Surya Namaskara A

Dear Friends,

If you are new on my email distribution list, I wish to welcome you, and you can catch up on my previous emails on my blog at: http://stillnesshealth.blogspot.ca/.  Remember that on a blog, you have to read from the bottom up.  Feel free to forward my emails to anyone who you feel is interested in learning more about Ashtanga Yoga, history, philosophy, and theory.  If you find these emails ridiculously boring, feel free to send me an email that says "unsubscribe," and I will spare you further agony.

Also, as we are into November, this means I will be participating in November with my colleagues at work to raise money and awareness for prostate cancer research and men's mental health.  You are welcome to view our page here: http://ca.movember.com/mospace/1217988, and laugh at our facial hair as it progresses through the next month.  

And onto our discussion of Surya Namaskara A - Sun Salutation A.  Surya Namaskara A is the opening sequence in Ashtanga Yoga, as well as many different styles of Hatha yoga.  It is the first and last sequence of Ashtanga Yoga for all levels of practitioners.  Apart from warming up the body with the constant pose/counter pose (i.e. upward facing dog, downward facing dog), it also helps to establish the rhythm to which the rest of the practice will resonate, regardless of level of experience.  It also helps the mind start to move into a place of focus by exercising dharana and dhyana - sensory withdrawal and concentration respectively.  Sensory withdrawal does not mean closing the ears and the eyes.  It means harnessing the senses so that they respond to the practitioner's command rather than external stimuli.  The ears are to focus on the sound of the Ujjayi breathing - this also reminds the practitioner to keep the breath calm despite the intensity of the practice.  They eyes are to stay still as they gaze on particular dristi (gazing point) points.  There is a dristi for each vinyasa:  A Vinyasa is the combination of one breath and one movement together.  In the Surya Namaskara A, there are 9 vinyasas.  The state of the asana refers to the pose that is held for 5 breaths instead of one.  The state of the asana for Surya Namaskara A is Downward Facing Dog, on the 6th vinyasa count, and the dristi for this pose is the navel (Navi Chakra Dristi).  See the chart below for details.

Why all of this attention to small details?  Is it only for the sake of yoga snobbery?  Absolutely not, though some may use this information for that purpose.  The attention to small details trains the mind to focus and to be more conscious.  Many people who practice yoga in the west do sun salutations with no consciousness, only mimicking movement.  "Indeed, the Sun Salutations done without following the rules mentioned are little more than exercise, and not true Surya Namaskara." (Jois, p. 40)  Jois suggests that it is necessary to adhere to the small details that are referenced in various yogic texts to bring a greater sense of presence in the practice.

When asked about newer styles of yoga developing in the west, and what validity did they carry, Pattabhi Jois said "They have noshastra."  Shastra refers to Yogic texts from which yoga practices are based on.  They lose key techniques that make the practice meditative, and only conduct physical activity.  This is not to say that Ashtanga Yoga is the only style with shastra - far from it.  Many styles that are practised in the west follow Yogic texts under the direction of a guru (i.e. Iyengar, Kripalu, Kundalini, various Hatha, etc . . .) .  Many, however, do not.  It is up to the practitioner to decide which style holds greater personal value.

With regards to Ujjayi breathing . . . I have often marvelled at my own teacher who practises with the utmost calm breath.  The slow and calm rhythm of his breath does not change despite the more challenging poses, and is present up until  the very last asana.  I cannot say that I can do the same, though I certainly put forth the conscious effort to do so.  Without the accentuation of breath, the muscles will tighten and blood will not flow properly to the muscles and organs - it is more harmful to practice without conscious breathing than to not take asanas but consciously breathe.  "All stretching needs to be done with sensitivity and awareness.  In this way we work with, rather than against, the body.  The breath is a great sensory tool that carries the natural intelligence of the body.  It enables us to sensitise our awareness and thereby regulate the intensity of the stretch.  As we inhale, we explore the new territory created and explored.  This is the creative aspect of the posture.  As we exhale, we release and relax into the new space gained.  If you cannot breathe freely and extend the spine with your exhalation, you are trying too hard.  All postures need to be worked with awareness, sensitivity, and intelligence." (Maelhe, p. 27)  The breath is the invisible vehicle that connects the body to the mind's point of focus, bringing about numerous physical and mental benefits - inhaling new energy, exhaling tension.  I wouldn't over emphasize the breath in a student's practice unless is was substantially lacking.  Concentration as it applies to the physical practice on the mat, requires a calmness of breath, strength in the body by engaging the bhandas, and holding the dristis with the eyes.  Ideally, we hold all 3 with equal weight in practice.

