YS I.2: yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ  Yoga is the process of ending of the vrtii (fluctuations) of citta (field of consciousness) .

I need to practice yoga to reduce vritti (fluctuation of the mind). The mind have obstacles, but, there is nothing wrong with me (good to know)!  Interestingly, Mohan pointed out that asmita (loosely translated as ego), raga (attachment ) dvesa (dislike) – there is no life and we have to deal with it to set it right! Our minds  are the cause of bondage. Kria yoga (II.3:) is where we can start & follow the 8 limbs (the astanga yoga as prescribed in YS II.28).

What prevents us from practice?

Firstly, the  obstacles to the yamas (universal disciplines)  and niayamas (internal disciplines) are opposite tendencies of the mind (II.32), are harmfulness & falsehood.

*** Reflect on this: Thinking is a behavioral (fundamental to Yoga Sutra). You put up a show, but internally you should be intact. Life itself has  violence we can’t completely eliminate it, but internally the intention should be present. The mental clarification must be here. Try not to harm.

How do I apply these concepts to my monkey’s mind and daily life?

Firstly, I need to focus on the self & figure out what is it (only one thing only) I can right now? Just be, just breath & listen.  If thinking is behavioral, I can change – I am in power!

Secondly, Not to harm? I’ll start with self to prevent the cycle of unhappiness (eat too much – complain, try to rid of extra weight, overexercising – straining the body, etc.).  Ask myself “Is it external or internal”.

Lastly, can someone else give us freedom and happiness? We’re always looking for an easy way out, the pill for happiness. Instead, we must take responsibilities for our own thoughts & actions.

What is our personal role in all of this?

I am so happy I took responsibility to write! I hope you will share your thoughts with me.

Jeff Wise

I found it fascinating…

Interestingly, I had thoughts on fear when I was running through the park a few days ago. I thought – what would it be to free of fear?

Based on my understanding of the yoga philosophy (Yoga Sutra II.3), fear (“of death”), i.e.: all other fears are rooted in the fear of death is an obstacle to the path of self-awareness & happiness.  Of course, some of the fears are helping us to survive, but most of our fears are rooted in anticipation of unknown future.  Jeff had an interesting point: he thinks that as neuroscience peers ever deeper into the brain, it emerges that fear often has no “rational” basis at all, but is triggered automatically by internal and external stimuli. That is to say, we don’t need to have a reason to feel fear.

In any event, I woke late & couldn’t go to work & decided to fly instead today! I felt so brave & free…until I climbed the latter…Firstly, I felt retarded!  I couldn’t follow a simple instruction. I knew that I was safe, secured & had nothing to fear. I couldn’t take a leap…ahhhh….my body paralyzed, I wanted to walk (better run) back, my legs are trembling. Panic! The girl behind is pushing me – I go, gripping to the bar like it’s my last chance…Finally, after a few trials – I was able to let it all go! Flying was amazing – so free, really in the moment, the body so light, the mid is so free – this how it would be to live a life with no fear!

Yoga is samadhi; Seven limbs together make the 8th limb – samadhi. Yama (dos) & Niyama (do not’s) are very important.

** YS II.29 Yama-niyamasana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhaya ’stav angani

Samadhi can only be attained by practice (i.e.: sited meditation).  It’s a state of mind. We need to strive to find the peace within. “Can you search for something you don’t know?”….To attain samadhi, we must practice kria yoga (YS I.2 Tapah-savdhyayaysvara-pranidhanai kria-yogaha), which includes tapah & resist past conditioning.

We talked about “isvara pranidhana” – surrender the fruits of kria yoga. Wishes & expectations are not in our hands, focus on actions.

Jumping into “duhka” (pain) – kleshas have many shapes of dukha. Kleshas are vritties or activities of the mind that result duhka. The kria yoga is a remedy to reduce it. Kleshas are 5-fold and everything is the cause of avidaya.

** YS II.3 Avidyasmita-raga-dvesabhinivesha klesah

Asmita experiencing the mind (budhi) and consciousness (atma) as one. The know-er is perceived as one with the instrument of knowledge.  Consciousness seems to be the process of knowing and the mind and the senses that make such perception possible  while the true nature is different. Concept: No feeling or sense of the body in deep sleep, but when we wake up – something happens…and we connect. Therefore, “I am” is born. And now, “I am” is running in the world w/o even know who I am is!

Raga – a pleasant experience of an object or situation winch leaves behind samskara; while dvesa – unpleasant.

** YS II.7 & II.8 Sukhanusayi ragah; dukhanusayi dvesah

From the deep-rooted samskara that persists even in the wise the fear arises. Klesahs could be dormant or suppressed.

Our goal in yoga, is to create change and develop new samskaras.

being aware if something affects us, but we don’t express ourselves. The yoga is a methodology to create awareness for kleshas.

