An Introduction to Bhakti Yoga

When one thinks of yoga, what first comes to mind are the weird shapes that students put their body into for exercise. Those of us who practice yoga, know that there is far more to be had than just an increase in flexibility and strength, a decrease in stress, and a better night’s sleep. A simple definition of Bhakti yoga is “devotion to the Divine”. That doesn’t mean that we sell off everything and move to Katmandu. Instead, it offers an opening to practice one-pointed concentration upon one’s concept of God. Before you run for the hills believing this post has a religious agenda, remember that this is just an introduction, just a bit of information about a 5,000 year old science.

What is the one thing that most people search their entire lives for? Happiness. For every individual, their flavor of happiness is unique. In our Western society, we’ve been raised to believe that in order to be happy we have to accumulate stuff. That stuff can be money, cars, houses, boats, and any number of things that money can buy. The perfect job, relationship, vacation, and friends also fall into that category of “stuff” in which we search outside of ourselves to find in an effort to be happy. Some of us have ambitions and goals that we believe once they are met, we’ll be happy. To fulfill those goals, we strive and run around and multitask and spread ourselves thin, possibly not giving enough energy to any single part of our lives, or our days, to see much progress.

As we’re driving to work, we listen to the news or music, dividing our attention between what we hear, what we see, what we’re going to do once we get there, and what we’re going to make for dinner. After dividing our attention for eight hours between emails, phone calls, coworkers, the boss, and projects, we pile back into our cars and return home, repeating the same scattered attention we’ve practiced all day. While making dinner, we have the TV on, maybe we’re talking on the phone to a friend or family member, we open the door to let the dog out, begin to unload the dishwasher, stub our toe as we cut the corner of the kitchen into the dining room too close, and never really hear what it is that our partner in conversation is saying into the phone. How can we, when our attention is scattered to several things, none of them receiving our full, loving energy?

Everything that we do or say or think can be done singly, alone, without the distraction of other tasks needing to be done simultaneously. If we cut up a banana to have in our cereal in the morning, then to practice Bhakti yoga, we center all of our attention on the banana, the knife, the cutting board. We smell the scent of the fruit. We feel the ease as the knife slices into it. We notice that the slices are not all exactly the same width. We observe whether or not the slices float in the milk with the cereal, or if they sink to the bottom of the bowl. With this single-minded focus, we can pay attention to our thoughts. We don’t have to hold onto them, we just notice as they form, and then dissipate.

Concentration on one thing allows us to perform that action whole-heartedly. When we do this, we honor that action and ourselves. By giving our full attention to that one act, we express reverence. That reverence elevates that act above our ego. What is above our ego? Our version of God. If we devote our energies to one act at a time, with complete concentration, then we are devoting that act to God. When we do this with enough actions in our lives, we find that anything we do, from cleaning the house to saving the whales, is a devotion to the Divine. When we focus outside ourselves in our effort to be happy, that happiness is short-lived because it’s driven by the ego. When we focus inside ourselves in our effort to be happy, we find that the effort is applied through focus and concentration on one act at a time, and that the happiness available, lasts.

In my first collection of yoga poems, Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I, I didn’t address the different schools of yoga. You can read a few of the topics I did write about on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

Do you practice Bhakti yoga? If not, in what ways might you begin your concentration and devotion?

 

A Very Brief History of Yoga

Since it’s the beginning of a new year, and I’m once again attempting to keep up with my blogging schedule, I thought I’d start with where yoga comes from. There are many schools and philosophies and people who have branched out, or off, and developed their own “version” of yoga. I’ll be discussing those in later posts, but I thought I’d give a bit of a foundation first.

About 3000 B.C., there were some artifacts discovered. The drawings on them and the figurines are believed to be in yoga poses. There are signs that have researchers believing that Shamanism used some of the yoga postures.

The earliest text, Rig-Veda, is a composition of hymns and prayers that speak of divine harmony and a greater being. Yoga originally focused on understanding the world, then on understanding the self. By 5 B.C., poses and meditation became critical practices, implemented and spread by Buddhist teachings.

Perhaps from the beginning of when man first walked the earth, we’ve had a desire for greater personal freedom, health and long life, and heightened self-understanding. These were brought about by exercise, breathing, and meditation. Moving into modern yoga, Swami Sivananda created five basic principles of yoga: proper relaxation, exercise, breathing, diet, thinking and meditation. Interesting that in all those years in between, not much has changed. As humans, we still harbor the same desire, and yoga still offers the same pillars.

