Yoga ..(citta - vrtti-nirodhah)
This is most commonly used and greatly misunderstood word.
Often when I ask someone to describe it.. I get a paraphrase of a description they have read elsewhere.YOGA IS THE UNION OF MIND BODY AND SOUL!
Here in lies the problem.
What does this really mean? Union of mind body and soul?
Do you know what is your body?
Do you know where it starts where it finishes?
Does it include your limbs? your hair? your nails?
What if I were to cut them? the limbs, the hair...
would your body still continue to exist?
would you continue to exist?
what is the mind? where is the mind? what really is a spirit?
I don't really know.
Do you?
HOW CAN WE USE UNKNOWN TO DESCRIBE THE UNKNOWN.
How can you possibly know yoga this way!
Get a picture or an image, a feeling within
what is Yoga to you? What do you want from your practice?
Perhaps just for the pain in your back to ...go away...
Perhaps to find relaxation, be stress free
Perhaps to be rid of the confusion, the drama, the ...pain..
Get rid of all that you don't want...Lets start from the very beginning , good place to start
Write down everything you want out. O
I will leave you here..
If you have enjoyed reading this or felt a shift an emotion ... .. Please drop me a line
and I will continue the post on APPROACHING YOGA.
I can use some words .. I have heard to describe the body mind and spirit.
But all these names and forms are just names and forms. To understand Yoga ... you have to ... experience it.
YOGA IS THE EXPERIENCE.
Why do you practice yoga? - Part 2
Here is the second famous question .. Why do you practice yoga?
Ask yourself?
I often get responses such as for PEACE! HAPPINESS!
Again I ask you what is Peace? Happiness?
What do these words mean? to you?
You cannot want to do something in search of something you don't know?
How can you?
How could you honestly do yoga for peace? for Happiness?
When you truly don't know what these words mean.
All we have is an intellectual understanding of it.
For if you know peace and happiness....
Then what happened for you to loose it?
Peace is an experience. When you are in it.. you are totally absorbed. What rises to disturb this peace.
That you have lost it and now are looking for PEACE???
Ask yourself these question.
Give yourself a big hug
Smile and join me next week.
Namaste!
What do you know- Part 3
This seems like a good place to start the journey of YOGA!
What do you know?
You know you exist.
You know you breath.
Anything else?
Why are you reading this site?
Curiosity? What is behind that?
you are searching for something?
you can't put your finger quite on it
This is causing a restlessness inside you!
Do not take my word for it.
Close your eyes
Take a deep breath and exhale out slowly
What do you feel?
Stress? Pain? Sadness? Frustrations? all rippling on a field of restlessness.
It doesn't feel nice does it?
You want to be rid of it cause it feels like it should not be there?
It hurts!
IF you are looking to be rid of this heaviness inside you. Be rid of the restlessness inside then
THE PRACTICE OF YOGA PROMISES TO SHOW YOU THE WAY!
IF you have not read THE PRACTICE please read it. I want you to realize that there are many practices available.
PRACTICE OF YOGA ( as we know it in mainstream culture) is one of the ways.
IF you are still enjoying these articles please drop me a line
NAMASTE!
What do you know cont'd - part 4
This is not to say that we are not happy or peaceful at times.
The idea is that yes we say we are happy or peaceful .. but these are just expressions of happiness; peace but not peace or happiness in totality.
Cause when experienced .... THERE IS!
How does yoga take you to this totality?
You start from realizing and becoming aware of what you experience.
What type of practice should I take on-Part 5
The story is.... According to the ones you have experienced "Yoga", they say
man has 4 basic paths of awakening to the state of yoga ( Union of mind body and sprit).
They are
Through Self less service. KARMA YOGA. You can think of people like Mother Teresa. Who are engaged in the service of others ..what ever the outcome may be. She wasn't concerned so much on saving lives of people as much as, on her mission was to do her best, for the lives of people. DO you see the difference.When one is totally engaged in the action of what one does...
You are no longer have worries about the fruits of your action.
No, not an easy path, unless one has the temperament to follow this PRACTICE!
The second
BHAKTI YOGA. Yoga of devotion. You may have a cause or a figure or an idol that you are devoted to. Something that lifts your spirits. makes you joyful. were you loose your self into the moment. Often people are devoted to idols, or rituals or chanting.
Remember you are not limited to anything. You can be devoted to anything.
You draw your inspiration from your object of devotion.
All your experiences (positive and negative) are dedicated to the object of your devotion and you find your solace, you calm.
And in time through this practice you awaken to UNION.
Join me next week for path 3 and 4.
Namaste.
Types of Yoga-Part 6
Jana yoga. The third path. This is the Yoga of knowledge and wisdom.
