The Yoga Sutras on The Architecture of the Mind

The Architecture of the Mind

These are the five kinds of thought forms, or vrttis,  that we must be aware of and be able to see them for what they are in order to be able to find inner peace.  Knowing this, the next question is:  How do we recognize these vrttis?  We need to recognize what they are before we can be able to control them.   Otherwise our thoughts take on the form of the world around us, harden like clay, and you presume that they are you.

The five thought forms are:

Y.S. I.6  Pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smrtayah
The five activities are right knowledge, misconception, imagination, deep sleep and memory.

These five activities of the mind are in action in every moment and all at the same time.  For example, the thought of “home” will be perceived in shades of its actuality (pramana), its incorrect assumption of permanence (viparyaya), our fantasies of its future (vikalpa), the memories we’ve had within it (smrtayah) and the void of its non-existence (nidra).  Knowing that our thoughts can be colored by these five characteristics can help us identify true perception (pramana) among the others.  The goal is not necessarily to see the truth exclusively, but to be able to distinguish it.

For those of you who are interested in the texts I have been using, I base my commentary on The Yoga Sutras from a combination of several texts and one app:

The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
Light on The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Edwin F. Bryant
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Satchidananda
And an app on the Yoga Sutras developed by Daniel Levine

Yoga Sutras I.5 – I.11 - Definition of the Vrttis of the Mind

Definition of Vrttis of the Mind

I have read that we have somewhere around 60,000 thoughts a day and that 80% of those thoughts are repetitive. Of those repetitive thoughts, 80% are negative! I found that statistic to be rather amazing and somewhat disheartening. These thoughts create our reality and our suffering or lack of suffering. Yoga teaches us that we can do something about these thoughts, that we can become aware of the activities of our mind and that we can do something about these negative thoughts.

But first Patanjali has to define exactly what the mind is before we can learn how to control it. He defines the mind as the activities (vrttis) that occupy it.

Y.S. I.5 Vrttayah pancatayyah klistah aklistah
There are five activities of the mind. Each of them can be beneficial and each can cause problems.

Y.S. I.6 Pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smrtayah
The five activities are right knowledge, misconception, imagination, deep sleep and memory.

The activities, or vrttis, are each defined:

Y.S. I.7 Pratyaksa anumana agamah pramanani
Right knowledge is based on direct observation of the object, inference and reference to reliable sources.

Y.S. I.8 Viparyayo mithya-jnanam atad rupa pratistham
Misconception occurs when knowledge of something is not based on its true form.

Y.S. I.9 Sabda jnana anupati vastu-sunyo vikalpah
Imagination is the comprehension of an object based only on words and expressions even though the object is absent.

Y.S. I.10 Abhava pratyaya alambana tamo vrtti nidra
Deep sleep is when the mind is overcome with heaviness and no other activities are present.

Y.S. I.11 Anubhuta visaya asampramosah smrtih
Memory is the mental retention of a conscious experience.

These are the five kinds of vrttis, or thought forms, that we must be aware of and be able to see them for what they are in order to be able to find inner peace. Knowing this, the next question should be how to control these vrttis, because in reality, they seem to be controlling us.

Your Sphere of Influence

The Moral and Ethical Codes of Yoga

What is my Sphere of influence in the World? How do my yoga practices affect anyone else?

In Teacher Training we always talk about the Yamas and Niyamas; yoga’s moral and ethical codes.  Doing asana without the underlying philosophy is just exercise.  Yoga is more than that.

The Yamas are restraints for proper conduct; giving us tips on how to interact with each other.  The Yamas are:

Ahimsa or non-violence, Satya or truthfulness, Asteya or non-stealing, Brahmacarya or sexual restraint and Aparigraha or non-hoarding.

Inevitably when we talk about these restraints students always remark that while they might be practicing these rules that there is evidence of the opposite of these behaviors out in the world.  The Yoga Sutras speak directly to that.  The Yoga Sutra on ahimsa says explicitly:

Ahimsaa-pratishthaayaam tat-samnidhau vaira-tyaagah. Patanjali Y.S. 2.35All others will cease to feel hostility in the presence of one who is firmly established in ahimsa.

The only non-violence or truthfulness that we can be responsible for is our own.  We have no control over others.  But our actions can have a ripple effect.

Sharon Salzberg, a Buddhist meditation teacher, wrote a recent blog post for ON BEING on just this topic called “Your Three Feet of Influence”.  This article shows how our practices ripple out into the world creating our Sphere of Influence.

Revolved Side Angle Pose

Twists - Parivrtta Parsva Konasana or Revolved Side Angle Pose

Classically, twists are considered to be cleansing postures.  Twisting and squeezing the body moves fluids, wastes and toxins from the tissues and cells.  A rush of new blood surges in when the pose is released, cleaning out your digestive tract and vital organs.  In Light on Yoga, Mr. Iyengar tells us that the contraction of the abdominal organs in this pose aids digestion.  He also states that “the blood circulates well around the abdominal organs and spinal column and they are thus rejuvenated”.  That is one reason why people who suffer from back pain often find relief in twists.  This asana is also said to help remove waste matter from the colon without strain.  As you can see, there is a lot of benefit from doing twists in general and this pose in particular.

