Category: yoga philosophy

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Musings: authenticity

In an earlier post, I referred to the yogic process of character building using the yamas and niyamas. I find myself thinking again and again about this matter.

If you want to be authentic, lead an authentic life.
When no one else is looking is the time to do right
I want to be more like the ocean
No talking and all action.

I wrote those lines some ten years ago.  Well, the last two are from the Jane’s Addiction song “Ocean Song”.  I have been contemplating this issue for a long time, it seems.  Perhaps this is because I am a person who has struggled to harmonize my inner and outer lives. I think that we all have difficulty, from time to time, being who we really are, all of the time.  Actually, our society often frowns upon honesty.  Artifice is the order of the day, as is syncophancy.  Although we also swing wildly to the other side, with the trend of unhinged cyber-bullying seeing billious backhanders being left all over blogland.
I think that authenticity is saying what you mean, honestly, but not hurtfully.  Treading the middle path between necessary truth and painful reality.  Not mincing words, but never lying either.  I always enjoy Rob Breszny’s Horoscopes, and this week’s was no exception:

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): *Sant* is a Hindi word that comes from a
Sanskrit verb meaning “to be good” and “to be real.” Personally, I know a
lot of people who are either real or good. But few are both. The good
ones tend to be overly polite, and the real ones don’t put a high priority
on being nice. So here’s your assignment, Gemini: to be good and real; to
have compassionate intentions even as you conduct yourself with a high
degree of authenticity; to bestow blessings everywhere you go while at
the same time being honest and clear and deep. According to my reading
of the astrological omens, you have the power to pull off this strenuous
feat.

To be good and real.  To be good AND real.  To be GOOD and REAL.  Challenging, eh?  I trend towards real and not very nice.  My critical mind and built-in idealism keep me constantly disappointed.  ha!  There, I said it. I like to think that I keep standards up – I certainly keep people on their toes, as all critical people do.  But, sometimes it’s not very comfortable to be constantly on one’s toes!  But, my critical mind interjects, comfort zones are dangerous places!  We need to work our boundaries in order to grow.  Yes, replies my tolerant, nice mind, but not everyone wants to grow.  But!  interjects critical mind again, they’re just lazy then!  ARRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHH!  You see, the internal dialogue continues.
I believe that I should just follow another one of my Rachelistic proverbs “Stop judging, start loving.”  But, perhaps it is better to amend that and say “Judge lovingly, critique gently. “
Authenticity and honesty don’t need to preclude kindness.  In fact, the message is much more likely to be heard when delivered with soft words that don’t wound.  Maybe it’s pride and hurry that makes it come out harshly.  Maybe it’s my own emotional attachment to the idea of changing the world.  Change comes slowly and is already in progress.

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Yoga and the Fire

One of books I constantly refer to is “Yoga and the Sacred Fire” by Pandit Dr. David Frawley.  Frawley is an American Vedic scholar and a very worthy writer.  I bought the book in India – Pondicherry or Mysore, perhaps? – and posted it home.  It is a crappy Indian binding, but the information contained within is the only thing of importance.
Frawley discusses in depth the role of Agni (fire) in the practice of yoga.  Fire is central to many parts of yogic/ayurvedic thought.  First of all, it is one of the main five Elements (Bhutas) of which the entire universe is formed.  Secondly, it is one the three main doshas, or characteristics, in the classification of body types.  Fire is the transformative element, that which allows creativity to manifest, food to digest, minds to change and the old to give way the the new.  Too much fire burns us up, too little leaves us sluggish.  As ever, the yogic path is the middle path, the joyful and harmonious seeking of balance.
At my seminar this weekend, my teacher commented on my ability to eat and digest salad in early Springtime.  I have a good digestive fire, and my creative fires also burn brightly.  This wasn’t always so.  Like many women, I tend to retain water in the thighs and often used to find myself dragging from one thing to another, making it through the day, yet exhausted.
I have spent the past few years learning about then cultivating my own inner fire.  Part of this process has been the tending of the home fires.  In October last year (2012), as winter began to make itself felt, I began trying to light the fire.  I found it so incredibly difficult to get it going!  I often found myself spending 45 minutes in front of the grate, blowing uselessly on burning twigs.  I even bitched about it on Facebook, and got the expected comments about making a tee-pee and using small stuff at the bottom.  Thanks, I knew that part already.
Nowadays, I’ll have you know, I am a one-match girl.  I can get that fire lit in about five minutes and the house warm in an hour.  I also find myself with much more spirit, a crackling, happy sort of energy, not brittle at all.  Here, I leave you with a short clip of last night’s merry fire.  I hope it brings you warmth and joy.  https://vimeo.com/62053010

