Day 22) PratyaharaDay 22) PratyaharaThe 5th limb of yoga is pratyahara, withdrawal from our senses. The restraint of senses occurs when we are able to maintain the focus of the mind in a chosen direction and the senses disregard the different objects around them and instead follow the direction of the mind. The senses draw back from the external world to assist the mind in focusing inward. Pratyahara takes the mind away from the senses, away from the external world without completely losing contact with it, and instead directs its attention toward the soul.
An example of pratyahara, or rather an idea for cultivating pratyahara today would be to limit your exposure to technology. Rather than checking for email every hour, or having your phone with you at all times, spend those extra few minutes sitting quietly in as undistracted a place as possible, looking inward, and noticing the quiet. That is pratyahara.
Of the many aspects the Yoga Sutras lay out, abhysa, practice, and vairagya, nonattachment or renunciation, are two concepts that go hand in hand. Practice is doing the physical work, but following up your action with intention, usually in the form of letting something go, is yet another yogic concept that leads us to a clearer state of mind. Our physical practice gives us the energy to take on the harder work - releasing that which no longer serves us any purpose. Yoga supports us as we make a commitment to change - as we renunciate old harmful behaviors, let go of that grudge, let go of that which we do not need.
"Practice without renunciation is avoidance. Renunciation without practice is not long-lived." Rolf Gates, " Meditations from the Mat"
Day 24) Schools and Styles of YogaB.K.S. Iyengar has been the person most responsible for bringing yoga to the West. Through his teachings, he has influence the practice of virtually every style or school of yoga practiced in the US. Currently, there are a multitude of yogic styles and school. A brief listing follows, along with major features of each style. Yogajournal.com, and specifically the February 2008 issue of Yoga journal has a more extensive discussion of the different styles/schools of yoga most common today.
Bikram – “hot” yoga. Prescribed sequence of 26 poses and breathing exercises,
with the room heated to 105 degrees. Founder- Bikram Choudry
Power - An American adaptation of Ashtanga yoga. It is a rigorous and dynamic
practice, and very physically challenging. Founder-Baron Baptiste
Ashtanga – A set series of poses, linked by Vinyasa and synchrionized with
the breath. Very heating. Founder-Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
Vinyasa – Flow yoga, based on Asthtanga yoga, but more freeform. Asanas are
connected or flow together without significant pause between. Requires precise
knowledge of the alignment of the asana first. Founder Shiva Rea
Iyengar – A method that teaches awareness through attention to anatomical
precision and alignment. Founder – Sri B.K.S. Iyengar
Anusara – A Tantric based system that combines alignment with “Heart Centered”
awareness of the energy flow in the body. . Founder – John Friend
This list is by no means exhaustive. Other prominent schools/teachers include Kriya yoga, Ana Forest/Forest Yoga. Certain styles/ schools may appeal to different students.
This is actually a book! Many of the things that you can explore are ways to help you deepen your expression of an asana, or modify it for a physical limitation. An example is performing the warrior poses with the front thigh on a chair for people with motion limitation. Another modification using a chair involves using the back or seat of the chair for support for people with extremely tight hamstrings. Another use of the chair is in learning proper alignment in shoulder-stand and in backbends. Other “tricks” show placement of props and supports to allow for tight joints or limited movement. The key is that all of this adaptations aim to make yoga more accessible, and approachable.
Day 26) Yoga FAQWhy are there so many different types of yoga?
Although all yoga styles or schools have as their basis the 8 limbed path of yoga, or ashtanga, different interpretations of these precepts and performance of the asanas is possible. Remember, Patanjali merely wrote down the Yoga Sutras; he codified them, not invented them. As with any foundational work, they are therefore subject to a wide range of interpretation and modification.
Which style should I practice?
A close examination of your personal, and physical goals, personality and comparison with the tenets of the yoga tradition in which you are interested should help you narrow your choices.
What style of yoga is taught at Yakima Yoga?
While all of our teachers are certified, they too come from a variety of schools and traditions. Our current emphasis is on providing a broad exposure to Hatha yoga, with individual class emphasis touching on various yoga styles (i.e., Vinyasa, Anusara). It is our hope that in the future we may be able to offer workshops featuring teachers of a particular tradition. We are just growing here in Yakima. As our community expands, we will be able to offer more yoga styles in our classes.
I want to pursue more active study in yoga. How much or how often should I practice?
Regularity of practice rather than length of practice is key. As with any habit or routine that you are trying to develop, the more often you do it, the more it becomes a part of your life. The frequency that you would approach in any dedicated hobby or physical activity (3-4 times a week) would be a place to start for yoga asana practice. But guess what, you can breathe or observe yama/niyama anywhere, so you really can take your yoga practice anywhere, even if you are not on the mat.
Is yoga a religion?
It is important to differentiate religion and spirituality. Many would say spirituality has to do with one's interior life, the ever-changing understanding of one's self and one's place in the universe – perhaps one’s quest for meaning. Religion, however, can be viewed as the outer counterpart to spirituality, the structure we give to the spiritual processes – the chants, ceremonies, doctrines, etc. As B.K.S. Iyengar says of Patanjali (the sage credited with compiling the Yoga Sutras), “He clothes the righteous and virtuous aspects of religious matter with a secular fabric and in so doing is able to skillfully present the wisdom of both the spiritual and material world, blending them as a universal culture.”
