Category: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra

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Sankhya – Elements-Water

स्थूलस्वरूपसूक्ष्मान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद् भूतजयः ॥४४॥

sthūla‑svarūpa‑sūkṣmānvayārthavattva‑saṁyamād bhūta‑jayaḥ

By Samyama on their gross state, svarupa (essential nature), subtle state, interconnect3edness and nature of serving a purpose – mastery over the bhuta – elements(PYS, 3:44, tr. J. Houston)

ततो णिमादिप्रादुर्भावः कायसंपत्तद्धर्मानभिघातश्च ॥४५॥

tato ’ṇimādi‑prādurbhāvaḥ kāya‑saṁpat tad‑dharmān‑abhighātaś ca

From that, the emergence of such powers as becoming minute, etc. perfection of the body, and non-affliction by its constituents. (PYS, 3:45 tr. J. Houston)

One morning at 4 AM by the sea in Costa Rica, some students, all females, and I hopped in a van and traveled to a beach where it was reputed that the sea turtles would come to lay their eggs. We stood for while waiting.  First one then two, then a few then many of the magnificent beings, bodies reflecting forms of a time before time, mothers,  began to pull themselves out of the deep blue ocean with their front flippers.  Dragging their enormous water-built bodies from the sea and up far on the beach to dig their nests.  Young new mothers and ancient ones, dragging themselves up to the shore to lay their precious eggs.  One in particular drew our attention, for she was clearly the oldest and slowest of them all and was missing a front flipper.  Her arduous journey up the beach to participate in the creation of new life was breathtaking.  No Goddess I’d ever seen painted matched the feminine dignity of this, not so little, sea turtle.  After her eggs were laid, she dragged herself back towards the ocean, pausing frequently to rest from the extraordinary effort. 

Awe and deep love swirled around the group as we quietly murmured our support, “Go, you can do it!’ peppered with warm quiet laughter and tears.  In that moment we were no longer tortoises and humans – we were all just women – joined in that specific essence we could not name and maybe had never known before right now, seeded within the nature of the divine feminine.  That we would drag ourselves up the beach to dance with that cycle of life.  Mothers by role or not, we all shared something magical. It was like meeting ourselves and finding out exactly how beautiful we were. 

When she made it to the shoreline, we let out a cheer and watched her swim off into the deep blue sending her well wishes for a safe journey to an unknown destination.  As we gazed at the waves after she was gone with wistful sighs —all of a sudden —a flipper emerged from beneath the waves to give us a little wave.  I know I wasn’t alone in picturing our friend, diving deep into the vast primordial waters where she lived fully potent, fully alive, fully divine.

In our studies of the Sankhya chart, we now move through the water element, or Apas (waters -which include physical, cosmic, primordial as well as the qualities of water as expressed in the universe).  From the perspective of the Sankhya Chart – the elements serve as a ground level of interaction of consciousness with the physical plane; that is one thing.  But we can look to the sage wisdom of Master Patanjali in his yoga sutras to guide our yogic exploration of the elements.  In PYS, Patanjali advises contemplation of the elements from gross to subtle, so we bring to this exploration an open-mindedness and curiosity which exceeds the limits of our physical senses.  With curiosity and imagination, we ask…what are the qualities of water? 

One of the first things we might notice is that the water element overflows with the quality of infinite abundance. Surprising, as we do experience scarcity – there’s always water somewhere, in some form, just not maybe where we are.  And often it’s right here and we overlook it.  Scientists tell us that there is a fixed amount of water in the universe – infinitely recycling through the rain cycle – it doesn’t disappear.  And this is related to one of its other somewhat magical properties – it retains its molecular identity as water even when it turns into ice and steam. 

Its primordial nature is felt as a healing source deep in the psyche of perhaps in all beings.  While domestic cats are reputed to have an aversion to water, my Lakshmi, a pure bred feral (on the basis of some of her talents and behaviors, I don’t think her ancestors were domesticated) would sit in the California rain with a look of wonder and joy on her face – even when the warm dry apartment was mere feet away from where she sat.

The theory of evolution proposes that we emerged from the water – and transformed into beings who could breathe air and walk on the land.  The waters containing life existed long before we did.

Water exhibits cohesion – the particles of water have this amazing ability to cling together.  The molecule H20 is held together by covalent bonds.  That means hydrogen and oxygen aren’t bound together because they are each missing something.  That kind of bond can be easily split apart.  Water molecules are bonded through mutual sharing and attraction to each other’s atomic nuclei.  Do I hear divine essence?   I guess this is why the great mystical seers of the universe have associated the energy of water with relationships. Like the recycling quality of water, no relationship ever ends; it just becomes invisible for a while and life goes on eternally, whether through multiple lives or one eternal life.  That’s how we know that love is always behind relationship – even if its current form is not healthy.

Water embodies continuity – you can’t break it -even the solid quality of ice is a miracle.  It’s not like flour- granular as many solids are.  Water retains that continuity as it changes shape.

Water is nourishing, it has the ability to permeate and bind tissues.  Nutrients can dissolve in water.  This is how it becomes a container for life.

The water element is commonly associated with forward bends.  The meridians which run along the spine are associated with the bladder, and a most excellent forward bend will stretch and tonify those oh so important kidneys resting on your lower back.

Let’s consider Uttanasana – it’s stretches the entire back of the body along that bladder meridian.  If you crease at the hips (rather than rounding your back) your kidneys will get that gentle toning quality. 

Do you envy that person next to you who flops down in the forward bend.  Don’t. Sometimes they would really like to feel that same stretch you do!   That floppy quality points to an imbalance in the water element either at the physical or chakra level.  Likewise, if you can’t touch your knees and all the bend is happening at the rib cage, well, that would also indicate some imbalance there. 

I invite you to explore how you take your water and the quality of your forward bends rather than find a gimmick that tricks the body into what appears to be a better external picture of a forward bend.  The lines of the body should appear fluid, coherent and in some schools the linking of the hands and feet are used allowing circulation of “energy”.

It’s a beautiful thing about asana that we can learn to detect imbalances in the body and address them before they become fixed and stagnant.  These observations bring the ability to cultivate health.  Patanjali notes this as well!!

