Asanam

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 moment, 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

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

Ishvara Pranidhana

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,
 

Described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Niyamas establish the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline.  Practicing and adhering to these principles creates self purification in the practitioner. 

This week in class we will be exploring Isvara Pranidhana, the fifth Niyama. 

The fifth niyama, Isvara Pranidhana is found in verse II.45 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Although Ishvara is the Sanskrit word for God, it is not personalized.  The ancient teachers of yoga were not offering a theological testament on the Godhead, but rather a deep psychological analysis of the transformational potential of the opening of the human heart and mind to the divine.  In the Yoga Sutras, Ishvara is described as being without suffering or the seeds of suffering, and not as the Creator God of traditional religious doctrine.  In this context, Ishvara represents that living symbol of the divine that is in our hearts.  For the Christian, it could be Jesus; for the Muslim, it could be Allah; for the Hindu, it could be Krishna; for the Buddhists, it could be Buddha; for the atheist, it would represent whatever is the highest value in his or her heart.

Pranidhana is a technical term usually translated as “surrender.”  The implication of this word is the profound recognition of that which sustains us and gives meaning to our lives.  It is a kind of faith – in the sense of the “place” where we put or give our hearts.  It implies an element of self-sacrifice – the sacrifice of our own self-importance.

Ishvara Pranidhana is an implicit knowing that we are not in control of everything and cannot know what is ahead.  In this sense, there is a surrendering of control and an openness to receive whatever life brings.  This attitude is antidotal to the pervasive fixation around “me and mine” that dominates most all of us most of the time.  It implies an open attitude towards our own mistakes and a sincerity in relation to repentance.  Ultimately, it is faith, deep in our hearts, in our potential to become free from suffering and to achieve our destiny as human beings.

What we can see from this is that Ishvara Pranidhana is fundamentally about a relationship to something higher than or beyond ourselves.  It may be a higher force, as in the context of traditional religious traditions, or it may be in relation to human values, such as kindness and compassion.  In either case, it will manifest in our lives as the ability to let go of the tyranny of our self-importance – whether it reveals itself as pride and arrogance, or self-pity and low self-esteem.  It will awaken in us attitudes such as gratitude and appreciation.  As a result, we will be able to simply wake up in the morning and say,”Ah, I’m alive another day.”  We will feel grateful in our hearts for the gift of this life.  We will take the time to look and appreciate the beauty around us.  In our relationships we will become open to receiving each other with respect and appreciation.       

Homework:  What does the concept of “sacrificing your own self-importance” mean to you to?   Does this sacrifice have to come before the qualities of kindness, compassion, gratitude, appreciation and respect can be cultivated?  What little step can you take today to begin or deepen your practice of Ishvara Pranidhana?

References:

Quoted and paraphrased from Iyengar the Yoga Master, edited by Kofi Busia, Kriya Yoga: Transformation Through Practice – A Western Perspective, by Gary Kraftsow.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

Svadhyaya

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

Described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Niyamas establish the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline.  Practicing and adhering to these principles creates self purification in the practitioner. 

This week in class we will be exploring Svadhyaya, the fourth Niyama. 

Svadhyaya is found in verse II.44 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Svadhyaya means - literally and entomologically – “to move towards oneself,” “to comeback to who we are” by some means.  If we can understand Tapas as purifying or refining our systems, then Svadhyaya is self-reflection, coming deeper into a self-understanding and a self-awareness.

Tapas makes us fit for Svadhyaya.  Tapas cleans the vessel; Svadhyaya looks at the vessel.  There is a mutual relationship between the two.

This suggests that we find a means to discover who, in essence, we are.  It means to reflect deeply on our actions not only to achieve something external, but as a mirror to see ourselves more deeply in terms of what we are doing and how we are motivated.  It means piercing through the veil of our self-image.  It means inquiring into the nature of our being through deep inner reflection.  This implies looking honestly at our behavior, our motivations, and all of the strategies we use to maintain our self-image.

In a more general sense, Svadhyaya suggests that the study of sacred or inspirational texts can result in insight into the human condition.  Such classical texts include the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible, the Talmud, various writings of the saints, or any spiritual or inspiring text - again, not abstractly or academically, but as a means of understanding ourselves more deeply.  These activities are seen as mirrors that reflect back to us our true nature.  Spiritually inspiring teachings are tools to help us understand ourselves and, through that understanding, to change our attitudes and behavior.  When we are practicing with this self-reflective quality, we will deepen our self-understanding.

This teaching is not meant only for those dedicated to the spiritual life.  It has great practical meaning for all of us who recognize that there is room for improvement in our lives.  In this context, Svadhyaya represents a process through which, at any given moment, we can assess where we are in relation to things.

Svadhyaya is also the ability to look in the mirror of how people are responding to us and let that be an opportunity to understand something about the way we are operating.  Svadhyaya suggests that we can use all of our activities as mirrors to see something about ourselves - a way of coming deeper into self-understanding - for we can use the feedback from all of our interpersonal interactions and reactions.  Svadhyaya is also suggestive of a mirror to remind us of our higher potential.

