"What is Yoga" Part II
by Man.
Raghuramji
What is Yoga? (Part II)
A continuation from the “What is
Yoga?” article in the previous newsletter.
“Tam Yogam iti manyante stiram
indriya dharanam”
Controlling all of the senses,
including the steadying of the mind, is known as yoga.
- Upanishads
Krishna further defines the
practice of yoga within the Bagavad Gita, a text of yoga, where he is referred
to as a Yogeswara, or master of yoga. Krishna and Arjuna converse within the
battlefield where Arjuna is taking the advice of Krishna prior to going into
war. It is here that Krishna imparts
the following advice to Arjuna:
“Yogastah kuru karmani.”
Perform the activity in the state
of yoga.
When Krishna instructs Arjuna, he
is well aware that the activity to be performed, is that of fighting a
war. If a war can be fought in a yogic
way, all other activities must be able to be completed in the same manner!
What does it mean to do an
activity in a yogic way? It is definitely not combating while trying to keep
the body in any yoga position! It must
be something completely different. The
earlier definitions we explored describe yoga as a technique to calm the mind
or a method to develop inner harmony.
Theoretically, this is a wonderful ideal to achieve and even fathomable
when we are sitting alone without any interactions or activities which can
contribute to the disturbances of the mind.
However, when we say that yoga is a state of being that we are supposed
to embrace at all times throughout our daily activities, even when at war, the
concept seems more idealistic than practical.
It is easier to conceptualize yoga as a practice we can do many times
throughout the day, rather than accepting it as a way of doing all of our
activities. This is where the true
meaning of yoga is defined: when we are
performing specific practices we are doing, but when we truly act in a yogic
way, it is our being.
Let us further understand the
difference between “doing” and “being,” as yoga is more important as a way of
life, a way of being, rather than simply a method of doing:
Doing is external, while being is
internal.
Doing can be for a designated
period of time, whereas being is always, at all times.
Doing may not transform us, but
being is a method of transformation, the way a bud becomes a flower.
Doing may not percolate in to
being, but being influences all of our “doing.”
Doing may be useful for an
individual, while being is useful for him/herself and those around him/her.
Doing is often a cover or mask which
does not penetrate deep into the self, while being is a catharsis.
By simply performing the
“practices” of yoga, one will not be a yogi, or a person in the state of
yoga. One must be a yogi from within in
order to permeate those qualities in all walks of life.
Within the Indian context, this
concept is not new. In our childhood,
our grandmothers were quick to question a “yogi” in anger, “ What is the use of
doing yoga, when he always gets angered and is short-tempered?” It is through such examples, that we
understand that whatever practice of yoga one does, is not as effective as
having a peaceful and undisturbed existence, the essence of internalizing yoga.
Swami Vivekananda beautifully
stated, “Each soul is potentially divine and the goal is to manifest the
divinity within by controlling the nature, external and internal. This you doeither by work, worship,
philosophy, and psychic control. One or
more or all of these methods and be free.”
He further added, “ Temples, rituals, books, dogmas, and doctrines are
but secondary details.”
The theory is understandable, but
it leads us to more practical questions.
Why do we do the physical positions or breathing and cleansing exercises
in the name of yoga if it is a state of inner harmony? What is its relationship with
meditation? How are all these various
techniques, from hot yoga to hatha yoga, from kundalini meditation to chakra
meditations, interconnected? Why are
there so many techniques of yoga and which is correct and incorrect? Why and how yoga helps in addressing health
problems? Supposing, we do yoga for
health reasons, I am healthy now, so why should I continue to do practices of
yoga?
The potential divinity as
mentioned by Krishna is the state of yoga which does not need to be acquired
but is already within us. The key is to
remove whatever it is that is obstructing the manifestation of this divinity,
or Vritis as referred to by Sage Patanjali.
In order to determine the obstacles covering our divinity, how we
acquired them, and the level at which they are covering our divinity, we need
to understand our true personality.
This is further described in the Upanishads and is referred to as Panca
Kosa Viveka.
