Monday, July 25, 2011

Summer Challenge 2011 - The Eight Limbs of Yoga - Asana

Week three has passed us very fast. With lots of heat, sweat and hopefully yoga. You come to the mat day in and day out and experience that you have muscles you did not even know existed. You develop strength, flexibility, realize changes in your body... Many people do start practicing yoga because of the physical benefits that they have seen on other practitioners or in the media on "yogalibrities" (yes, we have them, yoga-celebrities :)), the trimmed arms, tight buttocks, and flat bellies. And there is nothing wrong with it. Whatever brings you to the mat is good as you will realize all the other benefits as well... being interested or not... But lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Asanas are the third limbs according to Patanjali, after the yamas and the niyamas. An easy explanation is to say that asana practice is to prepare our bodies to be able to practice pranayama, breath (the fourth limb) and dhyana, meditation (the seventh limb). While this explanation is true there is more involved in asana. In asana we are burning our inner fire creating sweat and excreting toxins from the body which is an essential part of asana resulting in purification. We are able to achieve a healthy body through our yoga posture practice which is hard work but the rewards are far reaching.

In the Yoga Sutras there are not much more reference to the Asanas. Patanjali only talks about the way the posture should be practiced in Sutra 2.46: "Sthira sukham asanam," meaning that asana should be both firm as well as comfortable. The old sages' main concern for the asanas were not much to do with the muscular benefits, it was more about the preparation of the body for inward looking, for meditation. So asanas are very important on your yogic road as they are part of you keeping your body healthy and strong.

As you go through your asanas, you move, you breath and you focus. All three together helps with creating an inward looking perspective. To further help you in experiencing the benefits of the asana practice, the yoga postures also have a drishti, or point of focus for the eyes. It encourages the meditative state in the posture and deepens the meaning and effect of the posture on all levels.
Practicing asana with focus on the breath and drishti invokes a sense of calm to the mind. This week as you go through your practice, breath and find your drishti and notice what happens by the time you are in savasana.

Finally, asanas are named in Sanskrit after insects, various types of animals, and legendary heroes and Gods. Think of Hanuman-asana, Monkey King Pose for example (one of my favorites). The pose is in which the legs are split forward and back, mimics Hanuman's famous leap from the southern tip of India to the island of Sri Lanka.

During mythological times, Rama, a king of ancient India, had a problem. The demon king who presided in Sri Lanka, Ravana, had abducted Rama's wife, Sita. Rama and his troops set out to rescue her from the vile demon. In the ensuing battle Rama's brother, Laksmana, was severely wounded, and the only way to save him was with an herb that grew exclusively in the Himalayas. It appeared that he would be lost, for who could possibly travel to the Himalayas and back in time to save him?

Hanuman, Rama's greatest devotee, said he would accomplish this impossible task. He then took one mighty leap that stretched all the way from the south of India to the Himalayas. At that point, he wasn't sure which herb to pick, and so he carried the entire mountain with him as he made another massive leap back to the battlefield. The healers found the herb in question, and Laksmana's life was saved.

In that giant leap Hanuman embodied his love for Rama. His intense devotion allowed him to do the impossible, and this is the lesson of Hanuman: Power comes from devotion. (source: Yoga Journal)

What is your favorite asana and why? Do you know the story behind it? Share it here and ask about them in classes as well.... :)

Namaste.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Summer Challenge 2011 - The Eight Limbs of Yoga - The Niyamas

Welcome to the completion of the second week of the Summer challenge - and the beginning of the third week already. It has been such an eventful past few days both at the studio and in my home that I feel extremely blessed to have yoga as a great balancing force in my life. With all that is happening at the studio, the build out, the physical changes, the many decisions that are still there to be made, it is wonderful to have a supportive community of students, teachers, studio assistants, contractors and a landlord that we can keep moving along. And with a big family union this past week also happening in my household, thinking and acting upon the Niyamas, the second limb of the Eight Limbs of Yoga I feel also blessed to have a spiritual teaching I can relate to.

Why? You will see in a minute... Niyamas means "observances"; these practices extend the ethical guidelines provided in the first limb, (Yamas: how to treat the world around us) as the Niyamas are guidelines of how to treat ourselves. Just like the Yamas, there are five Niyamas:

Sauca - Cleanliness: this Niyama refers to our own cleanliness and the orderliness of our environment. It does not have to mean to always follow a ritual to reach optimal cleanliness, but on the mat, we want to carry a body that is taken care of, arriving with a clean body. But Sauca also refers to keeping our different energies clean and distinct; sauca ensures and protects the sanctity of the energy around us. Each mat represents each students' separate "universe" during practice. Stepping on each others' mats as walking across the room for props or to the wall can disturb and mix people's different energies, let alone hygienic issues as well. So try to respect both the physical and the energetic space of others as you are practicing your yoga. This awareness of both physical and energetic "cleanliness" will help you off the mat as well; keep yourself, your home and your surroundings tidy and respect your and others' energy of others. It will assist you to keep the mind clutter free and more focused as well.

