Yoga Sutras 1.33 – 1.37 The Yoga Sutras on Examples of Practice

These sutras teach us about how to practice.  One of the important concepts to be aware of are the qualities of nature and of the mind.  These qualities are called the gunas; they are cosmic energies that pervade all of nature.  There are three qualities of nature: rajas, or the energy of activity, change, evolution and development.  In the mind rajas is the energy attachment, wanting, grasping and desire;  it is the fight of the fight, flight or freeze response.   Without rajas we would never get anywhere.

The next quality of nature is tamas which means inertia or lack of movement.  In the mind it is stubbornness, resistance to change, apathy or a feeling of being “stuck”.   Tamas represents that tendency to freeze, the reluctance to trying something new.

Sattva is the point of balance between rajas and tamas.  At the level of the mind, sattva is a balance of clarity and light.  Sattva is a feeling of peace, balance and harmony, a sense of being enough, doing enough and having enough.  If our practices are too rajasic, they will be too harsh and austere.  If too tamasic, they will never get off the ground; we will be too lazy, or we won't try something new because we "have always done it that way".  One way to tell if our practices are working is if they create a sense of sattvic balance.

Y.S. 1.33 Maitri karuna mudito peksanam sukha dukha punya apunya visayanam bhavantah citta prasadanam

Maitri – friendliness
karuna – compassion, mercy
mudita – gladness, joy
upeksanam – to be indifferent and apathetic, to look at things without interest
sukha – happiness
dukha – sorrow
punya – virtue
apunya – vice
visayanam – regarding an object, concerning a thing
bhavantah – conception, remembrance, infusion, recollection, thoughtfulness
cittaprasadanam – graceful diffusion of the consciousness, favorable disposition

In daily life we see people around us who are happier than we are and people who are less happy.  Some may be doing praiseworthy things and others causing problems.  Whatever may be our usual attitude toward such people and their actions, if we can be pleased with others who are happier than ourselves, compassionate toward those who are unhappy, joyful with those who are doing praiseworthy things and remain undisturbed by the errors of others, our mind will be very tranquil.

What this means in our daily life: If we can be happy when others are happy, then we can experience happiness more frequently.  If we can overlook the mistakes of others, then we know that our own transgressions can be forgiven.  Also, the act of doing good is its own reward.  We do not need praise or recognition for doing the right thing.

Y.S. 1.34  Pracchardana vidharana abhyam va pranasya

Pracchardana – emitting, sending forth, discharging, expelling, exhalation
vidharanabhyam –restraining, maintaining, supporting, executing
va – or, an option, also the power of choosing correctly, selection, alternatively
pranasya- of breath

When we find interruptions in mental clarity:
The practice of breathing exercises involving extended exhalation may be helpful:

One should inhale and exhale slowly and pause, maintaining the retention for as long as is comfortable.  This practice ensures a state of consciousness which is like a calm lake.

What this means in your daily life:  The breath is the greatest indicator of the state of the mind.  When the breath is not smooth and regular, something is disturbing us.   Find out what that is and deal with it and the breath should be able to return to a smooth and regular rhythm.

Y.S. 1.35  Visayavati va pravrttih utpanna manasah sthiti nibandhini

Visayavati – related to, attached to object, that which is perceived
va - or
pravrttih – moving onwards, advancing, progressing, contemplating, devoting, applying
utpanna – born, produced, acquired, accomplished
manasah - mind
sthiti - state
nibandhini – origin, basis, foundation, binding together,

By regular inquiry into the role of the senses we can reduce mental distortions.  Or, by contemplating an object that helps to maintain steadiness of mind and consciousness.

What this means in your daily life:  Use a tool to help you meditate.  It can be a mantra, your breath, an altar on which you set meaningful objects and symbols of your devotion or the ritual of lighting a candle.  But do set up a routine that helps you turn inward on a regular basis.

Y.S. 1.36  Visoka va jyotismati

Visoka – free from grief, sorrowless effulgent light
va  - or
jyotismati – luminous, bright, shining, possessed of luminous bodies, a tranquil state of mind

When we inquire into what life is and what keeps us alive, we may find some solace for our mental distractions.
Consideration of things greater than ourselves helps us put ourselves into perspective.

