Namaste Readers,
In my spare (haha) time I have been crawling through what might be my sixth yoga teacher training (but who is counting) though this one is my second 200-hour training and so will take some time to complete, if at all. Iām taking it more as a jumpstart to a passion that was stalled inside me, as most of my practices of late are a bit stalled, including my spiritual practices of which yoga is a big part. In fact, as I inch through this current teacher training it begins much to my delight with in-depth readings on yoga philosophy - the anchor to the spiritual practice within oneself.
Although, most people in western culture are brought into contact with yoga through the physical exercises or practices (asanas). They take a yoga class. A good yoga class helps the student pay attention to themselves. Thus tapping into something a little deeper.
Itās more than looking good. The looking good part, is a by-product, and let me say this as I am speaking from experience, and having practiced yoga since my body-building years, I do not have the yoga body I did nor can I do what I did. But it does not mean that I canāt practice yoga.
Yoga starts between the ears.
My oldest client some years ago was 100. She did yoga in a chair in my chair yoga class at an assisted living facility in Beverly Hills. She was happy enough to raise her arms to shoulder height and sit with her eyes closed inside her body. Those were the years I was able to wrap myself in a knot upside down. The only upside down I do now is hanging off the side of my bed to bend my back or once in a while do a half shoulder stand. (Donāt do either! Unless Iām in the room with you as your paid instructor š)
I have always said that anything is yoga if you do it with intention.
If you take a yoga class and your phone, though on silent, is carefully and strategically positioned under your sweat towel at the top of your mat, and a small part of your brain is lured by that knowledge, are you really practicing your yoga? Are you giving yourself the gift of disengagement from distraction long enough to get into the poses which are led by the breath which then make the poses more doable as your mind settles in and works past the angst even for a few precious minutes? Are you present to only your body, breath, and an emptiness of mind?
The goal of yoga is the cessation of thinking.
That does not mean we walk around like vapid pinheads. It means that we can take the time we need to clear ourselves of the unneeded chatter and noise that bombards us daily. The constant noise that may be ruining our lives because we react to it. That noise is our thoughts - sometimes too many to process and we walk around reaching for anything to alleviate the feeling of an avalanche in our heads.
Yoga can help settle the thoughts. Thinking about yoga, the practice of yoga, and the steps involved in the practice of yoga, can help in bringing awareness of all that is going on inside our busy brains. Our unsettled minds are like a messy desk with papers piled on top of each other and important documents are buried under junk. Some junk could be months old. Time and attention to clearing out the junk is what will make the desk operate efficiently just as clearing out the clutter in our heads will make our lives flow smoother and ultimately happier. A crowded mind is not a contented mind. A messy desk is not a productive work space.
Has your mind been like a messy desk ever?
Yoga can help straighten the messy desk inside our heads.
There are many practices of yoga however the one practice that many western yoga teachers are studied in is the Yoga of (sage) Patanjali. Patanjaliās Yoga Sutras are considered the basic (universal) text of yoga. The word sutra means thread and I would say that Patanjaliās Yoga Sutras are the ādoās and doāsā of the science of yoga.
Patanjali outlines in the Sutras the Eight Limbs of Yoga. Many a lay person have probably heard some of these terms and not even known that they were part of Patanjaliās Eightfold Path. It is this hierarchical path that is the essence of a yoga practice. Please though understand that you need not practice all eight limbs to have a yoga practice and reach a modicum of self-awareness or sense of calm.
As the saying goes: progress not perfection. Most people are not reaching bliss but they can quiet their minds for stretches of time. And maybe that stretch of time looked at in an optimistic way is a bit of its own bliss.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga are:
(note the words in parentheses are the Sanskrit translation; Sanskrit is the language of the ancient Indian yoga texts)
1- Yama: moral restraints and observances which include non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (asteya), no stealing (brahmacharya), moderation, non-greediness in pleasures and pursuits (aparigraha)
2- Niyama: personal observances which include cleanliness of body and mind (shaucha), contentment, joyfulness (santosha), discipline (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya), contemplation and surrender to something greater than oneself (isvara pranidhana)
3- Asana: the physical poses
4- Pranayama: breathing and breathing techniques ( pay attention to your breath)
5- Pratyahara: sensory withdraw, detach, get quiet
6- Dharana: concentrate, focused concentration, get quieter
7- Dhyana: meditation, sit still, resist the urge to move, get even quieter, just be, donāt do, donāt judge
8- Samadhi: bliss, total absorption, comfortable in your skin for however long you are sitting still
While reading the chapter in my textbook yesterday on the Eight Limbs, which prompted todayās blog post, I asked myself a question about the order of the first two limbs. Both are moral/ethical codes of conduct and actions that lead to a right kind of living, the kind of of living that is freer from hassle and stresses. A manner of living that may try to keep a drama free vibe as its persona. A mode of living that is mindful and thoughtful in its actions and thoughts. The kind of living where one thinks before they do. The kind of living where one thinks about what they do. And the impact of their actions.
The yamas come before the niyamas. The Yamas pertain to a personās social character and moral character and how they treat and regard the outside world. The Niyamas pertain to how they treat and regard themselves. I asked myself can someone treat otherās well if they donāt treat themselves well first? I have to say no.
Then I realized that the Yamas are not just for others. They are for ourselves as well. They are reminders that we have a larger Self within us (some might call it the witness) that has a responsibility to our lower case self to do no self-harm, to be honest with ourselves (denial is a deep river), to not overextend ourselves and then get resentful because we did overextend (boundaries), to moderate our emotions and behaviors so things do not get out of control. That moderation extends to our sexual relationships as well - is it the right person, timing, setting, situation, mindset, etc?
After thinking it through it then made perfect sense to me that the Yamas are the first limb. We are included and not separate from other beings in how we engage ourselves in the world.
Hope you enjoyed todayās blog.
šš»Happy Friday to allšš»
Additional reading:
https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/philosophy/the-yamas-and-niyamas
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/philosophy/yoga-sutras/path-happiness/
https://satsang-foundation.org/bharat-yoga-vidya-kendra/yama-and-niyamas-the-first-step-into-the-science-of-yoga/
Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a lovely blog. Iām a FAN š
Iāve heard the sutras before but I feel like I donāt know them well enough and Iām not living them. I need them broken down into smaller chunks to focus on. This was great Sherri and a useful reminder for me as to how I might get my life in order (the message of the Full Moon in Virgo this last week).