Below is the count, movement, and Dristi of Surya Namaskara A with supporting images:

                                            Surya Namaskara A

Vinyasa Count	Breath	Dristi	Asana or Movement	Image
Ekam	Inhale	Thumbs (Angusthamadhye)	Raise straight arms above the head, palms together
Dve	Exhale	Nose (Nasagre)	Fold forward, place the hands beside the feet
Trini	Inhale	Nose	Raise the head, lengthen the spine away from the hips
Chatuari	Exhale	Nose	Jump back and lower into Chaturanga position, elbows pull back beside the rib cage. Note: it is okay for beginners to lower onto their stomach or knees for this pose.
Panḉa	Inhale	Nose	Lead with the heart, roll on the tops of the feet, straighten the arms
Shut	Exhale State of the Asana - hold for 5 breaths	Navel (Navi Chakra)	Lead with the belly, roll over the toes, shift the hips back to the heels.  Arms and legs stay long and straight.
Supta	Inhale	Nose	Jump the feet to the hands and lengthen the head away from the hips
Ashtau	Exhale	Nose	Fold forward with the hands beside the feet
Nava	Inhale	Thumbs	Standing back up with the arms raised, palms together
Samasthitih	Exhale		No vinyasa count.

All photos are of Ronald Steiner, taken from http://www.ashtangayoga.info/ashtangayoga/ which is an excellent source of information on Ashtanga Yoga.

Here is a link to a video of my teacher performing Surya Namaskara A - this is the most conscious Surya Namaskara A I have personally seen demonstrated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwWdab5zs54

There are some conflicts on the dristis listed here compared to the Ashtangayoga.info site.  My information is based on what I have learned from my teacher, David Robson.   Whether the dristi is the third eye or the nose is not important.  What is more important is that your practice is the same and done consciously.

I hope this email has brought more insight into your practice.  Your questions are welcome and I will gladly answer them, if not in person, then in a subsequent email.

Peace and blessings to you all.

Mark

8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga Part 4

Dear Friends,

First off I would like to address one question that arose from the previous email on Asana, regarding injury.  Is there a connection between the ego and bodily injury?  Of course there can be, though not necessarily.  Let me first distinguish between pain/injury, and discomfort/suffering. Pain and injury usually occur around the joints and there has likely been a moment where something has snapped a little - this can be a muscle insertion point, a tendon or ligament bruise.  These can be the result of ignorance, poor technique, or ego.  All of these are reflections of the human experience and are almost inevitable, and they make us wiser.  Discomfort/suffering occurs when muscles shift as you move deeper into a pose which is painful, though more indicative of growth rather that ignorance/ego.  It is similarly reflective of the human condition - growth is uncomfortable, and there is no comfortable way to grow.  There is little to no power that we have over inevitable suffering, be it derived from ignorance, ego, or growth.  The only power we have is our choice of reaction.  The strongest reactions that we can chose to any suffering is grace and forgiveness.  This is more easily said than done.  In truth, grace has the power to override and shift karma - the law of action.  This stresses the importance of forgiving and being graceful with yourself when you've been injured.  That being said, let's move on the content of this correspondence.

The goal of this writing is to cover the remaining 5 limbs of Ashtanga in this one email.  They likely won't be as detailed as the previous emails because of my very limited knowledge of yogic texts, and the simplicity of my understanding of them.  Regardless, I hope they still bring some insight to your practice, curiosity, and pursuit of enlightenment (whatever that may be).  The first 4 limbs are physical (Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama) which make them easier for me to understand because the physical is often easier to understand.  The last 4 limbs are metaphysical (Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi) and therefore difficult to communicate (both receiving and delivering) because they are abstract concepts.  This is, at the moment, my best attempt to deliver.

The 4th limb of Asthanga yoga is Pranayama.  Prana is the Ayurvedic term for Life Force, and Ayama means to draw out, extend, or work at with concious effort.  Every form of meditation uses the breath as a vehicle to shift the mind into a place of focus.  It is that physical thing we do, both consciously and unconsciously, that we cannot see, so it starts to bridge the gap between the physical and non-physical elements of the practice.  There are many types of pranayama (i.e. Ujjayi, sitkari, bhastrika, bhramari).  We primarily use Ujjayi in Ashtanga yoga as it is practised with asana.  It is still effective to breathe deep ujjayi breaths without asana, but it is not effective to practice asana without ujjayi breath.  In different asanas, energy channels, or nadis, are opened up and require the ujjayi breath to push blood and oxygen through the veins, and energy through the nadis.  It also helps to keep the mind and body calm when the body is in a challenging asana.  The breath establishes rhythm so that the mind can relax, much like a hypnotist who dangles a pendant back and forth with a steady tempo, allowing the mind to drop into a meditative state.  The larger purpose of establishing a steady rhythm of breath is put our minds in a place where we can witness and appreciate (or be in awe of) the rhythm of the movement of the universe.  This helps to decrease human frustration: nothing happens according to our will: that is definite.  Everything in the universe occurs in accordance with the will of the Universal Self, not human desire (Jois, 19).  Breath helps us to experience presence, or the present moment.  It's important to eliminate ego and desire in the asana as they disrupt the flow of breath and energy (i.e. looking at someone else's asana and thinking that your pose is much deeper or not half as deep).  In the asana, don't think "I want to do this asana" . . . eliminate the "I", that is ego.  Eliminate "want to do" - that is desire.  Just "asana."  Physical flexibility and strength are irrelevant.  This brings us to the 5th limb.

