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This blog post is an introduction into Yoga philosophy, if you're interested in finding out more, click here for my free yoga philosophy beginners course. Regardless of whether you fully invest in the ideas or not I hope you find them enjoyable and interesting.
Namaste. In the West when we say we are going to a Yoga class, we really mean we are going to a “Yoga-asana” class. Asana means pose or seat, in Sanskrit. The names of the poses we do, all end in Asana, eg. ‘Tadasana’ is mountain pose because Tad means mountain and Asana means pose. The asanas are the yoga poses & postures that improve the wellness of the body and mind, so we can experience life at a higher state of awareness and clarity. Our experience of the world depends entire upon the state of our nervous system, the asanas stabilise and revitalise the nervous system, strengthen and open the body, whilst settling the mind. There are many different schools of asana practice. I am an Iyengar Yogasana teacher because I’m trained in the method that was created and taught by BKS Iyengar and his family, who continue to teach & develop this method in Pune, India. However, the Asanas are just one ‘branch’ of a larger ‘8-branched-system’, that is traditionally known as Astanga Yoga.* You can just practice the branch of the asanas, and feel much better for it. However, “If you do just stick to one branch, then it is like buying an 8-step ladder only using the first step, then thinking ‘Oh this is good, I’ll stop right here’.”** This 8-branched-system is known as Astanga Yoga** because “Asta” in Sanskrit means 8 The 8 parts are:
‘Yoga is an 8 branch system that allows us to move from our ‘over-identification’ with our changing body and fluctuating mind, and ‘re-identify’ with what we truly are.’ The concept of what we truly are, is that we are something much bigger, and better, than our body, mind, emotions, thoughts, memories, roles we play, and the possessions we own. These are false identities. We will explore this more in blog 2.
** Quote from Jackie Pascal, A US based yoga teacher. ***Astanga yoga is also the name of a type of asana practice. Its full name is Astanga-vinyasana. This was an asana practice developed by a contemporary of BKS Iyengar yogi called Pattabhi Jois and this is not the Astanga Yoga that I’m referring to in the above. This is lesson one of a free yoga philosophy course, click here for the full Introduction to Yoga Philosophy course. Putting the philosophy into our asana practice
Previously we have looked at the 8 branches of ashtanga yoga. Now, let's link them back together again and view yoga as a holistic system through the lens of the branch we practise, which in our case is Iyengar Yoga, the Yoga Asanas, branch 3 Yoga is self-study, and self-study is Svadhyaya, one of the Niyamas, branch 2. In Asanas we observe our physical bodies. We do an action, then we observe the reaction. For example, if we grip our outer hip sockets in, we feel an internal lift at the groins. A beginner may not be able to feel or understand this action, so may just start by learning where their outer hip sockets are. As we advance in our yoga practice, we become more knowledgeable, more awake, more sensitive, and more conscious of our physical bodies and unconscious habits. We experience the poses acting on our bodies at a deeper level, on the muscles, bones, tissues, our internal functioning, and at an energetic level. The asanas are deeply therapeutic. As we advance, over the months and years, we develop a deeper level of awareness with ourselves, a deeper level of self-study. We don't necessarily become more ambitious or advanced in the types of poses we practice; we accept that a younger body will be able to do more than an older body. We will undoubtedly develop strength, stability, and flexibility, but this isn't the goal. Rather these are the necessary tools we need in order to achieve the goal. The goal is deep awareness and deep self-study. We need to build the stability and stamina in the body because the longer we can hold a pose without strain, the longer we can observe ourselves at a more subtle level & learn. As a beginner, we may be able to hold a pose for 30 seconds before the body becomes unstable. As the body starts to fade and strain, the mind becomes unsettled. Once the breath becomes ragged and we start pushing, it stops being Yoga. But as we advance in our