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Now, the practice of yoga

When I was younger, I began practicing yoga for the physicality of it. I liked putting myself into shapes that either stretched or strengthened me. It was demanding but doable, and I found it engaging and fun. As my studies continued, I learned that the observation and control of the breath and the mind were also part of practicing yoga. Asana became a tool along the path rather than an end goal.

Yoga has teachings and techniques regarding the breath and the mind. I am grateful that I found teachers along my journey that were able to translate them in a way that was accessible and relevant on and off the mat. It’s what I strive to pass on to my students.

Now is the first word of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and some would argue it’s the most important concept. I agree. For now, I find myself at one of life’s crossroads. My father died recently. Not unexpected due to his age and health and the natural trajectory of life. Now, I am a child who has lost a parent. I’ve often been amazed that I’ve had two parents for as long as I have – I knew it was coming. However, it’s still a transition filled with emotions, duties, and paperwork.

Now, more than ever, is when I appreciate the support of my yoga practice. It’s what I’ve been training for. Let’s face it, it’s much easier to practice when our bodies feel good, our minds and hearts are at peace, we’re in a familiar studio with a teacher we like, doing poses that we like. And that’s great. But it’s not always how it goes. 

What are you practicing for?

Now, the practice of yoga.

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Going out on a limb

Classically, Pranayama was used to develop the body and mind for the higher limbs of yoga (the subtle practices of sense withdrawal, one pointed concentration and meditation). However, breathing is one of the few bodily functions that are both conscious and unconscious. The way we breathe affects bodily functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, digestion, and sleep for better or worse. By practicing various pranayama techniques, we can learn how to calm the mind, increase lung capacity, open the nasal passages, and even strengthen the core.

Back in March 2020, when everyone else was learning how to bake bread, making home improvements, or catching up on their reading list, I decided to devote more time to practicing Pranayama, the fourth limb of yoga. As a yoga teacher for over 20 years, it was one of those things that I always thought I “should” do but never made the time for. Having access to my teacher via zoom, provided me with the support for a deeper dive into Pranayama (and got rid of at least two or three of my excuses).

I’ve been practicing Pranayama more consistently for almost two years now. I am still a beginner, but I have learned a few things about the importance of this subtle practice and am bringing some of the techniques into my group and private teaching.

Hopefully, I’ve convinced you of the benefits of a Pranayama practice. I’d love to share what I’ve learned and help you with your journey.

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The Eight Limbs – working with the Yamas

When looking for themes for classes, I often refer to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. There are very few pose (asana) instructions in the sutras. That’s because asana is just one part of the eight limbed system of classical yoga. Which is interesting since most yoga classes spend the bulk of their time on physical postures. And as a yoga teacher, I do too.

However, I think it’s important to recognize that asana is a single component of a larger whole. By studying the eight limbs and our relationship to them, our understanding of yoga and the poses deepens. The eight limbs, in order, are the ethical guidelines (yama), personal practices (niyama), postures (asana), vital energy control (pranayama),  sense withdrawal (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and absorption (samadhi).

The limbs do not need to be studied sequentially, but because I like starting at the “beginning” I usually introduce them that way to show their interconectedness. The yamas or ethical restraints, are the first limb. Think of them as guidelines for conduct in society. The yamas are non harming, truth, non stealing, conservation of energy, and non greed. Hard to argue with any of those. In fact, I’ve often thought they could easily be listed on a poster on the wall of a kindergarten class.

These past few weeks, I’ve been encouraging my students to pick one yama and observe how it shows up in their lives and their practice. Since we all spend more time off the mat than on it, it’s interesting to notice how these moral codes play out in our relationship to others, material objects, and the self. For my own yama study, I chose to practice and reflect on non greed. 

I’ve always felt a bit confused about how non greed differs from non stealing. After some contemplation I’ve decided stealing is about taking, and greed is about wanting. Sometimes we take something because it is needed (an example would be stealing food to satisfy hunger). With greed there is never enough. The acquisition of the “thing” doesn’t fill us up, instead it feeds the cycle of wanting more. The wanting isn’t always for material objects. For me, it’s wanting things to be different than they are in the present moment, wanting to be more “successful” as defined by our society, wanting chocolate at 10 pm…plenty to practice with. 