Poses of the Month for 2018

The Year in Poses

These are the poses I will be working on this year.  The poses in front of the forward slash are the entry level poses or modifications.  The poses after the forward slash are the more advanced apex poses we will be working towards.

January
Twists - Lunge Twist Twists/Parivrtta Parsvakonasan

February
Happy Baby, Janu Sirsasana/Marichyasana I, Akarna Dhanurasana

March
Core - Navasana and Ardha Navasana/Tolasana, Lolasana

April
6 Block Headstand and Malasana/Headstand to Bakasana

May
Standing Poses - Airplane/ Standing poses - Warrior III

June
Gomukhasana and Dolphin/Gomukhasana and Pinca Mayurasana

July
Triangle/Bound Triangle

August
Baby Dancer’s Pose/Natarajasana

September
Runner’s stretch/Janu Sirsasana B/Hanumanasana

October
Tree Pose & Variations/ Handstand - Adho Mukha Vrksasana variations

November
Hip Openers - Janu Sirsasana, Baddha Konasana /Agni Stambhasana/Padmasana

December
RestorativeInspiration for the year:Yoga of the Subtle Body by Tias LittleThe Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

One of my goals for this year is to study the Yoga Sutras.  I have been learning them randomly over the years. There are certain ones that are common and quoted often, but I have often wanted to follow the entire thread from beginning to end.  After all, the word sutra means thread.There are 196 sutras according to B.K.S. Iyengar.  My plan is to tackle 4 each week and take a year to finish the entire book.  I hope you enjoy this exercise and I encourage you to read along with me.There are 4 chapters in the book of the Yoga Sutras.  The first one is called Samadhi Pada, or the chapter on Samadhi; a state of intense concentration achieved through meditation.  In this chapter, Patanjali analyses the components of consciousness and its behavioral patterns and explains how its fluctuations can be stilled in order to achieve inner absorption and integration or Samadhi.  This is where we will begin.

Chapter 1 – Samadhi Pada

Y.S. I.1 Atha yoganusanamatha - nowyoga – unionanus – adviceasanam – instructionsWith prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga.Each sutra is a condensed thread filled with meaning.  This first one can mean that Patanjali has acquired sufficient knowledge that is he now ready and able to pass the teachings on to us.  Or, it could mean that now, because you are curious, you are ready to begin learning the deeper meaning of yoga.  Also contained in the word now is the concept of living and being in the present moment.  There is always the opportunity to begin again and again no matter how many times you forget or fall off of your practice.  You can always start again.Y.S. I.2  Yogah cittavrtti nirodhahyogah – integrationcitta – consciousnessvrtti – fluctuations in mindnirodhah – obstructionYoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness.I think this line is one that creates the most confusion for people because it makes them think that they have to stop their mind from thinking; this is the very job that the mind is supposed to do.  But if we turn inwards and we can see that there is the part of us that is thinking the thoughts and there is that part of us that is witnessing the thinking of thoughts.   At this level, often called the seer or the Capital “S” self, we can begin to realize that the thoughts are much like clouds passing in the sky and that the inner seer is much like the sun; the clouds may temporarily obscure the sun, but the sun is always shining.  Some of the clouds may be dark and stormy while others are puffy and light, but they are temporary and the sun is not.These movements of consciousness are often the cause of our changing moods.  I can feel that I have enough until I meet someone who has more and then while I was previously content, now I am not.  My circumstances haven’t changed, only my thoughts about my circumstances have.  These fluctuations in consciousness are the cause of suffering.Y.S. I.3  Tada drastuh svarupe avasthanamtada – thendrastuh – the soul, the seersvarupe – in his own stateavasthanam – abidesThen, the seer dwells in his own true splendor.By the time we get to this third sutra, Patanjali has told us all we need to know to dwell in the state of Samadhi.  However, while this is a simple concept, it is not easy.Y.S. I.4  Vrtti sarupyam itaratravrtti – fluctuationsarupyam – identificationitaratra – at other timesAt other times the seer identifies with the fluctuating consciousness.And that is where this fourth sutra comes in.  Most of the time, we identify with these fluctuations of consciousness, these clouds in the sky; we lose sight of the sun.

Focus on the Core

Yoga is a balance of strength and flexibility.  We need to be strong but not rigid.  Being strong gives us a firm foundation and clear boundaries.  Being rigid keeps us stuck, frozen in one place, unable to change and grow.  In being flexible, we need to be resilient, able to go with the flow, but not so flexible that we can be pushed over.  This is as true in our yoga postures as it is in life.We will begin this year developing our strength by working our core.  Our core connects our upper body and lower body together.  This is so important in keeping our spine healthy and strong especially as we reach and stretch our extremities in different directions.

A strong core is helpful when you are reaching in the back seat of your car to pick something up, or if you are practicing arm balances in your yoga class.

Psychologically our core represents our sense of self esteem and integrity.  This is the home of the third chakra.  Tapping into our core means tapping into our internal guidance system.  Can you remain true to yourself as you weigh outside influences?

