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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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Before our dive into Sankhya: Why Practice?

/*my apologies friends – there were two posts that ended up in drafts instead of being posted. I’m posting them today and will follow with the new post on Sankhya later this evening*/

Before we begin our study of Sankhya  (our first official post on that will be later today)– let’s dig in to our intentions for embarking on such a deep study. Why study this way?  Why practice?

There is value and delight in exploring the cracks and crevices of the yoga practice – going deep, mining the esoteric elements and using our time on the mat as a laboratory to experiment and empirically validate the findings of the ancient wise ones who brought forth and developed the practice.  The perpetual renewal of the desire for practice confirms that people do experience a potent and ineffable something when they practice yoga.

The rich and resonant core of the practice is unearthed through the investigation of the source of the practice.  To bow down our hearts and minds to those who have gone before us, paving the way that we too might walk towards freedom and enlightenment – to receive from the history of yoga practice.  For every step on this journey into depth and wisdom we are invited to the land of “Nyasa” the perfect placement (as in Vinyasa).  Why are we here and now? In this place in this moment?  Purpose and intention nurtures the practice and in return the practice reveals deeper truths about personal purpose and intention. 

/*Why practice?  Why practice in this way?*/

There are easier and more efficient ways to get in shape…so…

/*Why practice?  Why practice in this way?*/

There are easier ways to feel better… so….

/*Why practice?  Why do the work of studying yoga in this way?*/

Because our day to day experience of the practice yields a sense of promise, and the promise of yoga is the universal end of pain. “The end of all love longing”. (see the Kena Upanishad)

So as we embark on our exploration of the Sankhya philosophy in the coming weeks – know that sankhya understood in conjunction with our yoga asana is a profound and powerful  tool for tapping into a richer vein of practice. Yoga from the the source is path of transformation that subtly transforms the world as we are transformed through it. 

A well-done practice ranks among the world’s most treasured resources – path of treasure yielding transformation.   So….

/*why practice? the promise of the practice is there, but what does that mean for me?*/

Who will you be-coming?  What is the offering that you bring to the table in these times…and how will you wrap that package?  What is love asking of you at this time?  As with all things yoga, the questions are more important than the answers.  The questions guide our process – our unfolding in practice  – As we learn and grow our intentions unfold with us so it’s good to be flexible (we are yogis after all) – but it’s good to set our compasses- and know what our heart desires. 

So with that I nudge you to reflect before the coming year, on your practice, on your purpose, on the yield of the discipline you will bring to your study.

For every blog post, I send out an accompanying newsletter – different from the emails sent from WordPress. The newsletter allows me to go a little deeper, there are sometimes specific sutras, or chanting or musical suggestions, and maybe even some thoughts on sequencing or the body. It’s not a marketing newsletter – it’s designed for those who care enough about these topics to sign up!!!

This post’s newsletter is on with a sutra from Patanjali. If you ‘d like to see it check it out here:

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sankhya

संख्या

The next map of yoga we will explore here  is the Sankhya Philosophy, which maps the terrain from the unified field of awareness to our experience as individuals evolving into knowing ourselves and our place in the infinite universe .  We can use it as a guide when we traverse the landscape of the material realm seeking evolution, liberation and peace.  We can also use it as a guide as we carve out a pathway for the rivers of pure consciousness to irrigate the material world that we inhabit.  Translating into ideas of enumeration and rational decision making it appears to be a highly analytical discipline disconnected from our day to day experience on the mat.  But that is far from true.  Right discipline in practice creates a crucible for personal actualization. It paves the way from a life lead astray by every passing influence to alive of personal sovereignty – aligned with the will of the infinite, limitless omnipotent loving intelligence that goes by many names.

For an image of the map please see this website Sankhya.

The journey of begins with awareness of our senses – direct experience of our awareness touching the physical world via the physical body and ascends through the individual mind, the collective mind, the wisdom mind through the experience of pure duality (me and you) and then in some maps to a unified field of consciousness beyond that duality.  We will take the map beyond duality  to the unified field. 