The definition often used for yoga is “to join or yoke together; bring body and mind into one harmonious experience”. Some believe that this is different from what some teachers share, which is “to transcend the ego”. Which is very different from “death to the ego”! Without the ego, we would be in a vegetative state. The ego isn’t “bad” or “evil”. It’s necessary to function in society. However, when we bring our mind, body, and spirit into alignment, then we open the way to live life without being dictated to by the ego, where our personal freedom, health, and self-understanding suffer.

Some use yoga for the exercise. Some may decide that the breathing techniques help to manage stress and anxiety. Some, including a growing body of scientific evidence, use meditation to quiet the thoughts in the mind in order to differentiate between the ego and the Higher Self. The advantage to using yoga as exercise is that our physical bodies reap the rewards of being stronger, more flexible, having improved balance, limiting the effects of stress, and improving the quality of sleep. With a good yoga instructor, even those who step on their mat for the exercise will get a little more. The advantage of using pranayama on or off the mat is that emotions can be acknowledged and managed, the body can be heated or cooled, the mind can be woken up or relaxed to induce sleep. With a good yoga instructor, we can use the breath to quiet the mind, to improve our physical practice, and to clear the way for transcendence. The advantage of using meditation is not only to give ourselves some time and space to settle our thoughts in order to think more clearly, but to notice the workings of the mind and begin to train the mind to “sit and stay”. With a good yoga instructor, meditation not only gives us a sense of peace and calm, it also gives us direct access to our thoughts, which, when recognized, can lead to controlling our actions, responding instead of reacting.

As I studied these aspects of yoga in teacher training, I wrote poems about my experience. Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I can be found on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

Do you practice yoga? Which of the principles are easiest for you? Which are most challenging? 

Yoga vs. Stretching

Though I haven’t taken a yoga class at a gym, I know people who have. I also know yoga instructors who have taught at gyms. In this venue, participants are generally looking for some warm up or cool down, or an alternative to an aerobics or a spin class. Nothing wrong with wanting a “yoga butt”. The postures have many physical benefits, and an experienced and responsive instructor will know where to take the class, in asana and in philosophy.

Vinyasa and Power yoga classes certainly challenge many practitioners on a physical level. Depending on the student, they may tap into the philosophy during class, or they may be tapped out and be doing all they can with just the physical aspects of the postures. And that in itself is a yoga practice! That’s not to say that Restorative or Yin yoga is “easy” or that they can’t challenge a practitioner like Vinyasa and Power. In my experience, students will attend a Bikram class or a yoga session at a gym when they want the benefits of a physical yoga practice, but may not be interested in what else yoga can offer.

The postures came about as a way to release energy from the physical body so that it would sit still for meditation. Meditation is a way for the practitioner to train the monkey mind to sit and stay. When that happens, the meditator may recognize who and what they really are. And if that doesn’t occur, settling our mind, watching our thoughts, realizing that we don’t have to be led around by our thoughts, and being able to focus our attention on one point are all benefits of a meditation practice.

In a yoga class that involves more than “just stretching”, the philosophy of yoga becomes a point of focus. The postures and the mat are simply a way and a place to “practice yoga”. Once a student has enough experience in trying out a few of the tools and techniques on the mat, they are invited to try yoga “off the mat”. Waiting in line at the store, being stuck in traffic, or dealing with an irate family member or employee gives us the “mat” to “practice yoga”. It allows us to take what we’ve been introduced to or have practiced in class, and try it out, like a science experiment, in the real world. Yoga offers us the opportunity for both a physical practice and a philosophical one.

Stretching that we get at a gym moves the physical body, and we reap the benefits of that. Yoga that we get from an instructor that includes the philosophy of yoga (added to the postures) opens up myriad possibilities for us to live a more artful life. Which one we choose depends on where we are in our lives, and what brings us to the mat. There are people I know that have taken yoga classes for years, yet admit that they only go for “the exercise”. Then there are those who attend one yoga class and have found a home.

I attended a few yoga classes here and there before I found the studio where I earned my 500-CYT, and a couple of years later, became certified in Yoga Nidra. During this time, I wrote several poems about my experience. They became a project titled Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I. You can read a few on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

What do you prefer, stretching, or yoga?