practice, we might be able to hold a pose for up to 8 minutes,1 giving us much more time to observe the reactions in the body, the sensations in the body, what comes up in the mind and how the mind responds. It's understandable if total beginners lie there thinking about distractions, rather than observing themselves and staying present. They may get bored, impatient or fall asleep. Advanced yogis can stay in svanasana for 10 -15 minutes in a state of relaxed concentration, completely present and aware but passive and relaxed. As our sensitivity and ability to rigorously observe ourselves develops it is important we remember the yamas and the niyamas ( values and behaviours, branches 1 &2 ) that must underpin HOW we do our Asanas, (poses, branch 3) & pranayama (breath work, branch 4). We should strive to follow the following Yamas and Niyamas in our practice:
The introduction to Yoga Philosophy course separated out the 8 different branches of ashtanga yoga for deeper consideration. Now let's link them back together again and view yoga as a holistic system through the lens of the branch we practise in Iyengar Yoga, the Yoga Asanas (branch 3) Yoga is self-study, (self-study remember is Svadhyaya, one of the Niyamas, branch 2) In Asanas we observe our physical bodies. We do an action, then we observe the reaction. For example, if we grip our outer hip sockets in, we feel an internal lift at the groins. A beginner may not be able to feel or understand this action, so may just start by learning where their outer hip sockets are. As we advance in our yoga practice, we become more knowledgeable, more awake, more sensitive, and more conscious to our physical bodies and unconscious habits. We experience the poses acting on our bodies at a deeper level, on the muscles, bones, tissues, our internal functioning, and at an energetic level. The Asanas are deeply therapeutic. As we advance, over the months and years, we develop a deeper level of awareness with ourselves, a deeper level of self-study. We don't necessarily become more ambitious or advanced in the types of poses we practice; we accept that a younger body will be able to do more than an older body. We will undoubtedly develop strength, stability, and flexibility, but this isn't the goal. Rather these are the necessary tools we need in order to achieve the goal. The goal is deep awareness, deep self-study. We need to build the stability and stamina in the body because the longer we can hold a pose without strain, the longer we can observe ourselves at a more subtle level & learn. As a beginner, we may be able to hold a pose for 30 seconds before the body becomes unstable. As the body starts to fade and strain, the mind becomes unsettled. Once the breath becomes ragged and we start pushing it stops being Yoga. But as we advance in our practice, we might be able to hold a pose for up to 8 minutes, giving us much more time to observe the reactions in the body, the sensations in the body, what comes up in the mind and how the mind responds. Similarly, the mind of a beginner can be unrefined, impatient, scattered, distracted, or aggressive. We can't hold focus for long. We start thinking about what’s happening after class, or how long we have to hold the pose, or we start pushing with our ego trying to force our head to our shin, or copying our neighbour rather than responding to your own body. In the final pose of savasana (a form of pratyahara, and dharana - branches 5 and 6) it may feel impossible for a beginners to be still for more than 1 min. Its understandable if total beginners lie there thinking about distractions, rather than observing themselves and staying present. They may get bored, impatient or fall asleep. Advanced yogis can stay in savanasana for 10 -15 minutes in a state of relaxed concentration, completely present and aware but passive and relaxed. As our sensitivity and ability to rigorously observe ourselves develops it is important we remember the yamas and the niyamas ( values and behaviours, branches 1 &2 ) that must underpin HOW we do our Asanas, (poses, branch 3) & pranayama (breath work, branch 4). We should strive to follow the following Yamas and Niyamas in our practice:
Namaste Kate This is lesson 8 of a free yoga philosophy course, click here for the full free Introduction to Yoga Philosophy course.  The Mental Practices of Yoga – Branches 6, 7 & 8So far, we have looked at branches 1-5 of the 8 branched system of Yoga.