The heart of healing exists in the unified field. The heart of yoga (which is a dualistic discipline) is  experienced in communion with the unified field. 

/*Whereas the koshas or sheaths (the five dimensions of you) are really about the individual, the Sankhya philosophy is about reorienting ourselves into our  unique place as an individual within the cosmos.  .  The practice of yoga asana leads us directly towards, aligns us with and supports us in staying steadfastly and joyfully engaged in this  ever changing process of reorientation. /

The practice  we will be exploring is using asana to bring awareness to the senses, our actions, the general qualities of nature, the individual mind, the cosmic mind, our sense of separation and yoga or unification.

As we explore these maps we gain the ability to attain mastery in asana, meditation and life. 

How can we start to consider this?  It helps to explore a new sense of our physicality.  Some approaches to yoga work with transcending the physical body, but to really understand ourselves as living as physical bodies from a yoga perspective – we start with physical awareness.  When we start our yoga practice we are entombed in conditioning about our physical bodies- that the body is shameful or exalted or it drives us or it pulls us down.  The flavors of conditioning about the body are infinite.  Open Vogue, or Grey’s Anatomy or unpack your experience of gym class in the second grade. Conditioning is subtle – Habits are generated in our unconscious.

What we do want to do is to open our field of awareness as we practice. Just by giving up preferences and practicing observation we will come to know our conditioning and we may choose to leave it behind.  What thought arises as we tumble out of tree posture – or come down with a thud out of headstand.  We will break down some of these explorations in asana as we walk through the map in the coming months – but for now you can get ready, just by beginning to notice what arises on and off the mat in a very general sense.

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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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Deep Asana:  Understanding your joints for deep healing.

/*This is the first in a four part series about deep asana and creating personal sequences*/

In the classical schools of yoga  the healing power  of deep asana Is a powerful rubric. By deep asana I am referring to the classical spinal twists (i.e., ardha matsyendrasana) , lotus (padmasana), and all the various binds. These deep squeeze postures  are purposeful in their intensity in a way that large muscle strengthening or or deeply relaxing postures are not. To practice them effectively we must understand how the joints function – and what the deep asana does.

For example

  • Padmasana. The knee is a hinge joint. The ankles are mosaics of tiny interconnecting bones that move like ball bearings to allow maximal movement – but the structural stability of the joint is borne of the way those joints fit together, fettered together by soft tissue – fascia, ligaments, and such. When we do padmasana – the deep exterior rotation of the legs must emerge from the hip socket to protect the functioning of knees and ankles. If we are practicing padmasana – we must balance that deep external rotation of the hip joint with stabilizing strengtheners in our standing practice. Particularly the internal rotations which connect the feet to the earth through the inner ball of the foot. These inner rotations, while originating in the connection to the earth travel up the leg and into the hip socket and pelvic girdle. Stable hip/pelvic girdle structure is needed for standing, walking, and containing the soft internal organs. a correctly activated inner rotation will strengthen whatever tiny muscles which need to be strengthen and will establish ease in those which have been acting as supports when it wasn’t their function. So we must understand how the joints work – and what their purposes are and how they relate to each other.

