The Yoga of Aloha
by Jennie Lee,
(This is a wonderfully simple article. Read it and you will understand something very simple indeed. The ancient science of Yoga, in all of its forms Hatha; Raja etc) is ultimately about connecting to Source, God, Love or your essence.
Inherent in that is the need to understand breath. Now here is the twist.
According to Vedic tradition each of us has “a specific number of heartbeats, words and breaths ” that we are allowed in any lifetime. How we use these is of great importance.
Reading jennie lee’s article reminds us of how important this connection is and how fruitless it is to waste our thoughts, words and deeds upon anything that is less than harmonious. Hence, the importance of Aloha. I will address this issue in greater detail in another post soon. Nigel)
In physical yoga practice, we focus on alignment in our postures and connection to our breath, in order to cultivate tranquility of body, mind and spirit. As a Yoga Therapist on the island of O’ahu, I am reminded of the alignment and connection between yoga and the spirit of aloha that is so important here. The word ‘aloha’ has many uses of course, as both a greeting and a goodbye, a celebration and an acknowledgment. But it is the spirit within aloha that is most important and that connects it deeply to the practice of yoga. By practicing the spirit of aloha and the spirit of yoga, we can increase our connection to self and to the world around us.
The first part of aloha (alo) means ‘to be with.’ The second part (ha) means ‘the breath.’ To be with one’s own breath is the foundation of yoga and meditation practice. And to recognize that as human beings we are all interconnected through breath, is the first step to fostering a consciousness of unity. To practice yoga and meditation in its authentic form and in the spirit of aloha means that we pay attention to our breath and to its exchange with those around us. We recognize that we are all connected at this most intimate level of life, and we sense the interplay of being both human and Divine. As we practice living from that place of shared breath, we see that what we think or say affects everyone around us, for better or worse. In this unified state we know that helping our neighbor helps us as well, and hurting another through word or deed hurts us in kind. This is especially significant on a small island with limited resources, thousands of miles from any other land. The Yoga of Aloha|Jennie Lee