yoga isn’t just a New Year’s resolution
Resolution - a firm decision to do or not to do something. (According to the Oxford Languages Dictionary)
With the New Year just around the corner, we as humans can easily get swept up in the romanticism of the New Year and all of the ways we’ll be ‘different’ once the clock strikes 12.
If Yoga is at the top of your New Year’s Resolution list … it’s important to know what you’re really deciding to do (or not do).
Yoga is a thousands-year-old wisdom tradition originating from India, namely, the Indus Valley. It is steeped in story, Sangha (community), and social justice. The practice of yoga has many lineages, all expressed through the 8 foundational limbs as defined by the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and within those 8 limbs, are the Yamas.
If “going to Yoga” is the New Year Resolution you’re making, the Yamas are like the ingredients to really “get” there 😉
Before we spell the Yamas out, we wanted to illustrate what they look like through one of our member stories:
“I originally signed up for my first-ever class in January of this year... as a New Year’s resolution (we all know how long those usually last!). It was an honest attempt at trying something new and really stepping out of my comfort zone. Mentally and physically I was feeling really down about myself. I remember vividly being so nervous before walking over for the first time, and I think I debated turning around more than a handful of times on my short journey. Fast forward [to today], and I'm still here with it! I can't decide what the biggest win is honestly. Between my improved flexibility, defeating some social anxiety, and learning to meditate and truly show up for myself... having this as an outlet has done more for me than I could have ever hoped for. I feel like a more complete person and even though I'm still growing, I feel at home and safe when I come to class! ♡ - Teresa J.
A BIG thank you to Teresa for sharing her Aura story with us ♡
We share Teresa’s story knowing that it resonates with so many of our members, and likely with people who are feeling drawn to Yoga but have never done it before. At the beginning of the story, there’s anxiety. At the end, there’s a new home and felt sense of safety. And the Yamas are woven through the middle (whether you realize it or not!)
The Yamas - Ways to Be with Others
The Yamas are intended to be ethical codes that help guide us in how we relate to others. We believe that those ethical codes are strengthened when we can practice them in relationship with the self too.
Ahimsā | Non-harm (aka kindness)
At the beginning of this story, Teresa shares that she was feeling down about herself, which is actually a form of himsā (harm). Essentially, any action or thought that is not in alignment with kindness or compassion is himsā. But when Teresa decided to try something to shift out of those down feelings, she shifted into Ahimsā 🙌
Satya | Truth (aka honesty)
Coming to her first yoga class was an “honest attempt at trying something new” … Yoga, was something Teresa was exploring as part of her own Satya - truth 🙏
Asteya | Non-stealing (aka abundance)
Learning to “truly show up for herself” is an act of Asteya (non-stealing). When you don’t show up, you’re in essence ‘stealing’ from yourself instead of leaning into how you are already abundant. It’s amazing to know that coming to Yoga at The Aura House “has done more for [Teresa] than [she] could have ever hoped for.” 🤍
Brahmacharya | Energy Restraint (aka Kind + Loving Boundaries)
Nervous energy can often be expressed as fight or flight. Teresa remembers “vividly being so nervous before walking over [to the yoga studio] for the first time”. She could have let that energy win to run in the direction back home, instead, she harnessed that energy and used it to continue propelling her toward her resolution. She intuitively created a loving boundary around her resolution and managed to meet it with kindness, even though she was nervous. 🧘
Aparigraha | Non-Possessiveness (aka letting go)
Teresa could have held on to the belief that New Year’s Resolutions don’t last long … but look at her now! Letting go of the idea that New Year’s Resolutions don’t last made space for a newfound belief in self. A belief that led to more wins than she could count. 👏👏👏
finding Sangha - Community
We hope this story has shed some light on how Yoga is so much more than just a Resolution. People like Teresa come to us all of the time looking for their first experience with Yoga. It is our privilege and delight to hold a space where our members experience more than just the physical limb of yoga (Āsana) and feel safe and at home every time they come to class.