A Simple Solution to the Stress of
Modern Day Society
In the modern, fast-paced society
of multitasking, distractions, and responsibilities, stress and exhaustion are
inevitable. We rarely sit still without
feeling as though we are wasting time or becoming anxious about the rest of the
day. Hence, exhaustion, stress, and
stress related disorders are apparent throughout our community. Recent studies indicate that even the common
cold can be attributed to stress.
Stress induced ailments include hypertension, anxiety, irritability,
sleep disorders, diabetes, and back pain.
We allow ourselves to take a
“break” from our hectic schedules via unconscious methods of relaxation or with
the support of external influences, such as drinking, drugs, or social
diversions. Unfortunately, when we
remove the influence of the external agency, we once again revert back to our
original or an even worse state of dissatisfaction. So how do we begin to relax and begin to de-stress on a more
permanent level from within?
One method, is through the
practice of Shavasana. Shavasana is a
conscious process of relaxation which is the crown of all postures. It is important to do this after all other
asana (physical) practices to derive the full benefits. As it is defined in the sutra of Hata
Pradeepika,
“Uttanam shavavat bhumau, shayanam
tat shavaasanam Shavaasanam kshanti haram, chitta visranti kaarakam”
Spreading on the even ground in a head up position, is called
shavaasana. Shavaasana is good for
removing exhaustion and establishing peace of mind.
The general principles of
Shivassana are outlined in the sutra of Hata Pradeepika, but the actual
benefits and internalization of the practice can only occur from
experience.
The Position:
1. Lie
down on the even ground (on a soft carpet) on your back.
2. Spread
your legs and hands comfortably apart
3. Ensure
that your back rests comfortably.
Note: Asthmatics, while in heavy breathing, may feel more comfortable
lying on your belly, instead of your
back.
The Practice:
There are three levels of
Shivassana:
1.
Isometric Relaxation (IR):
Tighten the entire body from head
to toe continuously, while also holding in your breath for as long as
possible. Then collapse the entire
body, including the breath, at once.
While collapsing, you can observe the body slipping into relaxation in
the next minute. This is a great
experience which can be practiced while sitting anywhere, anytime.
2. Quick Relaxation (QR):
Another modification is where you
collapse the body and observe the breathing at the belly level. The belly should rise on inhalation and drop
on exhalation. Completely detach from
the body and observe the body sinking with each breath out. Gently chant “Aaaaah” with each breath
out. This will take about 2-3 minutes
and takes you into deeper relaxation.
3. Deep Relaxation (DR):
Relax the each body part
individually from toes to head. First,
relax the joints then move on to each muscle.
As you reach the waist, go to deeper relaxation with the help of sound
resonance of gently chanting “Aaahh.”
As you reach the shoulder level, relax deep into the cell level with the
sound of “Uuu.” Relax your head with
the sound “Mmmm.” Then relax the entire
body with the sound resonance of “AUM.”
The entire exercise takes 10-12 minutes.
There are further modified
techniques that are yoga nidra and progressive relaxation given by different
schools of yoga.
All of these practices can be done
directly before going to bed after a long day of work and can enhance the
quality of sleep. Initially, shivaasana
can be practiced with audio music but once you begin getting deeper into the
relaxation, the music may become a hindrance and silence may be preferred.
As you begin the exercise, you may
find that you fall asleep in the process of this relaxation. There is nothing wrong with this, but will
actually enhance the quality of your sleep!
After a few days of practice you will begin to consciously relax without
falling asleep.
Shivassana assists in transcending
the physiological plane and allows us to go into more subtle levels of
existence to Pranayama Kosa or subtle personality as we continually practice
it.
SUMMARY: Shavaasana is a corpse pose which can assist
in alleviating stress and stress related issues such as hypertension, back
pain, diabetes, and gastric disorders.
It can be practiced in 2-10 minutes, but the only way to obtain the
benefits is through regular practice.
Instructional tapes are available
at www.vyasa.org or www.yogabharati.org.