Path of self inquiry. (It needs proper guidance, as it is easy to get lost in the mind which is used to free the mind.
You're with me?
You intellectualizing your existence through negating out all that you are not.
Your instruments of self inquiry is your mind and intellect.
These instruments need to sharpened to probe into the questions of
Who are you?
When did you come into existence?
Where does your body stop and spaciousness begin?
Not so easy is it?
The forth is Raja yoga or Hatha yoga. Yoga of KINGLY SCIENCE.
and ASANAS ( that is commonly done under the name of yoga ) is actually just the
e forth limb in the PRACTICE OF RAJA YOGA or HATHA YOGA.
This is refered to as the Kingly Science as there is a systematic step by step approach for awakening to totality.. Peace... happiness.. awareness.
You can call it what ever you want.
It can be know only through experience.
So the path of PRACTICE one would choose, depends on one's temperament.
Thank you for reading. Your time.. your presence
Namaste
What are Asanas? - Part 7
The physical postures/movements which is commonly referred to as yoga are actually called ASANAS and are the 3rd (limb or level) in the systematic step by step approach of HATHA OR RAJA YOGA. There are 8 limbs in total.
What?
You confused?
You can read all about these on the net. If you would like me to refer you to an article in particular, please contact me.
For now, lets stick to this mainstream idea of Asanas as physical , done with mind fullness of breath. When practiced regularly they promise to unfold revealing the magic of it.. taking it from a physical experience to a spiritual one. (Wait .. we don't want to side track and loose are selves again in the jargon of words)
So you are on your mat ready to do Asanas.
Join me next week.
Namaste.
Approaching Asanas - Part 8
So you are on your mat ... ready to do yoga.
Get into the pose you are comfortable.
For the purpose of this write up lets choose
Sitting forward Bend. Paschimottanasana
Keep your legs fairly straight.
Keep the knees comfortable.
Push the heel out.
The legs are comfortable but active.
I am sure you know all this!
Now...
Lengthen up first through the back,
See if you can pull your shoulder blades together,
See if you can allow the sternum to rise up into the sky, creating spaciousness through your chest.
Feel as though some one is pulling a thread up from the center of your head.
BE COMFORTABLE... RELAXED...
Now...
slowly, very very slowly..
start to comfortably stretch forward and come down.
The slower you come the .. the sooner you will come to realize the magic of asanas. THE MAGIC OF HATHA YOGA.
What do I mean?
The text ( ancient sacred texts) define ASANA as STHIRA SUKHA ASANAM
which loosely translates as SANA IS STEADY COMFORTABLE POSE.
LIVE UP TO THIS DEFINITION.
FOR HERE IN LIES THE MAGIC.
Ask your self..are you steady? are you comfortable?
Well are you?
What is the problem?
Join me next time
Namaste
Approaching Asanas- Part 9
Most of us are not even sure if we are comfortable.
Comfort has a wide range.
At which end of the range of comfort should I be?
All this thinking and reflecting......,
Perhaps I should just use effort to stretch myself into the post.
This is when the practice of yoga starts to manifest into something else.
EVERYTHING ELSE BUT YOGA.
IF you are inclined to use effort to stretch into the pose
and this is all you do in each sitting of your asana practice...
re think your practice.
Remind your self the definition of asana, and you will see, that you are no longer practicing yoga or even asanas at this stage.
Effort is required to draw the mind in, when it wanders. But the effort has to be balanced with comfort.
What level of comfort?
Can you take a comfortable breath?
Inhale deeply and exhale deeply?
Are you able to perform this with ease.. without tension...without you breath being scattered
Does you inhale flow smoothly into an exhale?
If yes, this is the level of comfort you want to be in.
From here,
scan you body in the pose...
looking for any areas that is tensed.
Uncomfortable...
that may be holding you back from achieving the pose.
Re-read this if you have to.
The message is subtle.
breath it all in.
See you next week
Namaste
Approaching Asanas- Part 10
Now that you are in Paschimotanasa ( by the way.. did you know this is a pose of surrender?, How could you even begin to surrender with effort? Think ? Ask? Question!)
You are comfortable, you inhales flow smoothly into exhale.Scan your body.
Looking for any areas of tension that is preventing for surrendering into the earth.
Become aware of the first point of tension.
In order to feel this, you may have to rise back up a bit and allow the bending ( the surrendering) to happen slowly and watch.
Watch for the first point of discomfort. Your breath is still smooth as you are watching it. Become aware of the point of the first rise of tension.
Breath into this area.
Keep breathing..
Join me next time
Please forward me your experiences.. comments
Namaste.
