I grew up in a small town with two siblings. I was physically very weak in my childhood and often called-in sick, much to my school teacher’s chagrin. But I could not help it. I remained in bed due to bouts of cold and sinusitis. Allopathy medicines and frequent rounds of doctors did not help.
Concerned with my low immunity, my father took me to an ayurvedic doctor, who had his clinic in our neighborhood. He was a young man, perhaps graduated recently. He had very few walk -ins and most of the time he was reading newspapers, as he waited for prospective patients. His table was dusty, the BP instrument looked unused, and a frayed towel hung from an iron hook near a basin.
As we walked into his clinic, my father explained my problem.
The ayurvedacharya listened intently, asking me a number of questions, answer to most of which I either did not know, or thought did not deserve any reply. At the end of the twenty-minute session, he suggested that I practice jal neti one of the six cleansing techniques that form the most important aspect of hatha yoga.
Neti helps in preventing and managing upper respiratory tract diseases. As I started practicing jal neti regularly, gradually my health improved as I was less prone to cough and cold. To this day, I do jal neti which helps cleanse my nasal passage.
Years later, when I came to Delhi, I started practicing hatha yoga as an alternative to physical exercise. Since I did not do it properly, I developed aches and pains; and I soon discarded it.
A few years later, upon the insistence of an elderly relative, I decided to give yoga another shot. This time, I went to an experienced senior and explained my experience in detail. She recognized my earlier mistakes and promised to help me learn correctly. I learnt the proper technique. One of my mistakes was my incorrect breathing pattern. Breathing correctly and managing the breathing pattern to reduce the strain is essential, while practicing yoga.
It was during this time that I realized that Yoga is not merely an exercise and physical postures, but yog which is Sanskrit for union, is the enhancement of the sense of union of body with mind and soul. Not only that, yoga is the understanding of one’s interdependence with other humans within a fragile ecosystem, living as an integral part of a larger circle of life, in a harmonious co-existence and symbiotic relationship with the environment.
Yoga facilitates an elevation and expansion of one’s consciousness, removing artificial barriers and enhancing positive psychology. The yogic system of thought encourages respect for the ecological balance and deepens environmental consciousness, promoting inner peace and contentment.
When seeking ways to promote and adopt sustainable habits and lifestyles, the practice of yoga may hold some precious keys to that elusive personal and individual trigger to help overcome what many environmentalists consider to be unsustainable and harmful behaviours; greed, selfishness, apathy, and our insatiable obsession with matter.
In the book “The Yoga Sutras,” Patanjali, a sage in ancient India, described eight limbs of yoga, where the physical practice ( asana) is just the third limb. There are also Yamas, Niyamas, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.
Yama is the first limb of yoga, and it is about vows, discipline, views, and practices focused on interaction with the rest of the world. There are 5 Yamas: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigrah.
The application of Ahimsa could be in eating less meat, eating organically, or trying to be vegan or vegetarian. Of course, not to one’s detriment. We can also practice Ahimsa in sustainability by choosing products that have been manufactured responsibly by sustainable brands with fair labor practices.
Patanjali says that by practicing Satya, a person is established in truthfulness and actions, and for them their results become subservient, meaning if we keep practicing honesty, our life experience will become the fruits of honesty and truth.
As sustainable development requires changes in the personal routines and habits to adopt environmentally focused practices, it often feels hard for human beings to change their daily routines or rituals.
People might feel scared or find excuses for not shifting their habits. With yoga practices people could more easily realize that they have the capacity and time to try sustainable living and take the first steps.
Asteya translates as ‘non-stealing” and refers to non-stealing physical possessions from others and avoiding greed and craving for unnecessary things.
The application for Asteya in sustainability would be seen in reducing overall consumption of goods and buying only those things that are genuinely needed.
Brahmacharya translates ‘right use of energy or “behavior that leads to Brahman,” meaning the behavior that leads to Divine. It focuses on distributing and using energy not to satisfy external desires and pleasures but rather towards finding inner peace and happiness within ourselves.
Aparigraha translates as ‘non-greed, ‘non-possessiveness, and it teaches us to take what we need, avoid accumulating excess, and let go of things that no longer serve us. The wisdom is to enjoy the process, the journey, and not be attached to the results. Hoarding can be avoided by sharing possessions with others, either by donating them to second-hand shops or charity organizations.
Yoga’s principles teach how to unite the mind, body, and soul, be aware of our surroundings, be present and acknowledge the consequences of our actions. Its lessons teach how to make healthy decisions that enhance life quality, individually and collectively. Yoga definitely brings inspiration to create a better world around us and have a meaningful, mindful, and environmentally-friendly life.
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