We’ve spent the past six weeks exploring the Yamas and we have now come to the Niyamas. The Yamas alone will keep you busy with how you conduct yourself in society, but equally important and challenging is how you treat yourself, body and mind, when you’re alone. This is where the Niyamas come in.
There are also 5 Niyamas in this second limb of the Eightfold Path and they are: Read the rest of this post»
Since parigraha is Sanskrit for hoarding, aparigraha, is the antithesis of that – the abstention of hoarding. John Philp defines it as the abstention from possessiveness, greed, selfishness, and acquisitiveness. Examples of aparigraha are: eating food that has been acquired justly and consuming only what’s essential for healthy survival (i.e. eat organic and don’t overeat), getting fewer clothes without regard to the whims of fashion or going without a car and walking to work. Aparigraha can also extend to more subtle energies such as restraining one’s hunger for power, status, and bliss. This concept is present in many philosophies or religions (in Buddhism it’s known as non-attachment) because possessions are seen as an obstacle to liberation. In simple terms, how many times did the t.v., telephone, computer, cell phone, or books (yes, even spiritual ones) get in the way of your Yoga or meditation practice?
After about a month of exploring the Yamas together, we’ve come to brahmacharya, the fourth of the fifth Yamas, and possibly the most controversial. According to John Philp, the root word is brahma, Sanskrit for “deity”; char means “walk” and ya means “actively”. Hence, the literal translation is “walking with God”. In layman terms, it means self-control or abstention from sensual indulgence which can include everything from over-eating to hoarding.
Asteya is often translated as “not taking what is not explicitly given to you” (yes, I am aware there is a double negative in the definition that makes it slightly confusing). As with all the Yamas and Niyamas, there are so many levels to this, ranging from the most obvious to the not so obvious. For example, it can mean not printing personal documents using the printer and paper from work. On a more subtle level, Asteya can also mean giving credit where it is deserved. When I have tried to work Asteya in the past, I noticed I would try to find loopholes. I would justify not asking permission to take something with “Well for sure she/he would give it to me anyway.” But over the years, my practice has been fine tuned enough to know that even that is a violation of Asteya to some degree. Please take that last statement with a grain of salt – I believe practices such as these are relative and in order to progress we need to start where we are. What I mean is to start with baby steps – you can begin by simply being aware of the times you take something without asking, then move on to asking for permission, then make it more subtle as time goes on.
The second Yama is satya. Sat is the root word which means “truth”, and when the suffix ya is added, it changes the term to mean “truthfulness in word and thought.” It can also be extended to include actions, towards ourselves and all other sentient beings.
What that means on the Yoga mat for students is that if we have tight shoulders and instead puff out our rib cage, reach our heels way down as our backs round in Adho mukha savanasana, or use our arms to prop ourselves up instead of our back muscles in Bhujangasana, it is a lie. Consequently, as teachers, if we push our students past their edge into a place that is above their level just so we can make them “work”, it is a lie. They are lies because we are not respecting what is true in that moment. Read the rest of this post»
According to John Philp, author of Yoga, Inc., the 20th century resulted in more chaos and killing that all the past centuries combined. And with no end in sight to wars, genocides, and the new thing being terrorism, this century looks to be unfolding no differently.
How I understand the first Yama of the 8-limb path, ahimsa, to be is non-violence in thought, word, and deed. Himsa means violence, and with the a preceding it, it is translated as non-violence. Ahimsa is one of the basic teachings of such major religions as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. I think it’s also worthy to note that this is the first (Yama) of the first (limb of 8). To me that means it’s ultra important. Everything else (with the emphasis being on everything) depends on this. Read the rest of this post»
“Study Yoga; you will learn an infinite amount from it – but do not try to apply it, for we Europeans are not so constituted that we apply these methods correctly, just like that.” – Carl Jung, Yoga and the West
The backbone of modern Yoga is Pantanjali’s 8-Limb Path, in which each stage is a preparation for the next. In Sanskrit (Yoga’s ancient language) , it’s called Ashtanga where ashta means “eight” and anga means “limb”. Keep in mind that this is not to be confused for the widely popular style of Yoga of the same name, Ashtanga (as if this wasn’t already confusing enough).
For those who are unfamiliar with the 8-Limb Path, it is as follows: Read the rest of this post»
One of my teachers, Seane Corn, in action.
It’s that time of year again – what I consider to be the New Year of Yoga. As the summer draws to a close, the majority of people return home from vacation, begin to spend more time indoors, and fall back into some sort of routine. With this annual immigration of Yogis, most Yoga studios experience a stark increase in attendance. Read the rest of this post»
As we approach September, I have been more or less bending backwards, and inviting the yogis in my classes to do the same, for at least 2 months now, if not more. This year, more than any other year, I feel as if I have been more open to the heart qualities like loving-kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy. So it is fitting that as we near the end of the season, I find myself needing to cultivate equanimity.
I first realized this while watching an Arsenal soccer game (aka “football”). A particular player (Eduardo) broke his leg quite severely almost a year ago and worked hard to make a comeback. When he scored a goal during their first game of the season, I skipped being sympathetically joyful for his accomplishments because I was stuck at feeling pain for the suffering he must have felt a year ago. After feeling like this for at least an hour, I realized that I was being paralyzed by my compassion. This is not unusual; a near enemy of compassion is withdrawal stemming from feeling overwhelmed by suffering. In my opinion, this near enemy serves no-one; it only increases the amount of suffering there is in this world. Read the rest of this post»
A beautiful paradox of yoga is that it is always evolving. In my opinion, that is one of the only reasons why yoga has survived the 2,500 years since it was created. Because of this continuous evolution, the practice itself becomes a dance – one that asks teachers and serious practitioners to stay on top of what is consistently changing in the yoga world.
For those who adopt the “Let’s get this over with” attitude, this can be extremely frustrating. I used to be one of those people, but this dance with yoga has taught me to let go. One of my teachers, Nicole Bordeleau from Yogamonde used to often say, “Yoga is an ocean of knowledge.” This cannot be more true. I’ll be lucky if I learn in this lifetime even a quarter of all that yoga has to offer. Read the rest of this post»