  • Ardha matsyendrasana: Vertebrae spin gently in restricted rotations around a central axis. Each vertebrae is uniquely shaped for its perfect placement in the column of the spine. The shape of each one contributes to the moving stability of the spinal column. When performing a deep asana form of a spinal twist, we are invited to gently explore the boundaries of the vertebral rotation. The spine must be lifted and relatively straight to protect the cushions between the vertebrae, which protect the nerves. Remember important components of the nervous system travel through the spine – your central nervous system! A classical spinal twist is not a full body twist – it is focused on the spine. The sacrum does not participate in the twist. Instead, the pelvic girdle is given structural stability built from the ground up  either through knowledgeable activation of appropriate muscles or through placement i.e., through sitting squarely on the ground.
  • The pelvic girdle is a bunch of moving pieces. Yep. It’s not a solid bowl. Those moving pieces can misalign in subtle ways,  impact the alignment of the vertebral column and the ability of the vertebrae to turn. The stability in the alignment of your feet and knees supports this structure. Building the asana from the ground up helps with this.
  • Deep asana is not forceful asana. There are lineages where force was used effectively but I am not aware of any school that currently works successfully with dramatic deep quick forceful adjustments into deep asana. Gentle knowledgeable movement is as effective, if not more so in the stable ongoing practice of deep asana.
  • Modifications and simpler postures are your friends. You can design or learn modifications that will work specifically on the joints which present obstacles in our practice of deep asana. In my practice I work for long periods of time in specific modifications to open joints, like the hip or the  turning of the spine, before moving into the deep posture.  This creates a stable foundation for the deeper postures which is safe and healing.

Note – the relationship with deep asana is very different for those who started yoga before their bone structures were fully formed.  Yeah. The sacrum is still forming up to age 5. For the rest of us – bones remain malleable through our lives, depending on lifestyle – so change is possible, but it is best executed gradually and consistently.

Through the squeezing wringing of soft tissues in the joints – deep seated stress patterns in the fascial tissue are released, and structures in the pranamayakosha – the pranic body are aligned and rejuvenated. After squeezing – fresh blood and prana will flow into a joint to nourish it.

I encourage you to learn more about the way your joints function and how each posture – in its classical form (see Light on Yoga) articulates the joints. Note that Mr. Iyengar who is depicted in the pictures in this book, started very young. He’s like a gumby. But you can still see external rotations, internal rotations, deep spine twists, in those classical images. Gently experiment with what you learn – so it is no longer an academic exercise to learn about your yogic anatomy.

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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 Yogic Anatomy of the Koshas:  The Anandamaya Kosha and Deep Rest

The Anandamaya Kosha, the subtlest of the koshas, bodies, sheaths, or dimensions is commonly translated as the “Bliss Body” .  Commonly is an important adverb here – as “nanda” is joy in form and “a” is often creates an opposite.  So, bliss, yes, but bliss beyond form. For starters we may want to distinguish between the state of ecstasy that can be achieved by high vibing our practices through drugs, music, endorphins, and exuberance – and the state of ecstasy which is Ananda.  Form bliss is not bad.  “Beyond form” bliss just does different things.  The nature of the Anandamaya Kosha is akin to a subtle sweet flickering sense of joy.  This sense of joy arises from the experience of wholeness that is characteristic of this beautiful dimension.  It is the origin of all healing, the resolution of  pain and trauma, and the understanding of our place in the universe – that we are infinitely unique, genuine, and valuable.  And so is everyone else.  If we are in touch with the Anandamaya Kosha we don’t have to force, cultivate or practice such a perception.  We experience it continuously and directly.  There is no perception of competition in the world as true sparkling confidence emerges.

 The Anandamaya Kosha is timeless.  I once apologized to a student for a short śavāsana (Corpse Posture) at the end of class. “No problem”, he responded,  “When I’m in śavāsana I’m in a timeless space  – so as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t matter whether it was 2 minutes or 10.”   Good point!  So, why does the amount of time that we spend in śavāsana or meditation – immersing ourselves in the Anandamaya Kosha – matter?

The koshas aren’t layered upon one another, but co-existent – like light, sunbeams,  oxygen molecules and wind – they influence our life experience in an integrated way.

In the Anandamaya Kosha – in that space of wholeness – all the experiences that fracture us don’t exist (sadness, fear, lack of self-worth).  The time we spend in the Anandamaya Kosha is a time of deep rest for all aspects of our being.  Resting in the Anandamaya Kosha there are no mental gymnastics, no triggers to the nervous system.  For whatever amount of time we are there.   This is why everybody looks 10 years younger after a retreat.  It is a rest in deep peace.