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Musings on Meditation

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the path of yoga is very clearly laid out.  Book 1 talks about the kind of person who undertakes to stay on the path, and the pitfalls that may arise whilst there.  Book 2 talks about the practical part of yoga.  It is here that you will find the first mention of hatha yoga – the postural part that we are now familiar with – and the other 7 branches of Astanga Yoga (there are eight limbs in total).
We start with character-building, as Swami Radha calls it in her brilliant book “Kundalini Yoga for the West”.  These are the yamas and niyamas.  Once this is established, the yogi can then confidently practice asana  (postures) and pranayama, (breathwork) leading to pratyahara, or retraction of the senses. I found the concept of pratyahara difficult to understand before directly experiencing its effects. Your path and my path of yoga are each distinct and unique, so I won’t elaborate too much here.  But, in my case, pratyahara meant a softening of the impact of external influences – loud noises make me jump less, bright lights don’t annoy, strong smells…well strong smells still bug me.  Okay, but you might get the point.
The next limb of Astanga Yoga is dharana, or concentration.  This is not, note, meditation, which is dhyana. Dharana is the ability to focus the mind on a single object for increasingly long periods of time.   Eventually, one become “one” with the object, and enters into samana with it.  This is the beginning of Book 3 of the sutras.  The object can be something external like an icon or candle, or it can be more subtle, like the breath or the heartbeat.
Still, the point I want to make here is that dharana, and eventually dhyana, are the fruits of previous practice.  I was a terribly meditator.  For years I fidgeted on my zafu, wondering where all the mental peace was.  Well, the answer is it’s coming…be patient.  Practice and all is coming, said Sri Pattabhi Jois.   I use the spinal breathing method described in the book “Advanced Yoga Practices”.  (http://www.aypsite.org/)
My advice is:  don’t jump straight into meditation without toning the body and breath first.  Some people can – hey, we’re all different – but many people can’t.  And don’t give up.  Propel yourself forward on wings of faith.  Look up at the sky and realise that the Universe is boundless and you are a speck and rejoice in all the incredible freedom that gives you.  OM.

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Apanasana: A powerfully simple pose

Apanasana is a basic yoga pose that is very easy to learn and grants rapid, noticeable benefits.
Use a yoga mat or folded boiled-wool blanket to cushion your back.  Lying on the back on the floor, legs are bent, feet flat on the floor, parallel and hip-width apart, heels near the buttocks.  Extend the neck and lower the chin to make a double-chin.  Maintain this neck gesture throughout.
Breathe in.  Breathing out, lift the feet off the floor, bringing the knees to the chest.  Place the palms of the hands on the knees. Breathe in.  Breathing out, pull the knees gently in towards the chest.  Breathing in, move the knees back and away from the chest.  Breathe out and rock the knees back in.  Breathe in and rock them away. Repeat.  Take note:  the movement is small.  Don’t straighten the legs on the inhale.   The elbows flex and extend, but the knees mostly don’t.
Repeat this movement for 6-8 breaths, three times per day and you will almost certainly reduce lower back pain (LBP).
LBP is one of the main reasons people visit the Doctor’s office.  Although in some cases surgery might be the only option, for most people a good program of chiropractic care and yoga would keep them pain-free and mobile.
Most of us know that weak abdominal muscles contribute significantly to lower back pain. The internal organs protrude behind the weak muscles, hanging forward and rocking the pelvis forward with them.  With the pelvis tipped forward this way, the hip flexors shorten and pull on their opposing muscles, the piriformis and gluteals.  Muscle tensions accumulate over the years and the tissue becomes rigid and inflamed.
It is important to have your spine checked by a chiropractor or osteopath.  Ask friends for recommendations – it is always the best way to choose a therapist.  But, always trust your instinct about whose hands you place yourself in.
Hatha yoga is a very good ally in the struggle against LBP.  Stretching, freeing, loosening and unbinding muscles, ligaments and tendons, yoga gently eases the aches and pains, realigning our bodies and calming our minds.  The anatomy of this posture is a full spinal and gluteal stretch, a contraction of the abdomen and compression of the abdominal cavity.
In the subtle anatomy of yoga, there is a dominant downward running energy and a dominant upward rising energy.  Apana is the downward facing energy.  It runs from the navel down to the tips of the toes.  It governs elimination, reproduction and the rooting, terrestrial facets of life.  Apanasana derives its names from the energy apana.  It is the posture (asana) that actuates directly on the downward energy current (apana).  Combining this gentle movement with the precise breathing technique of lengthening and counting the breath changes the direction of the flow of apana, sending it upwards.
When it flows upwards, apana nourishes our nervous system, giving us vitality, vigour and zest for life.
Observe carefully any limitations you might have including herniated disks or difficulty rising from the floor. If this is the case, you may wish to try practising on your bed.  Do not undertake any physical activity without consulting a professional first.  But also, don’t worry. This is a very safe pose, reclining, head neutral, feet raised.
Practice 6-8 breaths in apanasana three times per day, for one month.  If you wish you keep a diary of your experiment, you may find it informative. I welcome any feedback on your practice.  Keep it up!