Dandasana or seated staff pose is the foundational pose for all seated poses. While you can pursue a primarily seated practice, sitting postures are generally woven into a well rounded yoga practice, which includes standing and seated poses, as well as twists, inversions, backbends and forward bends.
Staff pose – Dandasana (sit with legs extended straight)
Head to knee pose – Janu Sirsasana (one leg folded in, fold over straight leg)
Bharadvajasana – seated twist, named for a sage (legs tucked to the side, twist away from legs)
Half lord of the Fishes poses – Adha Matsyadrasana (one leg bent crossed over the other, twist is away from bent leg)
Bound Angle pose – Badha Konasana (soles of the feet together)
Intense East West Stretch/seated forward fold – Paschimottanasana
Seated wide leg forward fold – Upavista Konasana
Padmasana – lotus pose, or crossed legs
Paripurna and Ardha Navasana – Full and half boat pose (abdominal work, lift bent legs into v-shape)
Vajrasana – lightning bolt pose (sit on heels, or block)
Virasana – hero pose (sit between feet, or on a block)
Savasana
This practice includes pranayama (breath work) as well as asana. As you progress in your practice, you should include several aspects to have a balanced practice: All the primary openings of the hip and shoulder (internal, external rotation), inversion/partial inversion, forward bend, back bend, twists, standing poses, as well as savasana. The difference between a beginner and an advance beginner/intermediate student is not just the difficulty of asana postures, but the ability to breath smoothly through out the entire practice, as well as the depth of understanding and execution that the student has in each asana. An advance student can easily take a “beginning” course, and through differences in focus, make that class into an appropriate learning and growth experience. Have fun with this practice focused on arm balances!
Viloma I- three part inhalation to increase lung capacity while sitting in
Varjrasana (Lightning bolt pose w/ block under sitting bones)
Hip opener stretches ( on your back, thread the needle – cross ankle over knee,
gomukhasana legs (knees crossed, grab opposite feet)
Easy twist on back
Cat/cow
Sun Salutations
Warrior poses
Utkatasana
Uttansana
Lunge
Phalankasana-plank pose
Elbow plank
Chataranga Dandasana – Four limb staff pose
Elbow Dog
Dolphin
Kakasana-Crow
Pincha Mayurasana- forearm balance
Balansana-Child’s pose
Janu Sirsasana- head to knee pose
any seated twist
Bridge or full backbend
Supta Baddha Konasana – soles of the feet together
Jathara parivartanasana – reclined twist, legs bent
Savasana
There are whole books written about meditation. This is a brief introduction to meditation, and its role in the 8 limbed path of yoga.
The outer limbs of yoga (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama) which deal with the external, physical body, are foundational for work with the inner limbs. The inner limbs of sense withdrawal, concentration, meditation and contemplation, are all more inwardly focusing and subtle. The yamas focus on our interaction with the outside world. The niyamas focus on our interaction with ourselves, or our internal world. Together these practices are designed not only to help us see ourselves more clearly, but to remove reactive emotionality and habit from our everyday life, replacing it with thoughtful, mindful interaction, rather than reaction to life. A good summary sentence is “…it’s not about what happens to you but how you react to it.” Asana, which addresses the physical aspects of yoga, and its relation to the body, and pranayama, which encompasses breath work, and control of the life force, make up the other 2 outer limbs. Familiarity with all four limbs will aid in the development of work on the inner limbs.
The inner limbs consist of sense-withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and contemplation or samadhi. Meditation is a way of life, not just a 15-20 minute daily practice. It is a tool for self-transformation that stills and quiets the mind, leading one to a place of peace, tranquility and wisdom. It is a movement away from your perception of the external universe to a perception of the internal universe- away from the physical objects around you to the subtle objects within your mind and beyond. It is an effortless non-peripheral focusing of the mind. Meditation encompasses the practices of asana, pranayama, sense-withdrawal and concentration. Asana practice supports meditation by helping one develop the ability to comfortably hold the body still for an extended period of time. Breath awareness that is cultivated in asana work is also vital. As we learn to control the breath through pranayama, we learn to control the quality of the mind. The last component, concentration, is the focusing of the mind with effort. With time the practice becomes effortless, leading one to meditation.
Begin your practice by sitting for a short time; 2-3 minutes. As your body and mind find this to be pleasurable, you will be drawn to extend your meditation time. This is all about the journey of self-discovery, and the journey within; there is no wrong way to do it, as long as your practice improves the quality of your life.
We hope you have enjoyed this very condensed introduction to yoga asana and practice. Yoga practice and philosophy cover a wide range of topics, most of which we have barely touched. There are many books, study guides, and magazines which are informative and illustrative of various philosophical topics and asana work. We also hope that you will come to some of our classes, and experience the community and family of a yoga studio home. If you choose to practice, whether at home, at the studio, or a combination of the above, the most important thing is to just show up and be present. Rather than struggle each day toward some preset goal or destination, be aware that the journey of yoga IS the destination. This is radically different thought in our goal oriented, go-go society, but in letting go of your preconceptions and preset goals, as you practice you will find yoga; unity of mind, body, and spirit.
Namaste
Kaye Brundidge and Megan Tweedy