Does Following The Yogic Lifestyle Make You Behave in a More Sustainable Way in Your Daily Life?

It is generally believed that embracing a yogi lifestyle develops an environmentally awareness. As we will explain here, there are a few reasons to believe that.

It is well known the stereotypical picture of a yogi living in the countryside in touch with nature, off the grid, wearing day after day the same loose clothes, covered by Hindu or Buddhist tattoos, drinking tea, and possessing a few objects apart from their yoga mat, and often defined as highly environmentally sensitive. Despites the classical stereotype of a yogi changed to a more modern and urban based individual. It is still believed that this connection and deep respect for nature makes them an environmentalist by default. But why is that?

5 reasons to believe yogis are environmental advocates: 

1) Yoga is unity | Everything is connected nature, animals, and human beings.

The word yoga means “unity”, “connection”. The connection between mind and body, which at the same time are inseparable from their surroundings. It is from the perception of division between humans and nature that a hierarchical order was established. We stop seeing ourselves as part of it in equal condition, thus divided. The result is an increasing pressure over the environment and the natural resources. Yogis maintain that we are all part of one Universal Consciousness, where everything and everyone have an equally important role in order to live in harmony.  

2) The 8 Limbs of yoga | Advocates for environmental protection:

The 8 limbs collect the yogic moral code. The first principle is Yama which refers to ethical standards and sense of integrity; the second Niyama or our actions towards the outside world and self-discipline; the third Asanas or postures in the yoga practice; the forth, Pranayama or breathing technics; the fifth is Pratyahara meaning withdrawal of our senses from the external world; sixth, Dharana or concentration; the seventh is Dhyana or meditation; and finally, the eight limb is Samadhi referring to bliss or enlightenment state. All of them represent together the path to fulfilment, encompassing our inner work with our relationship with the world. Nonetheless, the path starts inside of us, as it is represented in the first limb, Niyama. Practicing Ahimsa or non-harming, rejecting violence in every form, from being compassionate to ourselves to being aware of how our actions could create harm. This first step on the yogic lifestyle, would unfold a positive change towards environmental protection.

• YAMA – Moral compass and sense of integrity

• NIYAMA – Positive duties and reflection on our actions impacting the world

• ASANA – Postures of the body

• PRANAYAMA – Breath work Techniques

• PRATYAHARA – Sense withdrawal

• DHARANA – Concentration

• DHYANA – Meditation

• SAMADHI – Bliss or Enlightenment

3) Increased awareness.

Regular and consistent practice of yoga increases awareness. While getting us in touch with our body, feelings and emotions consciously would unfold deep reflective mental states. Continuing in this line, we will eventually reach the point when we begin to question ourselves, our relationships and how we relate to the world we live in. As well as how the world relates to us, the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. We might discover ourselves making positive adjustments, as for example consuming organic and local food.

4) Seeking simplicity

In the path towards life fulfilment, clarity of though remains essential. It became specially challenging to focus and look inwards in a world where all short of stimulus are surrounding us. Common activities could easily turn energetically draining, even choosing between all the different brands of yogurt in the supermarket it could be time consuming. Hence, it requires a conscious effort to reduce the distraction we are exposed to and having less material possession would help to keep us focused. Here lies the source to authentic sustainability, triggering a reduction of material production, which is environmentally expensive in terms of resources, inputs, and transport. Furthermore, in this globalised world, where rarely something is entirely produced and sold in the same country. At some point in our life, I am sure we were all in the situation of moving apartments and ended up stressed and having way too many boxes of stuff that we actually do not need. Contrary to what some people thing, possessing just what you need would not make your daily life more difficult and your environmental footprint would be severely reduced.

5) The value of nature that helps us grounding. 

Traditional yogis not just honour the sun and the moon in their practice, they also celebrate nature in all its forms, recognising the need to protect it. It is important to keep present the origins of our practice; nature helps us grounding, being present and regenerates your prana or life force. Developing at the same time a great respect for wildlife and preservation.

The bottom line -

In conclusion, following a yogic lifestyle based on the 8-limbed path would significantly reduce your individual footprint. It would be interesting to conduct studies about this to first knowing until which extent this is actually happening and, second to explore how the yogi lifestyle is contested in the West modern world, since our current social structure makes it challenging to follow. Nonetheless, coming back to what ancient traditions taught us and awake as a society to the connection of humanity to nature would drive us to take more environmentally responsible actions.

This Post was written by Andrea Galino | A Graudate of Dottir Hot Yoga 200 hr YTT & A Dottir Hot Yoga Instructor