There are specific exercises that work on the core such as Boat Pose, Plank or Intense Stomach Churning Posture.  But, every pose that we do has some aspect of core engagement.  Your abdominal muscles should be engaged to integrate the actions of the upper body and lower body in poses like Warrior II, Tree or Half Moon.

In any yoga pose there are any number of points you could focus on: the feet, your gaze or drishti, the breath or even the sensations in your skin.  But this month we will focus on the core.  Be prepared to get stronger, but also be prepared to be challenged!

Tips for Yoga Teachers

The Art & Craft of Teaching - The Basics

Finding a yoga studio to practice in while on vacation is hit or miss, unless you have a recommendation from a friend.  Every year when I visit my brother in Florida, I always look for a new studio/teacher.  So far, I haven’t found one that I like.  I know that I am a bit of a yoga snob, but there are certain things that can ruin the experience for me.  Because I train people to become yoga teachers, these are skills that I think are essential for every new teacher to know.  These are some of the basic elements I instruct my students in when I teach The Art & Craft of Teaching.

Intelligent sequencing:  You should have a class plan and know when to follow it and when to change course.  If your plan was to teach arm balances, but you have a room full of new students, it may be necessary to alter your plan.  Make sure you properly warm your students up to do poses.  This should go without saying. Doing advanced poses requires time and awakening of the various body parts to ensure safety and success.  You should have an idea of benchmark or gateway poses for any of your peak poses.  If students cannot do the gateway posture, then they certainly won’t be able to do the peak pose.

Enthusiasm: Even if you are a newer teacher, your enthusiasm will help your students get into the sequence you have chosen.  As an advanced practitioner, I can work hard even on basic poses if the instructions are good.  Encourage your students to be interested in the foundation and general form of the poses.

Self-study:  Take pictures of yourself in poses or practice in front of a mirror.  Sometimes the things we think we are doing, we are not.   Develop and maintain a home practice.  Teach from what you know and experience to be true.  Don’t just parrot back the last class you took.  Own the material you are teaching.  Digging into a single pose on your mat could fuel a month’s worth of classes.

Mirroring:  Unless you are showing something that is happening behind your back, don’t turn your back on your class.  If you are doing the poses, face them.  Mirroring is a skill that every yoga teacher should have.  It isn’t hard to do, but it does take concentration and practice.

Teach the class, don’t lead it:  Sure there are times when you can lead a practice, but most of the time, you should be teaching and learning about your students.  Notice when you give an instruction, were they able to follow it?  If not, why?  You might not be able to do anything about it in that moment, but it can help you learn more about how to teach poses.  You can certainly learn much more than if you are simply on your mat doing your own practice.

Put in the time:  To become a really good yoga teacher you need to put in the time.  Author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert.  But meanwhile, there are skills to practice that make the difference between being a mediocre yoga teacher and becoming a really good one.  Strive for excellence!If these concepts intrigue you and you want to perfect your yoga teaching skills and up your game, e-mail me for more information.  I am offering a mentorship program for a small number of yoga teachers in 2018.

Contentment - As a Practice

I have been reading the following passage in class during the last couple of days.  It's a great reminder to practice the second niyama of santosha or contentment.

From  the book How Yoga Works
The second commitment is to be contented with whatever you have. Y.S. II.32

"It is a commitment to be content with what we have, although never with what we could become. Because no one has all the circumstances they need to practice yoga and all its ideas. Things are never perfect. It is always too hot or too cold. The body is always hurting somewhere; the mind is always tired or sad. And there is always someone nearby who disturbs us. Time itself is always short and we must always make do with what we have. None of the great ones who followed this path before us, none of them over the centuries, possessed perfect circumstances either. And so they just worked hard with what they had available to them and they achieved their ultimate goals. Thus one who follows this way commits to be contented; contented with the food, contented with the place, contented with the weather, contented with the current condition of the body and mind, contented with the company. And they do not sacrifice a single moment of their short, precious lives to the poison of complaining, out loud or in their thoughts, about anything."

Restorative Poses – Cobbler’s Pose

Supta Baddha Konasana

Supported Cobbler’s Pose is one of the most important restorative poses. Physically it opens the chest, abdomen and pelvis. These areas are often restricted by how we sit and stand, the shape of our chairs, the fit of our clothes and how much time we spend looking down into our hand-held electronic devices. Psychologically, this pose allows for deep opening with safety and support. In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali writes about hiranyagarbha, the great golden womb of the universe. Patanjali teaches that the entire universe is held within this golden womb.  As you practice Supported Cobbler’s Pose allow yourself to enter into this primordial space of complete rest and ultimate protection.

There are many versions of Reclined Cobbler’s Pose. In the picture, I am demonstrating the simplest. I have used a long rolled blanket folded in a “U” shape around my feet and hips to help draw my legs towards my torso and cradle them there. In this version, I am lying flat on the floor. This is nice to do lying on a carpeted floor with a blanket over you to keep warm. Use an eye-pillow if you have one. Put on some soothing music, if you like and set a timer for anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. I have been playing a choir singing the mantra So-Hum. You can find it here on youtube.