Today I was successfully thrown out of a hotel by a so-called yoga teacher for doing … absolutely nothing. Whilst I appreciate that the hotel had made a mistake in the bookings, the yoga group were adamant they wanted the whole place to themselves. It got me thinking about what we try to achieve through yoga – compassion, openness, kindness, letting go of the ego … I’m not sure that throwing someone out of a hotel with 2 dogs who has just moved to the country demonstrates these traits. So how can we complement our yoga practice? Can knowledge of integral psychology help us in complementing yoga?

Integral Psychology

It made me think about why we do what we do and what drives our actions. Yoga is about letting go and finding connectivity. It’s about evolving our minds such that we lose our sense of self. It’s about finding a deeper connection to everything around us. Have a look at Wilber’s framework of development from integral psychology that explores the various stages of how we develop as human beings . It is possible to ‘grow’ from an egocentric focus through ethnocentric and to world centric. Another way of saying this, as the author in the link nicely states, is that we evolve from caring about “me” to caring about “us” which includes all those in our “clan”. Finally, some will continue to evolve their way of thinking to incorporate caring about “all of us” or every creature across the world.

However, most people stay in the egocentric focus because our brains are designed to focus on us as individuals in order to keep us safe. Many people out there are doing yoga because it’s fashionable and to get better bodies. And whilst there is nothing wrong with that, it saddens me that the core essence of yoga as a tool to free the mind and let go of our sense of self seems to be forgotten by many. The essence is to take us to the “caring about all of us” stage. Integral psychology helps us understand this but we also need to look at yoga philosophy to understand how to get there.

Why Yoga?

So how do we keep evolving our minds to connect to everything around us? How do we become connected to the universal consciousness (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_mind) whilst respecting our individual earthly bodies? How do we get that feeling of being nothing and everything; being part of the wind and the trees; being one mind and yet many? To let go seems so simple in concept and yet so hard in practice. Our brains are, after all, designed for constant thinking of our survival. This has served us well but if we’re honest with ourselves, deep down we know something is missing. 

Patanjali’s 8 arm ashtanga (https://divineyogabangkok.atavist.com/untitled-project-q61nv) is a structured and time-tested approach to “still the mind” and to find peace. This approach is now also scientifically proven as a way to connect to the universal consciousness and to find stillness. It isn’t just about yoga positions, nor is it just about meditation, mindfulness, a way of life … but it is about connecting all of these. It is about complementing yoga, just like integral psychology tries to explain. Of course it isn’t easy because it means that we have to also change our habits, perhaps even let go of some of our desires. 

Tips for complementing Yoga

Here are some small tips to help let go of our ego and of our bad habits. The more we practice, the more natural it becomes:

1- Keep a journal to reflect on feelings and experiences and ensure no judgement. For example, if you felt frustration or anger during the day then it can help to detail what happened. The more we understand what triggers our feelings then the more we can experience them without judgement. Over time, you will better understand and manage your triggers which causes less stress. Essentially, you will feel more in control.

2- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). An 8 week course incorporating meditation, mindfulness and yoga to help readjust the mind to alleviate stress. A simpler first step is meditation which also helps connect mind and body. Overall, I found a new level of appreciation of myself as well as feeling part of a greater human experience. This is a great practice for complementing yoga and support integral psychology in the sense we feel part of a greater ‘whole’.  

3- Healthy rewards. A long walk absorbing nature, watching a film with a friend can both be activities that create connectivity and belonging. Of course, the trick is not to binge-watch! However, my toughest demon in this area is to avoid drinking too many glasses of something alcoholic. So I do a combination of drinking ginger or fruit teas. Or I allow myself 2 glasses before taking the dogs for a long walk. By the time I come back, I just want a cup of tea. 

4- Mindful kindness. The best way to stop focusing on yourself is to help others in need. And to do so mindfully will bring even more benefits as you connect with yourself and others. Be aware of how you impact other people’s lives and how beautiful it is to connect at a basic human level.

5- Gratitude. Find 5 things you are grateful for everyday. I believe it can be useful for everyone, regardless of the level of pain or hurt they have experienced. 

Of course I appreciate that some people have to deal with horrific experiences. None of my small tips should ever replace working with a counsellor or psychiatric.