The yamas are not commandments or absolutes. They, along with the other limbs, provide a yogic lens for self observation and study, They allow me to look at my thoughts, words, and deeds so that I may chip away at the things that are not my true nature, and cultivate the things that genuinely fill me up. Not so that I’m perfect, but so I can find more steadiness and ease in my life (another sentiment from one of my favorite sutras). It’s a slow process but I’m learning a lot and I’ve got the time. Do you?

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What’s your excuse?

I often joke that my job as a yoga teacher is to shoot down all of my students excuses for not practicing. You know the ones…not enough time, not enough space, too tired, no mat, the dog/cat/kid/spouse is distracting me…

In Sutra 2.1 of the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali offers a clear method for practice, Kriya Yoga. If you’re familiar with the eight limbs of yoga, you’ll recognize three of the niyamas (personal practices – the second limb of yoga) listed in Sutra 2.1

Kriya Yoga, the path of action, consists of discipline, self study, and faith
Tapah svadhyaya isvara-pranidhana kriya yoga

Sanskrit, the language of yoga, is concise. As such, we often need multiple words or phrases to capture the meaning of a single sanskrit word. For example, Tapas is often translated as discipline or heat. In our culture, discipline is often punitive. In the context of yoga and the sutras discipline should be enthusiastic, self directed, and for positive change. Svadyaya or self study is achieved through observation, and study of the texts. It is also helpful to find a trusted teacher or guide. Finally isvara-pranidhana, literally translates as surrender to the Divine. Implied in that meaning is surrendering from a place of fullness and having faith in something bigger than oneself.

To me, the beauty of Sutra 2.1 is that it gives us a “plan of action”. Yoga is not a passive practice. There’s a reason you’ve chosen to study yoga. Perhaps you’ve already realized that the richness of yoga and its teachings go deeper than the postures. As our practice develops, it is inevitable that we will encounter obstacles. The tools of Kriya Yoga help us navigate these stumbling blocks and keep us on the path. If you keep reading the second chapter of the Sutras, you’ll find a list of the five kleshas or obstacles. They are lack of knowledge, an over or under developed ego, attachment, aversion, and fear. Check out this previous post for more info on the kleshas.

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Teaching online – a lesson in bravery.

When I first closed my studio in mid March, my thoughts were as follows….”this is temporary, I’ll be open again April 1st” and “I don’t need to teach online, there is a ton of good content on the web already”.

This time of sheltering in place may be temporary but I quickly realized that it’s going to last longer than any of us had realized. Since I’m committed to my students and my role as a yoga teacher, I decided to offer online classes.

When I first thought about teaching online there were other thoughts that I didn’t share with you. They sounded like this….”the existing online content is better than anything I can do”, “no way do I want to be on camera”, “I’m not into using tech for teaching”… blah, blah, blah. This mental chatter was my fear. Fear based on my past, my perceptions, my misperceptions – you get the idea.

Fortunately, through the practice of yoga (and some gentle nudges from others) I was able to dampen the voices down enough to do what I needed to do. Which was to get over myself and get on zoom! After two weeks of being online, some patient and wonderful students, and a steep learning curve, I’m feeling much better about virtual classes.

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The Savoring Habit

I was explaining the concept of the habit loop to my class the other day. It goes like this:  a cue creates a habit and the habit provides a reward. My intention was to encourage students to look at their tendency of rushing through poses and the underlying belief that faster is better. The cue is that something needs to be done, the habit is rushing and the reward is a sense of mission accomplished. I asked them to consider the positive effects of moving slower through their poses. 

We all know changing habits isn’t easy. Especially when a habit (like getting more done or having more stuff) is reinforced and/or valued by our family, friends and society. Transforming longtime habits requires awareness and effort. Fortunately, there are tools that help us develop the ability to examine our actions and beliefs. Patanjali lists many of them for us in the Yoga Sutras.

Kriya Yoga is considered yoga of action, and is defined in the second book of the Yoga Sutras. The components of Kriya Yoga consist of the third, fourth, and fifth of the personal practices, or second limb of yoga (niyamas). They are discipline, study of the self and the texts, and surrender to a higher power (sometimes translated as faith). When considering what is necessary for habit change, the tools of Kriya Yoga can be powerful and effective. 

Discipline is needed to endure the discomfort of changing an old habit and replacing it with a new habit. Self study gives us insight into how our current actions affect us and helps us decide what we really want to change. Faith allows us to believe that change is actually possible and that we are capable of it.

