We experience the joy of yoga in our bodies, through the contentment our practice brings us, and through the community we find with others.
Finding inspiration in Rosa Parks’s yoga practice
navigating change
Blog post written by Eliza Skye.
“We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better.”
Annica, the Buddhist Doctrine of Impermanence, informs us that change is inevitable, continuous, and unavoidable. Hindu traditions talk about Shakti, the cosmic, divine feminine energy that continually manifests, keeps things going for a while, then dissolves them. Corinthians in the Bible states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The Hebrew translation for change is ‘ma’avar’, which means to “cross over,” to “pass through”. Many traditions note how taking on a spiritual practice seems to invite more change into that practitioner’s life, and those traditions offer guidance for navigating change with grace.
Change is often messy, and can happen in an instant. Sometimes it can seem that change is a major obstacle or disruption in the flow of life. When visualizing change, I often call to mind the image of the Kyenay Bardo, or the Tibetan Bardo of Birth & Life, as a river, flowing forward as our perception of time. Ahead of us lie countless obstacles - perhaps there is a dam, debris, or the river diverts or splits. We cannot guess what is just beyond the foreseeable future, and of course there may be obstacles hidden just under the surface. All of these bumps in the path ahead are representations of the change that we have to navigate in order to move forward with our lives. This means that we must make adjustments, alter our preconceived routes, and integrate experiences for a smoother voyage.
Navigating change can be supported by our yoga practice if we look at the way we navigate a hatha yoga class. First, we can set an intention so we understand what we are navigating toward. Then, we are better able to choose the right path when the river splits. Next, we must stay present throughout the process, or we will find ourselves off balance. Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to stay in a balancing pose if your mind is wandering? When we cannot stay present through change, even though it is often uncomfortable, we may emerge from the experience off balance and confused, less prepared for the next bump (which will certainly lie ahead). Finally, yoga helps us in the letting go of expectations and desires. Letting go is necessary to truly sway with the changes staying stuck or falling out of your boat.
Navasana (Boat Pose)
In order to navigate the river of this life’s bardo, we must find our boat in Navasana, or Boat Pose. Navasana is excellent for practicing all of the skills for navigating change that yoga has to offer us. First, we set the intention of finding some variation of Boat Pose, which can range from beginner/adaptive to very challenging. Then, we enter the pose with presence and stillness of mind. Finally, we have to let go of the idea that there is a “goal” with Boat Pose. You may fall out of the pose, or have to adjust to a less challenging variation, and let go of the attachment to where you think the pose should end, because no yoga pose has an ending. There is always a way to deepen each pose in your practice. No matter what, Boat Pose is a wonderful balancing pose, specifically strengthening the abdomen, hip flexors and spine. It stimulates the function of the kidneys, thyroid and prostate glands, and intestines and helps improve digestion. One of the best things about Navasana is that you can easily play in it with a partner. Partners can bring so much to this pose, just as they can in navigating the changes of life.
courage
“There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid. ”
In many spiritual traditions across the East and the West, courage is one of the traits that distinguishes humans as intelligent and evolved beings. It has been expounded by philosophers as a type of ‘endurance of the soul’. The textbook definition of courage is “the ability to do something that frightens one” or “strength in the face of pain or grief”. Just as with resilience, every human being who is alive today can probably attribute part of their existence to the courage of their ancestors.
Courage can be physical, which is bravery in the face of physical pain, hardship or threat of death. Courage can also be moral, which is the ability to act rightly, even in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, discouragement or personal loss. Both aspects of courage can be cultivated with a steady yoga or spiritual practice. Many of the qualities of courage stem from a certain aspect of trust. Physical Courage is trusting your body to survive pain and discomfort. Ultimately, one must trust their intuition of what is deeply right and worth fighting for in practicing Moral Courage.
We are all born with courage. The amount of bravery it takes to push through birth and take a first breath is something we cannot remember or measure. It us up to each individual to face any physical or moral adversity with bravery, strength and trust. Courage is a choice that can be made with any challenge. It can be cultivated in us.
Simhasana (Lion's Pose)
You may have heard of Lion’s breath without knowing its origin in a pose called Simhasana, meaning “Lion’s Pose”. Lion’s Pose is a seated pose, often practiced in vajrasana, or a kneeling posture. If kneeling is not available, you can find any seated position that allows your spine to be long. Simhasana is a unique pose in that it mainly benefits unseen internal organs, including the larynx, the carotid sinus, the sinus nerves, thyroid, and parathyroid glands. It also helps to strengthen the chest and abdomen.