Here, the concentration is on the innermost core of the heart, wherein alone the sorrow-less, effulgent light glows.  That is the seat of the soul.  The mind is guided in such a way that it becomes engrossed and penetrates toward its source.  Movements in the form of thoughts in the mind are waves, and citta, or the seat of consciousness, is the ocean.  The sadaka, practitioner, must learn to keep the citta motionless and thoughtfully silent, without creating waves of thought.  This effort or stilling and silencing the citta brings forth the sorrow-less effulgent light of the soul.

What this means in your daily life: You are sitting to meditate and there is some noise outside, someone is working or mowing the lawn and it is disturbing your meditation practice, or your peace.  In reality, this is not someone who is doing something to you, they are simply mowing their lawn.  It has nothing to do with your meditation practice, or your peace.  In fact, the noise is part of your meditation practice.  You can choose to meditate later, or you can welcome the sound of mowing into your practice.  The problem is that we want the world to operate according to our personal agenda and when it doesn't, we get upset; it distracts us mentally.   We blame the noise on our inability to concentrate, when in fact the noise is simply a test of our concentration.

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 1.29 – 1.32 – The Obstacles on the Path to Enlightenment

Y.S. 1.29 Tatah pratyakcetana adhigamah api antarya abhavah ca
tatah – then
pratyakcetana – individual soul, introspective mind
adigamah – to find, discover
api – also, too
antarya – obstacle
abhavah – absence
ca – and

Meditation on god with the repetition of Om removes obstacles to the mastery of the inner self
Chanting and surrendering to a higher power helps you tune into that cosmic power. By that turning inward and tuning in you imbibe all of those qualities, get the cosmic vision, transcend all of your limitations and finally become that transcendent reality. Normally you are limited by your body and your mind, but by holding something infinite you slowly raise yourself from the finite objects that bind you and you transcend them. Through that you get rid of all of the obstacles and your path is made easy! Ah, but what are those obstacles? Patanjali tells us in the next Sutra:

Y.S. 1.30 Vyadhi styana samsaya pramada alasya avirati bhrantidarsana alabdhabhumikatva anavasthitavani cittaviksepah te antaryah
Vyadhi – disease
styana – mental laziness
samsaya – doubt, indecision
pramada – intoxication, carelessness
alasya – physical laziness
avirati – lacking in moderation or control
bhrantidarsana – living under illusion
alabhdabhumikatva – missing the point, inability to hold on to what is achieved
anavasthitavani – an unsettled state
cittaviksepah – a scattered mind
te – these
antarayah – obstacles, impediments

These 9 obstacles can be divided into physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual categories:
Physical
a. disease
b. lack of interest or sluggishness, physical laziness

Mental
a. Lingering doubt
b. Pride or carelessness
c. Idleness, mental laziness
d. Sense gratification, lacking moderation or control

Intellectual
a. Living in a world of delusion

Spiritual
a. Lack of perseverance or not being able to hold on to what has been undertaken
b. Inability to maintain the progress attained due to pride or stagnation in practices

These obstacles are like a chain: the first obstacle is physical disease. We all know that if you are not healthy, everything else is difficult. Disease makes you dull and a dull mind will doubt everything because it doesn’t have the energy to penetrate something in order to understand it.

When there is doubt, there is a carelessness, lethargy and laziness. When the mind loses interest towards a higher goal, it has to do something else so it will slowly descend to the sensual enjoyments. These obstacles could be summed up as the qualities of tamas which means inertia or dullness.

One of the main obstacles is slipping from the ground one has gained. This one obstacle is a big impediment for many people. A beginner will practice with intense interest. Everyday she will feel more and more interested and feel she is progressing steadily. She may even be proud of her progress. All of a sudden, one day she will find that she has lost everything and slipped down to rock bottom.
This happens to everyone. If we know it is a common occurrence, we won’t get disheartened. Otherwise we will lose all hope and interest and stop practicing all together. But this is just a test. Please know that this is common in the case of every aspirant. The mind can’t function on the same level always; it has its highs and lows. If there is going to be steady progress always, there will be no challenge, no game in it.