Reasons We Skip Yoga Class

As a writer, I believe I have a highly developed sense of procrastination. There are times I find myself more interested in cleaning the toilet, looking for glue to fix a loose drawer knob, or switching the clothes in my closet from summer to “not summer” (in Phoenix we really only have two seasons) than I am in sitting down and putting effort into my WIP (work in progress). It takes practice, but after a while creatives begin to notice when some tangle with themselves, or in their current piece, is making it difficult to return to the work. The same could be said for a yoga practice.

Since I’m a 500-CYT, and have spent some time practicing yoga. Like my writing, I’ve noticed when I come up with seemingly logical reasons to not attend a class at the studio, but also not do a home practice. See if any of these ring true for you.

• “I’m tired. I’m just going to go home, read a book or watch something on TV.” Most studios offer a variety of classes around the same time. If we’re not up for Vinyasa, perhaps a Restorative or Yin class is more what we need. With practice, we realize which instructors might push our buttons, which asana practice could benefit our physical bodies. Yoga can bring us to a calm awareness and do more for our health than allowing our mind to drift in front of the TV or escape into a book.
• “I have too much to do to go to yoga.” Classes run from 45-90 minutes, on average. We know we could take care of a few errands, do some grocery shopping, or get things together for the next day. With practice, we realize that we’re more present and can accomplish more on our to-do list (which we limit and prioritize because we have a yoga practice) in a less harried state if we attend class.
• “I’ll skip class today, and I’ll go tomorrow.” Trade-offs are a part of life. Sometimes we do show up the next day, but sometimes the next several days come and go before we make it back to our mat. Our reasons for putting off an asana practice grow, our logic mounting a serious attack against any guilt for missing several classes in a row. With practice, we realize that we feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally when we keep a steady momentum with our mat practice. Some of us can skip here and there and return with no negative effects. Others of us skip one class, and it spirals away to the point that we forget the tools and techniques of yoga altogether that help us to live happier.
• “I don’t like the teacher/studio/that one student in class.” Sometimes the teacher we don’t like is exactly the teacher whose class we need to attend. Set it up as an experiment. What is it about the instructor that we don’t like? Their voice? Their instructions? Their sequence? Their take on philosophy? Search out the reason with as little judgement for ourselves and the instructor that we can manage. Is it something that we can allow to be there so we can attend class? If not, there are other teachers, other studios. If it’s a student in class, conduct the same experiment. Perhaps we’ll learn something about ourselves, which is the real practice of yoga.

At one time or another, I’ve used, or thought about, all of these reasons/excuses, and more. With practice (did you notice the repetition of this phrase?), we realize that our ego is trying to run the show by putting off that which allows the ego to be a little less important. Why wouldn’t the ego create excuses to delay its taming? During my teacher training, I wrote some poems about yoga. You can read a few of them on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

What reasons do you give for skipping a yoga class? When you’ve gone anyway, what happened to your logical excuse?

Some Pros and Cons to a Yoga Practice

 

I admit I’m a list maker. Though usually my lists consist of tasks I need to complete, I have on occasion listed the pros/cons of a particular decision that needed to be made. In that spirit, I thought I’d include a list in this post of some of the pros and cons of starting a yoga practice. This is not an all-inclusive list, and there may be some people who believe that what I’ve put under “pros” should be under “cons” and vice versa.

Pros of starting a yoga practice:

