Coronavirus and Yoga
The first key component to yoga is purity of mind, body, and spirit. Therefore, if you practice saucha or self-love, you could insulate yourself from the harmful germs around you and within you. Purification is the touchstone of yogic asanas and pranayamas as they detoxify the body. Take the sat-karma-kriya with six stages of purification embedded in 30 different stretches. Most of these are about taking in and taking out salt water through our mouth and nose. There is the popular neti pot to cleanse the nose with salt water. Similarly, there is trataka for the eyes, kapalabhati for the breath, varisara dhauti for the stomach where you drink salt water to cleanse the gut area, and vamana dhauti where salt water ingestion results in regurgitation to purify the stomach.
Importantly, saucha tells us to love all the impurities in our body, be it sweat, bile, phlegm, urine, and fecal matter. The underlying thought is that everything, good and bad, is part of us, and both should be equally respected and loved.
Did you know that a peacock’s feathers glow brighter when it consumes poison? Well, life is like that. When we embrace life with all its pluses and minuses, we rise from the dirt like a lotus.
Therefore, if you want to lead a healthier lifestyle, practice saucha and you will not have to worry about the coronaviruses of the world. Here are a few life hacks that can help you get there. Read on…
- Watch What You Eat: The principle of saucha is to go on an all-organic diet that is free from preservatives, additives, and chemicals. When this becomes part of your daily routine, your body will have fewer toxins to deal with.
- Think Positive: Purify your mind by affirming to yourself that all is good, and there is nothing wrong with the world. When you bless the universe, the universe will bless you. When you do the reverse, you will be affected too. After all, you are part of it. Therefore, the way out of stress, anger, worry and fear is to meditate on the positive things in life. Because ‘where attention goes, energy flows’.
How Esha Yoga is Practicing Saucha at Studio
Yoga is all about relieving stress. At Esha Yoga, the health and safety of our members, colleagues and yoga trainers is our top priority. In line with PHE guidance, we have increased the level of cleaning and hygiene in our studio, including:
1) Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitization in our studio, especially high touch areas such as floors, door handles, equipment, etc.
2) Ensuring soap dispensers and hand sanitizers remain filled
3) Providing additional wipes to self-clean mats before and after use
4) Educating and reminding members and colleagues of the importance of good hygiene in the studio.
5) We are avoiding any deep breathing exercises as they may not be suitable in the current circumstances.
What can members do to help
EshaYoga members are encouraged to help reduce the spread of the virus through good personal hygiene. This includes:
1) Frequent hand washing (wash your hands for 20 seconds) and hand sanitizing during your visits.
2) Making full use of the soap, sanitisers and cleaning items available
3) Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of the tissue in the bin after use.
4) Familiarize yourself with the latest guidance from PHE and do not visit the studio if you are displaying symptoms of sick and are advised to self-isolate. Follow Government guidance if you are a returning traveler.
5) Get your own yoga mat and water bottles.
6) Avoid props.
7) It is best to put your hands together and do a ‘namaste’ than a handshake.
8) Our instructor will register your presence without you having to use a pen
Our yoga studio continues to operate as usual.
If you are interested to attend online classes, then send us an email at [email protected] and we are happy to share the information
Thank you so much for your continued support and enthusiasm. The irony of times like these is that we need yoga and mind-body practices more than ever. They build our capacity for exercising compassion and skillful action. Our practices support our immune systems. And through meditation, we develop, breath by breath, the ability to see clearly; to respond rather than react. We know that our practices matter. And practicing together any chance we get strengthens us all. These temporary policies are designed to support each and every one of us. Our eyes are open, we remain informed, look at the science, use discernment, and navigate this a step at a time to the very best of our abilities. We will continue to adjust our sails accordingly.
Yoga is not just a set of stretches, but an attitude – how you CARE FOR NATURE, how you CONNECT WITH PEOPLE of all races, cultures, and religions. That ONENESS- with Divinity, with Nature, and people – is the real essence of yoga.
— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purpose only and does not purport to be medical advice. You are advised to consult a qualified medical professional if you suffer from any ailments.