Y.S. 1.31 Duhkha daurmanasya angamejayatva svasapprasvasah viksepa shabhuvah

Duhkha – sorrow, pain
daurmansaya – mental pain, despair
angamejayatva – unsteadiness of the body
svasapprasvasah – inspiration and expiration
viksepa – scattered, causing distraction
shabhuvah – concurrent

Sorrow, despair, unsteadiness of the body and irregular breathing further distract the citta

These are symptoms that we all experience from time to time and they prevent concentration and focus. This is where we have to take care of day to day activities by taking care of our physical body with movement, our associations with others and with our forms of entertainment, diet and rest. We should not allow the body and mind to be tamasic (heavy and dull). They should always be in a sattvic (balanced and light) condition This cannot be created all of a sudden. We always have to take care of these things in our daily life. A sickly body can never be fit to sit; it will not allow the mind to meditate quietly. Weak nerves will always cause tremors. When some people meditate, they tremble an perspire. These are symptoms of physical weakness. But such things will not happen if we keep our body in proper condition by right diet, exercise, proper rest and if we do not allow it to become lazy and dull.

Y.S. 1.32 Tatpratisedhartham ekatattva abhyasah

Tatpratisedhartham – for their prevention
eka – one, single
tattva – a real state, reality, truth
abhyasah – practice

Adherence to single-minded effort prevents these impediments.

The point here is that we should not keep changing our object of concentration. When you decide on one thing, stick to it no matter what happens. There’s no value in digging shallow wells in a hundred places. Decide on one place and dig deep. Even if you encounter a rock, use dynamite and keep going down. If you leave that to dig another well, all the first effort is wasted and there is no proof you won’t hit rock again. Before you start digging, analyze well. And find out which spot is good. Then, once you decide and begin, you should not question it further. Go right at it, because it will be too late then to think whether it is worthwhile or not; you should have done that before.

Even if it is a long route, your perseverance will make it short. Our aim is to make the mind steady, so it is immaterial which object we take. Anything can take you to the goal, because you are not concentrating on the object for the sake of the object but for the sake of your goal. We should always remember this: all of our ideas, objects or even mantras are just symbols to hold onto as aids towards the goal. Behind the objects you should always remember the goal.

Tastes, temperaments and capacities differ, so you should not criticize another person’s object of meditation because you have selected another. He is approaching the same goal through his object. Just as you have confidence in your object, he too has that confidence in his way. We should not disturb the other person’s faith, nor let ourselves get distracted from our faith. Stick to one thing and forge ahead with that. Why should we have this one-pointed concentration? To make the mind clear so you can transcend it. You are not going to cling to the object but just use it as a ladder to climb up. Once you have reached the roof, leave the ladder behind.

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 1.25 – 1.28 The Sutras on Objective Enlightment

Y.S. 1.25 Tatra nitratisayam sarvajna bijam
tatra - there in (God)
niratisayam - unrivalledsarvajna - all knowledge
bijam - seed, an origin In that consciousness there is the seed of all unsurpassed knowledge.

In the previous sutra I used the illustration of a circle drawn on a piece of paper. The circle represents the finite. This is also a representation of us, a single person, drawn out of the infinite that surrounds us. In order for us to be finite, and each one of us different, there must be an infinite around us. In this infinity (god, or supreme consciousness) there is infinte time, space and knowledge.

Y.S. 1.26 Sa esa purvesam api guruh kalena anavacchedat
sa - that
esa - Purusha or God
purvesam - first, foremsot
api - also
guruh - master, teacher
kalena - time
anavacchedat - unbounded, unlimited
In the very beginning there were also teachers since truth is not limited by time.

Y.S. 1.27 Tasya vacakah pranavah
tasya -Him
vacakah - signifying
pranavah - the sacred syllable AUM
Of this, we refer to the entire experience as AUM. (pranavah translates literally to humming)
This refers to the practice of chanting.

Y.S. 1.28 Taj japa tadhartha bhavanam
taj - that
japah - muttering in an undertone, whispering, repeating
tadarthabhavanam - its aim, purpose, identification Repetitive chanting of the Name will lead to a deeper meaning.
When you listen to “yoga music” you are listening to songs that are really chants extolling the virtues of god, by using the various names for god: Shiva, Brahma, Vishnu, Ganesha, Saraswati, Kali, Durga, etc… Krishna Das, one of the most well known kirtan singers, began as a devotee in India, sitting at his guru’s feet chanting the holy name, trying to reach enlightenment.