Santosa - Contentment: santosa deals with to feel happy and content with what you have got. So often we meet people who come from privileged backgrounds, reached a lot in life but yet they want more and more, and they search in the material, outer world as they think that will lead to happiness. But that search is most often fruitless. It is important to embrace all the experiences life presents us with and to learn from them. On the mat, accept and flourish in what you already have, the practice you follow, try not to push too far with your own limits. Believe me, wherever your practice is where you should be in any given moment as long as it is infused with learning. Off the mat, accept and love the people around you, your family, your loved ones and appreciate your profession, job and learn from the messages the universe sends you to lead you on a path of long lasting contentment.

Tapas - Austerity: tapas means discipline of practice, to burn impurities that keep your body and mind healthy and in good shape. On the mat follow a rigorous enough practice that challenges you, find your edge wherever you are, but make sure you are not pushing too far. Effort is required to make anything bear fruit in the physical world, and yet we have to balance tapas with samtosha-effort, with contentment. If we try to force things, we will end up doing harm. Burn the energy on the poses, use prana, let the breath guide you as you get stronger and more flexible. Off the mat make sure that you support your physical practice by eating well, relaxing and sleeping properly.

Svadhyaya - Self-study: Sva means "self" and adhyaya means "education of". Svadhyaya is, in essence, the study of one's self, a process in which we observe, read, reflect and practice. The importance of this observation is to get to know yourself better and to understand your developments and improvements more clearly. On the mat when you practice, you are all alone, even though you are in a class full of people. You are not in competition with your neighbors. The focus during yoga practice should be internal. This approach not only nurtures self-knowledge, it also prevents physical injury because you will be more aware of what you are doing, and you will stop before you hurt yourself. Pay attention to the small changes in the body from class to class, as you are able to bend that knee deeper, stretch that arm farther, folding forward deeper. With regular practice these shifts will happen in no time and these results will make you feel uplifted and will help you a deeper understanding of your own aspirations off the mat as well.

Isvara pranidhana - Spiritual attunement: letting go into your spiritual source, finding that voice deep within that guides you on a spiritual journey. It is not the results that matter, because the results lie in the hands of the Divine; it is our intention and effort that count. It is as essential to have a spiritual path as it is to develop a physical practice. The two goes together, and you will find that on the mat while practicing the asanas, when you are guiding your movement with the breath, your inner world will get more attuned to all your being. Off the mat, try to carry on this enlightened spirit and let your inner being shine through your heart to the outside world. Your friends, family and even strangers will notice and will support you directly or indirectly.

Let me know if you have any stories to share about how the Niyamas relate to your practice or your life or both... Finishing with Isvara pranidhana makes me share with you what happened on Saturday morning. I have been aware of the Dalai Lama being in town and sharing his beautiful spirit with all of us, but because of scheduling conflicts I could not make it to the events. I was really heart broken over it, but kept reminding myself that right now it would do more harm, (i would not be practicing ahimsa) if I stretched myself too thin to go. I was looking forward to listening to his teachings through recordings... But the strangest thing happened. And it is not in any means the same as listening to his lectures, personally from him, but on Saturday morning we went to a restaurant (a sustainably managed and locally sourced, wonderful place called the Blue Duck) in a hotel, and as we were leaving, waiting for our car, security asked us to step aside as the Dalai Lama was about to leave the building through the lobby!!! Where I was standing... I could not believe it. I saw him for probably ten seconds, but he was less than ten feet from me... And he smiled at us. I felt somehow, that I trusted the Universe and it gave me this unexpected beautiful surprise. The Dalai Lama has such a presence (and smile :) ) that I will carry in my heart for a very long time... Till I see him and listen to him next...

Namaste,
Rita

Friday, July 8, 2011

Summer Challenge 2011 - The Eight Limbs of Yoga - The Yamas

Welcome to our summer yoga challenge! It is exciting to start this eight - week long blog and hopefully grow it into a regular communication between all of us. I am so happy that we have such a special community at Quiet Mind Yoga. So follow our blog and post your comments, share your stories as I am sure that we can all learn from them. So here it begins the Eight Limbs of Yoga...