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Look at yourself: Yoga & the mirror

Yoga studios rarely come equipped with mirrors, unless you are doing the undeniably self-conscious Bikram yoga.  Perhaps this is because yoga itself is the mirror.  
A few weeks ago, I posted about still feeling dislocated here in Altea.  It takes time to settle in.  But, more than that, by writing my thoughts down and sharing them with the world, I continued the process of self-analysis that is yoga.  Yoga and mirror.  Whatever you give, you get.
I still agree with myself in most of what I said.  but I am willing to swallow my pride – and my words – and ask your kind forgiveness for my til-then blindness.  When I said that I could not understand how the folk round here could be so glum while surrounded by this wild natural beauty, what I was really asking was “Rachel, how can you be glum when surrounded by all this natural beauty?”  Good question, eh?
Since then, I realise that I was simply prioritising my worries about work-family-life (the same ones you have, I am sure) and putting them ahead of my enjoyment of the here and now.  Looking at the mountains in the Calpe pass, I would think “what am I doing here” rather than “what beautiful rusty colours, what textures and lines!”  This is pretty common behaviour, people.  Yoga helps train the mind, keeping it on the straight and narrow and avoiding all wallowing and distraction.
Right now, in my Yoga Therapy training, we are studying the third book of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.  In sutras III:9-16, Patanjali exposes the new state of mind that arises when we have fully integrated into our lives the first five limbs of Astanga Yoga (as set out in book 2).  We are now approaching contemplation, Dharana.  The mind is able to glimpse states of serenity, but theses are interspersed with the usual fluctuations and distractions.  Nevertheless, the mind is becoming increasing able to concentrate.  I find the sutras amazing because they really are very accurate in their portrayal of the milestones on the road of yoga.  Or, in my case they are.  Bear in mind that each person’s experience of yoga is unique and precious.
So, Rachel, look in the mirror.  Choose happiness and helps others find theirs.  This is the road of the yogini and the yoga teacher.

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Tending the Fire

There is much talk of fire in most Yoga texts and teachings. Fire is one of the 5 elements, the others being Air, Water, Earth and Ether/Space. Fire is felt to transform matter from one state to another. Its sinuous flames remind us nearly of liquid, so despite its “hot” quality, it is also intimately associated with Water, Water being its equal and opposite.
The path of yoga is one of transformation. We learn new ways to move, think, breathe and be still, and thus we transform ourselves from one type of person into another. We are still ourselves, but we have changed, shed a skin or grown a new one. Thus, stoking the fire of transformation is of utmost importance.
In hatha yoga, we do this mainly through postures associated with the abdominal region. We also practise breathing techniques that emphasize the inhale and breath retention with lungs full. Other lineages may follow other methods, and these are all legitimate. You are always in control of your yoga practice, and are free to choose the branch of yoga that most satisfies your heart and soul.
This winter, I have learned to tend the hearth. I have never before lived in a house with a working fireplace, let alone relied upon it as my main heat source! But, I am open to change. I had call to be the sole firelighter for a period of nearly two weeks. I struggled mightily at first, sitting near it, blowing desperately on rapidly dwindling sticks and leaves and bits of paper. Once, I managed a roaring inferno on the first go, but most nights heard me cursing the whole rustic life and yearning to go back to the city and central heating.
But I persisted.
I discovered that the paper I use on my massage couch serves perfectly as a recycled firelighter. Light, and slightly oil-streaked, it takes immediately and burns hot. I learnt the value of the small bits of kindling that my partner lovingly chops, and how to tell if wood if green or dry. I am now a one-match woman. I can set and light a fire in about ten minutes, and tend it carefully for hours. I watch it and poke it and generally feel it to be a living presence in my home.
I think that our inner Fire is the same. It needs the right material to start it up, and the right material and rhythm to keep it burning brightly. We need to pay attention to it, feeding it more when it needs it, and leaving it to rest when it doesn´t. Cared for properly, our inner Fire helps us efficiently transform our food into healthy tissue and keeps us energetic and motivated.
Weak Fire leaves us sluggish, uninspired and waterlogged. We feel like we are walking in soaked through clothing. A Fire burning too brightly manifests in a flushed face, quick temper and impatience. Remember, a person may have imbalance of one Element in the physical body, while having a completely different Elemental layout in the realm of the Mind.
So, tend your Fire, dear souls.