In the chant “Om Namah Shivaya” The Om is that humming. Everything is contained in that Om as it is said to vibrate inside of us tuning us to the same vibration of the universe, infinite or god. The word Namah means I bow to. It comes from the same route as Namaste. Shiva is one of the names of god, but the “ya” on the end is reflexive, turning it back into yourself. So, Shivaya refers to that aspect of god, Shiva, the infinite, that resides inside of you.

While many people make pilgrimages to holy lands and special teachers, the real journey is into the inner self. To touch that divine spark inside of your own Self.

"We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." – T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding

A scientific note about Om:*

“It is recently reported that the Earth undergoes free oscillations with a period of between 150 and 500 seconds, as determined from an analysis of seismic data. The most probable force driving this bell-like ringing of the Earth arises from variations in atmospheric pressure alternately pressing inward and outward on the Earth’s surface. Note that though we speak of this ringing of the Earth as a “sound” it is at far too low a frequency (2-7 millihertz) to be heard by the middle ear, which has a low frequency cut-off of 20 hertz. In several experiments people do report “shivers down their spines” when exposed to sound waves below the 20-hertz cut-off; however, it is not clear that the sensations involve the ears. Is it possible that these two scientific discoveries have anything to do with the sound of the universe as reported in the yoga texts as the all-permeating “Om” when in deeply meditative states?

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

*A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers: The Incorporation of Neuroscience, Physiology and Anatomy into the Practice. Mel Robin

Yoga and Your Knees

If you have chronic pain in your knees, if they “snap, crackle, and pop” when you bend or extend them, or if they tend to hyperextend, you may have improper tracking or “dislocation” of the kneecap. This misalignment causes the most common kind of chronic knee pain and damage to the knee joint, which develops slowly over time. Yoga knee therapy might be able to help.
The most common source of knee pain is due to improper tracking of the knee cap or patella. The patella is a bone that protects the knee and helps to increase the contracting action of the quadriceps muscles in straightening the leg. It is supposed to slide in a groove in the femur as the knee bends and straightens. If this movement is not smooth and the kneecap goes off track (and it can), it can grind away at the cartilage underneath, destabilizing the knee. The ensuing pain is the most common reason for knee replacement surgery because people think that the cartilage is totally gone. It might not be completely gone and it can grow back, although it does so very slowly. However, if the mechanics of the knee is not improved, the rate of wear and tear will outpace the rate of healing.

The knee cap can move out of balance when there is an imbalance in one of the four muscles that make up the quadriceps group. All four of the quadriceps muscles connect to the kneecap and through a common tendon to the top of the lower leg, or tibia. It is a common occurrence for the inner quad muscle, vastus medialis, to be weaker than the outer one, vastus lateralis. When this occurs, it causes the kneecap to be pulled sideways by the stronger muscle.

To counter balance that, there is an exercise you can do:

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched straight out in front of you. Place a rolled up blanket or a mat under the back of the painful knee. In this supported position, the knee will be bent. Externally rotate the foot a few degrees so that the inner arch is facing towards the ceiling and the inner thigh is rotated up to the ceiling. This will focus your efforts on the inner quadriceps muscle called the vastus medialis. Smoothly contract the quadriceps to straighten the leg. Hold the contraction with the heel off of the floor for about three seconds before gently lowering the heel back down to the floor. Repeat this for 10 reps. Rest and repeat this exercise 3 times. If you have access to a gym and a leg extension machine, you can do this exercise that way, too. Sometimes the weight in the machine is not light enough if you are in pain, in which case do the exercise over the rolled blanket until your knee becomes less painful and it gains strength.
How does this relate to your yoga poses? The first way is your ability to straighten your leg and lift the kneecap in straight leg poses and the second way is to pay attention to the alignment of your knee over the ankle in bent knee poses.

For the straight leg version, this can be done in stages. First, do the exercise above where you straighten the leg over a rolled blanket or mat. Then try to straighten the leg while sitting in Dandasana, or staff pose. Place the leg straight against the floor and contract the quad, straightening the leg. Make sure you keep the heel grounded otherwise you are hyper-extending the knee. Can you lift your kneecap? This is the easiest way to learn to lift the kneecap. Next try to lift your kneecap in Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide Legged Forward Fold) Then try it in Trikonasana, (Triangle Pose). It is harder to lift the kneecap of the front leg in Trikonasana but it can be learned and it is a safer way to practice straight leg poses.