• Flexibility-Here in the West, we tend to have a tighter muscles because sit in chairs more than we move. This creates stiffness, lack of range of motion, and chronic pain.
• Strength-By moving the body, muscles are naturally strengthened. Many poses develop muscle, and mind, strength by design and as a by-product.
• Balance-Having balance becomes important in later years. Slipping on ice or falling on steps often leads to injuries from which people may not recover. Improving balance in poses on the mat helps physical balance, and mental acceptance, off the mat.
• De-stress-Our bodies are great vessels in which the frustrations, annoyances, and pain of living are stored. By moving the body, tensions are released, worries are forgotten or put aside or considered differently.
• Happiness-The purpose behind the physical postures in yoga is so that the restless body could sit still while the mind was in meditation. Accepting how the body moves in the poses can lead to letting go of agendas, which allows happiness to rise to the surface more often. Watching the thoughts in the mind and responding rather than reacting also leads to more happiness as we do and say things that we might regret less often. Releasing habits that don’t serve us can uncover more happiness. (This could be its own list!)
• Lose weight-Our bodies were meant to move, not sit idly for hours each day. This idleness instead of motion, coupled with the problems in our food supply, has led to obesity and the issues that stem from that. Attending regular yoga classes, even gentle or basics, helps the body to get rid of excesses, whether that’s toxins or weight, and helps us to accept how we are today.
• Sleep better-Once our physical bodies have let go of stuff that can make it sick, it’s more agreeable to relax in rest than to keep us up with aches. The same is true for the mind. As we begin to alter our perspective on the world, our mind will rest and we can get the sleep we need.
• Get in touch with the physical body-Many people, if they’re not into sports or haven’t been since their teen years, have trouble with proprioception, where their body is in space. If asked to step back with their left foot, some must think on it for a few seconds before responding. Some may not know where aches are coming from, but that they “don’t feel well”. Moving through postures improves one’s proprioception and increases the intimacy with which we know our physical selves.
• Become aware of habits-On the mat, our instructors will ask us to perform physical feats while paying attention to our breath and our thoughts. We watch when criticisms come up, when we’re competing with the person next to us, when we’re annoyed or angry or judgmental. This allows us, if we choose, to recognize when other habits keep us from the happiness human beings seem to constantly pursue. Maybe eating a box of Oreos every night is keeping us from wearing our favorite clothes, so perhaps we should look at changing how many Oreos we eat and if eating them every night is necessary, or getting in the way of us wearing our favorite clothes.
• Less angst-As one continues to practice yoga, and the postures become more comfortable, then the thoughts are looked at with more regularity. Once we see what the thoughts are as we practice on the mat, we begin to see them off the mat in our lives. We watch as we lose our cool in traffic or waiting in line or the child screaming at the next table. We may decide that if we accept what is in that moment, then we can let go of the angst. When we’re not holding on to the frustrations, happiness is there.
• More acceptance-Deciding that we like a particular instructor, for whatever reason, we take in what they suggest about breathing and our postures and their suggestions for practicing off the mat. We decide that instead of battling ourselves about touching our toes, if we accept that, for today and this moment, our toes are literally out of reach, then the battle ends. Acceptance doesn’t mean throwing in the towel and never doing anything. But instead, it gives us the opportunity to release those feelings that keep us from happiness. This is harder to do sometimes than others, and sometimes we can’t accept, and that’s okay. Can we accept that we can’t accept?
• More kindness-When we accept that things are how they are in that moment, and that in the next moment things could change, then we can allow ourselves some compassion. For many, it is easier to give compassion to others than ourselves. By allowing others to be how they are, we judge less. With less judgement, there’s room for love and compassion, and kindness.
• Tools for artful living-Yoga offers us ways to interact with ourselves and the world that lessen our misery. Emotions and feelings will still be there. Pain will still happen. But how we choose to deal with those circumstances can change so we spend less time in the pits of despair, grief, anger, etc., and return to our true nature.

The cons of a yoga practice:

• Buy new clothes-Sweat pants and a ratty T-shirt work for a while, but eventually, comfortable, stretchy pants and shirts snug enough to not cover our faces in down dog, but loose enough that we’re not distracted by how we look to others, begin to find their place in our closets and drawers.
• Vegetarianism/Veganism-With more compassion for ourselves and other human beings, we extend that awareness to animals,  plants, and the earth. As we pay more attention to our habits, we might change them to reflect a different, perhaps new, perspective on the world around us, which includes what we eat.
• May become an activist-Tied to the previous possible con of a yoga practice, some may decide to participate in organizations that save the whales, the trees, domestic farm animals, etc. This could lead to a change in career, friends, even where one lives.
• Achievers may still achieve-The core of who we are, our personality, won’t likely change if we begin practicing yoga. For some, that’s a relief! For others, it will be a disappointment. People who strive to accomplish things will still strive, but their focus may shift, which will affect other aspects of their lives.
• Start giving advice-It’s common that when practitioners notice how they feel after a steady diet of yoga, that they want to recruit others. Trying to convince someone to go to yoga, or responding to a friend’s upset with, “Yoga invites us to…” is not uncommon. This could lead to a change in friendships.
• Relationships change-Hanging out more often at the yoga studio instead of other places allows for new relationships to form with like-minded people. This will sometimes lead to letting go of other relationships and perhaps habits that are no longer in line with the yoga student.

