How To Practice Yoga Beyond The Mat Incorporating Yoga Into Daily Life

Yoga Beyond the Mat: Integrating Yoga into Daily Life

When we talk about yoga, we discuss about physical and spiritual connection. Do you think this connection is limited to only 30-minute yoga class?

A good mathematician will find mathematical problems in daily life. A good nutritionist makes healthy nutritional choices. All disciplines leave some impression on a person’s everyday chores. Can you make sense of a life-changing practice (yoga) limited to the yoga mat?

If yoga doesn’t show its effects beyond the mat then there is no actual meaning left to it. People who don’t practice yoga in daily life aren’t worthy of the title “yogi”. There should be some difference between a nonpractitioner and a yogi.

If you want to learn the art of practicing yoga beyond the mat – read this article till the end. This article will define the term “yoga beyond the mat” and its implications in life.

What Does the Term “ Yoga Beyond the Mat” Suggest?

The term “yoga beyond the mat” suggests living a life that reflects yoga practices. It treads a path for others to embark on this beautiful and life-changing journey.

Unfortunately, nowadays many influencers portray the wrong meaning of yoga. The focus is more on aesthetics and physical postures. Yoga has become a superficial activity with no effect on the inner self. The real meaning behind yoga is lost somewhere in the books.

The actual teachings of yoga cleanse one’s heart. It teaches discipline, self-love, manners, politeness, patience, and humility. It helps to fill the spiritual gaps.

Teachings of Yoga 

Some of the teachings of yoga are mentioned below

• Dharma is to identify your traits
• Tapah is helping others
• Svadhyaya is another name for self-study
• Santosa is being happy and grateful
• Satya is communication with kindness
• Brahmacharya involves respects all creatures
• Aparigraha is prioritizing simple lifestyle

Benefits of Yoga Beyond The Mat 

The benefits of yoga in daily life activities are stated below

• It promotes mindfulness
• It develops self-awareness
• It increases flexibility and strength
• It improves posture
• It gives balance to the body
• It helps in mind relaxation
• It cultivates self-love and care

Ways to Practice Yoga Beyond the Mat 

Here are some 8 ways to practice yoga in daily life.

1. Morning Routine 

When you wake up in the morning – instead of checking your mobile phone, add yoga to your morning rituals. There are stretches and meditation you can do in the morning.

Yoga in the morning gives a good start to the day. It makes you energized and focused all day long. This simple practice might take a few minutes but it has a significant impact on your physical and psychological well-being.

2. Healthy eating choices 

Eating burgers and fries every night before sleep isn’t going to help. How can you pair a healthy and an unhealthy habit together? No one can force you to eat a rainbow diet – it’s your personal choice.

Adopt a well-balanced diet that contains all essential nutrients in a good proportion. Follow a proper diet timetable to avoid mindless eating. Make a diet plan or a chart that resonates to live a healthy and active life.

3. Show Gratitude

Gratitude is an essential part of yoga beyond the mat. Sit for 5 minutes and count the blessings in your life. Do you think you’ll be able to count? When yoga awakens spirituality – gratitude becomes a part of you.

Many volumes of books are written on the structure and function of a single cell. There are 32.7 trillion cells in the human body – all working without human intervention. The whole universe is full of examples that give infinite reasons to be grateful.

4. Meditate Anywhere 

Meditation doesn’t require a coaching center. You can meditate anywhere in the world – the only condition is a quiet and peaceful environment.

Meditation brings mind relaxation. It helps you become aware of yourself and your surroundings. It calms down your nerves and helps to cope with life challenges. During meditation focus is on mantra and breathing patterns.

5. Take Yoga Breaks 

Taking yoga breaks is another way of doing yoga beyond the mat. Yoga breaks mean to dedicate some time to yoga whenever you’re free. You can perform yoga exercises at different time intervals.

Plan your day well and incorporate yoga breaks. It gives you a relief from tiring and exhausting life and helps to increase productivity by many folds.

6. Good Moral Values And Conduct

You’re known for your behavior in society. Your interaction with teachers and elders tells a lot about your personality. Good moral values and conduct are an essential part of the life.

You can’t say that you behaved nice for a week and now need a break. Your greetings and smiles shouldn’t be limited to the yoga mat. Rather, you should be known for goodness. Ponder and reflect on your areas of improvement and gradually work towards them.

7. Self-love

Self-love and the ability to accept yourself is a huge blessing nowadays. Yoga practice teaches that you shouldn’t be the subject of your hate. Break the cycle of insecurity and embrace yourself.

This age of social media, filters, and photo editing has changed beauty standards. Everyone wants to look like influencers or models. People are forgetting that the beauty of nature lies in diversity.

8. Yoga Before Bedtime

Research has shown the benefits of adding yoga before sleep. Adding yoga before bedtime is a good example of yoga beyond the mat. It helps greatly with insomnia and sleeping disorders – ensuring deep, quality sleep.

Yoga before sleep releases the melatonin hormone – which is responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. Yoga helps to reduce stress, achieve hormonal balance, and regulate of nervous system which directly contributes to better sleep.

Conclusion 

Yoga beyond the mat is a popular term. It makes sure that yoga isn’t limited to your yoga mat. To get the full advantage of yoga practices – you should strategically include yoga practices in your routine.

You can add different meditations, physical postures, and breathing exercises to your day. Yoga also teaches self-love, discipline, and good behavior that you should practice.

There is a variety of options available in yoga – you can customize it according to your goal. It requires discipline and dedication. It teaches how to live the life with principles.

This practice radiates the positive energy that motivates others to include yoga in their life. It gets your focus in the right place – diverging your intention from negativity.