The Journey Inward

"Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes." 

~Carl Jung

Aristotle said "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." Each time you come to your yoga mat, you reunite with a little bit more of your true self.  When you come to your practice, take the time to notice how your body, your mind, and your spirit feel. Observe what is going on inside - how each pose feels, what changes you notice when your settle into your savasana. This inward observation of oneself is the fourth of the Niyamas, or active observances of the Yoga Sutras, and is known as Svadhyaya, meaning "study of one's self." The self-awareness that you cultivate during your yoga practice is the foundation of Svadhyaya. Through this practice, we open the door to self-acceptance and self-compassion. We open the door to acceptance and compassion for all that exists around us, and we open the door to true wisdom - enlightenment.

To fully draw inward, you must remember that your yoga practice is internal. Think of yourself as alone in your practice. Whether you are packed in elbow to elbow, or by yourself in the room, you are there with nothing more than your body and your breath. There is no judgement, no comparison, no perfect or imperfect pose. Let the rest of the space fade away, look within and reunite with, honor, and love yourself. It is only when we truly come to know ourselves, when everything on the exterior drops away that we are truly happy and at peace.

"As you peel it back, in the heart of nothing, that is love. You are what you are seeking. Life is a set up so that each of us can actually see in ourselves the truth for ourselves. What gets taken away are all the exterior means we thought we wanted love to come to us. You have the choice to notice the perfect set up to see love is exactly what you are."

~Adyashanti 

The fifth of the Niyamas, Ishvara Pranidhana, is the devotion, and surrender of your practice to a higher power. This is where we give ourselves over to something greater than ourselves.  Where we dissolve our ego and disengage with our self-determined identification. When we let go and surrender our thoughts, our desires, our egoic nature and give ourselves over to a higher power, we can reach past our attachments; attachments to belongings, attachments to a perfect practice or pose, attachments to what we think our lives should be like, and surrender to something greater. Our yoga practice thus becomes sacred and full of grace.

“Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it.” 

~Ray Bradbury.

You, the Universe

“You are not IN the universe, you ARE the universe, an intrinsic part of it. Ultimately you are not a person, but a focal point where the universe is becoming conscious of itself. What an amazing miracle.”  ~Eckhart Tolle 

Each time we come to our yoga mat, we enter a sacred space.  Your mat is your space to remember and reunite with your breath, body, mind, and spirit.  In doing so, you reunite with the entire universe. Through our breath, we find energy, balance, purity, contentment, and discipline. All of which make up, in part, the five Niyamas of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.  The Niyamas, or active observances, are the second limb of Patanjali's "Eight Limbed Path," extending off of the first limb, the Yamas, or universal vows. The Eight Limbed Path teaches us how to live a moral, ethical, and purposeful life.   

When we step onto our mat, we use our breath to integrate ourselves into our practice. With each breath in, we bring our energy into our practice, and with each breath out, we release the world outside of that space. This distinction of energy between our mat and the rest of the world is related to the practice of Saucha, the first of the five Niyamas. Saucha is translated as purity, or cleanliness, but also relates to keeping different energies distinct. When we have clutter or negativity, we bring that into our atmosphere and restrict our path to peace, freedom, and happiness. By quieting the chaos, and cleaning up the clutter, both inside and out, we pave the way towards finding peace and contentment throughout each day.  Saucha also focuses on purifying and cleansing our mind, body, and spirit. It is thus both an external and internal practice. We can keep our physical selves, the spaces in which we live and work, and our inner selves clean and free from clutter. When we let go of things we don't need - belongings, past hurts, or old grudges - we make space for the things that truly matter. Each time we practice yoga, especially in a heated practice, we are physically, emotionally, and spiritually, releasing toxins from our bodies. Twisting poses, for example, literally wring out and cleanse our inner organs. The heat allows us to sweat out toxins, and the meditative breathing practiced on our mat allows us to clear out the clutter from within.

"The more you have, the more you are occupied.
The less you have, the more free you are."
~Mother Teresa

The second of the Niyamas, Samtosha, means contentment in all things. Happiness is not found by wanting to attain things but by wanting what we already have. Each day you awaken, your life is as it is. Each time you step to your mat, your practice that day is as it is. Finding contentment, samtosha, in each pose, and in turn in your life as it is, is your path to peace. We make up our minds to be as content as we are. Our happiness is our own choice. Even Abraham Lincoln agreed, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."  The moment we free ourselves from desires and embrace what we already have, what we are, and what is, peace finds us.  In our yoga practice, we always return to our breath as our guide.  We use it to quiet the constant chatter of our mind, or the chitta vritti - the mind chatter that is often the source of our unhappiness, our worries, our concerns. When the chatter ceases, peace and contentment are achieved. There will always be distractions, annoyances, even disasters that come into our lives but we have a choice in how we react. Samtosha is about learning to weather those storms with calm and grounding. We may not always be happy, especially in the face of tragedy, but it is how we respond that brings us peace. In our practice, we encounter poses that challenge us or cause some discomfort. We practice Samtosha when we find serenity in those poses. We learn to be ok with how things are, on and off our mat.

