Yoga Psychology: The Role of Spiritual Leadership
Sometimes we let life get the best of us. We get a little lost or feel like we’re stuck in a rut we can’t get out of. Other times we want to jump into the next phase of our spiritual evolution, but we don’t know what it is and how to reach it. All of this can lead us to abandon our practices, our studies, and other things we value.
Over the years, I’ve heard many objections for why someone can’t enroll in the kinds of programs that would take them further (a lengthy teacher training program or weekend workshop):
It’s too expensive.
I can’t take the time off from work.
I don’t want to leave my kids/spouse/family for that length of time…
I get it, and I’ve been there.
That’s why, this week, I want to change the pace a little. I’ll take you on a “Choose Your Own Adventure” ride that will guide you to the next steps for your yoga practice and studies.
Yoga and Psychology
Keeping up with a daily practice can be a real challenge, especially when the going gets rough. However, that’s when we need it the most.
In fact, in an article by the American Psychological Association, Dr. Sat Bir Khalsa, PhD, neuroscientist and Harvard Medical School professor of medicine, explains how yoga affects psychology and your body. He found that yoga targets unmanaged stress, which could reduce anxiety, depression, obesity, diabetes, and insomnia.
People are rarely aware of how their body is being affected by their mind. Stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues make it even more difficult to see the effects, and this makes learning new things very daunting.
For those who practice yoga or own a yoga practice, learning new things and staying relevant as a business can be even more difficult. You’re focused on maintaining a business, on attracting customers, and on paying the bills. It can be hard to separate the business side of things with the actual practice of yoga. The thought of advancement to a higher level then becomes about how it will benefit your business rather than your spirit. These are the kinds of problems I sought to solve with the development of my online programs– online teacher training and higher education courses for yoga.
Yoga Classes: Applied Yoga Psychology
As students, we spend a lot of time learning that yoga is just as much about discipline as it is about breathing and poses. Discipline is why we continue to study, even when we become teachers and masters of yoga. This continuous study is how we know what to prescribe when a student faces anxiety. It is how we know how to get out of our own rut.
We started our journey into yoga for our own well-being, but as teachers and business owners we keep improving for the benefit and well-being of our students so that we may guide others into the benefits of yoga. By continuing to study yoga, we are able to move them, and ourselves, into a higher state of wellness.
Links and Resources
You can find guided practices in my Yoga Beyond the Mat: Making Yoga Your Daily Spiritual Practice.