The 5 limb of Ashtanga yoga is Pratyhara - Sensory withdrawal.  The purpose of withdrawing the senses in a meditative practice is to limit stimuli, thus limiting the fluctuations of the mind (Yoga Sutra 1.2 "Yoga Citta Vrtti Nirodha" - Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind).  In Ashtanga yoga, the tools that we use to achieve sensory withdrawal are Ujjayi breathing (listening to its rhythm only, and not to other auditory distractions), and Dristi, which is the gazing point for each asana.  The specific dristi points are not energetically important, they are more for the practice of conscious effort and meditation.  It is easy to respond to stimuli with our senses.  We discipline the senses by training the eyes to move where we command them, and not responding of their own accord - this is wallowing in conditioned existence.  There is also the Ganesha icon that I used to illustrate the concept of Pratyahara in the Foundations of Ashtanga Yoga email.  The mouse represents human desire, that has been disciplined by Ganesha to obey Ganesha's command rather than scatter around aimlessly.

The 6th limb of Ashtanga Yoga is Dharana - Concentration.  This limb and the subsequent 2 are all interconnected.  Concentration on breath, bhandas, dristi, are necessary to achieve the meditative state and thus achieve Samadhi, or moments of it.  Concentration initially requires an object of focus - be it an asana (Raja yoga), an image (Bhakti yoga), a repetitive sound (Japa), etc . . . with unwavering attention - employing Pratyahara - and this carries us to the 7th limb, meditation.

The 7th limb is Dhyana - Meditation.  We use Dharana, concentration, to achieve meditation which is like a sustained concentration, or being aware without the initial strain of focus.  At this point, the mind has already been stilled with little to no fluctuations of thought.  It takes a long time and requires a lot of mental strength and stamina that will develop, just like the asanas, as part of the process.

The 8th limb is Samadhi - Union with or without the object of meditation.  Usually the object of meditation is God or the Self.  There are 9 levels of Samadhi, 4 are union with the object of meditation, and 5 without. As far as I understand, everyone has moments of Samadhi that are nascent of Dharana and Dhyana, but to sustain such a level of consciousness is real mastery that I have not achieved . . . yet (I hope).   I like to use the Om symbol to illustrate the understanding of human existence and the Samadhi experience.  As a side note, the displayed Om symbol here is not Phonetic Sankrit, it is symbolic Om.  The bottom portion of the symbol shows a number 3 on the left with a squiggly line on the right.  These represent 3 states of being.  The bottom, larger curve at the bottom of the 3 represents that state of being awake, the upper smaller portion represents the state of being asleep, and the squiggly line on the right represents the state of dream - slightly detached from awake and asleep.  The upper portion shows a dot at the very top with a line underneath it.  The dot represents the Self, or the Observer/Perceiver, and the line underneath represents the veil that from time to time draws back so that we can have an epiphany moment, or insight of the greater reality.  Explaining the Observer . . . as I am writing this email, my mind is telling my fingers what to type.  Then here is a higher awareness that observes the thoughts in my mind as they are being created to tell my fingers what to type.  This is part of having a higher state of consciousness.

At this level of esoteric discussion, my limits are currently reached and I will share any other discoveries with you when I stumble upon them.  And I say stumble because the course of study has no estimated time of arrival - my practice, like my life, has had a series of epiphany moments versus understanding of something entering my body once I've achieved an asana bind or lift.  Further emails will discuss questions from students and the Ashtanga yoga asanas in greater detail.

I hope this has brought some more light and understanding into your practice.  Peace, love, and blessings to you all.

Namaste.

Mark

8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga Part III - Asana

Dear Friends,

I apologize for the lengthy silence on line . . . I have been overwhelmed with things in both my professional and personal life that required my attention, and limited my time to sit at a computer and write.  Thank you for both your patience, and your willingness to read (indeed, I love to sit, think, and write).

First off, Sandy and I have booked a weekend for our next retreat for May 2013 - I know it's a while off, and we couldn't find anything of quality sooner, but I wanted to let you know so if it was a thought for you to attend our next retreat, it's May 24-26 - that is the weekend after Victoria Day in case you were concerned.  It is still going to be hosted at Shanti B & B which is a fantastic facility to unwind, relax, and practice.

Speaking of practice . . . The Asana is the thing!  Asana is the third limb of the 8-limbed practice, but very important because it is what initially draws people to the practice.  The curiosity to sustain the practice usually comes quickly after someone's first or second practice.  There is good reason for the curiosity because there is more than just physical work that is happening. When people often come to a class, they think "I want to float like that with my leg behind my head, and do headstands/handstands, etc . . . "  This is normal - it is what we can see.  It is a gross manifestation of what the practice can help people achieve, but the transformation that occurs with the discovery of 'Self' is much more profound.  The asana is the gross form of meditation.  What makes Ashtanga so profound is the set sequence with emphasis on breath, bandhas, and dristi.  The constant repetition is there for the mind to sharpen its focus, and then eventually drop into a meditative state.  With other 'improvised' forms of yoga in the West, the meditative aspect is lost as the mind is in a state of anticipation rather than concentration.  This is another reason that Ashtanga has made a massive impression on me and the way I practice.