In my mind, one of the most important benefits of yoga is we can practice on the mat, the attributes we would like to possess when we are off the mat. When we hurry – whether it’s through our poses or our “to do” list, we miss the chance to be truly present in the moment. Coming back to the habit loop my example was that the cue was yoga practice, the habit was slowing down, and the reward was enjoying the moment. One of my students astutely noted that there was a word for that. Savoring. To savor is to truly be in the moment, to use one’s senses fully and joyfully. To me, that sounds a lot like the goal of yoga.

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Ways to Practice

There is no one “right” way to practice. Different styles of yoga may emphasize certain aspects of practice – asana, meditation, chanting, etc – but one is not better than the other. As you hopefully know by now, yoga is not an accomplishment, or something to use to judge yourself or others. Yoga is the act of stabilizing the mind and dissolving our sense of separateness. It gives us the ability to move, think and feel from a place of awareness.

The second book in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras gives suggestions on how to practice. The first concept introduced in it is Kriya Yoga or the yoga of action. It incorporates three of the niyamas (the personal practices and the second limb of yoga). They are tapas, svadyaya, and isvara pranidhana. If you read the sutras, you’ll find these words have a variety of english translations. Now, I’m no sanskrit scholar (although I have a friend who is!) but I find that using the sanskrit word rather than the english can free me from my personal and cultural biases about certain words.

Take tapas for example. It is translated as discipline, heat, intensity, desire, austerity, or fiery passion. Tapas is an inner fire, not the heat that comes from sweating profusely or being in a warm room. My favorite definition for it is discipline that comes from the desire to achieve the fruits of yoga. Discipline is one of those words that can be charged for some people. So that’s why I think it’s important to contemplate the underlying meaning and work with them within your best understanding. It’s also helpful to realize that your comprehension will grow and change with practice and time. Which brings in the second concept – svadyaya.

Svadyaya translates as study, self study, or study of the ancient texts. I include study of (or with) learned teachers. The idea behind svadyaya in yoga is to really observe how you feel, think and respond in your yoga practice. It’s useful to read and learn from others but ultimately you are your best authority on what works or doesn’t work for you. When employing svadyaya a question to ask might be “is this bringing me closer to the state of yoga?”.

Isvara pranidhana is often translated as surrender to God (or a higher power). This was definitely the most challenging niyama definition for me. Over time, I have been able to craft a meaning that fits for me. Dedication from a place of fullness and humility is what I’ve come up with. I like to joke with my students that I don’t care what they believe in (or not) as long as they realize there is something bigger than themselves out there!

These are not rules. Think of them as suggestions, tools, or guideposts to use along the path. My advice is to try one out and see if it fits. Don’t throw it away at first glance. If something doesn’t feel right you can set it aside and try something else. Who knows, with some discipline, self study and dedication, you might notice changes that makes you want to try those things you set aside again.

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Practice and Detachment

Most disciplines (music, art, sports) require dedicated practice of skills over time. How we practice influences our mind state and sets the course of our path. Infusing our efforts with enthusiasm, focus, and dedication may be obvious to some. Less obvious is the need for detachment (non attachment) to our efforts and outcomes.

In yoga, we use the word “practice” quite a bit. It’s important to remember that practice is a noun and a verb. Essentially, we practice our practice. Which begs the question, “what are we practicing and how are we practicing it?”.

One potential answer comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In the first three sutras yoga is defined as “the ceasing of the fluctuations of the mind”. Patanjali then tells us in Sutra  1.12 Abhyasa vairagyabhyam tannirodhah (practice and detachment are cultivated to still the fluctuations of the mind).

At first glance, practice and detachment may seem like opposing instructions. However, the brilliance of pairing these concepts is that when we apply the actions (verbs) of practice and detachment in a manner that focuses our yoga practice (noun), we get us closer to the goal of yoga.

We are always practicing something. Often, we practice worrying, getting angry, being busy, obsessing over the past or future, etc. And guess what? We get better at those things as we practice them. Yoga challenges us to observe our mind state. Is it becoming more stable with your efforts? How does your mind state change when you stop trying to achieve in your asana? In other words, are you able to detach from your perceived goal of yoga and move toward the goal that Patanjali presents?

I like to remind my students that we are not practicing in order to perfect anything. We’re already perfect! We are practicing so that we can observe the process of nudging ourselves toward our consciously chosen goals. Detaching from judgement, achievement or whatever other results we are hoping to obtain frees us up to fully embody the present moment. And that is the ultimate goal of yoga.

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