We learn as we keep coming to our mats that the practice of Yoga does not only focus on the physical postures to improve the body, but deals with all the aspects of our being and our lives. Patanjali who is considered the father of modern yoga compiled 196 aphorisms which are called the Yoga Sutra. In the Yoga Sutra, he described the eight aspects of a Yogic Lifestyle and called it the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The Eight Limbs are practical guides to a person's personal development to achieve the harmony of the mind, the body and the spirit which leads to Samadhi or enlightenment. The practice of yoga does not only deal with developing the body but also covers all the aspects of a person's life. It is concerned about the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of an individual as well as his environment and relationship with other creatures. Real practice of these eight principles leads to deeper self-knowledge, love and respect towards other people and creatures, cleaner environment, healthy diet, and union with the Divine.


The Eight Limbs are:

· Yamas : Universal morality

· Niyamas : Personal observances

· Asanas : Physical postures

· Pranayama : Breathing exercises, and control of prana, life force

· Pratyahara : Control of the senses

· Dharana : Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness

· Dhyana : Meditation

· Samadhi : Bliss, enlightenment


We will start this week exploring the Yamas
Yamas are your attitudes towards others and the world around you, they are moral guidelines in relation to the outside world, our social ethics. You can read in the Yoga Journal, the name of the first limb of the eighfold path, "yama," originally meant "bridle" or "rein." Patanjali used it to describe a restraint that we willingly and joyfully place on ourselves to focus our efforts, the way a rein allows a rider to guide his horse in the direction he would like to go. In this sense, self-restraint can be a positive force in our lives, the necessary self-discipline that allows us to head toward the fulfillment of our dharma, or life purpose. The five yamas are oriented toward our public behavior and allow us to coexist harmoniously with others.


Ahimsa - Non-harming or non-violence: This Yama does not only mean not doing harm to others in thought and in deed, but also to practice acts of kindness to other creatures and to one's own self. First and foremost, we have to learn to love and respect ourselves. It is as important to follow this guideline on the mat as much as it is in our lives. On the mat make sure that you do not ask too much of your body, respect its limits and don't push yourself over the edge. Be patient with yourself, your muscles, joints your body and your whole being. Off the mat once we accept ourselves the way we are, it becomes easier to listen to our body, mind and soul, it will come more natural also not to hurt others in any way. Just like everything in yoga, it is a journey, a long one but the outcome will be so worth it. Ahimsa, in some way is the overarching moral teaching of yoga. If you practice ahimsa all that is to follow will fall into place.


Satya - Truthfulness: Satya is the Yama that is about living a truthful life without doing harm to others. In my mind ahimsa and satya go hand in hand together as being true to ourselves and others is crucial in the process of understanding who we really are and how to love and respect this self without causing harm. And once we are truthfully able to say we know ourselves it becomes easier to view others through those eyes well. On the mat you want to make sure that you truthfully follow the signs your body and mind gives you. Off the mat staying true to yourself and others could mean to say and think with a truthful heart, and be able to make a distinction between when it is good to say the truth and when it is better to say nothing as the truth might hurt someone more. If you follow Satya this way, it will make fulfilling ahimsa easier as well.


Asteya - Non-stealing: This Yama is not only concerned about the non-stealing of material objects but also the stealing of other's ideas and other forms of possession. Using power for selfish motives or telling someone else about confidential information you had been entrusted with is against Asteya. On the mat think about simply respecting the time of others, arrive on time so both the teacher and the other students can benefit the most form the practice. Off the mat, in real life, following upon satya, try not to steal the truth of another person, and not to use physical, intellectual, emotional or spiritual possessions of others for your own good.


Brahmacarya - Moderation, sexual responsibility: Bramacharya means to move toward the essential truth or to achieve self-control, abstinence or moderation especially regarding to sexual activity. It is about not giving in to our ego's excessive desires or taking nothing in excess. This yama has been interpreted mostly as celibacy, sexual restraint. I do find that there are other meanings to this guideline, for example being responsible and using moderation in every area of our lives. On the mat, making sure that you are not abusing your body "to get in shape", not taking classes even when your muscles and joints are aching, choosing to rest when you need to. Off the mat you can use this principle for anything in life, from eating and drinking habits, to work, to sexuality. I believe that most things can be enjoyed as long as you keep a cap on their frequency and quantity.


Aparigha - Abstention from greed: This Yama is about living a life free from greed or taking only what is necessary and do not take advantage of someone or of a situation. It is about using our powers correctly and appropriately and not exploiting others. Similar to brahmacarya, in aparigha, we use moderation for our possessions. Focusing on not expecting happiness to come from material sources, not using material things as our validation and not taking, buying, acquiring more than we need to live a sustainable and happy life.


Take your time to get familiar with the Yamas and start practicing them in your life. Throughout the next week find these themes in your classes at Quiet Mind. Enjoy the classes and share your experiences as you are applying the Yamas to your life on the mat and off the mat also.


Namaste.