Asana also helps you to explore your relationship with the universe by exploring your very first relationship - with yourself.  If someone has aggressive tendencies, they will be aggressive in their practice and eventually injure themselves by pushing their body too far (and it is normal for people to have this experience in their practice - I certainly have).  Similarly, if they are aggressive in relationships with other people or in business, or the environment, they will injure that particular relationship (personal, business, environmental).  If someone has passive tendencies, they will be passive in their practice and won't grow - this will permeate into other relationships and environments.  It is normal to confront all of our humanity in  our practice - our insecurity ("is everyone seeing how inflexible/weak I am"), anger ("Dammit, why can't I get this stupid pose?"), ego ("everybody look and see how good I look in this pose - look at my fabulous body in the mirror!") - and one of the keys to growth in the physical practice is to keep these issues in check, or be aware of them when then arise so that you can sustain your focus and concentration of just 'being' in a particular pose.  'Being in the pose' means - sound the ujjayi breath with calmness, hold the bandhas and keep the breath in the rib cage, and keep the eyes on the dristi - to hold all of those throughout the sequence sharpens the focus of the mind and lessens the room for insecurities, ego, etc . . .  Our human weaknesses will eventually create injuries in the body - this is not a sin - it's a reminder to work on concentrating and focussing on purity.   It's important to challenge ourselves in the physicality of the asana to learn to be conscious of how we challenge ourselves - being responsible for the amount we push ourselves, and the amount that we hold back .

As practice develops, the focus starts to shift and move deeper.  If the focus is only on the physical, then there is an imbalance in the practice.  The internal world of Bandhas, prana, ujjayi breathing, and dristi help us remain present, controlling our senses, and stilling the mind.  If the attention is only on the physicality of the practice, then the ego is amplified, and serious injury along with personal frustration is likely to abound.  For me, surrendering my personal preferences for ego-boosting poses has been a huge challenge, but this came from practising Ashtanga as purely as possible - surrendering to the guru of the practice - I am not in charge, I am not the teacher - I am the student surrendering to this invisible intelligence that is only made manifest when practising asanas as purely as possible.

Speaking of 'purification,' the purifying aspects of the asanas not only work to intensify the body's digestive and immune systems, but also purify the idea of the 'Self'.  When we "shuffle off this mortal coil", what is left of us?  We are cultivating that part of us that is not the body, but we use the body and breath as the vehicles to shift awareness to the Self and away from the Ego.  The Self and Ego are at opposite ends of the spectrum.  Working to perfect an asana for the sake of having a sexy-looking practice is opposite of working to perfect an asana for the sake of being in the purest state of being as possible.

 

          A bound Marichyasana C pose                                      
    Eka Pada Shirsasana (that's my teacher David Robson by the way)

                                                                                 

The asana is the opportunity to practice holding a state of conciousness.  It's a microcosm of how concious we are of everything that we do.  I still find myself doing unconscious superfluities in my practice - it's normal to catch these regularly.  Does the depth of the pose a reflection of the depth of Self-knowledge?  If so, then circus performers would have all of us beat.  It's not about how much you can contort your body.  For example, a person who can't bind in a Marichyasana C twist can be much closer to Self awareness than someone who can complete the 4th series.   If the person in the unbound Marishyasana pose is 'being' and keeping the ego at bay, they are more likely to have a deeper experience than someone with ripped abs, in eka-pada shirsasana who is holding the pose a bit longer to impress the girl 2 mats away.  There's nothing wrong with holding a physically complex pose, it's the state of the mind in the body that matters - where is the Ego, and where is the Self.

How do we achieve this heightened sense of Self?  I have to quote the Guru to answer this - "you take ujjayi breathing, bandhas, and dristi, and all is coming."  All does not mean you will acheive every asana in the world (sorry to disappoint) - it refers to the deeper understanding of the Self - that which is not the body, but again, the body and the asana are the tools to bring us into the meditative state to experience glimpses of the Self.

I hope this email has brought some more insight on what you practice and how you practice it.  Until the next email, I wish you much peace, love, and blessings this long weekend.

Mark

8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga - Part II

Dear friends,

2 brief announcements before we continue discussion on the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga. 

1.  I've finally started a blog for people to read all of my previous emails and to post my new ones.  Feel free to forward it to friends who may be interested.  I can also add them to this distribution list.  The blog is still a work in progress . . . www.stillnesshealth.blogspot.ca.  Enjoy and feel free to comment (I will brace myself for the onslaught!).

