Topic of the Month Archives

Use the menu below to view previous Topic of the Month archives...

JUNE 2004 TOPIC OF THE MONTH

YOGA SUTRA II:29
Eight accessories to Yoga are described.
(Tools to help you access Yoga.)

Let’s Demystify what Yoga means:
Eight limbs of Yoga are designed to give us tools to use to reach the Yogic state. What is the Yogic state? Yoga is defined as Union. Union with what? Union with our Higher Power, Divinity, God, whatever term you choose to use. So what does that mean????? If we are connected to something larger than ourselves, we have a better capability to “see the big picture”. We are not so wrapped up in the little details of our life that pull us from our center of serenity.

The eight limbs:
1. Yama - non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, non-hoarding
2. Niyama – purity, contentment, self-discipline, self study, Surrender to God
I like to describe these simply as the 10 commandments of Yoga
3. Asana – physical and mental postures
4. Pranayama – Breathing practices
These two limbs help us take care of ourselves. Physically with postures and exercises, mentally with breathing exercises to calm our nervous system and remove dis-stress from our bodies.
5. Pratyahara – Withdrawing the senses
This step begins the process of turning our attention away from what other people are doing, away from all the little details that pull us from our center.
6. Dharana – Concentration
7. Dhyana – Meditation
8. Samadhi – Blissful state
These final three steps turn our attention inward to ourselves. We can best use our energy to change ourselves. We can not change other people and if we try our own lives become a mess. I refer to these last three limbs as “Mind your own business”.

To make it easy to apply to our lives I have broken this down to three basic principals:
1. General friendliness and caring in all our affairs (as we learned from Yoga Sutra I:33 when a Yogin thus cultivates friendliness, the thinking substance becomes serene).
2. Take care of yourself
3. Mind your own business

YOGA SUTRA II:46-48
The third step of Yoga, which is postures, physical and mental exercises, is described
The big picture of Asana Practice is more than Physical. There are three verses in the sutras relating to Asana practice.
1) YS II:46 Postures should be steady and comfortable (see Focus of the Month April 2004)
2) YS II:47 During asana tension is released producing natural relaxation and a favorable mental environment for internal work. There are two types of tension:
   a) Physical: If untreated it leads to dis-ease, such as CHD and eventually it leads to
   b) Mental: mental tension is “in-tension” and results in psychological disorders

Asana releases these elements and the body attains natural relaxation

3) YS II:48 Thus Asana produces physical, mental, and Spiritual development; by releasing tension physically, which calms the nervous system and thus the mind, and sets the stage for the internal work necessary for Spiritual development.
As we progress Spiritually dualisms of the world do not attack us. Example, love and hate, pain and pleasure, us and them.

YOGA SUTRA II:49-53
The fourth step of Yoga, pranayama is described

Pranayama is included in breathing techniques, but it is about energy, the individual, and the universe.

YS II:49-53
When asana is perfected, inspiration and expiration can be controlled.
The most important system of the body is the motion of the heart and lungs, all motions depend on their existence, thus the motion of the heart and lungs constitutes the phenomenon of individual life.
Though the motion of the heart is involuntary, the motion of the lungs can be controlled to some extent. By practicing breathing exercises one can reach the motion of the heart ( ex. using our breath to slow our heart rate). By means of the motion of the heart one can effect every cell in the body.
We are then able to be in tune with our own bodies, this aids us in tuning in with nature’s rhythms and cycles, which in turn makes it easier for us to connect to Something Greater.

Modifications of Pranayama are to inhale, exhale, or retain the breath. They can be long or short and modified according to space time and number.
Beginners are limited to the space of the chest, as the practice advances they begin to occupy more and more space to the point of cell breathing.
By daily and regular practice one reaches mastery of breathing exercises. It is recommended for beginners to start with a 1:4:2 ratio (inhale:retain:exhale)

Control of breath leads to mastery of mind and senses
“Just as impurities of metals are destroyed by heating them in fire, disorders and diseases of the body and mind and senses are destroyed in the fire of pranayama and purity is achieved.
The main obstacles to obtaining Self-light (purity) are these: 1/ Avidya, ignorance, which covers reality 2/ Weakness of mind regarding concentration.

As a result of mastery gained in pranayama, avidya which is covering the light of Self is destroyed.
The magical panorama of lust and desire for material, sensual, and sexual enjoyment is mighty. As soon as one wave of desire is satisfied, another arises with greater force.
By practice of pranayama this ignorance with its consequences is destroyed.

When the mind becomes fit for concentration it displaces a tremendous amount of psychic energy which was previously misutilized by the senses, that can now be used for pratyahara and directing our energy inward and upward ;)

Yoga Sutra II:54-55
The 5th Limb of Yoga, Pratyahara

Withdrawing our senses from the external world allows us to disconnect our energy from external sources and direct it inward for personal development.
We have a limited amount of energy within our bodies. When we are holding on to past negative emotions, worrying about what other people are doing, and just living our daily lives we are expending our energy. There are times to send our energy out and there are times when we need our energy in our body. For example:
   1) in times of pain or sickness we need our energy to heal
   2) to work on ourselves mentally, physically, spiritually
Practicing Pratyahara will help us disconnect our energy and withdrawal it back to ourselves to work on ourselves and to heal ourselves.

© 2006 Bobbi Misiti | Be Fit Body & Mind YOGA