** II.15 Parinama-tapa-sanskara-duhkaair guna-vrtti-virodhac ca duhkam eve sarvam vivekinaha

Everything is suffering: both attachment (raga) & aversion (dvesah) are causing  dukha and planting new samskaras. We ask “but why do yoga if everything is suffering?” Because the yogi understands the problem, clarifies it & deals with it.

Some of the notes I took:

Asmita is not ego…consciousness is always present

Vikapla – not imagination, but a faulty concept, i.e.: “time flies”

I think I covered most of it. Please note, everything in this blog is my interpretation of what I heard & noted.

To summarize Wednesday( 6/2/10: 6-9 pm) evening:

A.G. Mohan spoke about his teacher & guru – Sri Krishnamacharya. He also presented audio & visual footage. The lecture on “Why Study The Yoga Sutras?”  followed. He was funny, very knowledgeable & extremely “light”.

Why should we study? We all want to live long, be healthy, but the question is – how do we go about it? We study yoga. Which is practical application on 8 limbs & “self realization”.

Next, he presented the slide: Three conditions for happiness:

1). We must get what we want. 2). The object / person / situation should not change.  3). Our mind should not change.

As we all know, everything is subject to change…In short, the essence of Yoga Sutra: 1). parinama – object changes 2). vikara – mind changes.

We experience problems becasue we seek for happiness as defined above & completely unrealistic.

We don’t need to study Yoga if…

1). There is no dukha – pain. 2). There is dukha, but we don’t wish to change. 3). We would like to change, but it’s not feasible. 4). The subject is meaningless to you. 5). There is a better means than the one suggested.

If we study…

It helps our mind to be stead – samadhi. We can look at ourselves, practice yoga & find out who we are. Happiness is felt in our mind and it is related to some one or something inside. The yoga is the only way! Only our mind is our  hands & if we keep it steady, yoga will provide means to achieve that. Yoga Sutra is extremely precise & logical. The study helps us to understand our own mind, to be clear of the connections, relations and boundaries; and finally, to create a positive state of mind!

The last thing Mohan asked Sri Krishnamacharya (when his teacher was 100 years old) is what does it take to be happy?

a – arogyam - health – asana - practice

a - ayus - longevity – pranayama - breathing

a -  atma - tranquility – meditation or sakshat kanam peace of mind. Which is the most important. Live long, be healthy, meditate & cultivate the state of mind!

Please note, I took my own notes during the workshop & it’s my interpretation of what I heard…

Sa tu dirgha-kala-nairantarya-satkarasevito drdha-bhumih

– Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras I.14

Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion for prolonged period of time.

I’ve been practicing yoga for about 8 years with 2 years of intense schooling & a bit over a year teaching. I thrive to cultivate patience & self acceptance on the mat & off the mat by finding a balance. But I have to admit that  I loose my patience (or shall I say, give into my ego) when I can get to a certain asana quickly or at all.

Thankfully, this sutra becomes very helpful. Patanjali here says that practice must be performed nairantaya, without interruption & dirgha-kala, for a long time…One cannot attain success in a few months or many years, unless one is exceptionally dedicated (Gita even says for many births…). Practice is a lifetime commitment with respect & devotion.

If we correlate citta (mind, body, etc.) with a plant, we can imagine a beautiful & attractive rose. To cultivate the beauty & sustain the plant, we need to constantly water the soil & protect it from weeds. The second we stop, pets will take over, the same goes to our yoga practice.  If we stop, all of our work is easily undone. On the other hand, we can’t control the size or length of the plant – our rights is to action only.  We can use the same metaphor for our practice.  After all, we’re pursuing the ultimate goal of life – realization of the innermost self – can’t expect to attain this in a random manner and it really doesn’t matter if your toes reach the floor in the forward bend – just practice….

Resources: the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Edwin F. Byant

]]> http://streamoflifeyoga.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=97 0 http://streamoflifeyoga.com/blog/?p=67 http://streamoflifeyoga.com/blog/?p=67#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:30:47 +0000 anna http://streamoflifeyoga.com/blog/?p=67 I am sitting on the plain going back to NY & I feel tears rolling into my eyes.

A week surrounded by Colorado’s mountains beauty and united energy of 1,500 yogis, 5 days of T.K.V. Desikachar’s, Sonia Nelson, Chase & Gary Kraftsow healing through yoga YJ Colorado conference, remarkable teachers, hiking & amazing people. I’ve been blessed to be in the same room with so many remarkable teachers, abundance of information & new ideas for my own path. It was a dream I’ve dreamed & it became a reality: chanting “Asato Ma” with Menaka Desikachar (she said I was pretty good…well only because I’ve been studding this chant with Guta for 2 years:), eating lunch with Leslie Kaminoff, chatting with Timothy McCall, taking lectures from Desikachar & meeting Gary Kraftsow, hiking for lunch and breathing clean mountain air — really?!

