Yoga and Values: Humility #9

Every person has certain values ​​that are important to them and by which they live. In our series we want to introduce you to the values ​​of our society and our coexistence through yoga teachers. Today with Andrea from Hamburg, with the value:

humility

This is what Wikipedia says:

The expression "humility" comes from the Old High German diomuoti ( "willing to serve" , i.e. actually "attitude of a servant"). In the Christian context, humility refers to the attitude of the creature to the Creator , analogous to the relationship between the servant and the master, and more generally the "virtue that comes from the consciousness of infinite lag behind the desired perfection (deity, moral ideal, sublime example)". In Luther's Bible, the term was used to translate the biblical expression tapeinophrosÿn (ancient Greek) or its Latin translation humilitas.

Humility - what a heavy word! At least for me. Nowadays you hardly come across it in everyday life. If you take a closer look at the definition of the word “humility,” one or the other would certainly have to admit (at least in secret) that they don’t even know the specific meaning!

We generally associate humility with negative things , something like "fawning over someone" and yes, even "serving someone." I remember that a doctor I admired once said to me: “Andrea, you need to be a little more humble! You lack humility.” At first I was served, not to say pissed off! You had to imagine that, that's what he said to me - to ME! I never harmed a fly, was a hard-working yogini and had the plan at the time to become a yoga teacher. And then that slap!

I admit, for a long, long time I didn't understand what he was trying to tell me. Instead, I spent a lot of time being dissatisfied and the rest of the time doing yoga on the path to becoming a better person.

A few years later, after the doctor in question gave me well-intentioned advice, I became seriously ill and was completely desperate. Plagued by pain, uncertainty, no longer being able to eat, no longer being able to work, being in constant sleep, not being a part of social life, hopelessness.

Health, having a job, having borne healthy children - we should humbly accept these and so many other gifts of daily life.

I “made it out again” and woke up to new life and when the lights in my brain came on and strength and joy of life returned, it hit me like a bolt of lightning! I understood what humility meant! Health, having a job, having given birth to healthy children and being able to raise them, helping other people, being able to satisfy one's hunger with a variety of foods, having clean water and being able to live in peace - these and so many other incredible gifts of daily life we ​​should humbly accept.

We are not aware of it because everything has become self-evident. Whether one believes in the Creator or not, to use the actual translation of the word humility, does not matter to me. Strictly speaking, it should be understood that life and, beyond that, a colorful bouquet of many beautiful things have been given to us and continue to be given daily and we have the duty to accept this and ultimately to serve ourselves with love and gratitude!

If we are aware that all of this is a gift, then we primarily serve as a gift to ourselves and therefore to other people. In doing so, we all contribute a large part to a better life in a better world and in doing so fulfill our debt to the greater great. Anyone who has understood this has understood humility!

Humility in yoga practice

When I now review the yoga classes of the last few years, humility fits like a glove here too! What gracious gift is presented to us with yoga? We just have to accept it - accept it humbly….

"Yoga is about maintaining physical and psychological limits and only doing what is possible at the current time."

As a yoga teacher, I "preach" to my students and myself to maintain boundaries and only do what is possible at the time and take it upon myself to follow this advice. For me, this is the actual teaching of the yoga class and not just any asana.

It is a privilege to be given the gift of life and our duty is to make the most of it! This includes keeping our bodies and minds healthy and honoring them with everything the colorful bouquet of possibilities has to offer. It is not the body that has to serve us, but we it. It is a wonderful legacy that we can accept in yoga courses.

Reality often looks different: faces distorted with pain, despair, impatience - this affects students and teachers alike when they “fail” and complain and complain about seemingly insoluble attitudes. Anyone who manages to maintain their boundaries in this moment, to live in the moment and to be grateful that they can walk on two legs, use their hands in the plank and breathe consciously in meditation in the here and now, has humility understood. These students and teachers will humbly accept the limits shown and understand what yoga practice is actually about and be grateful.

"Submit to achieve the higher."

At this point at the latest, the circle closes to the versatile “preached” 8-part path of Patañjali. Submitting in the sense of being a servant in order to achieve the higher. This affects all areas of the eight limbs, because in order to be able to live and pass on Ahimsa, for example, I have to treat myself lovingly.

Niyama is based on honoring one's own body with all its facets, in order not least to return to humility and "surrender to the Lord", ergo the good of higher greats combined with the insight to ultimately accept in gratitude what one has been given got to recognize this and treat it like a treasure.

Humility in special yoga practice

For me personally, Yin Yoga is the epitome of humility. To focus your senses even more and simply let everything go. Surrender and realize how everything gives in, even if it hurts at first, on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. Different asanas can achieve this. Be it opening yourself, lying in the butterfly or going into yourself and returning your senses to the dove.

Would you like to share your thoughts on a value in our society related to yoga? Then please send us an email to mail[at]findedeinyoga.org . We are happy!

You can find all previously published articles in the “Values ​​and Yoga” series here .