For the bent knee poses it is important that your shin is vertical. It doesn’t really matter how deep of a bend you have. That is dependent on your strength and flexibility. It is more important that you knee is over your ankle. This needs to happen in two planes: the front plane and the side plane.
In the front plane:

These three images show the relationship of the knee and the ankle. The picture on the left shows correct alignment with the knee lined up over the second toe. The picture in the middle shows the knee pulling to the pinky toe side of the foot. This works the outer quad, vastus lateralis, which does not help strengthen the inner quad. The picure on the right shows the knee caving in toward the big toe side of the foot. This creates wear and tear on the inner knee and further weakens the inner quad, vastus medialis.

In the side plane:

From the side view, the knee should be over the ankle. Often the knee is behind the ankle which creates compression in the knee joint. Rarely is the knee past the ankle as this is harder to hold and it creates a lot of pressure in the knee.

As you can see, practicing yoga can be very beneficial for your knees if you pay attention to your alignment. It is important to have a teacher who is aware of these subtleties and can help you work to enhance the natural therapeutic benefits of the poses.

Yoga for Your 50’s, 60’s and Beyond!

Surrender is often the hardest spiritual practice.

We have to constantly learn to let go of things, especially as we age. This is as true in yoga as it is in life.

This is certainly something I am thinking about as I have just turned the corner on 60.

I know that I am quite strong and flexible for my age. I am fortunate that I have always been interested in being physically fit and active. That means in some ways it is easier to maintain what I already have achieved. I also started doing yoga in my 20’s when a lot of physical things were easier than they are now. And although I was not very flexible when I started, I became flexible with dedication over time. These two steps of dedication and time are important to a yoga practice no matter the age of the practitioner.

Y.S. 1.14  Sa tu dirgha kala nairantarya satkara adara asevito drdhabhumih
It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.

My yoga practice was much different when I was younger. I was more interested in the physical workout than the internal one. As you can see by my quoting of the Yoga Sutras, that my interest has shifted, I am still interested in the physical practice, but I am now much more interested in the mental, emotional and spiritual practices. This is a typical pattern followed by many aging yogis before me.

My practice and even my teaching has changed as I have gotten older. Although I started off in the Iyengar tradition, I practiced and taught other forms of yoga that provided more of a workout during my 30’s and 40’s. Perhaps it was age, or maybe it was the slight physical imperfections of scoliosis combined with arthritis and injuries over years of being physically active that have impelled me to look again and return to the therapeutics of an Iyengar practice. I am less and less interested in moving fast through poses and more interested in spending time and finding balance and equanimity in the postures. I am more interested in developing my buddhi, rather than my booty. I am very interested in the benefits and subtleties subtleties of the poses, revisiting them and deepening them over time. Every pose changes over time as your body changes and your understanding, proprioception and ability changes.

I am still interested in a strong yoga practice, one designed to build strength, stamina, flexibility and equanimity. And I believe that it is possible to do so at any age, no matter if you have been doing yoga for many years, or just starting in retirement. The key to a sustainable yoga practice is working with what you have, being dedicated to practicing, keeping curious about what you might be able to do, being patient with your progress and moving step by step.

I'll see you on your mat!

Yoga Sutras Ch1. 21 - 24 The Effects of Effort and Surrender to God.

These first two sutras are still about our efforts  and their effects towards the goal of yoga.

Y.S. 1. 21  Tivra samveganam asannah
The rate of our progress is relative to the rate at which we practice and our enthusiasm for the work.

Y.S. 1. 22  Mrdu madhya adhimatravat tato’pi visesah
The various forms of devotion are mild, middle and intense. The more intense the faith, the closer the goal.

The next couple of sutras talk about devotion to a higher power.  These can be difficult for a lot of people because the word god (ishvara) is used.  This is not the same god, or being, of Christianity or Judaism.  Ishvara is more of a primordial source, a state of consciousness from which everything in the universe emanates, a state of “is-ness” called Purusha in Sanskrit.