So, there you have it, some pros and cons to starting a yoga practice. Not everyone will experience these, and some will experience other pros and cons. While I was involved in yoga teacher training, I wrote some poems about the experience. You can read a couple of them from Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

What are some pros and cons you’ve discovered with your yoga practice?

What is Yoga?

 

Occasionally, I’ll have someone ask this question. A good one to ask, because like most things out there, misconceptions and untruths abound. The media doesn’t help much besides give us headlines, and the more sensational, the better. The Internet is comprised of a plethora of information, and much of it is creative fiction. If one were to ask a student of yoga why it is that they decided to have a consistent practice, there will be a lot said about how it makes them feel good, how they’ve lost weight and are sleeping better, how they feel happier in their lives and small annoyances don’t seem to trouble them as much. They may talk about how great a particular teacher is, and how the community created at the studio with like-minded people has enriched their lives. All positive and true statements for them. An instructor may give a textbook answer, or may simple invite the one inquiring to come to a class and experience for themselves.

Because yoga originated thousands of years ago, and in a country where Christianity is not the most widely practiced religion, yoga has been colored by a different language and the culture of India. The names for the poses and practices in yoga are often first told in the language of Sanskrit. Thus, much of the translations aren’t exact, and therefore, different practitioners, or those from different schools of yoga, are likely to have slightly different names for the same pose or technique. “Yoga” itself is a Sanskrit word meaning “union” or “yoke”. The purpose of yoga is to unite body, mind, and spirit. The “yoke” translation comes in when we utilize the tools of yoga to harness the mind in order to live more peacefully, happily, instead of swinging wildly from elation to depression.

How does yoga attempt to do this? Working the body, working the breath, becoming aware of and consciously deciding what to do with thoughts, and the accepting of, through practice and experimentation in one’s own life, scientifically proven techniques and findings that allow one, if followed and practiced and reflected upon, to live life more artfully. By first becoming intimate with the physical body, then understanding scientifically how the body and breath and mind word in unison, or not, other facts become known. There is no “goal” of yoga, though depending on what brings one to the mat, it could begin with the goal to touch one’s toes. For others, it is enlightenment. For most, that “goal” will never be “reached” consciously. Another way to think of enlightenment is to “transcend the ego”, to discover what and who we really are, which isn’t the physical body or the thoughts in the mind. However, all along the way, as techniques are practiced, as one pays attention to the moment, as one alters their habits, then more happiness becomes acknowledged in one’s life. And that, happiness, is the goal of every human being.

There are shades of Hinduism in yoga, but that doesn’t exclude people who claim membership to organized religions from practicing yoga and garnering the benefits. Even if the only benefit they want is to touch their toes! What is yoga? For me, a practitioner and instructor, it is a huge box which contains the tools that allow me to reside in contentment, in peace, when I choose to use said tools. Does that mean that my life is perfect, that I never experience pain or self-created misery? Nope. That means I’m human. I still get attached to people and experiences and things. I still allow myself to not be in the moment, to be concerned about the judgement of others, or to not always accept or surrender to my present circumstances. But yoga, like law or medicine or education, is a practice. Every moment, every time we step on the mat, every circumstance is an opportunity to practice the breath, acceptance, surrender, responding instead of reacting, letting go, allowing, and being.

What is yoga? It is a practice, a lifestyle, a spiritual path, a toolbox of techniques that offer the student ways to be in alignment with themselves, to cohabit more peacefully with their ego and body and thoughts, and to live a more happy life.

While completing yoga teacher training, I compiled some poems about my experience. I bound them together in a unique project titled Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Part I, which can be found on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

How would you define yoga?

“I’m sure there’s more to it than just stretching.”

I was recently introduced to someone who was looking for a yoga instructor. They, like most people, had seen others in various yoga poses and understood that the physical practice would do them some good in regards to their body issues: sore back, tight shoulders, etc. The friend that was with this person spoke up to say, “Yea, I think you’ll like it. I was doing Bikram yoga for a while. It’s a great workout!” I smiled and nodded. The the person I was introduced to said, “I’m sure there’s more to it than just stretching, and I’m interested.” Again, I smiled and nodded.