Consider how the structure of the connection to the earth impacts your Uttanasana.   If your weight is not evenly distributed through the feet (and maybe the hands) it throws off the continuity of the stretch through that back of the body.  This is just an example of the organic wholeness cultivated and expressed in asana.

And on a final note…water is VAST.  As I swam through the months of preparation and study of this element I realized that all I could do was a take a little cup of the ocean and suggest that you explore the realms of water in your own life, because there is so very much more to discover….🌍

**“As a yoga practitioner and teacher, I honor that yoga arises from a rich and ancient Indian tradition. I’ve learned that these teachings carry a depth and integrity that can support profound healing when approached with respect for their origins.

At times I use poetic or contemporary imagery to make concepts more accessible, but my intention is always to point students back toward the roots of the practice — the classical texts, the Vedic worldview, and the wisdom traditions that shaped yoga. These sources offer a depth that modern interpretations, including online content, can’t always provide.

My hope is to inspire curiosity about the lineage itself, and to encourage students to explore yoga’s original teachings as a living source of insight and transformation.”**

Sankhya Chart adapted from Vasant Lad's Chart, Illuminating the Elements
Sankhya Chart adapted from Vasant Lad’s Chart, Illuminating the Elements


Each post has a matching newsletter which looks at the material from a slightly different perspective. We try to have a structured study, moving through specific themes across month. Currently we are exploring the points on the Sankhya Chart.

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Sankhya chart: The Elements: Earth

/*note; there are more complex Sankhya charts – the one we are using is very basic*/

The elements are one section of the ground floor of the Sankhya Chart.  They are the basic building blocks of the physical object filled universe.  If we were standing at the bottom of the chart, looking up, we would see that things become simpler, less divided, as the chart ascends.  If we were at the top of the chart looking downward, we would see that the fundamental duality, Purusha and Prakriti, contain within them all of what descends from them; the top row further divides via the Prakriti into multiple smaller parts.  The elements are some of those smaller parts.  This process of division continues well beyond the base of the chart.  The process of re-unification continues well above the top of the chart.  The bottom of the chart — the level at which consciousness interacts with the material world — consists of the senses and the elements..  We have discussed the senses. We now begin to discuss five primary elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space.  The element Earth or Prithvi, our starting point, establishes the solidity of our physical experience. 

Sankhya Chart adapted from Vasant Lad's Chart, Illuminating the Elements
Sankhya Chart adapted from Vasant Lad’s Chart, Illuminating the Elements

The elements rarely, if ever, occur in a pure form.  They are always co-mingled with one another.  How this plays out becomes apparent by contemplation.  Think…mud, or ocean- salt- water. As yogi’s we learn to identify each element and then consider how we can contemplate them and subsequently work with them in our asana practice.  A well-done Asana practice will harmonize the elements but even greater is that asana practice is a means of direct experience of the elements. 

Let’s start with the words of sage Patanjali, author of The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

From Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, third padah: 

/*PYS 3.44 One-pointed meditation on the five forms which every element takes, produces mastery over every element.  These Five forms are the gross nature, the elemental form, the quality, the pervasiveness and the basic purpose. */tr Alice Bailey

/*PYS 3.45 Through this mastery, minuteness and siddhis (powers) are attained, likewise bodily perfection and freedom from all hindrances*/ tr Alice Baily

The third padah, in which these sutras are placed, describes the expected results or expressions of power that arise with well-done practice.  The divine feminine force, Shakti, is the life force which the asana yogi learns to cultivate and move effectively through various yogic disciplines.  When concentration and intention merge in practice the yoga – the yoking –  results in various manifestations of power.  In full mastery the yogi becomes anchored in the experience of yoking to God.

These sutras describe the practice of Samayama (powerfully sustained steadfast concentration) on the elements, or a specific element.

Consider earth in the form of a mountain.  Tadasana. It is solid, stable, heavy, strong, dense, and movable only by the faith contained in a mustard seed.  It is the essence of physicality.  It might be nice to just sit for a while and contemplate an inner or outer image of a mountain.  After placing the body parts in order in your Tadasana, you might, while standing steadily, consider what it might be like to be a mountain.

In our bodies the earth element is associated primarily with muscle and bone.  Bone shares the structural and material qualities of crystals, which emerge from the earth itself. Bone also has association with another element – water – because of the essential marrow and marrow’s relationship to the liquids in the body. Muscle and bone together form the structural elements of our physical body and are the foundation of every asana.

Balance of the earth element in the body brings a sense of grounding which is uplifting rather than heavy.  As our good friend Patanjali says, our posture will then be steady and joyful.

/*The posture should be steady and joyful.*/ PYS 2.46 I believe this translation to be attributable to Sharon Gannon co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga.  Sukham – easy sweet joyful.  Sthira -strong and stable. 

/*Steadiness and ease of posture is to be achieved through persistent slight effort and through the concentration of the mind upon the infinite*/ PYS 2.47 tr. Alice Bailey

/*Then, no assaults from the pairs of opposites*/ PYS 2.48 tr. Manilal Nabhubai Dvivedi

Notice that the remedies in these translations point to the infinite.  It’s the aspiration of reaching for the higher realms of the Sankhya chart.  How nice that the posture trikonasana reflects the shape of the mountain and the Sankhya chart, while reaching for the infinite.  That reached up arm changes the whole relationship to the earth, doesn’t it?  And if you struggle with your shoulders in the posture, perhaps you are carrying too much on them and might invite some trust into your life. The solutions to asana challenges aren’t always fully resolved on the physical level, as we will discover as we climb the Sankhya Chart.

We don’t really need to understand that; we will experience the truth ourselves if we practice.  Yes, the key is practice – with a right amount of ease in working with the challenges you have chosen in your practice, and an elevated intention.

When we detach from forcing and allow ease to emerge, the parasympathetic nervous system can proceed with its magical powers of healing.  This deep level of healing resolves into improved adaptation and resilience.