2.  I'm conducting an adjustment workshop on Saturday, June 9 from 1:30 to 3:30 at Yoga Tree Thornhill.  Details are on the Yoga Tree website and posters in the studios.  Your questions on the workshop are welcome.

I'd like to start by sharing some thoughts on how the Shiva Nataraja (Nata = dance, Raja = Lord or King) is an illustration of the Yamas - the 5 restraints - I have a thing for iconography if you haven't already noticed.

First the symbols that he is holding: A drum in one hand (symbolizing the rhythm of creative energy), Fire (symbolizing purification and purging of impurities), a hand held in a stop position (the hand of confidence rejecting insults), and a hand pointing to his raised foot (the hand of creativity that directs the dance).  Holy Mother Ganges is in his dreadlocks on the left.  The figure that I want to draw your attention to is the person that Shiva is standing on - it's not a person, it's a demon of ignorance.  Our ignorances are a part of our nature and who we are - our insecurites, anger, depression, etc . . . are all ignorance that obstruct the path to self realization.  Shiva does not kill ignorance - he keeps it underfoot, just like the Yamas are intended to encourage us to keep our issues underfoot.  We can't kill them because they are all apart of the human condition.  And all of our issues will come up in our practice as well - I've certainly wrestled with ego, with shame, with anger, and hopelessness (will it ever get easier?  Will I ever float like a super star?)  in my practice.   By the end, there is a sense of relief, that is wasn't all that bad, that there are things I would like to continue to work on - isn't that like the rest of our lives?

Moving on to the Niyamas, the second of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga.  Like the Yamas (the restraints), there are 5 Niyamas (observances), which are: Saucha (cleanliness), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerity), Svadhyaya (self study), Ishvara pranidhanani (surrender to the divine)

To understand how the Niyamas work, we need to look at the Koshas, or sheaths, of the body.  Some texts say that we have 5 sheaths, others say 7 - it doesn't really matter how many there are.  The 7 are: physical body, physiological body, intellectual body, psychological body, the body of joy, body of ego, and the Atman, or true-self.  To make life easier, let's just say there is Body, Mind, and Soul that are all very intimately connected where a massive shift in on of these bodies, will resonate or permeate into the others.  For example, after a yoga class you feel great because of the oxygen flowing in your veins and refreshing yorur organs.  Then your heart feels happier, and your mind feels relaxed.  On the flip side, if you have a shocking experience, this hurts the body (muscle and organ tension, constricted veins, etc . . .), the mind will play the harmful images over and over, and the soul or heart will have an imprint that shifts behaviour.  These impressions, by the way, are called Samskaras - this may come up in future write-ups.

With Saucha, or cleanliness, there are 2 types - external, pertaining to the body, and internal which seems to refer mostly to food/drink intake.  This leads to purification of the mind, helping to rid the body of stresses caused by jealousy, vanity, anger, attachment, etc . . . If we are intaking insane amounts of sugar, salt, or alcohol, this will intern affect mood, energy levels, and concentration.  It acknowledges the link between the body-mind-soul.  A shift in one of these affects the others.

Santosha, or contentment, suggests that we decrease our attachment to material things.  The Bhagavad Gita indicates taht "desire is the real enemy of the embodies woul, since it is never satisfied and burns like fire (3:37-39).  We cannot seek externally for that which lies within.  Conentment comes when we are happy with what we have (including our practice and what asanas we have acheived - I still struggle with that), instead of trying to achieve all of our desires.  This is a severe contrast to Western thinking where we like to hoard and accumulate wealth - but to what end?  The hopelessness of the Western ideal is that the desire is unsatiable - there must still be more after the private jet and villa in Bora Bora.  Contentment can only be sought after and achieved internally.  To see this in material wealth will ultimately lead to madness or depression.  This is not to say that it is morally wrong to have material wealth - it is soulfully wrong to depend on this wealth as the source for happiness. Santosha brings to mind the image of the Laughing Buddha.  He is a beggar (he holds a begging bowl for rice in his hand, or sometimes a bag.  He has nothing that he owns, and he is often insulted by people who see him beg, yet he still laughs.  When people ask him "how can you be so happy?  You have nothing, and people insult you."  He replies "as long I as am happy, I am still better off than those who have many things and hurl insults at me."

Tapas, or austerity, is the commitment to do what is good/right depending on the circumstance.  This is difficult to define because there is no clear definition on what is right.  Indeed, people who believe they are absolutely right are quite frightening and need to be avoided.  But we can refer back to the yamas and start there - non-violence - if it causes harm or violence to other people or the environment, then it is wrong.  Not every choice we make is perfect.  I certainly have eaten food that was not fair trade, or bought a sweater made in China, or thrown a recyclable item in the garbage.  At the same time, my conscience still functions and encourages me to continue to make responsible decisions where I already am, and more responsible decisions wher I am not.  As I am not perfect or enlightened, it is counter productive to condemn myself for messing up when I do.  We don't condemn our children for making mistakes, and we need to treat our bodies like a gift from the universe - like a child that we were given responsibility for.  We continue to encourage our children to make more positive/responsible choices.  Austerity also means to burn, refering to the purification of the body and of the self.  It can also be connected to the digestive fire that burns impurities/diseases to keep the body healthy.