Having been in public education for 25 years, we’re fond of saying, “I can’t believe they’re giving us another thing on our plate, and not taking anything away!” All that stuff on our plates as school teachers are things like planning curriculum, grading papers, attending meetings and professional development, helping parents and other teachers and administrators, proctoring tests, and numerous other duties and tasks that more than take up the hours in the teaching day, and beyond. It seems that each year, teachers are expected to do something else, another “heaping pile” of something on the plate of life. I would not be surprised if it’s the same in other professions. Burnout happens, sometimes more quickly for some than for others. When I’ve questioned those teachers who have been at it a long time about how they’re able to juggle all the demands and usually keep their sanity, they offer few words of wisdom. They’ve found a way to not necessarily decrease the amount of “heaping piles” on their plate, but instead have changed their plate.

This is how I think of yoga when someone says, “I’m sure there’s more to it than just stretching.” Can someone attend asana classes JUST for exercise? Absolutely. Is there more to be garnered? Absolutely. In my experience, I’ve changed my plate because I’ve chosen yoga as a spiritual path. Does this mean that I never get angry or sad or cry? Nope. Does it mean I’m blissed out every day and my life is exactly the way my ego wants it to be? Nope. Does it offer me tools and techniques to navigate more artfully around and through obstacles and challenges? Yes. I still have those “heaping piles” on my plate, but because I’ve changed my plate, the piles are often more manageable.

There are many schools of yoga, and I don’t tout myself as an expert, only a student. And I haven’t majored in or studied extensively world religions or read every form of scripture, so my experience and practice might be limited. What I can share, because I understand it and have practiced it and have garnered the peace and contentment so desperately sought after, is what I’ve studied and practiced. I would label what I’ve been taught as “classic yoga”.

The postures are used to move the body so that it can sit quietly. There are many benefits to moving the body, and often that is what brings students to yoga. Sitting with eyes closed, focused on the breath, is usually what is practiced as beginning mediation. Meditation is encouraged in order for the student to notice their thoughts. It is their thoughts that spring to the forefront of their minds and cause them to flip off someone in traffic, to yell insults to their assistant at work, to voice frustrated comments to the clerk at the store for having to wait in line, to spend more money than they have in order to buy things to impress others. And once a student begins to see their thoughts, and perhaps how unproductive they might be in keeping them in a state of contentment, then the practice becomes how to change those knee-jerk reactions. Over time, shorter for some areas of life, longer for others, the student begins to be less reactive, thus spending less time in annoyance and angst, and they start to see they are happier (what every human searches for) if they recognize that some of their thoughts aren’t helpful. It is a science, and life lived is the laboratory.

This is a very short, very simplified explanation that I’ve used when people have asked, “What is yoga?” If I were to launch into scripture about enlightenment, their eyes would glaze over and that would be the end of their exploration of yoga. Practitioners reading this will stutter about all the things I’ve left out, like pranayama, Karma, mediation in motion, the Yamas and Niyamas, etc. All of “those things” are part of what goes into making up the material of the plate upon which sits all the “heaping piles” of life. Maybe we change a few habits, and so the edges of our plates become higher so not so much stuff drips over. Maybe we become more accepting of ourselves and others, and the material of the plate absorbs some of the piles, so they aren’t so high. Perhaps the piles begin to cool because the plate dissipates the heat, yet doesn’t burn our hands.

Does this happen quickly? I would say that after even one asana class at a reputable studio, many students will “feel” the difference in their body, leave class a little more peaceful, and that’s enough to have them return. Once they begin to conduct their own experiments using the tools of yoga, and observe the results in their lives, then they turn into practitioners, perhaps even sharing with others what they know. Kind of like asking a veteran school teacher how they’ve managed to stay in education so long with all the demands, all the “heaping piles”, and having them answer, “I’ve changed my plate.”

Some of these tools I’ve written poems about and can be read in Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I, available on my website: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

How have you changed your plate? What are your favorite tools of yoga?

Things to Know Before Your First Yoga Class

Common Yoga Props

When people first hear about yoga, the pictures that pop into their heads are ones of willowy women dressed in skin-tight clothes, twisted into seemingly impossible shapes. For a majority of us in the West, we sit a lot, so our hips, and just about everything connected to our pelvic region, and usually our shoulders, because we spend so much time in front of a computer screen, are tight, so the poses seem unreachable. Sometimes, like with many things, the more we practice, the better we get. Competition, comparison, and goals are anti-yoga and deserve their own post, so for the purpose of this one, we’ll stick with “practice is the road to improvement”. It’s this “improvement” that will get some inquisitive beginners in the door.

