is about self-healing, self-realization, and self-acceptance. All these come when your body and mind connect with your soul. One can achieve these only by practicing yoga on a deeper level.

Yoga journey started when we were naively soaking every bit of the knowledge, slowly challenged by new postures and fascinated by peace meditation brings along. Slowly the practice stagnates and we start feeling frustrated and bored.

Not taking too much of time, let’s know some useful ways to deepen your Yoga Practice in 2018 and to continue to remain lured by it.

Start From Beginning

Rediscover your love for yoga; come back to your yoga practice with a beginner’s mind. Sometimes you need a fresh start to deepen the connection and same is with yoga. Amidst the progressive mixed classes, try to stay in the most basic pose and spend time connecting with the asana at a basic level.

Slow It Down

Another way to deepen your yoga practice is to slow down on it. You must be thinking how slowing down will help? Slowing down on yoga practice allows the poses to work on us, instead of us working on them. Slowing down will help you find and focus on each and every pose and postures. It gives us the chance to explore, we can hold onto the asanas which we miss when we move quickly. So from now onwards, try to hold each pose for at least 45-60 seconds and pay attention to the breath work.

Practice and Explore the Yoga Philosophy

A famous quote by Sri Dharma Mittra reads, ‘No Yamas (ethics), No Yoga’. This means yoga is incomplete without ethics, which is the first limb of the Eight Limb Part also known as Ashtanga Yoga. Ashtanga Yoga is a special, rather modern form of classical yoga and is the best way, to begin with. Coming back to Yamas, there are five Yamas- Non-violence (Ahimsa), Non-stealing (Asteya), Non-grasping (Aparigraha), Right Use of Energy (Brahmacharya) and Truthfulness (Satya). Practice these in a rightful manner and take your yoga practice on a whole new more meaningful level.

Opt for Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh

Re-starting something doesn’t mean you can’t take a step forward. Likewise, Yoga Teacher Training is the best way to deepen your yoga practice. Explore the beauty of the science in the yoga capital itself, i.e., Rishikesh, India. Start with a 200 hr yoga teacher training in Rishikesh or you can also take an advanced course if are already done with beginners training. Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh proves to be a magnificent opportunity to dive deeper and attain skillful teachings from authentic sources. Choose from the best yoga teacher training in 2018 if you are looking for a more sincere and a formal education in yoga.

Diversify Your Daily Routine

As we mentioned above that sometimes it is important to start from the beginning, practicing same poses can lead to boredom. To solve this problem, you need to add variations to your daily yoga practice regimen. You can incorporate modern techniques of traditional yoga like the Hatha Yoga. You can also incorporate cardio and functional exercises with yoga or engage yourself with the scriptural study. Karma Yoga is another way to bring variation to your yoga practice and with it, you learn the art of selfless service and skillful action. This form of yoga will fill you with love and compassion.

Mantras And Mudras

Mantras and Mudras (sacred phrase and spiritual gestures) help you to deepen your yoga practice, invoke the divinity and stimulate different parts of the body. Reciting mantra, sacred phrase, like Gayatri mantra or the sound of Aum, support the meditation and bring inner peace. Where mudra, spiritual gestures with hands, fingers, and body also affect the flow of prana in the body. Adding these mantras and mudras to your practice also helps strengthen devotion, willpower, and psychic abilities.

Meditation

Meditation and yoga go hand in hand, so meditating more is one of the best ways to deepen your yoga practice. It is not easy to meditate. Thorough practice will help you how to control your senses and stable your mind and thoughts. Meditation is a great way to observe the mind and make it calm. Meditation brings inner peace, makes our mind steady and helps us manage our problems better.

So stay connected to the science of yoga and enjoys its benefits.