Svadhyaya, or self study, also has 2 meanings: Study of sacred texts that lead to liberation, and 2, the assessment or reflection on the self.  For me, it's a constant checking in with oneself to see if we are making shifts to create newer habits and patterns that are constructive, positive, and help to remove the obstacles set up by the ego. 

Ishvara pranidhana is devotion to the Supreme being, the universe, whatever you want to call it.  It does not mean that you have to burn incense, light candles, and put garlands on little images of Ganesha.  I think (and this is more my opinion than text related) that it means we need to surrender our sense of control over our lives.  This was very important for me when I chose to strictly practice Ashtanga yoga - it meant that I had to surrender to the brilliance of the system - that I cannot make up my own sequences anymore - that by surrendering, I can grow with greater strength and better understand the puposes and possibilities of each asana.

This brings us to the third limb - Asana - which we will discuss in the next email. 

I hope all is well with you. Until the next email, I wish you peace, love, and blessings,

Mark

The 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga - Part I

Dear Friends,

First off, 3 announcements before we begin to take a brief look at the first limb of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Yoga (The first limb does warrant an email unto itself, some of the subsequent limbs won't require me rambling for too long).

1. Yoga Retreat April 20-22 - we have a few spots left as we approach the event.  The retreat is on Wolfe Island at Shanti B & B - http://www.shantiretreat.ca/. Cost is $350 that includes HST, food and accommodation, and yoga classes.  There will be 4 yoga practices (1 Slow Flow, 2 Ashtanga, and 1 restorative), plus a yoga chat session where you can discuss any yoga questions you may have in an open forum. The retreat is open to all levels of practice.  The rest of the time is for you to unwind, and enjoy the fresh air and scenery of Wolfe Island at your leisure.  You can send any of your questions to this email address.

2. Learn to Lift with Lightness - I'm doing another "lifting" workshop on Saturday, May 5 from 2-4pm at Body to Bliss Yoga Studio i Woodbridge: http://www.bodytoblissyoga.com/learning-to-lift/ - it's not my picture in the link, though we can cover that pose and others while we look at some principles of alignment and strength to create a sensation of 'lifting' in your practice.  Again, this workshop is open to all levels of practice - we will be able to dialogue here and will look at how to get you to your next level of lifting in your personal practice.

3. Also, we're looking at doing another workshop at Yoga Tree Thornhill - would you, the potential students be partial to: "Lifting with lightness," "Hip and Knee workshops", or "Adjustment Workshop."  Your thoughts to this email address and I will forward those to management.

And on with the 8 limbs.  8 limbs is the direct translation of Ashtanga from Sanskrit - Ashtau = 8, Anga = limbed.  The 8 limbs are listed in Patanjali's Sutras, Chapter 2:29 - Yamas (restraints), Niyamas (Observances), Asana (Physical postures), Pranayama (Breathing), Pratyahara (Sensory Withdrawal), Dharana (Concentration), Dhyana (Meditation), and Samadhi (Absorption, Union with the object).  The sources I've used to look at the Yamas are: BKS Iyengar's "Light on the Yoga Sutras," Edwin F. Bryant's "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali," Gregor Malhe's "Ashtanga: Practice and Philosophy," and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' "Yoga Mala." 

In Western philosophy, we tend to dicuss the most important items at the end of a discourse because it makes a more lasting impression.  In Eastern philosophy, they list the important items first and connect them to the final analyses.  Of the 8 limbs then, the most important for humanity to practice are the Yamas - this is more important than Asana and Pranayama, and Samadhi is not even a remote possibility without the yamas.  In the Sutras 2:31, Patanjali calls the Yamas the Great Vow, not just a casual one, that is applicaple to all human beings regardless of class, time, or circumstance.  This is uncharacteriscally emphatic of Patanjali to call this limb "the great vow."

The 5 Yamas are: Ahimsa (Non-violence), Satya (Truth), Asteya (non-stealing), Bramacharya (sexual responsibility), Aparigraha (non-greed, or renouncing of unnecessary possessions).

Again, the most important item is mentioned first - Ahimsa, non-violence - all other yamas and niyamas must adhere to non-violence.  This is the predominant reason why a serious yoga practictioner must be vegetarian.  I'm not getting preachy here, so I will clarify.  If you are attending yoga classes twice a week because it feels good and enhances your current work out regime, then you wouldn't really be a serious practitioner.  If you are doing yoga almost daily, but purely for fitness, again, it's not a serious practice, and what you consume is up to you and your nutritional advisor.  If you wanted to pursue the yoga practice as deeply as possible, then vegetarianism isn't up for negotiation - nothing with a face or nervous system can be killed for consumption.  Eating, buying, preparing meat are indirect forms of violence against other living beings.  I have no intention of imposing my dietary will on anyone - you must choose for yourself what will work - I'm just breaking down the Sutras for your information.  Does this extend to trees and plants?  Yes, absolutely - picking fruit, legumes, and grains are healthy for plants - they actually require consumption of their fruit for survival.  If you were to leave fruits or vegetables on a tree for too long, the fruits would rot and begin rotting the branches.  Cutting down plants or trees unecessarily or with intent to harm is also contrary to the Sutras.  This can be taken to a variety of levels - like Jainism, veganism - and to discuss them all would require that I use up this entire discourse on Ahimsa, so for this reason, I will continue, but encourage you to look up what Bryant and Malhe have to say (unfortunately, their work is not on-line, only in print).