"There is no end of craving. Hence contentment alone is the best way to happiness. Therefore, acquire contentment."
~Swami Sivananda

The practice of Tapas, the third Niyama, is another tool for quieting the chitta vritti, or internal chatter, as it teaches us to disengage with our egoic mind and rediscover our internal discipline.  Tapas, in Sanskrit, literally means heat or glow, but it is translated as discipline or austerity, or "the fiercely focused, constant, intense commitment necessary to burn off the impediments that keep us from being in the true state of yoga (union with the universe)" (Yoga Journal).  Tapas is your motivating, inner flame. By simply coming to your mat, you have already practiced tapas, as it takes self-discipline to come to your practice. Tapas is an intention; intention to overcome or accept whatever obstacles cross your path, and to do so with calm, strength, and serenity.  Your yoga practice provides you the opportunity to burn away the thought process and to welcome and embrace challenges as they come, knowing that each has been placed before you for your benefit.

“Living life with zeal and sincerity, the purifying flame is ignited (Tapas), revealing the inner light.” Sutra 2.43 

All You Need is..

“Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” ― Mother Teresa

We spend a great deal of time sending our energy in a hundred different directions and towards things that are not truly important. Yoga teaches us to slow down and listen, to recognize what is important, and to let go of that which does not serve us. We become attuned to the intricacies of our bodies and then we extend that awareness to our lives. The practices of Brahmacharya and Aparigraha, the last two of the five Yamas, or universal vows described in the Yoga Sutra, guide us toward this understanding. 

Brahmacharya, the 4th of the 5  is translated as the merging of energy with the divine, or engaging with your connection to your spiritual self. It is a practice in which we experience our interconnectedness with all of life by using our energy purposefully and mindfully.  When we use our energy in this way, we become fully present, anchored in the moment, putting our energy into those things that are happening now.  The practice of Brahmacharya teaches us to keep our energy in balance.  In our practice we frequently see imbalances in our bodies. We are stronger on one side or more flexible on another. We can balance steadily on one leg but wobble on the other.  Brahmacharya teaches us to channel our energy to the parts of our bodies that need it most. Sending it to our core to provide strength in a balance pose for example, or to our low back and hamstrings during a forward fold.  Off of the mat, it is a practice of directing our energy to the parts of our life and the people in our life who need it most.  We learn to be aware of our energy; of what we put it towards, of how we use it, and to whom we offer it.  

Aparigraha, the 5th of the 5 Yamas, means non-possessiveness, non-attachment, or non-grasping. Aparigraha is a practice of releasing and letting go. Letting go of that which does not serve us. Letting go of envy, jealousy, possessiveness, and judgement.  Our  ego grasps at things and insists on making them its own. Poses in our physical practice are no different.  Its easy to desire the flexibility or strength of another in the room, and to then force our bodies into poses that we are not ready for, bringing us full-circle and back to the practice of Ahimsa, or non-harming.  We harm ourselves, and in turn others, when we allow greed and envy into our practice or into our lives. Whether on our mat or in our life, each of us is enough.  Aparigraha is a practice of gratefulness. Gratefulness for all that we have without attachment to desires for that which we do not have. 

Be grateful for what can you do, rather than mourn what you cannot.  Wherever you are in each pose, whatever event befalls you in your life, remember that it is enough and it is perfect. Harmony is found as soon as we let go of those things which are not useful to us. We find that we lack nothing because we are attached to nothing. And with non-attachment, comes the whole world.

"By the observance of aparigraha, the yogi makes his life as simple as possible and trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything. Then everything he really needs will come to him by itself at the proper time." ~BKS Iyengar

Contentment

“When we feel connected to the vastness of life and are confident of life’s abundance, we are naturally generous and able to practice the third yama, non-stealing (asteya).” - Donna Farhi, Teaching Yoga

This week's classes revolved around the practice of Asteya, non-stealing. Asteya is the third of the five Yamas, the universal vows of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. The Yamas also make up the first limb of Patanjali's Eight Limbed Path, a guide toward leading a moral, purposeful, and meaningful life.

Chapter two, verse 37 of The Yoga Sutra teaches us that “to one established in Asteya, all wealth comes.” If we learn not to steal in any form, we will realize that all we need comes to us naturally. Think of a time when something good found you, without your having to try.  This is how I found myself where I am today.  Each progression in this direction came to me without effort.  This morning I woke up and realized I had arrived.  I'm not looking for the next chapter, the next big idea, the next event.  I'm content. Coming to that realization meant also realizing that until this day, I had never been truly content.  When we are open to receive, receive we will.  When we are confident in the abundance of good things, we come to realize those things. People steal for fear of lack of abundance.  We don't realize that we already have everything we could ever need right within us. 