Swami Satchidananda explains god this way:  “In other words, he is all knowing.  He is knowledge itself.  The cosmic knowledge is called the supreme soul or purusha.  How can we imagine or visualize it?  Imagine a circle.  You can see the space within it nd the space outside it.  The inner space is finite and the outer is infinite.  If you accept the existence of a finite space you have to accept an infinite one.  Without infinite there can be no finite.  The moment you say, “I am a man,” there must be a woman.  If you say “left” there must be a right.  The thought of one implies the thought of the other.  We feel that our minds are limited and finite.  So, there must be a source of infinite knowledge beyond that. “

Y.S. 1. 23  Isvara pranidhanad va
Devotion and surrendering to a higher power will lead to Samadhi

Patanjali recognizes that attempt to change our mind to a state of yoga is fraught with obstacles that vary in potency.  But for those who have either an inborn faith in god (ishvara) or are able to develop it over the years, the state of yoga can be achieved.

Y.S. 1. 24 – Klesa karma vipaka asayaaih aparamrstah purusa visesa isvarah
Consciousness is not affected by causes, reactions, pain or karma (Hint – but our ego is!)  I’ll talk more about this in the next group of sutras.

Yoga Sutras on Perception and the Effects of Effort

Y.S. 1.17 Vitarka vichara ananda asmita rupa anugamat samprajnatah
Practice and detachment develop four types of Samadhi: self-analysis, synthesis, bliss and the experience of pure being.

Y.S. 1.18  Virama pratyaya abhyasa purvah samskara seso nyah
When the mind rises to this state of yoga and remains so, the usual mental disturbances are absent.  However, memories of the past continue.

Patanjali lets us know that it is only possible to reach higher levels of yoga through the various stages of practice.  First comes concentration and meditation.  One learns to meditate on the grosser elements before being able to contemplate the subtler elements.  The mind must achieve one-pointed-ness and have been brought under complete control in order to reach the state of Samadhi.

This constitutes an understanding of the order of the universe from the formless state of consciousness to the solid state of the physical world.  The path to Samadhi starts by contemplating the physical and works back to the state of pure consciousness.

Y.S. 1. 19  Bhava pratyayo videha prakriti layanam
Inevitable because of the many millions who share the world with us there will be some who are born in a state of yoga.  They need not practice or discipline themselves.

Y.S. 1. 20  Sraddha virya smrti Samadhi prajna purvaka itaresam
But what of the rest of us?  Is there really a chance of achieving this state of yoga?  Through faith, which will give sufficient energy to achieve success against all odds, direction will be maintained.  The realization of the goal of yoga is a matter of time.

Pose of the month for February - Akarna Dhanurasana

Akarna Dhanurasana

A = towards
Karna = ear
Danurasana = bow

Akarna Dhanurasana literally means "Toward-the-Ear Bow Pose," but is better described as "Archer Pose," since it resembles an archer preparing to release her arrow.

In his book, “Light on Life,” Mr. Iyengar states that, “The body is the bow, asana is the arrow and the soul is the target.”

Your practice leading to Akarna Dhanurasana can be a way of discovering how you use your body and mind to aim towards your target. Is your aim the posture itself? Or, are you interested in going deeper and learning more about yourself?

As with any advanced posture, it is important to pay attention to the quality of your breath and your state of mind as you work through the poses that lead to the final shape.

Here is a sequence of poses to help you on the road to Archer’s Pose and your own inner awareness.

Seated Crossed Leg Posture
This posture is sometimes called Easy Pose. It is the first hip opening seated pose most student encounter. Sit with your shins crossed and your feet under your knees. The pinky toe edges of your feet are on the floor with the soles of your feet facing sideways. Sit for several breaths with your right leg crossed in front and then switch legs. Soften your tongue, jaw and eyes as you settle in and notice if there is any physical resistance.

Goddess
Stand with your feet wide and your toes slightly turned out, knees and toes pointing in the same direction. Pulse up and down a few times and then hold the posture for five breaths. Lengthen from your pubic bone out towards your inner knees and contract from your outer knees into your outer hips as you work your hips open.

Warrior II
The asymmetry of Warrior II makes the hip opening a little more challenging and a little more like the asymmetry of Archer’s Pose. As you deepen the bend in your front knee towards 90 degrees, pay attention to the alignment of your outer front hip and the outer edge of your front foot keeping these two points in line. In every yoga pose we are looking for the symmetry of Tadasana. Find length in your spine and stay erect without leaning towards the front leg. This same lifting action is as important here as it is in the final pose.

Squat
If the heels do not reach the floor, you can prop the heels, but I prefer holding a weight in the hands.  This counterbalances your weight and stretches your calves and quads more.  Squatting uses gravity to open the hips.  Start by keeping your torso more upright, especially if your heels don't touch the ground, but once that happens you can work on reaching forward.