Satya, truth, is meant by harmonizing what we say, think, and do.  If we say we dislike cheaters (for example), and then go on to cheat other people, then truth doesn't reside in your being.   Truth must also be spoken and lived with Ahimsa in mind.  For example, if speaking the truth will lead to some form of violence, then it is more important to be silent (if a serial killer asks where is your mother, it is morally correct to lie and say she's not at home).  Speaking truth sometimes may cause discomfort, but may be necessary - this is not inciting violence but encouraging a shift in behavioural pattern towards a more honest way of living (like confonting someone who is trying to cheat you out of some money - it's not the money that is important, it is the cheating action that is called into question.  The reaction does not have to be violent - shedding light on a shady action is more powerful when spoken with simple honesty).  As this applies to a physical practice, we have to be honest with the state of our bodies - when is it okay to push the body to go futher to overcome laziness, and when is it okay to stop pushing the body to avoid injury.  When we are honest in our practice, it will translate into other aspects of our lives.

Asteya, non-stealing, refers to a) not stealing, and b) refraining from the desire to do so. It is normal for thoughts to randomly appear in the mind, like stealing a Ferrari or millions of dollars from the bank.  What we do with these stray thoughts is our personal and moral responsibility.  To dismiss such thoughts as silly is healthy and normal.  To continue to meditate on them and plan to act on them is potentially harmful and self-destructive behaviour.

Bramacharya, sexual responsibility, can sometimes be misinterpreted as celibacy. Indeed, if someone choses to be a monk, then they have chosen a life of celibacy.  For the common person (grihasta), it means being monogamous.  Someone who is on the constant prowl for a myriad of sexual exploits is clearly someone with a damaged ego that is continuing to damage themselves by reaching externally for internal gratification.  It harms their own bodies and the bodies of others. Pattabhi Jois has a funny take on this . . . that life partners should only have sex at night when the man's left nostril (Chandra Nadi) is open.  (Jois, 10).  Try explaining that to your partner, "Sorry, my left nostril is plugged up."

Aparigraha, non-greed, is also pretty self-explanitory.  Covetting worldly possessions and hoarding is reaching externally, or further away, from the true Self the lies internally.  It is an extension of the realization that physical existence is temporary, and to cultivate the relationship with and knowledge of the Self is to reach towards something more eternal.

Sorry no pictures this time around - I will mention how the Yamas relate to the Shiva Nataraja in the next email which will come soon (sorry this one was delayed - I was away for 2 weeks and have been trying to recover in my week back).  

I trust this email finds you all happy and healthy.  Peace and blessings to you.

Mark

The Astanga Closing Mantra

Dear friends,

Again, just 2 announcements before the content:

1. I'm hosting a yoga retreat with my friend Sandy the weekend of April 20-22 at Shanti B & B on Wolfe Island, just outside of Kingston.  I'm conducting the morning Ashtanga classes, and Sandy is conducting the slow flow and restorative classes in the evening.  Cost is $350, that includes HST, all meals, linens, and classes.  We're at about 1/2 capacity, so please let me know soon if you are interested.

2. Mysore program - I have about 25 people who have expressed interest in a Mysore program or class at YT.  Mysore is how Ashtanga yoga is traditionally practiced.  The teacher does not vocally lead the class, the students come to the studio and do the Ashtanga sequence on their own.  They will ideally memorize the sequence of poses - if not, you can use a cheat sheet.  The teacher assists people in various poses and gives more one-on-one attention where students are struggling.  The teacher will also stop students at a particular pose if they cannot progress beyond it, and from there, the student begins the closing sequence from backbends.  This might sound frustrating at first, but this is the fastest way to overcome the poses that are most challenging because the student can spend more time in the pose, and their mind starts to tackle the complexity of the pose until it is resolved.  If you are interested in seeing a shift in this direction, please let me know via email and I will put your name on the list.  I have attached a poster with more information if that helps you.