I’ve learned so much.I don’t like to live in NY anymore, I don’t want to go back work, don’t even want to deal with my own family. I just want to move to CO and open an eco-friendly yoga studio, teach, practice, study & hike for lunch.  All over the sudden, from the back of my head (or belly or who knows where), I hear a few sutras (I’ve only learned a hand-full from my teacher training):

II.7.sukhanusayi-ragah:Raga-attachment is holding on to happiness

II.8.duhkhanusayi-dvesah: Dvesa-dislike is holing on to pain

My understanding, we constantly seek for something we like, creating attachments or clinging & hoping or projecting to have the same results always. In my case right now, “I am in the mountains & I am happy & I will be always happy if I can stay here.”

Trying to avoid what we don’t like based on our previous memories.  Again, in my case, “I don’t want to go back to the office or take the subway…” But the subway ride on he grand scale, is a path to freedom, so is my office job. Only because of that subway ride I can afford to be in the yoga community and pay for my training, go to CO & stay in comfort with ease.

Suppose, I can move to CO today & quite my job, abandon my family, my students & my job. Will it make me happy? How much would it cost to open the studio? Do I have enough experience? Even thought, I am not a spender – I like to live comfortably: self-maintenance is a big part of my life and this includes pricey monthly massages, doctor check-ups, organic foods and facials. Not to mention, the cost of all the yoga and other educational expenses I can’t live w/o….will I be able to follow my path of teaching, practicing and helping? Is it responsible to run away?

Well, I don’t think so. I CAN move to CO, but I have to learn how to be content with what I have today and where am I now. Going back to sutras again: II.32.sauca-santosa-tapah-svadhyayesvara-prandhanan niyamah – santosa contentment is one of the components of the internal disciplines (it all begins in II.29, the eight-limb path of yoga, niyamah are internal disciplines)

II.42 .santosad annutamah sukha-labhah -  Owning to santosa-contentment, there is, an unexcelled attainment of happiness

It says it all! I have to follow my dreams & not fantasies (it’s not easy at times to differentiate), follow my dharma. But firstly, I have to find “santosa” and inner happiness. Anyone can be sane sitting on top of the mountain, but how about the subway ride? Someone who is content can find the same paradise sitting on the subway or hiking Colorado’s diamond picks (of course, I am not going to lie to myself – it’s pretty awesome to hike…hee hee).

I have to continue the path I’ve chosen to study, practice & teach in NY. I could have cancel my flight and stay here hoping for the universe to help me, but it wouldn’t be fair. I will be going back to work on Tuesday until my work  is done and I am ready to take a leap. I have to practice gratitude and help myself & people in my community because we need it most. We, who are so removed from nature & each other (of course, the separation is just an illusion & one of the sources for our suffering and pain). I have the information I must share. I’ve been only studding for 2 years, practicing for 5 and teaching for 1 year! Being in CO, I’ve also have my mind set on continuing my training in yoga therapy (will cost another arm and a leg).

All over the sudden, the tears dried and I smiled to myself, the clear blue sky and white friendly clouds I’ve been observing from the plain window.

I can move to CO, but I have to do it responsibly and not now.

Suddenly, I felt a yellowish warm energy circulating around my heart and I thought of the word “gratitude”, ahhhh…gratitude for all I have: my boy-friend and our new apartment on park slope, my parents, my sister, Jen (my niece, even thought she is trouble – I love her dearly), my dear friends (especially Lina, Masha & Marieka), Guta, my mentor and my teacher, my favorite school, my students, my upcoming events including Yoga Spa & Yoga Hike. All the business ideas I have: Yoga pot luck, creating organic bras, yoga mat back pack, therapy training, wilderness certificate, sailing, teaching in YS, learning Spanish, Sanskrit…etc….

On that note, I closed my notepad and my plain nearly landed back in my home sweet home.

Namaste!

I’ve started cleansing even earlier right after I did my Ayurvedic detox. I felt like I have too much clutter & its causing obstacles of energy flow in my body, my life and my progression.

As a yoga student I am thriving to practice the eight limbed path of Yoga prescribed in the second pada (chapter) of the Yoga Sutras (Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi).

The very first component: yama is our attitudes towards our environment comprises of five aspects. Aparigraha, is one of them, stands for non-possessiveness or non-greediness, the ability to accept only what is appropriate. I also understand it as to not possess anything you don’t need – which contradicts with our consumer trained mentality. We’re constantly feeling a need to grab, get and accumulate more material possessions.