Cobbler
Look for the same opening of the inner thighs as in Goddess and the same lift in the spine as in Warrior II. In the final position of Cobbler’s Pose, the knees are on the ground. Be patient if your knees are higher than that. You may sit on a blanket to raise your hips, lowering the knees by relativity. The hips will be more inclined to open if the pelvis is upright rather than tipping backwards.

Seated Tree
Like Warrior II and Goddess Pose, Janu Sirsasana is more challenging because again it introduces the element of asymmetry. In this version, it is not important to fold forward but rather to work on staying upright and finding the lift of the chest. Work on the opening of the hip that takes the bent knee out to the side.

Maricyasana I
Lifting the knee in Maricyasana I introduces the element of moving the torso forward inside the bent leg.

Happy Baby and Variations
These variations use gravity to bring the knees toward the floor, the same direction the bent knee moves in the upright version. While lying on the floor you get the immediate feedback of how rounded your spine may be. Work the spine long, bringing more of your sacrum to the floor.

Archer’s Pose prep
This version allows you to feel how to lift the leg and pull the foot towards your ear, rather than moving your ear towards your foot, keeping the spine lifted.

Archer’s Pose
This final version of the pose is dependent on the previous stages. If all of those pieces fall into place then it is possible to draw the leg back with the breath and sit up straight and tall.

Notice where you start to lose the breath and equanimity of mind and go back to those stages; be content with exploring those poses. Work with patience, humility and curiosity as you continue the journey to self discovery.

Yoga Sutras 12 – 16 – The Sutras on Practice and Non-Attachment

Practice and Non-Attachment

Patanjali has defined the ways in which our mind takes in the outside world: comprehension, misconception, imagination, deep sleep and memory.  He says that these means of experiencing the outside world can be painful or painless; painful when we are deceived by our own minds and painless when we can see beyond these states of mind and recognize them for what they are.

How do we know if we perceive something correctly and are not being tricked my memory, imagination, sleepiness or misunderstanding?  By practicing:

Y.S. I.12 Abhyasa vairagyabhyam tannirodah
The mind can reach the state of yoga through practice and detachment.

Y.S. I.13  Tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasah
Practice is the steadfast effort to still these fluctuations.

Y.S. I.14 Sa ta dirgakala nairantarya satkara asevitah drdhabhumih
This practice, performed for a long time, without interruption and with sincere devotion will become the rock you stand on.

There will always be a tendency to start practice with enthusiasm, energy and a desire for sudden results.  But the continuing pressures of everyday life and the enormous resistance of the mind encourages us to succumb to human weaknesses.  All of this is understandable, we all have these tendencies.  These sutras emphasize the need to approach practice soberly with a positive, self-disciplined attitude and with a long-term view towards eventual success.  (Remember the Malcom Gladwell book on mastery and how it takes 10,000 hours.)

Y.S. I.15  Drishta anusravika visaya vitrsnasya vasikara samjna vairagyam
Mastery is attained when even things read in scriptures are consciously let go of.

Y.S. I.16  Tatparam purusa khyateh guna vaitrsnyam
The purest consciousness is one that reflects indifference to the most subtle qualities.

This last sutra points to the addiction of the material world and it encourages us to practice our detachment to it.  It is our preferences to pull in the things that we like and to push away the things we don’t like that create a painful state.

I was recently at an ashram enjoying a morning of chanting, meditation and satsang.  After the session we were invited to stay for chai and cake.  There was some complaining among the ashramites on the taste of the chai.  One preferred a lot of ginger and the other preferred less ginger.  A wise voice from the corner of the room chimed in, “The amount of spice in the chai is already there.  The choice is to drink the chai or not to drink the chai.”  Ah!  If it were only as simple as not drinking the chai!  But not complaining about the chai is a good example of how the mind works.

There will always be reasons to not practice, or to complain about the practice:  illness, injury, job or family circumstances will pull us away.  But we are encouraged to get back on track as soon as we can.  When I broke my foot, I did a lot of arm yoga.  When I broke my wrist, I did a lot of work on my legs.  There is always something to work on.  And it is important to celebrate what we have and can do as opposed to what we may have lost or can’t do.  And while Patanjali is talking about the mind here, you cannot separate the mind from the body as the nerves reach to all parts of the body.  The two are inter-connected.