Lion’s Pose can help alleviate symptoms of voice-related issues, such as stammer and hoarseness. It also may help improve the quality of one’s singing voice. Finally, one of the most popular benefits is that Lion’s Pose helps stimulate the platysma, which is the muscle in the neck that tends to sag as we get older, leading to a more aged look. For some, especially those who are new to practicing yoga in public, Lion’s Pose takes a lot of courage because the proper way to practice it is by crossing the eyes (to gaze at the third eye), sticking out the tongue, and making a strong “ha” sound. Please try to remember that we are all in this practice together, and that the benefits of this strong pose are plenty.
Dharana
blog post written by Eliza Skye
“Concentration is the root of all the higher abilities in man.”
Dharana is one of Pantanjali’s eight limbs of yoga, and it roughly translates to “concentration”, “single focus” or “holding steady”. Dharana is the first step into deep meditation, and a process that we all must practice consistently in order to find moments of meditative bliss. When one practices dharana, there is a consciousness who is able to watch the thoughts and remain separate from them. Eventually, this will evolve into a higher practice in which consciousness, thoughts and the witness all blend into a stream of singularity.
Dharana informs our hatha yoga practice in a couple distinct ways. First, we use concentration in the physical act of yoga. Balancing becomes much more accessible when the yoga practitioner is able to focus and hold steady on a single thought. Next time you are wobbling out of a balancing pose, check in with the thoughts. Are they wandering, as they tend to without guidance? See if you can hold steady on one thought, or even the breath, and you will likely find balance to be much more accessible.
Another way that dharana informs the practice of hatha yoga is that we see a similar evolution of practice cultivating the fruits of what we seek. In hatha yoga, perhaps you are seeking a handstand (one of the most common yoga “dream poses” that I personally hear from my students). Hopefully, your teacher is introducing you to steps along the way toward a handstand. We don’t suddenly emerge into a handstand - it takes steady practice and focus. The same can be said about meditation. Though the Beginner’s Mind is a very real phenomenon, typically one does not simply sit down on a cushion and enter into a state of ananda, or bliss. Often, one must hold steady to an image, a mantra or the sound of the breath and use that as a channel toward the experience of nonduality.
This concept is on one hand so simple, but when we take into account the intricacies and deeply ingrained patterns of the mind, it becomes rather tough. My guru, Swami Satchidananda, wrote about the realities of dharana (in this example, the point of focus is a rose):
“As you look at the rose, the mind will try to go somewhere. The minute you begin, the mind will say, ‘Ah, yes, I remember she sent me a rose like that for my last birthday.’… And then, ‘After that we had dinner. Ah, it was the best dinner. Then we went to the movies. What was that movie? King Kong?’ It will all happen within two minutes. Even less than two minutes. So, on what are you meditating now? Not on a rose, but on King Kong.”
Dharana is the act of noticing where the mind went and gently, consistently, bringing it back to the image of the rose, over and over until the mind can learn to settle. Satchidananda can offer advice on this piece as well:
“This very practice itself is called concentration: the mind running, your bringing it back; its running, your bringing it back. You are taming a monkey. Once it’s tamed, it will just listen to you. You will be able to say, ‘Okay, sit there quietly.’ And it will. At that point you are meditating. Until then you are training yourself to meditate. Training your mind to meditate is what is called dharana.”
My hope is that, in introducing dharana to the yoga studio that we can create a community of people who practice this limb of yoga in their own lives. Then, we can share our experiences and advice with others who have the same pursuits. Then we are lifting each other up, helping to unify our experience of seeking the light.
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose)
This standing balance is a combination of many challenging aspects of yoga. In all standing balancing poses, core and leg strength are key for a steady asana. Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana is especially challenging because, in addition to those two elements, open hamstrings are essential. However, even if the hamstrings are not open, there are many ways to modify Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose. The leg in the air, for example, does not have to keep the knee perfectly straight. This pose was chosen to complement the practice of concentration because steady focus is key for this balance. Practicing this pose with present awareness can open you up to the true power of the breath in hatha yoga. Focus on the breath leads to a steadiness that allows you to explore the depth of your own flexibility. In addition to cultivating concentration and leg flexibility, this pose strengthens the core, legs and ankles. All of these benefits can be experienced if you choose to practice this pose with the support of a wall, and you can also alleviate some of the leg work by taking this pose while lying on the back.