For much of my life I had a tremendous aversion to cold.  A yoga friend once took me cold dipping in the San Pablo Bay north of San Francisco. Brrrrr. 
The water was 48 degrees.   As I gasped, she reminded me to “breathe…like yoga”.  It worked.  Quickly.  I was neck deep in the water, and blissful. There was no difference between the hot and the cold.  My experience of that yogic result was tested – within weeks of that date I moved to Arizona, in June, 120 degrees.  Moving furniture up and down the stairs.  I survived.  But the amazing thing was that my body completely adapted from the cold and damp of the Bay area to the extreme hot and dry of the desert.  It’s not a brag, I attribute this resilience to my years of yoga practice, and the discipline required to maintain the practice.  It’s something that naturally arises with well-done practice.  I was excited to experience it.

While exposing ourselves to hot and cold is not a prescribed practice for yoga asana, it does demonstrate the power of overcoming preferences in our practice.   Hot or cold room, soft or hard floor, alone or with others, hard or easy, with a teacher we like and or don’t like.  This overcoming of the pairs of opposites is a cornerstone of developing a practice that is steady and joyful.  Sthira and sukha.   This includes the conditions within the body as well.  In classical practices they would stay with pain.  I think this requires a tremendous amount of wisdom to do, but let’s face it, the postures aren’t built to be comfortable.  We don’t have to get to pain to have some work to do. We use our breath, our acceptance, our ease, our desire to be free to allow ourselves to relax into it mindfully. 

Transcending opposites will clarify the experience of your connection to the earth.  I have witnessed this in many students.  Consider how ungrounded we can become in the presence of a distraction in life or an annoyance during practice?  By training to overcome this we become more grounded, we feel our feet on the ground and present, and we come to know what the element of earth feels like. 

This brings us into harmony with right now, wherever we are, on planet earth. 

Every blogpost has a connected newsletter – in this month’s newsletter we talk about the element earth in nature and food, and the divine feminine .  You can sign up for future newsletters above.  I’ll never sell your information, and the newsletter is not used for promotion.  By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and Mailchimp to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.

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The elements: an overview

स्थूलस्वरूपसूक्ष्मान्वयार्थवत्त्वसंयमाद्भूतजयः

sthūlasvarūpasūkṣmānvayārthavattvasaṃyamādbhūtajayaḥ 

For some mysterious reason I am not well educated about – this sutra is sometimes listed as 3.44 and sometimes 3.45 of Patanjali Yoga Sutra.

/*One-pointed meditation upon the five forms which every element takes, produces mastery over every element.  These five forms are the gross nature, the elemental form, the quality, the pervasiveness and basic purpose.*/ tr – Alice Bailey

/*By Samayama on the gross and subtle elements and on their essential nature, correlations and purpose, mastery over them is gained.*/ Satchitananda 3.45

 Yoga asana develops a tremendous amount of will which unfolds into exceptional discernment. Through the discipline of our practices, learning to concentrate, to be aware in a moment and choose, we learn the potency of our choices.  Yoga is fun, and we don’t want to lose that, but to be aware of the potency of true practice opens the way for us to design a practice which will be most effective to suit our purposes.  Potency, wedded with intention, emerges as effectiveness and the kind of refined intelligence that is commonly called “wisdom”.  The word wisdom can be connected with inspiration and upliftment.  But well-done yoga results in a quality of discernment which supports a functional knowledge that transcends intellectual exercise.  I have a very different day when my practice is consistent and in order than I do when my practice is chaotic.  With balanced practice emerges a steady and healthy lifestyle which unfolds in personal well-being. 

We continue now to explore the Sankhya chart with a discussion about the elements.

Our exploration began with the senses, which are also on the ground floor of the chart.  We learned that yoga has a variety of tools to discipline the senses so we can use them effectively and come to an elevated state of consciousness as a result of doing that. In yoga, discipline and elevation are intimately connected.  The senses can pull us into the confusion that envelopes the world or they can support us in our journey to rise above that confusion and live effective lives. 

Sankhya Chart adapted from Vasant Lad's Chart, Illuminating the Elements
Sankhya Chart adapted from Vasant Lad’s Chart, Illuminating the Elements

The elements share the ground floor of the Sankhya chart. They bridge the external and internal worlds and through them we come to know ourselves as a part of the natural world.   The flow of water and the flow of emotions, the stability of earth and our capacity to stand tall, the transformative essence of fire and our ability to turn food into our bodies and logs into warmth, the breath of air which supports the flight of birds, moves rain filled clouds and enters our bodies as life sustaining breath, and finally ether which ignites the sound of music within us and carries it across time and space to be heard by another.  Ether is also associated with the womb of the universe  wherein the silent Om blooms forth into the struck or heard sound of OM which then gives birth to infinite worlds again and again – Om heard millions of millenia ago and heard now.

I invite you to get started with the exploration of the elements by just noticing them around you.  Earth, water, air, fire, ether.  What qualities do you note about them in a variety of locations and forms?  What happens when you interact with them?  Which element are present often?  Which don’t seem to be part of your life?  Some good practices for this are: spending time with nature whether it be potted plants and urban trees – or, if you are so blessed – going out on a hike. Observing food is another elemental awareness tool.    What is watery?  What is fiery? What is airlike in your diet?  Are there certain colors or smells, sounds or textures?   

Blessings and thanks,

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Why practice ? 

Classical yoga is designed as an intentional practice where the body is used as a vehicle to know ourselves,  to realize ourselves in our whole true nature. This true nature is also referred to as the state of yoga, and it arises as we cease identifying with the fluctuations of the mind. When that happens….

तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम् ॥ १.३ ॥

tadā draṣṭuḥ svarūpe’vasthānam || 1.3 ||

(3) Then the seer abides in His Own Nature   /*tr. Swami Satchitanada*/

Our true nature is understood to extend beyond the limits of our physical form, and  so we could think of the practices as tapping into, unlocking or accessing understanding, wisdom and creative capabilities which are beyond the firings of the neurons in our brain.  This experience of the state of yoga releases the time bound functions of ourselves, of the cells of the body, revealing the brightness of the mind. This occurs without force. Alignment of the body mind spirit in practice opens the portals.  When that occurs we discover potential – Our true nature or pure organic potential.  It’s mystical and it’s not religious.  These capacities extend  beyond the individual self so there is a recovery of knowledge.  There is also recovery of our connection with what we might call the universal mind and that in turn illuminates our connection to all other minds. (Sutra 4.4 personal translation) It’s also described as yoking to God  – an old fashioned word for something which is still contemporary and relevant. There are many ways to parse out this experience.