As we go deeper and deeper into this process of self-investigation and self-discovery, as we go deeper into ourselves we will slowly discover or uncover the divine. 

Homework:  What would it mean to you to “reflect deeply on your actions” and to “look honestly at your behavior?”  Take the time to do this and consider how this “reflection” and “honesty” will guide you in your practice of Svadhyaya?

References:

Quoted and paraphrased from Iyengar the Yoga Master, edited by Kofi Busia, Kriya Yoga: Transformation Through Practice – A Western Perspective, by Gary Kraftsow.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

Tapas

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

Described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Niyamas establish the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline.  Practicing and adhering to these principles creates self purification in the practitioner. 

This week in class we will be exploring Tapas, the third Niyama. 

Tapas is found in verse II.43 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Tapas comes from the Sanskrit word tap, which means to cook.  The heat of the cooking process purifies and transforms.  The word Tapas is also linked to the idea of deprivation.  In order to deprive ourselves of something we are habituated to we must resist acting in our habitual patterns.  This resistance creates a kind of internal heat that purifies, strengthens, and transforms us.

The practices prescribed by yoga are intentional means of purifying and strengthening our systems.  They may be understood to be any discipline designed to reduce physical, emotional, or mental impurities.  In this context, Tapas refers to a process of “getting rid” of something that is not desirable in our system.

According to the ancients, without Tapas, there can be no real success in yoga.  The various means and methods of Tapas used in yoga practice include asana, pranayama, and dhyana (meditation), as well as other actions – such as dietary restrictions, fasting, refraining from idle gossip, or other forms of selective renunciation – that serve to break our habits.  Controlling breath, limiting speech, and restricting diet are said to be the three most important areas for Tapas.  And it is to these ends that we are taught to eat less, speak less, and work on our breathing.

When we fast, we purify our bodies; we gain appreciation of the nourishment that we usually take for granted.  We also have the opportunity to recognize how much we rely on food for our sense of emotional well-being and even as a source of entertainment.  When we avoid idle gossip, we save energy, and our minds become more focused.  When we control our breathing, we interrupt an automatic process that is going on at every moment.  This is a very deep and profound method of Tapas that is immediately accessible to any practitioner.

There are things that we desire that are harmful for us.  These are also things we desire that are beneficial, or at least not harmful.  It is easy to understand how it can be useful to give up things we are attracted to that are harmful.  On the other hand, Tapas may sometimes involve giving up something we like that is not harmful to us at all.  This is a form of selective, disciplined renunciation – in which we give up something that we like.  It should be done carefully in order to avoid any harm to the body or the mind.  The ancients suggested that this form of selective renunciation will accelerate our progress in personal practice.

The various methods of Tapas are a means to strengthen ourselves so that we are able to break the cycle of habitual and addictive behavior.  They challenge us to wake up out of the momentum of our daily lives, to pay attention, and to look at life in a new way.  Tapas requires that we cut through distractions and bring our full attention to the present moment.  To do this, we must break patterns, and that requires energy.  The means and methods of personal practice are designed to help us build sufficient energy to break free of our conditioned responses.

Homework:  Explore what your habits are in relation to your yoga practice.  Do you always practice the same asanas in the same way?  Challenge yourself to break your habits in your asana practice.  Next explore how what you learned about yourself from your asana practice and apply it to your life off of the mat.  Choose something you like and give it up for a week and choose a behavior you want to let go of and figure out what your Tapas will be that will enable you to free yourself of this habit. 

References:

In Iyengar the Yoga Master, edited by Kofi Busia, Kriya Yoga: Transformation Through Practice – A Western Perspective, by Gary Kraftsow.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

Santosa

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

Described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Niyamas establish the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline.  Practicing and adhering to these principles creates self purification in the practitioner. 

This week in class we will be exploring Santosa, the second Niyama. 

Santosa is found in verse II.40 and II.41 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Santosa is defined as contentment.

Contentment cannot be achieved through the accumulation of possessions and people.  We can start our contentment practice with the understanding that everything we need for happiness we already have.  Additionally, we have to be willing to let things go, especially likes and dislikes.  To really practice or experience contentment we have to make a shift from greed to gratitude - gratitude for all of the little things that sustain us.  Contentment asks for only one thing: that you truly live in the experience of the moment.  With contentment comes a lessening of fear.  And with this comes the ability to share the most important thing that you have been given: your love, your wholeness.

Quote from, The Essence of Yoga: Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. 

“Contentment comes from mental well-being (saumanasya) that moves us to consider the positive in all beings and situations.  …………

Contentment is a dynamic and constructive attitude that brings us to look at things in a new way.  It calms the mind, bringing a flowering of subtle joy and inner serenity that are independent of all outside influences and perishable things.  It is essential for self-confidence, for succeeding in our personal endeavors, and for relationships, education, teaching and therapy.