Ethical practices of Yoga - 1 & 2, known as the Yamas and Niyamas. Physical practices of Yoga - 3, 4 & 5, known as the Asanas, Pranayama and Pratyahara. Today let’s explore the Mental practices of Yoga - branches 6,7 & 8 - known as Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. The mental practices of Yoga take us beyond improving our understanding and experience of being our physical self, to evolving our understanding and experience of all aspects of ourselves. In Sanskrit the word meditation means “to cultivate the self”. Dharana - translates roughly as relaxed concentration. A light meditative state of deepened awareness. To concentrate without strain, on purpose, on a single point, in the present moment and non-judgementally. This is the mind-set that I try to encourage you to adopt at the end of an asana class in the final pose of Savasana (relaxation pose). To observe or notice what comes up emotionally and mentally or when the mind wanders, without labelling anything as good or bad, whilst keeping the mind relaxed and at ease. Becoming familiar with this state is an important precursor to the next step, Meditation (Dhyana). Dhyana - translates roughly as meditation. This is a deeper meditative state. There are lots of different types of meditation practice. I personally follow a mantra-based meditation practice called Transcendental Meditation* I do it once or if possible twice a day for 20 minutes, sat upright in a comfortable seat. In an ideal world I would do it after Savasana but it is not always possible. This is just one of many meditation practices available to you. In this state we move beyond our analytical mind and can access our subconscious mind. In meditation brain wave frequencies slow down and become more coherent, bringing about feelings of bliss, joy, wholeness, clarity, peace. Samadhi - translates roughly as absorption. Pure absorption or transcendence into the universal self, beyond the individual self. An ever deeper meditative state for a sustained period of time, here the mind completely transcends to a higher level of consciousness. In this state a person would no longer be conscious of their ego, body, thoughts, emotions, time or place. *The transcendental meditation technique , often referred to as TM, is a completely different system of Yoga to Iyengar Yoga. Iyengar Yoga is rooted in daily practice of the Yogasanas, TM is rooted in daily practice of mantra meditation. I just happen to practice both of these methods. Although I only teach Iyengar Yoga. TM was brought to the west by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in the 1960s Pranayama (Breath) & Pratyahara (Senses) - Steps 5 & 6 on the 8 step ladder
In the last two blogs we considered the first 3 branches (also called steps*), of the 8 branched system of Yoga. To recap… Branches 1 & 2, The Yamas and Niyamas are the ethical practices of Yoga. Branches 3 The Asanas, alongside branches 4 & 5 Pranayama and Pratyahara, are the physical practices of Yoga Pranayama Prana means - breath, life, energy, vitality, wind, strength, respiration, our life energy. Ayama means - restraint, expansion. So Pranayama means the expansion and control of the breath. How often has someone said ‘take a deep breath’ when you feel angry or upset or panicked or agitated? “If you want to to calm yourself, we first regulate your breathing, once that is under control the heart will settle.” Iyengar The asanas prepare the body for the Pranayama, BKS Iyengar uses the analogy of a clay water jug to explain this. To paraphrase, he says, First you must bake the carrier (the body, or clay jug) in a kiln to make it strong so it can hold the contents ( the breath, or the water). The asanas work on elongating the trunk and opening the chest, as well as focussing the mind on the sensations of the breath within different areas of the body. Thus they physically and mentally prepare the student for the Pranayama practice. In Iyengar Yoga, Pranayama and Asana work are practiced separately, and not within the same class. However, attention to breath is part of the asana class. It is advise1 d by Iyengar that 1 hour should be left between attending an asana class and pranayama class, either can come first. Pranayama is often practiced in the early morning, the Asana mid morning. Pranayama classes, merge sound, visualisations and muscular actions with specific breathing techniques such as Ujjayi and Viloma breath, to pump and push energy (life force) around the body. Pranayama work quietens the senses through bringing about a mental state of single pointedness. This is important preparation for the next step of the ladder Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses). Pratyahara - the control/withdrawal of the senses Pratyahara can be understood best in poses like Savasana, which is the final relaxation pose that we practice at the end of our asana practice. Once pratyahara is experienced regularly in such poses as savasana, it can become a familiar state of mind that can be practiced anywhere and anytime. Anytime we stop ourselves from being pulled around by our senses, and direct them only towards one thing, in a way that changes our state of being, is Pratyahara. Mindfulness demonstrates Pratyahara. * Although the branches in the system can be referred to as steps on the ladder it doesn’t always need to be climbed in sequential order. If you grab any branch of a tree and pull it to you the whole tree comes, and the other branches then become more accessible. Some people start a meditation practice before an asana practice, others turn to asana first. The beauty of yoga there is something for every personality type.