As yogi’s we are invited to travel the path to these results in a very personal way. 

The nature of discipline called for to achieve these ends is self-discipline.  Yoga is a study in self-discipline which, as it evolves, opens into a realm of refined and elegant personal sovereignty. Like any other craft, such a discipline invites us to do a little planning, a little strategy.  Yoga is not a “do your own thing kind of freedom” as much as it is a “refined structure revealing the deeper nature of personal freedom and potential” thing, and so it requires a little thought,  a little work, a little investigation. And so every year as I prepare for the practice of the coming year I ask myself – why practice?  Why practice in this way?  Why not throw it all away and take up pickleball like everyone else?

First I tend to approach this intention setting with an understanding of what’s happening.  What am I called to respond to? 

The world around us is currently in overdrive.  There is nothing peaceful and still about it.  In the world of business in particular – globalization, technology and competitive drive has created an environment which is sharp, deceptive, requiring of constant attention and agility , adaptation and perpetual learning, and study.  That what we are dealing with – if not for ourselves, for our children.  How can we craft practice goals for the year within that chaotic landscape?

This is how I see it, your place in the landscape is unique, You will have your own unique constellation of chaos. But the question the practice raises remains the same. And the faith piece is discovered through practicing in unlikely landscapes. The landscape dictates the curriculum. I encourage you not to make it all about fixing the chaos, but instead, about aligning you more deeply with your heart. It requires a relinquishment of the shoulds. “I gained weight this year. I should do a hard sweaty practice. My heart responds no, actually you need to relax, rest your nervous system and go out for walks, and maybe paint some yantras…because they are fun!” The new year is an invitation to tune into your heart and listen to what it longs to do. The faith piece or shraddha is the faith that that all the different shapes of yoga are designed to support us. So we might ask – what does yoga do and how can I work it to apply it in my present circumstance?  What is my central intention?  And what tools in my toolkit will help me fulfill that intention?

Establishing a clear intention to pursue the bountiful rewards of yoga – that accessing of an infinite well of understanding, creativity, healing, joy, love and accomplishment- supports a swifter approach the goal. Patanjali tells us:

Yoga Sutra 1.21: Tīvra-saṃvegānām āsannaḥ

तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः ॥ १.२१ ॥

tīvrasaṃvegānāmāsannaḥ || 1.21 ||

/*To the keen and intent practitioner this Samadhi comes quickly.*/tr. Swami Satchitananda

/*Success is nearest to those whose efforts are intense and sincere.*/tr. Osho

Samadhi, this full consciousness of the yoga – nothing lacking, is realized most quickly when we embrace that fullness as a goal.  When we know where we are going (having intent) will get us there faster.  Yes, Samadhi is a meditative state to be attained, but if sustained we can be in it all the time.  After all Swami Satchitananda, a renunciate, built Yogaville, Om’d at Woodstock and changed the landscape of American thought – no small feat. Osho – having attained Samadhi at an early age rocked the world with his radical upending of spiritual norms.  And so did Gautama Buddha. A well-structured yoga practice supports a well constructed life. We may not become celebrities, but our impact is vast nonetheless.

So, our intentions are critical for they will contribute to the world in a bigger way than we might imagine.

Because of the subtle and vast nature of yoga, I’ve found it works best to set a subtle intention for the year, i.e. to understand peace or creation or backbending rather than to stop being angry, manifest a stack of gold and do urdhva dhanurasana. Being specific in that way can also yield quick results but the subtler intentions bring effective long term healing and transformation. For starters you may want to peruse Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, third padah, The Vibhuti Padah. This entire section of the book speaks of attainments in yoga. Used incorrectly they can be obstacles to the larger goal of samadhi, but the study of their nature will give you an idea of how yoga works. It’s a list of what you might concentrate on, and the result that comes from concentrating in that way. By focusing on an elephant, you gain the strength of an elephant and so on. An intention is no more than what you will concentrate on, invite in, seek out and look for. Maitri or friendliness, how about that for an intention!

Because yoga is affilitated with the realms beyond desire, I invite you to craft your intentions beyond desire. Consider it as the study that it is, and trust that what the practice will evoke and bring forth from you and for you will grace you with sublime understanding of that which you seek to be creating.

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We will continue our journey through the map of the Sankhya Philosophy in the coming year, with a resurrection of the “About the body” teachings and some structured discussion on asana. 

It took us a year to get through the senses.  Of course it did, the sense organs are anchored into dense physical reality totally bound by the slowest vibration of earth.  Slow is not bad…but we are talking the material world, very dense – which is also not bad.  But as we move our way up the chart to the highest states of consciousness the subtleties of energy, mind and beyond – we become lighter, less time bound.  It’s a science fiction idea, but something the human race is embracing.  Time is fluid and can be our tool rather than our master.  As we explored the senses we discovered means to manage them, and to purify them.  These sense directed practices continue as long as we are practicing, although we may engage with them differently along the way.  In January we will begin with our exploration of the elements, also materially but molecular and energetic as opposed to solid.  If you have ever had acupuncture you’ve worked with your elements.  And now, acupuncture is a common feature of medical practice.  We are all lightening up! 

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2024 Why Practice?

/* hello friends, my apologies – these posts somehow ended up in drafts when I thought I sent them. Call forth a study of awareness and one clearly meets their own unconsciousness!! They are best read before the new year posts. Thank you for reading!!*/

As the new year begins we will  embark on a journey through a leisurely study  of Sankhya philosophy as a tool to enrich our personal  yoga practices.  Sankhya is a philosophy rooted in India. It’s prevalent in the bhakti yogic text of the Bhagavad  Gita.  It’s foundational for the understanding of yoga’s sister discipline – the healing art of Ayurveda.  When I attended teacher training – we had to learn it.  But in practice I found it, limiting, laborious confusing, even as I understood on some deeper level that my assessment was off because I never gave it due attention.

So I’ve decided to spend time in my practice now exploring sankhya within my daily practice…and I thought you might enjoy being with me on that journey. It’s complex, and like our exploration of the koshas will unfold over months.

When working with the  dimensions of the classical root teachings around yoga – I find it imperative to practice with  a teaching – in order to really understand its relevance to the practice.   The intellectual exercise alone is not sufficient.