The role of the mind is one of the most important things to consider in your practice.  When I don’t practice, I often find my mind making excuses:  I’m too tired, I don’t have time, I have to do this first, … When I do exert tapas (effort) to get to my mat and practice, whether I feel like it or not, I end up having a great practice;  I just had to get past my mind.  When there is that inevitable hiatus, for whatever reason, it is important to cultivate patience and beginner’s mind.  Our tendency is to call upon memory and tell ourselves that we used to be able to do something and so we should be able to do that now.  It is easy to injure yourself coming back to practice that way.   I’ve heard a rule of thumb that helps me be patient when beginning again and that is to allow two days  for every one day off.  And while it is true that you have to be careful to not let your ego get in the way when you start again, no progress is ever truly lost.  While I used to bemoan any injury I had as a set-back, I have come to realize, that over the long term, I have spent much less time being injured than I have not being injured.  And that my practice, when consistent is stronger than ever.

Finally, I’d like you to consider this quote from Henry Ford as you think about the role your mind has in your practice:  “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you will be right.”  It doesn’t guarantee immediate results, but over a long period of time, without interruption, it can become the rock you stand on!

This is what my version of 60 looks like.

Decade birthdays have always been major milestones for me. I was a teacher in a K-12 school when I turned 30.  All of a sudden the students considered me old.  I shouldn’t have been surprised. I remember a conversation I had with my mother about my kindergarten teacher, Miss Roosevelt.  I thought she was an elderly woman in her 60s.  My mom told me that she was in her 20s!  Age is relative. And it definitely depends on who is doing the aging.

At 40 I had my midlife crisis.  I quit my job, moved out of the house I was literally born in and adopted my son.  I remember feeling not only the biological clock ticking, but also a greater sense of the impermanence of things with my dad passing away a few years prior.

For my 50th birthday I decided that I wanted to do something special for myself.  It was one of those mom fantasies.  My son was ten and as much as I loved him (and still do), I needed some me time.  The  Yoga Journal Conference in San Francisco  happens every year around my birthday and I always wanted to go.  So, I decided that was the year.  While I was there I had my palm read.  The guy was good.  He looked at my hand and without asking me any questions told me that I was a teacher and a scholar (so true) and had been so for many lifetimes.  He also read that I had some major life changes in my 40’s (see above) and that I would have some more in my mid 50’s (my mother!)  He also told me that I would work for my entire lifetime.  Since I apparently have a long life line I guess retirement is not in my near future.  Maybe someday I can shoot for being the world’s oldest yoga teacher!

After my 50th birthday extravaganza, I decided that, for my 60th, I wanted to spend time with my family and friends.  Mitchell and I are taking a trip together and visiting some friends along the way.

Each decade has felt a little like a leap into the unknown and a time for leaving some things behind and taking up other new and different things.  Getting older in our culture is a challenge with so much focus on youth and beauty.  Like others before me, I don’t necessarily feel any older on the inside.  Yes, there are aches and pains at times and I cannot ride my bike as fast or run as fast as people half my age, but I am still out there doing the things I love to do.

I am grateful for my yoga practice all through these years.  I credit yoga with keeping me healthy physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  My focus in the practice has definitely changed over time.  In the beginning I did it for relaxation.  Then, as the popularity of yoga increased, I got swept up in the physical practice and achieving poses. Although I never felt comfortable with posting poses on Instagram, students do want to know what you are capable of doing physically.  Now, I am more interested in how the physical practice influences my internal world.  I know that strength, balance and flexibility are important as we get older.  But so is contentment, clarity and peace.

As an older yoga teacher I face my own physical limitations of an aging body.  One thing I have had to let go of is that I no longer attract young students who are only in it for the physical practice.   As I move into this next decade of my life, I leap with the guidance of many others who have gone before me, I am holding the hands of those who are moving with me and I hope to light the way for those who come after me.

As I move into this next decade, the physical practice is still important.  Mr. Iyengar taught that when the body is dull, the mind can become dull, So I will continue to practice and explore the poses, but the physical body is only one of the five sheaths of the body.  There is also the energetic sheath of the breath, the mental sheath of the senses, the intellectual sheath of the mind and the blissful sheath of exploring the inner Self.  I hope to keep exploring the many layers of this practice called yoga with you for years to come.