Practice Tips

  1.  Practice śavāsana or Yoga Nidra practice.  Use a timer to avoid being worried about time.
  2. Meditation.  Once again – use a timer to avoid being worried about time.
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Jnanamaya Kosha: Understanding the Past and Future in the Ever Present Now

The Jnanamaya Kosha or Wisdom Body is the 4th (sheath, dimension, body, or kosha) identified in the koshic anatomical maps of yoga. This kosha will reveal experience beyond time and duality, where our differences collapse and a single moment contains eternity.,

Wisdom is timeless and of the moment, and at a certain point absolute right and wrong dissolve into merely moments and choices. It arises from a perception that is not hampered by opinion.  When we are living in wisdom we move in synchrony with the workings of the universe.  This reflected in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra III:53

Through samyama on a particle of time and that which proceeds & succeeds it comes discrimination. –Translation by Swami Vivekananda.

A very simple way to consider this is a “flash” of  inspiration.   That unmistakable flood of everything all at once – like a holograph – you see the big picture and the details.  That holographic non-linear experience is a hallmark of the Jnanamaya Kosha. Sometimes it’s so subtle that you don’t even know the wisdom is moving through you, you just find yourself turning left when you need to go left. 

Time and sequence still exists in the JnanaMaya kosha – but  linear cause and effect dissolve into a bigger picture.   The Jnanamaya Kosha has a “zoom out” quality – the picture, the details and the context transform the sense of where you are in space and time.

My teacher used to say “You have to go way in to go way out”.  The deeper you go into your subtle interior in your yoga practice, the more expansive and holistic your vision is.  It is startling, surprising, and awesome.  It’s likely to be totally ordinary at the same time. 

Through the revelations contained in the Jnanamayakosha we may find the missing piece in the puzzle of our lives.  It reveals a deep understanding of an individual’s path through life, in the context of a billion other lives.  We may see the advantage of a shift in direction.  We are invited into intention,  discernment and awareness. The Jnanamaya Kosha is beyond time.

At the same time it reveals the macro operations of the universe. 

In the Jnanamaya Kosha – the large and the small lose their meaning.  A smile to a stranger on the street appears as significant as performing brain surgery – depending on the intent.  We may feel a sense of power and magnitude – as if our destinies are vast and magnificent, but all that wisdom asks of us may be a moment of kindness.  Because we see that an act of kindness, or honesty, no matter how small, is a magnificent act.

Here we meet our personal journeys to grow into deeply wise humans. It’s the intersection of the timeline of our lives with universal truth and how things work. 

The greatest obstacles entering the Jnanamaya Kosha is the hesitance we have that a vast degree of change that may be asked of us as the result of encountering this level of truth. It may arise as skepticism, dismissal of the numinous, or commitment to conventional paradigms, our mental constructs, busyness, and ambition of all kinds. Some methods which open the portal to the Jnanamayakosha are:

  • Well-done  Vinyasa ignites and reveals the Jnanamaya Kosha. Cultivate a pure and steady rhythm of breath. a healthy amount of detachment, and an ability to flow well and wisely through the sequence of postures.  Surrender into  synchronization with the rhythm of breath and  establish the practice in an elevated intention.
  • Study how things work through the laws of karma. This breaks our conventional paradigms of why things happen and opens us up to new ways of understanding cause and effect. Hold these laws lightly for the best effect.  
  • Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra provides many, many prescriptions for practice and the expected results.  For example – the sutra above.  Many of them are simpler to practice than this one.
  • Study of music
  • Study the  yoga asana sequencing of  the great masters.

For a few additional suggestions for playing in the Jnanamaya Kosha please see my Facebook page – NatalieteachesYoga for the most recent newsletter – or subscribe and it will be delivered to your inbox next month. No ads, I promise! Just substantive yoga content. 

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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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