For me that means not a simple one-time design of a sequence – but a dedicated period of time that I practice with it daily.  A proverb from my teacher “through repetition, the magic is forced to rise”.  This is true in all aspects of our practice. 

Why  would we want to deepen our practice by digging into the realms of philosophical thought and then trying to apply them on the mat? 

Through the classical practices of yoga we yoke to the infinity of mind.  From Patanjali Yoga Sutras: 

तदसंख्येयवासनाभिश्चित्रमपि परार्थं संहत्यकारित्वात् ॥ ४.२४ ॥

tadasaṃkhyeyavāsanābhiścitramapi parārthaṃ saṃhatyakāritvāt || 4.24 ||

Yoga Sutra IV.24  The mindstuff itself reflects the infinity of the mind and acts as the unifying agent of the countless individual manifestations.

As we go through practicing Sankhya we will uncover the pivotal nature of the mind stuff and the higher mind.  This sutra touches on that…As we get clear – our mind will not reflect our neurosis, our insecurities or our fears.  Our mind will reflect the infinite state of consciousness.  At the point that it reflects that it generates a perception or union rather than division.  Of “one” rather than a multitude.  In that state we become super high functioning. 

What does that have to do with asana?  What will be revealed in an intimate way is that your physical body is intimately interconnected with the infinity of mind.  Yep.  Think healing on a grand scale.

What does that high functioning unified state look like?

Good meditation

Staying calm and effective while in turbulent or painful conditions.

Finding creative solutions

Inspired action and direction.

Becoming true. 

Transforming the body.

I like becoming true best. In the moment of yoga when we experience union we know who we are – not just spiritually but what we are here to do physically.  And to keep this out of the abstract – let’s say it clarifies purpose, it renders understanding in our lives, it opens possibilities- to experience the truth of who we are in tangible direct ways. 

It’s tempting to think we know who we are.  But the identity – the truth of ourselves is ever expanding, constantly changing and beyond any cultural definitions.  The world will always tell us who it wants us to be.  Yoga will always draw forth who we can be.  With discipline, understanding and wisdom yoga reveals a pathway through which those two apparently differing identities can be yoked together and cultivated as a pathway of personal growth and mastery.

The gift of approaching a study like Sankhya is that it becomes a tool through which we can tweak and adjust and fine tune our journey into and through this kind of dynamic expanding grounded  Self-expression.

In the map of Sankhya we will discover the poles of higher consciousness (simplicity) and grounded physical experience (complexity).  The fulcrum between the two is the mind.  So we will discover – as Patanjali shares with us in the sutra above that what occurs in the mind reaches into the experiences of the most fundamental sensory and action-based functions – and also reaches into the depth of what is often called the “Self”

We can experiment with this.  Meditate for 5-10 minutes before doing your self-practice. Observe your experience on the mat from a sensory perspective with and without meditating first.  And then continue that.  Maybe try it for a week, and then take a week off. Listen for a rhythm of your own which helps you explore what meditation does for your asana practice. It’s not unusual to have physical breakthroughs after deepening your meditation practice.  For this exercise  you would probably want to consider working with  a classical form of meditation like Vipassana. 

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Why practice?  What’s the point of incorporating the teachings from the so-called source texts.

Not relevant.

I have heard this many times as a teacher and a student.  That the classical teachings are not relevant.  Before we set sail on the ship of sankhya, I thought it would be helpful to consider why “Not relevant” is not the answer.  For this it’s helpful to revisit the folklore around the development of hatha yoga, and turn our vision towards how a so called “sacred text” can influence our practice in a significant way – a way worth the time it takes to incorporate such study into our practice.

Hatha Yoga was said to emerge among the untouchable caste in India sometime ago.  The untouchable caste was not permitted to attend or be in association with those who were performing sacred rituals.  They weren’t permitted anything at all of the spirit.  They weren’t permitted to honor God in any way that was known or acceptable at the time.  Humans do this.  They exclude.

There is a lot of power in spirituality.  To know and have a relationship with “God”.  People with power like to restrict access to that to a selective group.   And so, in India it is said that Lord Shiva (a a God who had some physical existence as well) taught Hatha yoga to the untouchables as a form of worship that could be secret,  and that they could not be prevented from performing.   Note:  this is very rough explanation of a very complex historical, social phenomenon.  It suffices for a paragraph, but I do encourage greater study. 

The point I’d like to make is that Hatha Yoga was designed to connect people with sacred truth – which is beyond our intellects, beyond our brains, beyond our imaginations.  It’s only found through revelation.  Hatha Yoga is an equalizer.  Anyone can practice in such a way that the doors to revelation can open.   The importance of lineage – if you have heard of that – is that it ensures that the practice descends from teacher to student in such as way that the sacred opening is still available.  It’s not obscured.  Once again, it’s very likely that there are those out these who would like those doors to relevation to be obscured or want to claim the power of the practice for themselves.  But staying true to the sacred truth – the essential truth ensures that you will be moving towards the truth. 

What does that have to do with sacred texts?  And by that, I mean texts that have some connection to those original sources.  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, The Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and so on. 

By studying them yourself…it reinforces that your will move you  in the direction of the truth.  When we were told we had to study Sanskrit in my teacher training in 1999 – we questioned this.  Isn’t it a dead language (well, I think it’s being resurrected by the worldwide yoga community)?  There were a few points made in the conversation:

By reading these texts, we didn’t have to rely on anyone else’s interpretation. 

Even if we didn’t study  Sanskrit, we were told that we should read at least four different translations to experience the broad scope of meaning contained in the original worlds.

Sanskrit is said to be vibrational – it came into being when people were first trying to use the sounds of the voice to communicate.  Because of that – the feeling behind the words can be experienced.  It opens the door to a supra-verbal understanding of the human in the cosmos. 

The texts open up different ways of seeing life and practice our place in the  cosmos and the power that each and everyone of us has to transform ourselves and the world we live in.  The study creates experiences in the mind reflective of what asana creates in the body.  The body is also a reflection of what we access with the mind.  They are deeply interwoven.

In practice – reading sacred texts, even in our first languages – is difficult.  Because the truth contained in a true source text is so vast it’s like a holograph – it contains everything in each microscopic unit.  At first we may not be able to read it at all, because on the surface no meaning comes through.  As we practice – we gain clarity and the meaning of the texts becomes more accessible. 

