Yoga for Better Relationships

Yoga for better relationships involves practice of yoga to connect us to our true nature. We all are souls incarnated on Mother Earth, to experience life. Relationships are unavoidable aspects of our existence. They all have life lessons for us. Relationships are not restricted to the ones we have with our family and friends. It is that connection we share with everyone we meet daily.

All the relationships we come across in our lives are reflections of the bond we share with ourselves – our Inner Self. If we feel unworthy, our relationships will reflect the same. If we do not love ourselves, we will never be able to experience love in the bonds we share. And that is, undeniably, really bad and crippling!

Regular practice of yoga could help in promoting better relationships. How? Let’s see.

How does yoga help in better relationships?

Our minds are like those muddy pools that never get an opportunity to clear. We are always under the attack of some belief or thought process or some piece of news that would create a sense of fear. Our egos cling to this aspect and try to pull us down. And the result – we always tend to disown our True Selves. Ideally seen, our ego beautifully lays out it’s deceptive, yet destructive trap, and invites us. And, we, knowingly and unknowingly, walk into the trap, and immerse ourselves in self-sabotage activities. This self-sabotage is the primary reason why we often feel relationships are debilitating.

Yoga, through yogic postures, pranayama and meditation, helps us to own up and treat this wounded Inner Self. Yoga teaches us various concepts that we can implement in our daily life, healing ourselves and our relationships. Read on to know more.

Yoga for Better Relationships

Practice unconditional love!

What does it take to love us? A better body, a remarkable financial life, or the latest model of the car? Do we need these factors to admire ourselves? Well, the answer is no. Yoga is all about unconditional love. The Asanas, according to traditional texts, were designed to prepare our bodies for a profound meditative experience. While things have changed over time and the focus is more on the alignment of muscles now, an authentic yoga practice will teach us to honor and respect ourselves through unconditional love.

And, this is the practice we imbibe and extend it in our relationships. There are no rules to give and receive love. There is nothing more blissful than loving a person as is. Yoga for better relationships is about finding this inner love for ourselves and others.

It guides us to surrender entirely with faith!

Forward bends teach us the art of surrendering with faith. When we surrender ourselves to our relationships with faith, without judgment, we will invite more love and peace in our relationships. While this doesn’t imply we should be in a relationship where the other person is a narcissist, it teaches us to have complete faith in the events that unfold before us. A small fight between you and your partner can be resolved with ease and peace when you allow yourself to see the bigger picture as you surrender to love. Surrendering is not being submissive. You are still holding your power, yet you are permitting the other person to express without exploiting you. Yoga for better relationships help us to surrender with love and trust.

Forgiveness is the healer, says yoga.

The art of forgiveness heals everything. In forgiveness, we release judgment. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that the other person is always right. It just means that you choose peace and love for yourself and the wellbeing of the relationships. All of us make mistakes, and it is entirely okay to make mistakes. Once we realize this aspect, forgiveness is easy. We will let go of our defenses and allow us to understand the person more.

To forgive, we need a still mind devoid of prejudices and anger. Yoga for better relationships is based on creating this inner environment so that you can let go of your past in that inner silence. Silence of the mind is the goal of yoga. All the steps including yogic poses, Pranayama and Meditation is tailored for bringing that inner peace. Today, Yoga is looked upon as a holistic method for mental and physical healing.

Be grateful and attract more love.

The more grateful we are, the better our relationships will be. We are often guided to include the attitude of gratitude while practicing Asanas so that we could allow our bodies to enjoy a deep healing experience. In the same way, when we become more and more grateful for each and every moment our relationships, we will be able to enhance the quality of our relationships.

Be sensitive and compassionate always!

When we practice the Asanas regularly, we become more sensitive to ourselves. We tune into our breath and notice how our body is reacting. We become aware of our thoughts. And, through this process, we establish a deep and intimate connection our body and mind. We will develop self-compassion. We can implement these lessons of sensitivity and compassion in all our relationships.

When we come across a particular situation, we will be able to understand and comprehend if we are truly sensitive and compassionate with our partners, families, and friends. Tuning in and being compassionate yield rich, rewarding relationships.

It teaches us to be in the NOW!

Being in the now – mindfulness – is the key to maintain a long-lasting relationship. Many of us tend to dwell in the past, thus creating an undesirable association when picking up a fight. There are times when the silliest of the situations turn ugly when we bring up some unpleasant incident from the past just because we feel there is a similarity. Yoga for better relationships teaches us to live in the NOW.

When we practice Asanas and Meditation, we will be able to learn dissociation. We consciously bring our wandering minds back to the practice. Every yoga session is seen as a unique one. We realize that every situation is unique; every moment is different; and all that is true is being in the NOW.

When we apply these concepts in our relationships, we will be able to enjoy peace and happiness in the truest sense. We will be able to look at the incidents as standalone ones. When there is an absence of unwanted associations, there will be no scope for ugly moments in relationships.

Yoga also teaches us to stay grounded and balanced while managing turbulence. It guides us to stand up for ourselves and remain true to our authentic self. It helps us to express and communicate assertively and honestly, the two essential keys to rewarding relationships.

Each of the Ashtanga principles, the Eight Limbs of yoga, does have some lesson for the humankind.