When we come to our yoga practice, we learn to be confident that our body has the abundance of energy it needs for each pose, for each practice.  We find that it will tell us when it has met its limits, and then, with practice, we celebrate our limitations. When we force our bodies into a variation of a pose it is not ready for, we rob our body of its opportunity to naturally and honestly open to into that pose. Eka Pada Galavasana, or Flying Pigeon, has been the peak pose of many of my classes this week. It is a pose that must be treated with respect and honesty. A pose that requires courage, strength, and confidence but that teaches us, at the same time, to honor our boundaries.  If our hips are too tight or upper body strength too weak, we must respect those limitations, knowing that as we continue to practice, we will someday be ready to fly.  When we connect mindfully to our body and breath, and release our ego, the practice of Asteya can be fully realized. 

Asteya reminds us also that when we partake it such behaviors as stealing, jealousy, envy, or discontentment, we are contributing to our own suffering. We are denying our minds peace by believing that we are not whole.  Our perception that we are lacking in some form - on our yoga mat, at home, in our job, in our relationships - leads to discontentment, to struggle with our desires for things that others have or poses that our bodies won't allow.  To recognize and celebrate our own unique gifts and qualities is to find peace of mind.  When we are content with ourselves, our lives, our practice, we feel no lack of abundance.  When we let go of striving to be like those around us and recognize ourselves as truly whole, we begin to appreciate and receive what we already have. 

“Be content with what you have;rejoice in the way things are.When you realize there is nothing lacking,the whole world belongs to you.” ― Lao Tzu

Your True Self

 “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” – Buddha

Wheel pose is a lesson in self acceptance and facing our boundaries. Its a pose that asks us to lift our hearts, stretch our spine, and open our entire front body. Here is where we realize that Yoga is more than a physical practice. It is the unity of mind, body, and spirit. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes the Eight Limbed Path. Eight steps, essentially, that act as a guide to leading a meaningful and purposeful life. This past week, in my yoga classes, we explored Ahimsa and Satya, the first 2 (of 5) yamas of the Eight Limbed Path. The Yamas are considered universal vows that should be practiced in thoughts, words, and actions.

Ahimsa, the first of the five yamas, means non-harming, or non-violence. It can be translated to maintaining compassion for yourself and others. In our practice it is easy to compare ourself with those around us; to think that we are not good enough because we can't touch our toes in this pose, or our hips just don't open in that pose. We fight with our bodies, insisting that they do things they are not ready for. We can go so far as to exhibit violence toward ourselves - physically and emotionally. Violence is created not only through physical harm but by our reactions to others, or to events, or to ourselves as well.  Judgement, anger, criticism, are all forms of violence. On our yoga mat, we observe the ways in which we judge ourselves - forcing ourselves into a pose or telling ourselves we're not good enough because we can't do something.

Within your yoga practice, there is no judgement. There is no criticism. There is only you, your breath, and your body. Foster compassion for yourself in your practice. Carry that compassion for yourself with you when you leave your mat. See how compassion for yourself spreads to all those you encounter. Compassion allows us to let go of negativity and to respond instead, with positive, kind, and loving responses.

Satya, the second of the Yamas, means truthfulness, or honesty.

2.36 As truthfulness (satya) is achieved, the fruits of actions naturally result according to the will of the Yogi. 
~Yoga Sutras

In other words, when we practice honesty and truthfulness in thoughts, words, and actions, we find that our will is naturally fulfilled. On our yoga mat, practicing satya is related to the practice of ahimsa because we learn to face the truth of our boundaries and we honor them without forcing our bodies into poses they are not ready for. Not all poses are for all people. Because we are all beautifully individual, we cannot all look the same or go as deep in every pose. Yoga teaches us to cultivate feeling and awareness in our body. To be honest and true to our limitations. To truly come to love our boundaries and face them truthfully. Practicing satya in a yoga class means honoring and respecting our gifts as well as our weaknesses. Everything in this world is temporary. Because we change moment to moment, practice to practice, we must release our past practices and try only to achieve that which each new practice presents us. Think not about where you are going but about where you are. When we learn to recognize whatever resistance we are currently facing we can begin to let go and move forward on our journey.

Ahimsa, compassion and non-harming. A direct link to Satya, truthfulness.  Our reminders to meet ourselves where we are, as we are. To connect with our true selves, and thus with all beings, we must treat ourselves with kindness, respect, and honesty. The light in you is the light in each of us. When we truly honor our own light, only then do we truly honor the light in each of us. Once compassion for ourselves is cultivated, compassion to all beings is naturally expressed.