It is very difficult, however, to sustain contentment.  Though it may be easier to be happy when we are successful, only an exceptional soul remains positive in the midst of adverse currents.  Contentment means looking at every moment with a smile.  It helps to have a good sense of humor.” 

Homework:  As usual try to relate this practice to your asana practice first and then discover how you can take this practice off of the mat.  Can you be content with where you are in your yoga practice?  Can you maintain your gratefulness for your current level of abilities knowing that they will change?  Can you discover a time when you were greedy about your practice?  Is it possible to be greedy and grateful at the same time?     

References:

Light on Yoga, Light on the Yoga Sutras, both by BKS Iyengar , The Essence of Yoga: Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Bernard Bouanchaud, and Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

Saucha, the first Niyama.

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

Described in the second chapter of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Niyamas establish the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline.  Practicing and adhering to these principles creates self purification in the practitioner. 

This week in class we will be exploring Saucha, the first Niyama. 

The first Niyama Saucha is found in verse II.40 and II.41 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.

Saucha is defined as purity internally and externally.

Saucha is a relatively simple niyama for most of us to observe with regards to our physical being. We shower, brush our teeth, clean our ears, and make efforts to stay fresh and pleasant to the senses. These daily rituals purify the external body. Internally, we can purify our bodies with asana and pranayama. Asana practice tones our physical body and helps to remove impurities and toxins. Pranayama, the practice of breath control, cleanses the lungs and oxygenates the blood.

Quote from Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.  “As a temple or a church is kept clean each day, the inner body, the temple of the soul, should be bathed with a copious supply of blood through asanas and pranayama.  They cleanse the body physically, physiologically and intellectually.  The body, having its own intelligence, develops its potential to change its behavioral patterns.  It helps the sadhaka to detach herself from sensual desires, and guides her towards the holder of the body, the soul.  Thus, saucha makes the body a fit instrument for the pursuit of spiritual knowledge.”

Two Quotes from Light On Yoga: 1.  “But more important than the physical cleansing of the body is the cleansing of the mind of its disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride… This internal cleansing gives radiance and joy. It brings benevolence and banishes mental pain, dejection, sorrow and despair.”    and   2.  “Purity of body is essential for well being…Besides purity of thought, body and word, pure food is also necessary…. Humans are the only creatures that eat when not hungry and generally live to eat rather than eat to live…The yogini believes in harmony, so she eats for the sake of sustenance only.”

Homework:  Think about your own rituals for self-purification. What steps do you currently take to cleanse your physical being? Do you have a daily ritual to cleanse your mind and emotions? Consider how purification of your physical, mental, and emotional being can affect your asana practice. Are there any changes you can make to your current rituals that may have a desirable affect on your asana practice and your daily life?

References:

Light on Yoga, Light on the Yoga Sutras, both by BKS Iyengar

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003

Aparigraha

Greetings Yogis and Yoginis,

This week in class we will be exploring Aparigraha, the fifth Yama. 

Aparigraha is found in verse II.39 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and can be translated as non-covetousness and/or greedlessness.

BKS Iyengar writes that, “Parigraha means hoarding or collecting.  To be free from hoarding is aparigraha.  By the observance of aparigraha, the yogini makes her life as simple as possible and trains her mind not to feel the loss or lack of anything.  Aparigraha means not only non-possession and non-acceptance of gifts, but also freedom from rigidity of thought.” 

From Judith Lasater:  “We begin by understanding greed, especially what motivates our own seemingly greedy behavior.  Greed presents itself as the longing for both material and the nonmaterial, especially wanting more than is needed.  Whatever you stockpile – fame, money, proficiency at advanced yoga poses, or less flashy things -  you will eventually encounter two certainties.  First, all will be lost.  Second, these things, in and of themselves, will never satisfy your cravings, which are expressions of your feelings of fear and emptiness.  Sometimes we temporarily lose our way, becoming convinced that if we acquire this thing or that skill, we will finally become acceptable to ourselves and to the world.  In our fear, we have forgotten that we are already whole.”

This state of being is based on the belief that “things” can make us happy. Even beneath the neatly sorted totes of “stuff”, we need to remind ourselves that happiness comes from within.  Freedom from this compulsion to acquire allows us to seek the real source of happiness – our true self.

Homework:

Next time you visit a store, think about what you are buying.  Will this purchase bring you closer to your true self?  Now, consider Mr. Iyengar’s deeper understanding of Aparigraha as it relates to our thoughts. How could letting go of rigid thoughts and opinions lead you to seek the real source of happiness?  How does Aparigraha relate to your thoughts about your yoga practice?

Reflect on all of the yamas and the interdependent nature of their practice.  Take time tomorrow morning to reflect on how your yoga practice can develop using the yamas as a guide.  Also, consider how the yamas can bring you closer to your own true nature.

References:

Light on Yoga and Light on the Yoga Sutras, by BKS Iyengar

Living your Yoga, Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life, by Judith Lasater.

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga

417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994

www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

Serving Yoga to Camas, Washougal, and Vancouver Washington since 2003