Decision Making Process - Living in Yoga

Inspired by a question that came up during a conversation today I got motivated to write this text.

Can decision making process be influenced by Yoga? Yes and No. Its depends.

The practice of Yoga give us tools to gain control of our minds through physical exercises ( Asanas and Pranayama ),Yamas  and Niyamas ( Moral codes and observances)(http://ashtangametamorphosis.blogspot.com/2014/02/benefits-of-yoga-in-your-body-and-life.html)

There are also the other limbs of Yoga, but the Yamas, Niyamas and Asanas are the ones in which our practice starts and where we start to purify ourselves on a physical and spiritual level.

If the "student" only practice physical exercises the benefits will be mostly in a physical level, as a healthier body. But even only practicing asanas after many years of practice with consistence, the student may notice a change in his behaviors, because conscious breath combine with the poses have a calming effect in the nervous system.  When the nervous system is calm and balanced (Ida and Pingala Channels, connected with the right and left nostrils), the brain works in harmony. When the brain is in harmony we think clearly and we don not act by impulse.

The most important tools the yoga practice give us are the Yamas and Niyamas. Without those the benefits of yoga are incomplete. When we apply those rules in our daily lives our choices and decisions are based in Truth and Love itself. So combining a strong heart with a balanced mind from the physical exercises, the practice of yoga Yes can definitely influence any aspect of your life.

How yoga affects your life is entirely up to you. Its your choice to follow this ancients teachings and be open to it. Its your choice to open your heart and embrace whatever is there deep inside yourself. You know your own truth and I believe this practice is sometimes like a mirror that allow us to see ourselves deeper and raw. A sincere practice of yoga with no attachment to results will build a strong connection to a power greater (God, or whatever you believe) than us and from that point you will flow into life intuitively according to your truth.