The Asanas - the third step on the 8 step ladder
The last two lessons looked at Yama and Niyamas , the first 2 branches of the 8 branched system of Yoga. They were concerned with how we live off our yoga mats. The Asanas are the physical poses & postures within the system of yoga, that keep the body healthy and in a state of wellness. The physical practice of yoga that we do on our yoga mats. ‘The Asanas bring stability to the body and poise to the mind, […] freedom from disease and lightness to one’s very being’ Geeta Iyengar* The asanas should be stable and joyful and practiced with the same discerning mentality as the Yamas and Niyamas. There are many different styles of Asana practice, all of them use the umbrella term of Hatha yoga. Iyengar Yoga, which is the method that I am trained in and teach, is a style of Hatha yoga. It is called Iyengar Yoga because it was developed and systemised by BKS Iyengar. This is due to its unique approach and lineage. ** Vinyasa Yoga (another form of Asana/Hatha yoga) is the name given to more flowing style that use the breath to flow fast through the moves - one school of this is Astanga-Vinyasa, which was created by Pattabhi Jois. Interesting to note that Pattabnhi Jois trained alongside Iyengar with the same Yogi Master. When they both left their yogi master, they each developed different systems of Yoga and shared them with the Western world in the 60’s. There are many other style of asana practice too with their own lineage. *** “By practising the asanas the body first gains health not mere existence […] Health is not a commodity that can be purchased, but an asset gained only by hard work, discipline and consistent commitment” Bks Iyengar Yoga posits that our bodies are a temporary gift from the universe, and it's our responsibility to look after them. This is also true for our minds. “ A yogi never neglects or mortifies the mind or body - a yogi cherishes them both” Bks Iyengar Some Key aspects of Iyengar yoga asanas: Asanas provide both physical and physiological benefits - asanas exercise every muscle nerve and gland, and can be used as therapy for the treatment of a variety of physiological and anatomical issues. Classes are sequenced in a very particular way to produce a certain affect on the bodies systems and structure and on the nervous systems. Furthermore certain poses are to be avoided and adapted if mensturating, pregnant, or if you have certain illnesses like glaucoma or bulging vertebrae……… but everyone can practice yoga regardless of age or ability. ‘Yoga is for everybody and exclusive to nobody’ Your yoga practice should and will change as your needs and body changes throughout different phases of your life. Yoga embraces change. *Quote from the book ‘Yoga, a Gem for women’ by Geeta Iyengar, BKS Iyengar’s daughter **The 2 classic Indian texts which codified this physical practice of yoga were Hathayoga pradipika and Patajalis yoga sutras, these form the basis for all Asana yoga styles and practices. Iyengar wrote a book light on yoga which laid out more than 200 postures in detailed description with photographs, this book is often called the yoga bible. *** For more information on the life story of BKS Iyengar visit https:// iyengaryogalondon.co.uk/bks-iyengar-life-of-a-yoga-master/ The 5 Niyamas - the second step on the 8 step ladder
In the last lesson we explored the 1st branch of the 8 branch system of Yoga, that was the 5 Yamas, they are values concerned with our social responsibilities and discipline. Today's lesson looks at branch 2, these are values concerned with our personal responsibility and discipline. The 5 Niyamas:
1. Purity/ Cleanliness (in Sanskri Saucha): Traditionally this meant good hygiene as a way of preventing disease and infection but today we can think in terms of eating a variety of fresh wholesome foods and using non toxic products to keep us in an optimal state of health. However more interesting this Niyama doesn’t just refer to what we put into our bodies, but also what we put into our minds. Yoga philosophy, like the science of Neuroplasticity and Epigenetics, tells us that we are far more impressionable than we realise. Our external and internal (emotional) environments determine the state of our physical and mental health. Therefore we should be very discerning about what we expose ourselves to and think about on a regular basis. By choosing the things we expose ourselves to, we can choose the kind of life we create for ourselves. “Your emotions become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your life, your life becomes your destiny- MK Gandhi. 