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Yoga is one of the six fundamental systems of Indian thought collectively known as darśana;
Another aspect of yoga has to do with our actions. Yoga therefore also means acting in such a way that all of our attention is directed toward the activity in which we are currently engaged.
Sort of like a focused flow state = yoga.
Suppose for example that while I am writing, one part of my mind is thinking about what I want to say while another part is thinking about something entirely different. The more I am focused on my writing, the greater my attentiveness to my action in this moment. The exact opposite might also occur: I might begin writing with great attention, but as I continue to write my attention begins to waver. I might begin to think about the plans I have for the day tomorrow, or what is cooking for dinner. It then appears as if I am acting with attentiveness, but really I am paying little attention to
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Strengthen this focus muscle by focusing on the breath and dristi point in yoga.
am functioning, but I am not present. Yoga attempts to create a state in which we are always present—really present—...
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Yoga = creating a state in which we are ALWAYS PRESENT 🎁🎁🎁
The practice of yoga only requires us to act and to be attentive to our actions.
For instance, many people who smoke give up the habit once they begin a yoga practice. As result of their practice they no longer want to smoke; they do not give up smoking in order to practice yoga. We begin where we are and how we are, and whatever happens, happens.
As defined in the Yoga Sūtra, yoga is the ability to direct the mind without distraction or interruption.
How does our perception work? We often determine that we have seen a situation “correctly” and act according to that perception. In reality, however, we have deceived ourselves, and our actions may thus bring misfortune to ourselves or others.
Avidyā literally means “incorrect comprehension,” describing a false perception or a misapprehension.
Avidyā can be understood as the accumulated result of our many unconscious actions, the actions and ways of perceiving that we have been mechanically carrying out for years. As a result of these unconscious responses, the mind becomes more and more dependent on habits until we accept the actions of yesterday as the norms of today. Such habituation in our action and perception is called saṃskāra. These habits cover the mind with avidyā, as if obscuring the clarity of consciousness with a filmy layer.
avidyā is distinguished by superficial perception.
The first branch of avidyā is what we often call the ego. It pushes us into thoughts such as “I have to be better than other people,” “I am the greatest,” “I know that I’m right.”
For example, if āsanas are being practiced in a class, we have a tendency to compare ourselves with others. We notice that someone is more limber than we are, and that comparison creates dissatisfaction. Yet the practice of āsanas is not a sporting contest. Just because one person can bend forward further than another does not necessarily mean that she is more advanced in her yoga practice. Such comparisons lead to a satisfaction that relies on a feeling of superiority, or to a dissatisfaction that stems from a sense of inferiority. Such dissatisfaction often weighs so heavily upon us that it
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Avidyā is the root cause of the obstacles that prevent us from recognizing things as they really are. The obstacles are asmitā (ego), rāga (attachment), dveṣa (refusal), and abhiniveśa (fear).
The recommendation of a regular yoga practice follows
the principle that through practice we can learn to stay present in every moment, and thereby achieve much that we were previously incapable of.
This true understanding, which results from decreasing avidyā, does not usually occur spontaneously. The body and mind are used to certain patterns of perception, and these tend to change gradually through yoga practice.
According to the Yoga Sūtra, the recognition and conquest of avidyā and its effects is the only ladder by which we can climb upward. The goal of wanting to make something better may be the first rung on the ladder. And it is indeed true that by practicing yoga we gradually improve our ability to concentrate and to be independent. We improve our health, our relationships, and everything we do.
How can we climb this ladder? In Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra, three things are recommended to help us do this. The first is tapas. Tapas comes from the root word tap, to “heat” or “cleanse.” Tapas is a means by which we can keep ourselves healthy and cleanse ourselves inwardly.
But its meaning in the Yoga Sūtra is the practice of āsanas and prāṇāyāma, that is, the physical and breathing exercises of yoga. These exercises help get rid of blocks and impurities in our system as well as giving us other benefits. By practicing āsanas and prāṇāyāma we are able to influence our whole system.
The second means by which we can discover the state of yoga is svādhyāya. Sva means “self” and adhyāya translates as “study or investigation.”
It is not enough to keep ourselves healthy. We should know who we are and how we relate to other people.
The third possible way suggested in the Yoga Sūtra to approach the state of yoga is īśvarapranidhānā. Usually this term is interpreted as “love of God,” but it also means a certain quality of action.
Altogether, these three ways of being—health, inquiry, and quality of action—cover the entire spectrum of human endeavor.
we are healthy, know more about ourselves, and improve the quality of our actions, it is likely that we will make fewer mistakes.
is recommmended that we work in these three distinct areas in ord...
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Together they are known as kriyā yoga, the yoga of action. Kriyā comes from the word kṛ, meaning “to do.” Yoga is not passive. We have to participate in life...
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Much more important than these outer manifestations is the way we feel the postures and the breath.
What is an āsana? Āsana translates as “posture.”
āsana as having two important qualities: sthira and sukha.1 Sthira is steadiness and alertness. Sukha refers to the ability to remain comfortable in a posture.
The first step of our yoga practice is to consciously link breath and body. We do this by allowing every movement to be led by the breath as we practice the āsanas.
we breathe out in all exercises where a forward bend is the primary movement of the body.
deliberately combining the backward bend with an inhalation, as shown in figure 3, you make the movement easier and more effective.
The rules for linking breath and movement are basically simple: when we contract the body we exhale and when we expand the body we inhale.
Pausing at the end of each movement helps us remain conscious of both the movement and the breath. Losing this attention causes our practice to become mechanical, and then we are no longer doing yoga.
When using the other technique of breathing first into the abdomen and then into the chest, the abdomen expands so much that it inhibits the expansion of the chest and consequently the spine is not extended enough. As well, the abdominal organs are pressed down rather than the diaphragm being given room to move freely by the rising action of the chest. Because we are interested in breathing that assists the movements of the body and does not hinder the extension of the spine, this chest-to-abdomen breath is best to use. Experiment with both methods and feel the difference.
For example, while we are practicing an āsana in the usual way we may perhaps breathe in comfortably for five seconds, then breathe out for five seconds. We might then try holding the breath for five seconds following the exhalation. On the next inhalation we might notice that we need to draw the breath in more rapidly than before. That is a clear indication that we are not yet ready for this breath-retention technique.
yoga is a practice of observing yourself without judgment.
So insightful - but I NEED to practice this
What is yoga after all? It is something that we experience inside, deep within our being.
Yoga is different from dance or theatre. In yoga we are not creating something for others to look at. As we perform the various āsanas we observe what we are doing and how we are doing it. We do it only for ourselves. We are both observer and what is observed at the same time. If we do not pay attention to ourselves in our practice, then we cannot call it yoga.
Developing a yoga practice according to the ideas expressed in the Yoga Sūtra is an action referred to as viṅyāsa krama. Krama is the step, nyāsa means “to place,” and the prefix vi- translates as “in a special way.” The concept of viṅyāsa krama tells us that it is not enough to simply take a step; that step needs to take us in the right direction and be made in the right way.
As well, experienced practitioners of yoga often get caught in the habit of focusing their attention on fixing the posture somehow in static practice rather than really working in it and exploring its possiblities.
the forward-bending poses lend themselves to holding the breath following exhalation, while the backward-bending poses lend themselves to holding the breath following inhalation
We know that when we stand on the head the weight of the abdomen is on the chest and compresses the ribs, though we might not feel pressure until we rest.
