Greetings Yogis and
Yoginis,
This week in class
we will be exploring Asana, the third limb of Yoga.
Asana is described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The concept is found in verse II.46, II.47
and II.48 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of
intelligence and benevolence of spirit.
Perfection in an asana
is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite
being within is reached.
From then on, the
yogini is undisturbed by dualities.
Asana means posture, the positioning of the body as a whole
with the involvement of the mind and soul.
Asana has two facets pose and repose.
Pose is the artistic assumptions of a position. “Reposing in the pose’ means finding the
perfection of a pose and maintaining it, reflecting in it with penetration of
the intelligence and with dedication.
In the beginning, effort is required to master the
asanas. Effort involves hours, days,
months, years and even several lifetimes of work. When effortful effort in an asana becomes
effortless effort, one has mastered that asana.
In this way, each asana has to become effortless.
The conjunction of effort, concentration, and balance in
asana forces us to live intensely in the present mom ent,
a rare experience in modern life. This
actuality, or being in the present, has both a strengthening and a cleansing
effect: physically in the rejection of disease, mentally by ridding our mind of
stagnated thoughts or prejudices.
The yogini frees herself from physical disabilities and
mental distractions by practicing asanas.
She surrenders her actions and their fruits to humanity in service of
the world.
Asana practice serves as a bridge to unite the body with the
mind. In our practice of any asana, we begin with the gross – the placement of
our feet, the lifting of our arms. Once the general direction of the posture is
achieved, we move our attention to the more subtle aspects of the pose – the
movement of our skin, the minute adjustments of the intercostals of our torso.
At this subtle level, our attention moves deeper inward to the spirit within
us. It is there that we are able to observe the relationship of our mind, body,
and spirit to achieve the balance and grace of the asana.
It is said that the body is the temple of the soul. As
effort in a posture becomes effortlessness, we are better able to see the
relationship between the body and the mind more clearly. The small fluctuations
of our body are the outward manifestations of the fluctuations of our mind. The
practice of asana encourages us to maintain steadiness and ease in our body.
Once achieved, our mind becomes still and there is no difference between
pleasure and pain, joy or sorrow, internal or external, or other dualities.
Homework:
1. Consider a pose that you can practice with
effortlessness. Practice this pose. Notice the stillness of your body. Begin to
explore the relationship between your body, mind, and spirit in this state of
firmness and steadiness. Then, notice this relationship as you practice a pose
that is more challenging. How is it different?
2. Where does the body end and the mind begin? Where does the mind end and the spirit begin?
References:
Light on Yoga and
Light on the Yoga Sutras, by BKS Iyengar.
Blessings,
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal,
and Vancouver Washington
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