2. Contentment / Gratitude (in Sanskri Santosha) This is the state where we feel settled and joyful. This is the state of Yoga. What if everyday we think of all the things that we do have, rather than what we don't yet have? Taking time to feel genuinely grateful for the things we have been gifted in our lives, (people, opportunities, experiences, great teachers, inspiring books), creates a state of humility. When we feel truly grateful and humbled for all we have received, we feel compelled to give back. If we do things from a place of wanting to give out, rather than wanting to receive back, then we are not placing ourselves at the centre of our own world. This is Yoga. Furthermore we are not attaching to the results of the action, therefore won’t feel anger or anxiety if we don’t acquire the desired results. One of my favourite personal mantras, that I try to tell myself daily is, ‘Give and release, give and release’ ‘Desire for the fruits of work must never be your motive in working. You have the right to work, but for the work's sake only. You have no right to the fruits of work. But you must never give way to laziness, either.” Bhagavadgita* 3. Discipline I(n Sanskri Tapas) Astanga Yoga is a life of regulation and moderation, one where we take and do what we need, no more and no less. Taking more leads to wanting more, taking less depletes your own wellbeing. Anything in excess or in-excess, creates strain on your body, mind and nervous system. It is called a yoga practice for a reason, It requires consistent daily practise and a committed consistent practice requires discipline. 4. Self study / self study (in Sanskri Svadhyaya )Increasing our self awareness of our physical, emotional, mental, and verbal habits. A state where we learn and grow by compassionately critiquing ourselves. This Niyama is also concerned with the study of sacred yoga texts and the study of other great “selves” past and present, this may include reading books about inspiring people such as Ghandi or Mother Teressa, two true yogis . Who are your role models? Where do you find inspiration for the values that you want to define you? 5. Surrender to a higher order of things. (in Sanskri Ishvara pranidhana )A respect and acknowledgment of the fact that we are all connected, and part of something much bigger and more powerful than our individual selves. For a yogi who is also religious this may mean a divine power that we are all connected to. For a yogi who is an atheist it could be understood from the perspective of modern physics, which shows that everything is an interconnected unified field of fluctuating energy, governed by laws beyond our individual control and understanding. * The bhagavadgita is a seminal Vedic literary text that teaches us about the main concepts of yoga through storytelling. The 5 Yamas – the first step on the 8 step ladder
Anything that hardens your heart, clutters your mind and puts you at the centre of your own universe, is leading you in the wrong direction. If Yoga is concerned with settling the mind, then the Yamas and Niyamas (our ethics and morals) are so important, because nothing unsettles our minds like living out of line with our values. The Yamas, as you may recall, were the first branch of the 8 branched system of Astanga Yoga. They are concerned with how we conduct ourselves in our daily lives, not just when we are on our yoga mats. How we treat others matters! And remember in yoga philosophy everything living is interconnected, so it’s not just how we treat other people but everything living, and that includes ourselves, animals and planet earth. The 5 Yamas:
In essence, we should live our lives in way that inflicts the least amount of harm, and where compassion drives our actions and reactions.
Optional Task - Try going through each of the 5 Yamas and examine your relationship with them, can you pinpoint an area in particular that you could work on? “The Asanas without the Yamas and Niyamas, are just gymnastics.”BKS Iyengar “Yoga is the cessation of the modifications, or fluctuations, of the mind”*
“So the restless mind is calmed and energy directed into constructive channels”** Yoga philosophy says that our mind has 3 parts:
In Sanskrit the lower mind is called the Manos. It is our animal brain, it thinks on a basic level reacting to needs, instincts and emotions. It keeps us alive by responding to our senses. Too much stress and mental activity confuses the mind, and it starts operating only in this part if the brain. In Sanskrit the ego mind is called the Ahankara. It is the “I” maker, it creates and binds us to a false identity: I am this body, I am this mind, I am my emotions, I am my personality, I am the life I was born into. In Sanskrit the higher mind is called the Buddhi. It is the part of the mind needed for intelligence and discernment. It knows the truth of what we are. We are more than a sum of our parts. In this blog id like to introduce you to an analogy to help better understand one of the main concept in Yoga philosophy. It is taken from an Upanishad (ancient Indian literary texts) and one that BKS Iyengar touches on in his book, The Iyengar Way, Imagine, a chariot with 5 horses, 10 reins, a driver, a traveller in the chariot, all following a path. The path is the journey of life that we must fulfil. The path is full of ups and downs that the traveller has to experience and learn from. The traveller, we can consider the traveller our true self.