There are many schools of yoga, and in later posts I’ll be investigating each one, but for now, I’m going to refer to yoga in general terms. Here are the benefits of an asana (physical postures) class:

1) increase flexibility

2) improve balance

3) aid in weight loss/appropriate body weight

4) receive better sleep

5) improve the breath, which increases oxygen to the brain and body

6) release toxins in the body through sweat and breath

7) more accepting of ourselves physically

8) develop a “happiness” while in class that lasts for a while afterwards

9) decrease in frustration, angst, and annoyance with others

10) more appreciation and gratitude

11) more awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and the environment

12) smiling more often

Some things to keep in mind before your first class:

1) every teacher and discipline is different, so if the first one doesn’t work, try another

2) when your teacher introduces themselves to you, be sure to share any physical concerns such as back issues, knee replacement, pregnancy, etc. as that’s the best way for the instructor to keep you safe

3) wear comfortable clothes, perhaps a more snug-fitting shirt than usual because poses like down dog will have your shirt bunching up around your nose

4) don’t eat anything heavy for 2 hours before class, but stay hydrated

5) if you don’t have your own mat, most studios have them available, usually for a small rental fee

6) in a full class taught by a popular teacher, there is limited room, so leave all extra clothing or bags outside the studio or in your car

How most classes are structured:

Full Lotus

1) students seated on their mats, perhaps with some blocks or blankets or straps for later postures, while the instructor is in the front of the studio space

2) closing the eyes and focusing on the breath is a common way to begin

3) some instructors begin with a bit of yoga philosophy that will be the focus for the class

4) for the next hour, you get to play Simon says, following the instructor’s directions

5) final pose is lying on your back, with some props if needed, in a darkened studio with eyes closed

Corpse Pose

6) some classes are more boisterous than others, but usually rolling up the mats and replacing the props is done quickly and quietly

What makes people return to yoga:

1) sense of peace after class

2) better sleep, less stress, less frustration (and a quicker return to contentment when annoyances arise)

3) improved balance, flexibility

4) improved focus and concentration

All the above allows us to live life more artfully, which helps us recognize the peace that always resides within but is covered with distractions, and thus travel through our days in contentment. Not that we’ll be blissed out, but through regular attendance, we learn some of the tools and techniques that help us be more happy in our lives, which is what everyone wants. You may, like many of us, decide that yoga has made such a profound impact on your life that you must share it with others, and therefore you’ll sign up for teacher training! Can we use yoga as just a physical practice, like exercise? Sure. Does yoga offer more? Oh, yes, it does! But it begins with your willingness to walk through the door of a studio, try a few different classes, see how you feel after a month. You just may find yourself approaching life a little more peacefully.

When I was completing  yoga teacher training, I wrote several poems about it. You can read a few here: http://www.myjoyenterprises.com

Have you attended a yoga class? What was your experience? Do you have suggestions for someone trying it for the first time?

Malas

Mala Beads

 

Keeping with the theme of yogic tools to help the practitioner, here’s a little information on mala beads. Usually thought of as only being used by Buddhists or Hindus, mala necklaces and bracelets can be used by anyone, and in fact the purpose of them is used across spiritual paths and religious organizations. The beads are made from an assortment of materials, from seeds of the bodhi tree to precious gems. They are strung together as a means of making counting easier.

The number 108 is significant in many spiritual paths. As a multiple of 3, it can relate to Mother, Maiden, Crone,  the number of sacred texts in particular religions, the number of earthly desires, the number of planets and houses in astrology, the number of goddess names, the diameter of sun and earth, the meridians in the physical body that radiate out from the heart chakra, and a connection to the divine, just to name a few. Each bead is counted for each mantra spoken, usually silently. A mantra has traditionally been the name of a god or a recitation of a prayer, but contemporary practitioners can use any word or phrase, in any language, for what they are focusing on.

For instance, my word of the year for 2014 was love. Many times during seated meditation, I used my mala beads to help focus my mind on the sensation of love, counting the beads as I repeated the mantra in my mind. Like many things that we do, with the repetition of sliding the beads through my fingers, it became a movement in time with my intention and without complete attention on the feel of the beads. And like many times during meditation, regardless of whether it is an asana practice on my mat or meditation to release stress or perseverating thoughts, other thoughts barge in. This is where the tactile beads and the motion of drawing them through the fingers is helpful. It redirects the thoughts to the mantra. Meditation is, after all, not an emptying of the mind of all thoughts, but rather a concentrated focus of attention.