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Fresh from the garden – the yoga of food.

My partner coaxes wonderful vegetables from the clay-ey mediterranean soil.  I have just spent the morning making green juice (using Triestino radicchio now, so a little less bitter), then a curly kale stir fry (with home grown chilli pepper, onion and market-bought ginger and garlic) and finally a lovely creamy pumpkin and ginger soup (the pumpkin is also from the garden, harvested in September).  I had bought both my juicer (GreenTech Gold) and my blender (Blendtec) about three years ago, when I tried a high-raw diet for about a year.  I managed to make good use of the blender, but the juicer rather stalled as I didn’t have access to good quality greens.  I did juice wheatgrass for a while, but summer came and the flies filled my planting trays and, you know, rather put me off.
So….now I have the best to both worlds.  High quality equipment and plentiful fresh veg.  The yoga of produce plus kit.  (for those who don’t know, yoga means “to yoke” or “to unite”)  What more could one ask for?  Of course, the niyamas of Astanga Yoga talk about sauca , cleanliness and this food definitely promotes a clean, healthy body.  The yamas talk about ahimsa, or non-violence.  The vegetarian diet is part of this.
Yoga gives me the awareness to feel my body, its balances and imbalances.  This contact, consciousness, inspires me to invest in and care deeply about my health.  I encourage you to do the same.  Make it a priority.  AUM.

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The Human Revolution

The question has been there forever.  What can I do to make the world a better place?  The answer is simple:  Human Revolution.
I first heard this term used as the title of a book by Daisaku Ikeda of the Soka Gokkai International.  This international Buddhist organization, with origins in Japan, use rapid mantra chant as their main tool of transformation. I joined the SGI in London and chanted Nam Myoho Renge Kyo with intent for about a year and a half.  But, like everything organizational, I grew disillusioned with the, erm, organization, and took my search upon new roads.  Coming full circle twelve years later, I uplift myself with Sanskrit mantra, carrying on the transformation.
Like most of us, my teenage mind was inquiring and doubtful of the status quo.  I took to protesting, letter writing, boycotting, even some direct action-lite.  But, again, I grew disillusioned with the way that individual good intentions seemed to get lost when the masses convened.  Really, peaceful anarchist punks who seem to always been raising their fists?  No, thanks.
So, the question has been there for a long time.  But the answer took its time to coalesce.  Nowadays, I meditate upon the fact that only by beginning with ourselves can we change the world around us. Also, we need to be humble enough to recognize that we can’t change the whole world.  Too many youthful flowers turn into mid-20’s rot when, disillusioned, we give up entirely and sit upon our sofas, waiting for the end.
I think that what we need to learn is patience and humility.  Oh yes, and we have to have faith.  I have seen through personal experience that we really can begin to take change out of the personal realm and into the world when we integrate ourselves so completely as to become completely sincere and transparent.  It’s hard- I’m not patting my back here.  But I do know that what I transmit in my yoga classes, and in my life (I hope) is a sincere belief in the finer qualities of the human being.  When we begin to manifest our True Nature, our Purusha, we grow calm, compassionate and loving.  With those qualities, we share smiles when there are only frowns.  We hug warmly when there might otherwise be only a perfunctory “dos besos” (two kisses).  And, most importantly, we begin to share our selves, our wealth, open our homes to and generally offer and be prepared for true deep connection with others.  This is the Human Revolution:  we care for and prepare ourselves to be sane, reasonable, non-judging, generous and accepting.  With these qualities, we touch lives.  At no point are we on any pedestals, nor do we offer ourselves congratulations.  We just find the inner joy, radiate it.  That is the reward.
I really don’t know much.  But this I know:  The real revolution begins within.