*** 1 The chariot is the body. The stronger and more stable we can make our body the better it will hold up to the journey, and the more comfortable, stable, and enjoyable the journey will be. This is why the yogasanas are so important. The driver is the Buddhi Mind, who understands all of this and is guiding the process. The 5 horses are our senses (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) - they are easily excited and distracted. Without the guidance & discernment of the driver (the Buddhi mind), the horses wouldn’t have any idea where they were going, or what they were meant to be doing. The external world after all is amazing, exciting and distracting. The reins attached to the horses are our emotions and thoughts. When the horses go wild they make the reins wild. When the reins (emotions and thoughts) go wild the chariot gets pulled around and battered, the driver (mind) forgets his true purpose and goes into survival mode. The driver (mind) becomes so distracted controlling the reins (thoughts, emotions) and engaging with the horses (5 senses) and thinking about the chariot (body), the passenger (our true self) is forgotten. Essentially the driver has stopped operating in the Buddhi mind, and has started operating solely in the ego and manos mind. This means the driver is being pulled around by the reins ( thoughts and feelings) and led by the senses (5 horses) and starts to base all decisions and behaviours on these things. So the Buddhi mind needs to take over again, take control of the fluctuating thoughts and feelings, and take control of the 5 horses (senses) How? Through the consistent practise of Yoga. The journey doesn’t have to be a frugal, austere one; life should be a joyful journey of learning, connecting, evolving and experiencing, but it can all so easily result in every part of you getting, confused, battered, lost and suffering. Yoga is designed to keep you on the right path keeping the mind (reins) and the senses (horses) settled and the Buddhi mind in the drivers seat. * ‘Yoga is the cessation of the modifications, or fluctuations, of the mind’ The Sanskrit translation is Yogas citta vrtti nirodhah’ . This aphorism is the 2nd sutra from the seminal Yoga textbook The Yoga sutras of Patanjali. ** This quote is taken from BKS Iyengar in his seminal book Light on Yoga ***Yoga teaches us that our true Self is an eternal blissful consciousness, not separate from but interconnected with everything around it, and a higher universal consciousness 2 Yoga is more than Downward Facing Dog
Over the next few lessons, we are going to consider some key areas in Yoga philosophy and regardless of whether you fully invest in the ideas or not I hope you find them enjoyable and interesting. Namaste. In the West when we say we are going to a Yoga class, we really mean we are going to a “Yoga-asana” class. Asana means pose or seat, in Sanskrit. The names of the poses we do, all end in Asana, eg. ‘Tadasana’ is mountain pose because Tad means mountain and Asana means pose. The asanas are the yoga poses & postures that improve the wellness of the body and mind, so we can experience life at a higher state of awareness and clarity. Our experience of the world depends entire upon the state of our nervous system, the asanas stabilise and revitalise the nervous system, strengthen and open the body, whilst settling the mind. There are many different schools of asana practice. I am an Iyengar Yogasana teacher because I’m trained in the method that was created and taught by BKS Iyengar and his family, who continue to teach & develop this method in Pune, India. However, the Asanas are just one ‘branch’ of a larger ‘8-branched-system’, that is traditionally known as Astanga Yoga.* You can just practice the branch of the asanas, and feel much better for it. However, “If you do just stick to one branch, then it is like buying an 8-step ladder only using the first step, then thinking ‘Oh this is good, I’ll stop right here’.”** This 8-branched-system is known as Astanga Yoga** because “Asta” in Sanskrit means 8 The 8 parts are:
‘Yoga is an 8 branch system that allows us to move from our ‘over-identification’ with our changing body and fluctuating mind, and ‘re-identify’ with what we truly are.’ The concept of what we truly are, is that we are something much bigger, and better, than our body, mind, emotions, thoughts, memories, roles we play, and the possessions we own. These are false identities. We will explore this more in blog 2. * Astanga Yoga is also called Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga. Furthermore, it’s worth knowing that traditionally there were 4 paths to Yoga and the 8 branched path of Astanga Yoga was just one of them, the other 3 paths were Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. The goal of each was the same but the actions of attainment different. ** Quote from Jackie Pascal, A US based yoga teacher. ***Astanga yoga is also the name of a type of asana practice. Its full name is Astanga-vinyasana. This was an asana practice developed by a contemporary of BKS Iyengar yogi called Pattabhi Jois and this is not the Astanga Yoga that I’m referring to in the above. |