If you think you might want to try using mala beads, first there is an intention. What answers are you seeking, which area of your life might need some light? The material used to create the beads could be determined by your intention. You could choose a mala that “feels” right, one that has specific material for a specific intention, one that you make, or one that you just like. A necklace length mala has 108 beads, the 109th bead is NOT to be counted. A bracelet may have different number of beads depending on their size, usually 27, but again, the “guru” bead is NOT to be counted. For some, the mala is held in one hand, and seated comfortably with eyes closed, taking a few deep breaths and relaxing the physical body, the mantra (a prayer, the name of the divine, a word describing your intention for the meditation, etc.) is repeated as each bead passes through the fingers. Some practitioners hold the mala in the right hand between the thumb and third finger. Once the “guru” bead is met, the mala is reversed, and the counting begins again as the mala beads are touched and the mantra is repeated. For someone just starting out, counting the 108 beads, 108 times, is a lot. If there is not the time or if distractions become too great, counting forward and back in a multiple of 3 is best.

Often there is a mala used for a specific mantra. It’s not unusual that a practitioner then wears the bracelet or necklace once the beads have been “charged” with the energy of the mantra. If they seek an answer or help in a particular area, and then that issue is resolved, the wearer will usually remove the mala bracelet or necklace, cleanse it, and have it ready for the next intention.

In my yoga poem project, Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I, I did not include a poem about using mala beads. It is on my list to include in Volume II.

Do you use mala beads as part of your meditation practice? Is there a particular mantra or material that you prefer?

Using Mandalas

Tibetan Mandala

There are many tools and techniques in yoga that aid in quieting the mind. A student may use these in order to practice yoga, which according to Patanjali and the Yoga Sutras: Yoga is now. Still the fluctuations of the mind, then the seer recognizes the True self. A mandala is one way that a practitioner can settle the vrittis of the mind.

“Mandala” in Sanskrit means “circle”. A circle in many spiritual paths represents wholeness, unity, and harmony. This symbol is part of many rituals in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions. The mandala is drawn around a unifying center that symbolizes cosmic and psychic order. Carl Jung believed that mandalas represented the unconscious self. Monks will often create mandalas for rituals and festivals from sand and the dust of colored, precious gems, and then destroy them after the festival to express the insubstantiality of visual forms.

Elegant Mandala

Geometrical shapes that create the diagram are called “Yantra”. A Tibetan mandala is often started in the middle with a square that represents a “wall”. Four circles are drawn, overlapping in the middle of the square, to symbolize “doors” or “openings”. The circle defines the limits of physical space. From there, more geometric shapes can be drawn around the circles, within the circles, inside the overlapping parts, etc. Color is added because there is color in nature (of which human beings are part of), and since the design is intended to represent the universe, and thus all that is in it, it makes sense that the mandalas be colorful.

It’s important that the design is pleasing to the eye so that the mind becomes absorbed and the chattering slows. A practitioner using a mandala can either use one that is already created, or make one. There are some shapes, or some mandalas, created by others, that serve particular purposes. It may be that meditating on, or using, one created for a specific purpose helps the student solve a particular problem or heal in a certain area.

Colorful Mandala

Begin by relaxing in a seated position with the mandala in front of you (perhaps hanging on the wall or place on the floor by your feet). It’s helpful to set an intention, perhaps a particular answer you are seeking or clarity on an issue that you need. Focus on the colors, the design, the repetitive shapes. Allow the mind to drift. The thoughts will begin to slow. If the mind wanders into the realm of to-do lists, something to remember, a person to contact, bring the awareness back to the mandala. Fall into it.

You can set a timer to begin. After some practice, it might become easier to focus on the mandala and thus settling the monkey mind quicker, and perhaps spending a longer time without the vrittis demanding attention. Often, the practitioner will come away with an answer or more clarity, depending on the intention.

Lotus Mandala

Mandalas are something I haven’t used much, but intend to incorporate more into my practice. To see what I have used, visit my website, http://www.myjoyenterprises.com, and read excerpts from Yogis All: A Journey of Transformation, Volume I.

Have you used a mandala? What were the results? Did you create one or use one made by someone else?