How authentic is today’s yoga?
This post explores the authenticity of yoga practiced today. Does it still have anything at all to do with the traditional yoga that originated in India, or is something entirely different being practiced in the present day?
What does authenticity mean?
The word authenticity comes from spiritual and psychological circles. Often you hear:
“You have to be authentic.”
To be authentic means that you do not pretend to be what you are not. It further means that you stand by yourself, that you are aware of what is going on inside of you and that you want to live it.
You can let energy flow because it helps you know where you stand and where others stand with you. In yoga, authenticity has to do with truthfulness “Satya.”
Yoga in general
Yoga means that body, mind and soul create a unity where truthfulness” begins. The traditional qualities of yoga are: Openness, reflection and integration. It is the way to connect with the truth (satya – truth / yoga – connection) and thereby to realize our true self – as part of something higher. With the help of this awareness you detach yourself from external influences and can truly master the challenges of life and everyday life. It offers you strength and flexibility, physical and mental well-being, deep inner peace and relaxation, stable health, mindfulness and awareness in dealing with ourselves as well as our environment. It ultimately means more happiness and harmony in daily life. Bring movement and breathing into harmony through gentle or dynamic “asanas”. In short: experience the diversity of yoga.
What does yoga mean to you?
Try to define yoga for yourself. There are no rules or regulations about how it must be practiced, because only you determine how you want to experience yoga. For this reason, listen deeply within yourself.
Yoga for me is…
a toolbox that I open in every situation in life and take something out of it. No matter what situation I’m in, whether I’m facing a new challenge that I’m very nervous about and need a place to rest. Whether I am sick or desperate, whether I just do not see my way in life clearly anymore. The most important thing is that I stand by myself and accept the situation. “Allowing” emotions during my yoga practice is something very natural and beautiful. Yoga helps me to find my self-acceptance, to strengthen self-love, to be connected with my deeper self and to build a unity out of it.
C.Neumann
Being authentic, but how?
The roles we take on day in and day out can be discarded with a clear conscience, because they are ultimately a great energy saver. We must learn not to let ourselves be influenced by the outside. Don’t let ourselves be pushed into roles we don’t want to be in. Imagine how we were as children. We didn’t worry about others thinking and talking negatively about us behind our backs because we were free of worries. Basically, we shouldn’t be concerned at all about what others expected of us. However, our own expectations are difficult to set aside.
Imagine…
“You’re sitting in the subway on your way to an important appointment and you’re very nervous right now. What would you do? Close your eyes, sit cross-legged and take 5 deep breaths and exhale completely. How do you feel now? Your nervousness is blown away. Imagine that you don’t care what others thought about you at that moment, or if they smirked.”
Once we manage to show others how we are. To reveal ourselves and turn the rooted core of our soul outward, then it is much easier for others to love us as we are. But that requires a great deal of self-awareness. Showing your soul, sharing your thoughts helps those around you see who you really are. This may cause fear at first. But as soon as the people around you know you better, they can decide for themselves whether they can cope with it or not. This honesty on your part and the free decision on their part includes a wonderful possibility and incredible potential for a true togetherness, because then you are truly loved and valued. That feels good.
Being authentic and living as you are fills your life with a deep satisfaction and thereby leads to a happy life. Because being who you are releases energies that lie dormant deep within you.
Let it out, the magic of your self.
Because even if you reveal your very own corners and edges, you can be as you are. You don’t live to please others, you decide if you want to do something or not. Your life gains quality and your own decisions you make. This way you will be more self-determined, self-confident and authentic.
Tips for an authentic life
Get to know yourself better. To be authentic, you need to know who you are. Often we say or do things we think we want to. The outside world has expectations for us to live up to. But do we want to? Consciously or unconsciously we are influenced by opinions and statements of our parents, our partners and friends. We therefore need to find out who we really are.
Who am I?
What do I like to do?
How do I like myself?
What do I expect from life?
Be honest with yourself. Be honest with others. Stand by what you say. One man, one woman, one word. Think rather calmly about your opinion, then you can represent it strongly and clearly. You need this honesty with yourself to be able to show who you really are to the outside world. This is authenticity,
Believe in yourself. Only when you are yourself can you be truly sincere. Because revealing your personality holds incredible potential. Power and endurance, strength and courage. Being yourself is incredibly liberating. You are unique, with unique genes, traits and behaviors, thoughts, feelings and emotions. You should always keep that in mind.