And now our content on the closing Mantra, and why do we even bother doing Ashtanga.  Again, I will reiterate that if anyone is uncomfortable doing any of the mantras in class, then don't do them.  It won't hurt if you don't do them - you won't turn into a monster, nor will you lose Karmic points.  Our last email looked at the opening Mantra which is quite rich in metaphor, and there is some cultural translation required.  In short, the opening mantra does the following: 1. It expresses gratitude to the masters of the past who have preserved this tradition through practice and study, and  2. It sets the intention of the practice to cultivate the knowledge and awareness of the Self which lies beyond the physical.  The practitioner sets the tone for the physical practice that is about to take place on the mat.  The closing mantra, much easier to translate, with no particular esoteric meaning that I can decipher.  It sets the intention for the practitioner when they leave the mat: it is a commitment to sustain positive energy, and to promote justice, peace, and happiness on the planet during our lifetime.  Whether or not we are reincarnated or face some other form of eternal fate, what is important about the closing mantra is that we leave a positive mark in our world while we are here: This applies to our immediate relationships, and to the world as a greater whole.

There are several translations on this mantra.  I am using the majority of this translation from the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute website (http://kpjayi.org/), where Ashtanga yoga is taught by the gurus, currently Sharath Jois, grandson of Pattabhi Jois.

The Closing Mantra (Mangala Mantra)

Om

Svasti prajabhyaha paripalayatam

Nyayena margena mahim mahishaha

Gobrahmanebhyaha shubamastu nityam

Lokaha samastaha sukhino bhavantu

Om shanti shanti shantihi

Translation:

May all be well with humankind

May all the leaders of the earth protect in every way by keeping to the right path

May there be goodness to those who know the earth to be sacred

May all beings (all things in existence) be happy

Om, peace, peace, perfect peace.

Side note: in his poem "The Wasteland," T.S. Elliot describes "Shanti" as "The peace which passeth understanding."  It's not an intellectual experience - it's solely experiential.  I can't say that I have had the complete experience, just the occassional glimpse here and there that's not necessarily related to practice (though sometimes in savasana - resting pose).  Beyond the obvious, there is not really any major esoteric interpretation I can make from this.  Of course, if you know of any deeper meanings, please let the rest of us know.

Below is a link to a video clip of Sharath Jois reciting the closing chant in case.  Of course, my Sanskrit accent is a bit off.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qhho41zwoc

Again, I like to reiterate that Ashtanga yoga is a practice of conciousness.  This practice starts with the body because it is the easiest to understand - moving through the asanas is the gross form of meditation.  I often teach with oodles of instruction for the sake of dumping as much conciousness into the body as possible to explore the practitioner's relationship with themselves.  The first relationship (and the ultimate relationship for that matter) that we examine in the practice is the one with ourselves.  If we push ourselves too much, we will damage or injure our bodies and the mind is frustrated (this is usually a symptom of too much egotistical influence in the practice).  If we don't push at all and hold the asanas with inertia, then the body weakens and the mind stays in its state of fluctuation (a symptom of apathy - likely related to an unhealthy ego).  This rudimentary interpretation of the practice as relationship extends to all other relationships - if we push for the sake of enforcing our own agenda, we damage relationships with those around us.  Similary, if we don't challenge any of those around us, the nothing can improve.  Back to the practice and relationship with the Self - the deeper we explore the muscles that we seldom use in our body, the more aware we are of the possibilities of deeper self discovery at all levels - intellectual, mental, emotional, etc . . .  When Guruji so frequently stated that "practice, practice, practice, and all is coming,"  he was not implying that the "all" is the asanas.  People who have limited asana capability can have extra-ordinary abilities to focus, and to translate their asana practice to their practical lives off the mat.  And people who have incredible physical capabilities may have little ability to focus, and may practice things that are harmful to their immediate relationships and the rest of the planet.  The "all" is the stilled mind - when the mind is still, the body can move deeper, though the mind doesn't necessarily move deeper with stronger physical capability.  Indeed, Guruji also used to comment on how circus performers weren't practising yoga - there was no meditative aspect, no distinguishing between conditioned existence and esoteric reality, no confrontation of the ego or insecurity.  We need to do all of these in our practice for 'all' to come.  I will discuss more about the meditation aspect when I get into "The 8 limbs" of Ashtanga Yoga.  We do need to consider states of the mind that influence our bodies, and learn to dismiss them as distractions rather than realities.  Lastly, the ego - sigh - I still wrestle with the ego in every practice . . . the ego is the largest block to the spiritual path.  The ego reaches externally, pulled by the senses towards stimuli for temporary, sensual pleasures, or for persona and selfish attention "look how good I look, how strong I am."  The ego - reaching externally - moves in the opposite direction of the heart (internal), away from the greater truth of who we are.  The Bhagavad Gita clearly states: "Those who abstain from feeding the desires of the senses and mind allow the tastes of desires to fade out on their own, is one with the soul (II:59) . . . and those who renounce all desires and keep away from attachment (to conditioned existence) attain freedom and beatitude (II:71).  Avoid competing with someone else's asanas in practice, avoid checking yourself out in the mirror too frequently, and then there is more room for happiness in your heart, and more room for clarity in the mind and the way we perceive the world.

Next email will part 1 of 2 on the 8 limbs.  Until then, I wish everyone peace, love, and blessings this Family Day long weekend. 

Mark