Parenting, if only there was a manual!
When an appliance or car is purchased, it comes with a user manual, but when we become parents there is no instructions included! Fumbling in the dark, sleep deprived, away from community and family young parents try to figure out how to look after their newborn. As a new mother I often wished someone would write me a manual many a time. There have been many moments of doubt and self-criticism. In the end we all do what we can. Being on the path of yoga and training to be a yoga teacher gave me many gifts, in fact it has a manual! Now if only I had found this earlier in my parenting journey.
Yoga is a holistic philosophy that gives us a set of tenets how to navigate life in a connected and meaningful way. Yoga as a practice reminds us there is a depth to life other than just the daily grind. It allows us to find the beauty and wisdom in all that is around us. Yoga as a practice brings harmony between the mind and body. It acknowledges and treats the whole person; we ARE more than our bodies.
To complete my 300-hour yoga teacher training a thesis was required. By this stage my children were young adults, but it dawned on me as I delved deep in study of the one of main texts for yoga – Patanjali Yoga Sutras – that there is something very special here for parents also. Patanjali Yoga Sutras is the collection of verses about the theory and practice of yoga. While the sutras are guide to a person on path of self-inquiry and self-realization; it does also hold wisdom for the house holder.
Contrary to what we see in popular culture yoga is more than just bending the bodies in to fantastic postures. There are eight limbs of yoga, it is prescribed that they are to be learned sequentially, mastering one before progressing to the next. They are:
1. Yama – are principles that guide us how to live wholistically, it teaches us how to treat others and the world around us.
2. Niyamas – are standards fof self-discipline.
3. Asana – practice of yoga postures, allows the one to connect with their body, bring their outwardly focused mind back into the body.
4. Pranayama – breath control, through which we are able to invigorate our bodies and support destressing our nervous system.
5. Pratyahara – withdrawal of senses. It teaches to align focus inwardly for peacefulness.
6. Dharana – is concentration, it is a single pointed focus of the mind that supports meditation.
7. Dhyana – deep effortless contemplation on our reality, meditation.
My thesis focused on the Yama’s and Niyamas, the first two limbs. Specially there are five Yamas and five Niyamas. As you can already see yoga philosophy can be quite systematic. Systems, and routines are essential for parenting. They reduce the chaos of a busy life pulling parents in multiple directions.
As summarized by the Sri Sri Yoga School of Yoga: Yama are five social ethics. They include ahimsa – kindness, satya – truthfulness, asteya – nonstealing, brahmacharya – moderation and aparigraha – generosity. Niyamas are five personal practices or disciplines. They include saucha – purity, santosha – contentment, tapas – austerity, swadhyaya – self study and iswara-pranidhana – surrender.
Over the next issues of the Brisbane Indian Times, I will share what I wrote in my thesis and together we will explore practical strategies and tips of how we can take an ancient text on yoga philosophy and apply it today to parenting. It is a testament to our ancient knowledge keepers that they cognized knowledge that is timeless and relevant to today.
Disclaimer – I am not an expert in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, I am a STUDENT. As a student what I have learned and understood I wish to share in the forth coming articles. These are my contemplations and learnings, if they resonate use it and do tell me about it! If your curiously has been sparked there are many books on the limbs of yoga and many schools of yoga, you can study with. I wholeheartedly encourage it! You don’t have to become a yoga teacher to do these teacher trainings, to me they are life trainings.
Written by Reema Naresh, Yoga Teacher and Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant. Reema, works at the University of Queensland at a research centre professionally. She is a keen holistic health enthusiast.