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Deep Asana:  Igniting the power of prana through grounding and focus

sthira-sukham-āsanam ||46||

Patanjali’s famous sutra – the posture should be steady and joyful

The process of grounding in the science of electricity clears fragmented electrical charges and releases them into the earth where the charge is absorbed, allowing the main stream of electricity to flow to its useful destination -say- igniting a light bulb.  Grounding in an asana allows misdirected prana to be absorbed into the earth facilitating effective circulation of the well-directed prana.  Misdirected prana is a result of our being swayed by the fluctuations of the mind (fear, desire, distraction).  Combine steady focus with a stable connection to the earth and your asana becomes a powerhouse. 

When pranic channels are flowing it is easier to cultivate alignment in a posture – there is less stagnancy and resistance.  Good alignment is actually a sound relationship between the organic forces in the universe (Gravity, centrifugal forces, centripetal forces, wind, temperature and so on).  When our inner forces (focus, prana, breath) unify with the external forces there is union, yoga and the electrical charges within and without are amped up in a harmonious fluid, balanced way.  We are joined with the universe.

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The previous stages of Deep asana – where we develop our kinesthetic awareness are essential to developing mastery of energy (prana)  in asana.  And this, we learn from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika,is the heart of the practice.  When we can master our energy we can direct the prana to travel up our main pranic circuit or nadi – the sushumna nadi – igniting various energetic structures which awaken deeper self-awareness and understanding  – eventually opening into the experience of realization – where we operate consistently with a level of deep self-awareness and understanding of the forces operating around us.  Wisdom.  Mastery.  Understanding.  Empowerment.

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Pratiṣṭhāyāṃ:  A Path to Deep Asana प्रतिष्ठायां

/* To be established in a posture is not about the first time you attain it (although that is to be deeply celebrated). It’s about accessing it – in an aligned fashion – consistently enough that you can grow your alignment within it.*/

Pratiṣṭhāyāṃ – to become established in, is a fundamental concept in yoga practice as described in Patanjali Yoga Sutra. It’s pervasive; we are guided to become established in focus, established in asana, established in meditation, established in practice, established in the experience of yoga and more.  Once you are established your path is clear and unfolds quickly.  Yoga does not peak with  the experience of a flash of insight  (although that’s a valuable thing – it’s not the heart of the practice)  it’s about establishing oneself in an internal landscape where insight continuously fosters understanding.  To be established in a posture is not about the first time you attain it (although that is to be deeply celebrated). It’s about accessing it – in an aligned fashion – consistently enough that you can grow your alignment within it. You are relating to the posture.  Deep asana then becomes about that capacity to deepen the alignment of the posture over time. There is an eternal, never-ending quality to establishment.

/*All postures become deep postures through the practice of inhabiting them in time with greater alignment and understanding.*/

Deep asana then is relative to one’s own body – built into the practice over time and emerges with stability and ease.  It’s always advisable to step back in practice when one cannot stay stable in the posture with relative ease.

A first mode of deeper alignment which unfolds in deep asana is internal – at the level of the ManomayaKosha or mind body.  Presuming you have placed yourself well to begin with in a posture, discomfort is first addressed in the mind.   This does not mean that sensations are ignored – on the contrary paying attention to them is awakening into the posture.  But, for most of us, placing our bodies in these unusual positions is…odd. So, there is likely to be psychological discomfort and an opening up around that is very powerful. 

For those with backgrounds of dance, gymnastics or similar –  expectations take the place of the psychological discomfort of the novice.  They are constructs in the mind that obscure new levels of awareness. For the physically experienced deep asana is an invitation to shift into a new awakening, into a different kind of bodily experience – experiencing the shape without judgement, competition or preconceived ideas about how the body should inhabit the shape.  Discomforts, expectations and conquests are often mental constructs which obstruct our ability to deepen an asana in a fresh, organic and transformative way.  They are subtle forms of fear and resistance.  If we meet them with spaciousness we come to know and understand ourselves and the posture differently . 

/*Discomforts, expectations and conquests are often mental constructs which obstruct our ability to deepen an asana in a fresh, organic and transformative way.  They are subtle forms of fear and resistance.*/

Tuning in is a second mode of shifting into deep asana.  Feeling the  body holistically in space and time. Inner body scans, proprioceptive or kinesthetic exercises and relaxing around resistance  deepen  the holistic sensory experience of an asana – not once, but continually.

A third mode of establishing into deep asana is time   – time in the posture and consistent practice of the posture daily, weekly, or monthly  – over months, years, or decades.  Doing less, more consistently will yield a deeper result than doing a lot intermittently.  It’s seldom a linear process, but the intention to consistency will do much for establishing your practice.  A general rule for this is that your posture should always be stable and easeful.  So, find your edge at 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and so on.  Work the mental resistance first.  Begin to identify what your mental resistance looks like. 

Example:  I’ve been working a 10 minute Virasana, and 10 minute Padmasana (5 minutes each side)  sequence for months now.  In those postures I’d been meditating in a whole new way.    A new proprioceptive awareness (my body in space) of my pelvic girdle began to emerge.  This week as I take the postures for practice my mind bounces all over the place – it’s hard to get on my mat to begin with and there is no peace. Breakthrough time – time to step back a little and cultivate the stability of mind that I need, that I can reside in consistently enough to experience the breakthrough.  I modify the postures slightly in consistent, strategic ways. A little extra propping, a little extra warming up.  I reduce my time in them at the beginning of practice and then engage them again for a short time at the end of practice. 

This kind of strategic approach to asana, while analytical, lays the ground for being your own teacher in a personal practice in an illuminated way.  You may find other ways to bring strategy and discipline to your practice, but I encourage you…gently…to experiment with  modes of deepening your understanding of your practice.  It leads to deep healing and a different flavor of progress.

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Designing an Integrated Practice using the Map of the Five Koshas

*note – there are links to previous posts about the koshas below for your reference*

Moving towards the experience of yoga will always involve a bringing together, a yoking together, an integration. After journeying through an anatomical map like the koshas, there is benefit from integrating the information into our practice. Such integration brings individuality to our practice –  no two people integrate ideas into their practice the same way. Consciously integrating the koshas into your practice will create your own beautiful personal yoga mosaic  –an array of harmonious proportions uniquely adapted  for your life.