I purchased a few great books: Karen Kingston “Clear Your Clutter with FENG SHUI” & “Uncluttered Your Space” by Ann T. Sullivan to help me with my cleaning project.  As a bonus, I found so much useful information in these books (on my next blog).

I’ve been doing a little bit every day & feel like prana or life energy is circulating more freely with every piece of paper going into recycling bin.

It made me even more exited about the move! Of course, I am very sad to leave my really great friends and neighbors; I even cried saying good-buy to my clients in Synagogue last Sunday. But on the other hand, Aparigraha – non-clinging, letting go & welcoming new opportunities.

The seasons are changing & it’s a really good time to detox & clean not only our bodies and our spaces but also our minds and attitudes. It’s really wonderful to live your life and fulfilling your dreams, following your passion and doing the best you can. Let’s try to reach deep inside and find our individual gifts to realize our “dharma” (righteous duty or any virtuous path) to change the world.

“Be the change that you want to see…” just like Gandi!

Please share your comments & suggestions on organizing & cleaning:

One shelf a day, before & after:

Even thought, I’ve been a bit off for the whole week – may be it’s my schedule or resistance to change…

I’ve decided to do some detoxing of my body by Ayurvedic cleanses (taking olive oil on empty stomach and limiting my food intake) and un-cluttering of my apartment with a hands-full of books on cleaning and feng-shui. It’s been 5 days and I am already feeling better! I am hoping to be able to purge more emotional and physical baggage in the upcoming weeks. I am keeping notes and learning a lot. I will post my notes on this subject as I progress.

Anyhow, I would like to share another day of the shape shifting workshop.

The fire ceremony was next on the menu. We were asked to go outside to meditatively walk in nature and ask the mother earth to provide us with amulets witch represent our true mission and obstacles stopping us from acting on our true mission. I had a hand full of “obstacles”: sticks, nuts and leaves standing for: procrastination, laziness, bad grammar, failure to pay attention to details, eating when not hungry and beating myself up for it and…the last one I could think of was lying.

My next amulet (fallen nut) was for my mission or dharma to change the world and help people by offering my knowledge of yoga, for my dream of leaving, practicing and teaching yoga (leaving my desk job behind forever), traveling the world with a mission and leaving to my fullest!

The fire ceremony which comes from indigenous peoples of ancient Amazon, modified for us western folk took place about 9 pm and lasted for a few hours. We formed a circle and held hands as each one of us dropped their “obstacles” into the fire. It was simply, incredible. The ceremony ended by drum beating and dancing around the fire.

I feel like I’ve inherited a huge responsibility, or shall I say reinforced my knowledge, to follow my dream.

It does not matter if I succeed or not. “Losing is just as good as wining. The only important question is: Am I progressing down the path I was intended for?” as a great warrior Tamur stated in the “Shape Shifting” book by John. Am I following my dharma?

Thank you all for taking your time and reading my blog!

Please stay tuned and share your thoughts….

Namaste!

Anna.

I partner up with beautiful women, named Lisa, on the first guided meditation. I visualized her dancing freely next to the fire and I saw a wolf who is trying to break free from her dance. She told me that she sensed a very strong animal presence.

We were instructed to lie down side by side with a partner and visualize an object or animal to represent our partner’s spiritual guide and to blow this energy into their hearts and the top of the head (Sahasrara Chakra) on the second meditation. I saw a magical sunflower for my boy-friend (he was my partner) and he picked a star fish for me! I got very emotional and burst out in tears. It was some sort of a relief and letting go of things or patterns I did not need.

Please stay tuned for the fire ceremony stories and my thoughts on the workshop.

Check: http://www.johnperkins.org/

It was really hard to be squeezed in NYC subway after hours I’ve spent in pristine land expending my conciseness, but I have to stay focused and follow my dream. I am here for a reason. It’s my journey and I will go with it!

I was taken to the new level of conciseness and awaken new powers. My whole being was broken into pieces and collected or shape shifted into something new. Even thought, I had similar intense transformational experiences during my yoga teacher training – this one seems very unique.

The weekend of shape shifting in Omega:

We got off the bus which took us from Grand Central station to Omega Institute on Friday night. We met our group with whom we were going to share our stories and time for the rest of the weekend after delicious vegetarian dinner. The work shop took place in the rounded room lighted by a soft candle light surrounded by trees and fresh air. Shamanic altar was assembled right in the middle. The atmosphere was friendly and warm. We were “smudged” with incense before entering. John – our leader and a true shaman shared his wonderful story of shape shifting and transformation. The night lasted for a few hours. It included our first shamanic ceremony of fire blowing. We went home to our serene cabin.

I was really jittery and exited for the upcoming workshop and new information. I had no idea…

On this note, I’ll end my writing for the day. Please stay tuned for the fire ceremony stories and my thoughts on the workshop.

Namaste!

Anna.