The classic teachings of yoga – taken holistically – are an invitation to develop skillful means. To learn through practice to rein together the forces acting within and without –  to become artful and harmonious co-creators. A sustainable  and integrated practice is built on working with our practices in harmonious proportions. The advantage of a sustainable practice is longevity – it stays with us our whole lives. In classical yoga practice this is ideal as it provides an enhanced relationship to our bodies and lives through times of change. The golden ratio establishes harmony and ease. It’s about  a state of interrelationship  which -like architecture -brings strength and stability.  In sutra 2.46 of his Yoga Sutra, Patanjali calls this the stable joyful seat. (tr. The seat should be stable and joyful).

What does this have to do with the koshas? A practice designed to address each of the koshas will create a stable practice in which all dimensions of ourselves become integrated.

To do this, we can construct a chart of the practices we want to explore that will develop each of the koshas. These are practices to bring the other parts of yourself into your practice is deliberate way.

Then select practices for each kosha that you would like to develop at a given time. Then, decide how much of each is appropriate to start out with and adjust it based on your needs at a given time – maintaining the presence of all five. Examples – when I was teaching yoga full time  asana was 1.5 hours a day and everything else was 5-10 minutes a day – or once a week or month. Now, my life needs less physicality and more inner peace. I meditate 45 minutes and my asana practice is sometimes only 20 minutes. You know that the practice is out of balance by your experience of the koshas. So, if I try to do 1.5 hours a day of asana right now – my mind chatter increases dramatically. If I tried to do an hour of meditation in my teaching days, I would fall asleep. Now, meditating awakens me. It’s important to note that it also needs to be in proportion to your lifestyle.  When I worked in corporate America, I also needed very intense asana.

You will know you are succeeding in creating a harmonious balance if your practice is sustainable (meaning – you are able to fulfill the personal commitment you have made over time) – and you will experience the wondrous personal transformation that is the promise of yoga – and that will occur not only on your mat but also in your relationships, your work, your creativity your passion. 

Introduction to the Five Sheaths

The AnamayaKosha

The PranamayaKosha

The ManomayaKosha

The JnanamayaKosha

The AnandamayaKosha

If you would like to explore ways to work with the physical body to integrate the koshas, my associated newsletter will be posted on my facebook page for NatalieteachesYoga. To receive future newsletters with alternate approaches to what is shared in the blog post, please sign up below. I promise you will not receive marketing emails from me. These are designed to be educational.

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The Field of Mind & Yogic Anatomy: The Manomaya Kosha

“Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodha” Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.2 :

The state of yoga is achieved when we cease identifying with the fluctuations of the mind.

The mind as understood in the context of yoga anatomy is distinct from the brain. The brain doesn’t determine it’s function or condition. It is part of the subtle realms of consciousness which are distinct from the five senses.  Some yogic scholars identify the mind as a sixth sense.  The mind field, or what is called the Manomaya Kosha in the yogic anatomy maps of the five sheaths consists of conscious, unconscious, and super conscious thoughts, beliefs, concepts and ideas  — imagination, fantasy, projection, delusion and intellect.  In considering this sheath as a field we step into a realm of expansion revealed through the practices of yoga:  asana, meditation, observation, study.  Unlike the realms of prana, or wisdom or bliss the Manomaya Kosha sits in our awareness all the time. Some of it’s functions are more easily identified than others.  It interprets and defines. It assigns meaning. It governs perception. The world culture is permeated with instruction manuals for its management.   Just as we can become absorbed in the experience of the body to such an extent that everything else disappears (in sicknesses, deep pleasures or pain) we can become absorbed in the mind to such an extent that we lose sight of everything else (obsessive compulsive disorder, excessive worry, pessimism, delusion, illusion, fantasy).

Becoming aware of what happens in the ManomayaKosha, when we lose ourselves in it and what we can accomplish by managing it is a key development in our yoga practices. So essential is it in the practice of yoga – that the first line of Patanjali Yoga Sutra (which heads up this blog post) references it directly. Like the food body (Anamaya Kosha) and the pranic body (Pranamaya Kosha) can be clear and healthy and flexible and strong  – so can the mind body (the Manomaya Kosha).

The Manomaya Kosha sits at the juncture between what is human nature and what is spiritual nature. 

There are two primary tools for working with the Manomaya Kosha in our yoga practices.  The first is observation and the second is the mastery of the “seat”.

In yoga, our observation training consists of concentration on the breath, observing thoughts as they arise, consciously training to calm those fluctuations as we practice, and disciplining the body through focusing the mind.  There is association between the depths of postures and the depth of clarity in the Manomaya Kosha.  A deep posture being one where we are fully present (not lost in fantasy or topor or competitiveness or worry) and working deeply (relative to one’s own capacities) the tissues of the Anamayakosha (the muscles, bones organs skin – all of it – being squeezed and stretched and pressed upon.

We might work the observation piece like this:

  • Decide to awaken to what is in your mind
  • Establish a state of stepping back internally and witnessing (this can be the tough part)
  • Observe it objectively – meaning without getting involved – just “watch”. You will observe the arising, existing and falling away of a thought.
  • Keeping attention partially in the breath can facilitate the state of witnessing

The seat or connection to the earth is a foundation through which we master the mind in our asana practice.  It’s not unusual for awareness of our connection to the ground to be non-existent.  In all asana, and especially the classical meditative seats, there is a relationship to being grounded and experiencing a lifted spine.  This lifted spine is thought to work like an antenna for higher states of wisdom. If you are fortunate enough to see a buddha statue with a pointed hat…you are seeing his antenna!

The classical seats I’d like to illuminate today are Virasana = the hero and Padmasana the lotus.  I encourage you to explore both of these with physical teachers (in person) and through your own research. These postures often become accessible only after considerable yoga practice. 

Virasana the hero is taken with the knees together, sitting between the heels with the sitz bones grounded.  The knees together – drawing inward – create a powerful gathering and focusing of energy which supports concentration and focus –  practices required for managing the mind.  The focused energy also creates a stability which lifts the spine.

Padmasana – the lotus – is unique in it’s combination of deep grounding and expansiveness.  The sitz bones are rooted into the earth, the knees are out to the side and the shins cross so that the soles of the feet face the sky.    When the shins cross a powerful acupressure point known as SP6 – the juncture of three major “yin” channels -Liver, Kidney and Spleen is toned.  Yin draws the energy inward. As with Virasana this inward energy creates a stability that lifts the spine.  Any posture with knees open to the sides will create openness and spaciousness.  With Padmasana we master our capacity to remain focused and steady in more and more expansive states of consciousness.  Padmasana allows us to sit with the experience of enlightenment. 

Want a little more “woo” in your life? No? Me neither. But yoga philosophy approached with wisdom is grounding and empowering. The philosophical elements are explored in my newsletter. I promise…it’s not a marketing email although I do suggest readings and music. You can sign up here. They are also posted simultaneously on my facebook business page – NatalieteachesYoga. Thanks for reading!

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The Five Dimensions of You:  The Yogic anatomy of the Koshas – The PranamayaKosha

The study of yoga and yogic anatomy is a slowly evolving process of ever deepening understanding.  There is a difference between “knowing” yogic anatomy on a visceral level and memorizing the vocabulary.   Why is this relevant? Self-Mastery. As we explore these different modes of viewing ourselves through yogic anatomy, we open ourselves to new depths of understanding physically, psychologically, and spiritually.  We gain an illumined understanding of ourselves, our purposes and our pathway.  We become wise enough to navigate subtler realms as mapped in the concept of the sheaths or koshas (Yogic Anatomy – The Five Koshas,). The sheaths or koshas are interwoven and not distinct, like oxygen and helium molecules in the air – or dimensions as mapped by mathematics and science.  Experiencing them is like opening a portal to a universe similar to the one we live in “normally” but, it’s different.  . One moment we feel dull and confused and then an inner portal opens and we experience elevation – organically. We access wisdom, knowledge or subtle sensations of the body – and understand our wholeness differently.  Last post we explored the concept of the food body or Anamayakosha. Today I’d like to open the portal to the pranamayakosha – the pranic or breath body. It’s near and dear to all of us, and we experience it all the time.  We might not be aware of it. Exploring the pranamayakosha we step into the subtle realms of yoga.  It’s the first of the subtle koshas that many practitioners experience, which tells us that it’s connected the food body.  It’s impact on our psychological well-being tells us that it’s connected to knowledge, wisdom and bliss as well.  Just as becoming aware and awake to our physical body requires some understanding and attention, becoming aware and awake to our pranic body requires some understanding and attention too. This is why the pranamaya kosha is so important in our yoga practices – it’s where we start to explore a world beyond our usual perceptions. When the pranamaya kosha is clear – not muddied – it’s easier to experience the other bodies or sheaths with clarity.

It’s hypothesized that  prana (subtle energy – like human electricity) flows through the fascia. We don’t know for sure. We can’t yet measure it; we can only observe its effects.  This could change – science moves towards understanding yoga all the time. 

Within the pranamayakosha, the ancient yogis discerned a vast network of tiny channels which they called the nadis There are hundreds of thousands of nadis. One portal which opens the yogi’s perceptions of the pranamayosha is the breath.  Consider how breath is processed by the physical body: an invisible substance – air travels through a physical network of tiny tubes and sacs in the lungs through which the invisible substance of oxygen is absorbed and the invisible substance of carbon dioxide is released.  Prana is like this – it’s absorbed from the universe around us and it permeates and moves through the physical form –nourishing and cleansing it.  When the prana moves we are awakened, energized and healed.

Within the pranamayakosha are numerous structures formed by the intersection of the nadis. The chakras are vortexes located at key junctures of the nadis and the physical nervous system. There are three primary nadis which bracket the chakra system– the ida,  pingala and sushumna.  The prana moving through these three nadis governs the process of spiritual evolution.  When it moves clear and unobstructed we plug into knowledge, wisdom and bliss.

A first pathway to working with the pranamaykosha is to unclog the nadis and get the prana moving. All asana will unclog the nadis.  Vinyasa yoga will get the prana moving quickly.  . 

A second pathway to work with pranamayakosha is pranayama.  Pranayama is is a practice of restraining the breath in order to unclog the nadis. This is most effective when asana has been practiced consistently for a long time. Asana clears superficial levels of congestion – so the work of pranayama – deep and powerful breathwork – is not obstructed by more superficial congestion.  Pranayama is a transformative healing practice.  It’s best to prepare for it.

A third pathway to working with the pranamayakosha is sound.  The familiar sound and symbol of OM is called the “nadam”.  The ancient rishi’s or wise ones observed that Om purifies the whole system, like an ultrasound which accesses deep internal caverns of the body below the surface.  My experience with this is that working with classical Indian sound practices is the most effective means of actually clearing the nadis. Yogi’s chant the sound of OM, they meditate on the sound of Om, they listen to the sound of Om.   This would also include listening to or studying and learning Indian classical music which is designed around an understanding of OM. A fine experiment would be to explore different kinds of music when you practice.  At first what you are used to listening to may prove to be very energizing, but as you grow more adept at working with prana and sound, you may notice that Indian classical music is a distinctly powerful complement to your yoga practice.

A fourth pathway for working with the pranamayakosha is ”managing your energy” and in the yoga practices this is accomplished through attention.  A starting practice is focusing the breath or the gaze in your asana practice, with an intention to understand what your attention does to your energy and your postures.  Too weak of a process of reigning in attention leads the energy to scatter.  Too powerful of a restraint will be too harsh for the tender pranic channels. 

Four modes of creating a relationship with the pranic body:

  1. Yoga Asana
  2. Pranayama (advised for well experienced practioners)
  3. Sound
  4. Attention

A last note about the pranic body – The ancient yogic texts speak of the adamantine body formed by the hatha yoga practice.  This is distinctly related to and an outcome of the management and toning of the pranic body.  When the pranic body is well cared for – clear and moving and strong we become incredibly resilient.  The texts say all dis-ease is eradicated.  As contemporary yogis we can say that our immune system becomes incredibly potent in response to the health of the pranic body.  This, as the article included here indicates, is a result of consistent, well-done practice. 

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