The Anandamaya Kosha, the subtlest of the koshas, bodies, sheaths, or dimensions is commonly translated as the โBliss Bodyโ .ย Commonly is an important adverb here โ as โnandaโ is joy in form and โaโ is often creates an opposite.ย 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 โ and the state of ecstasy which is Ananda.ย Form bliss is not bad.ย “Beyond form” bliss just does different things.ย The nature of the Anandamaya Kosha is akin to a subtle sweet flickering sense of joy.ย This sense of joy arises from the experience of wholeness that is characteristic of this beautiful dimension.ย It is the origin of all healing, the resolution ofย pain and trauma, and the understanding of our place in the universe – that we are infinitely unique, genuine, and valuable.ย And so is everyone else.ย If we are in touch with the Anandamaya Kosha we donโt have to force, cultivate or practice such a perception.ย We experience it continuously and directly.ย There is no perception of competition in the world as true sparkling confidence emerges.
ย The Anandamaya Kosha is timeless.ย I once apologized to a student for a short ลavฤsana (Corpse Posture) at the end of class. โNo problemโ, he responded, ย โWhen Iโm in ลavฤsana Iโm in a timeless space ย – so as far as Iโm concerned, it doesnโt matter whether it was 2 minutes or 10.โ ย ย Good point!ย So, why does the amount of time that we spend in ลavฤsana or meditation โ immersing ourselves in the Anandamaya Kosha โ matter?
The koshas arenโt layered upon one another, but co-existent โ like light, sunbeams, oxygen molecules and wind โ they influence our life experience in an integrated way.
In the Anandamaya Kosha โ in that space of wholeness โ all the experiences that fracture us donโt 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
ย Practice ลavฤsana or Yoga Nidra practice.ย Use a timer to avoid being worried about time.
Meditation.ย Once again โ use a timer to avoid being worried about time.
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 doesnโt determine itโs function or condition.โIt is part of the subtle realms of consciousness which are distinct from the five senses.ย Some yogic scholars identify the mind as a sixth sense.ย 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 ideasย โ imagination, fantasy, projection, delusion and intellect.ย In considering this sheath as a field we step into a realm of expansion revealed through the practices of yoga:ย asana, meditation, observation, study.ย Unlike the realms of prana, or wisdom or bliss the Manomaya Kosha sits in our awareness all the time. Some of itโs functions are more easily identified than others.ย ย It interprets and defines. It assigns meaning.โIt governs perception. The world culture is permeated with instruction manuals for its management.ย ย Just as we can become absorbed in the experience of the body to such an extent that everything else disappears (in sicknesses,ย 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.โSo 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 ย – 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.ย
There are two primary tools for working with the Manomaya Kosha in our yoga practices.ย The first is observation and the second is the mastery of the โseatโ.
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.ย There is association between the depths of postures and the depth of clarity in the Manomaya Kosha.ย 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 oneโs 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”.โYou 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.ย Itโs not unusual for awareness of our connection to the ground to be non-existent.ย In all asana, and especially the classical meditative seats, there is a relationship to being grounded and experiencing a lifted spine.ย This lifted spine is thought to work like an antenna for higher states of wisdom.โIf you are fortunate enough to see a buddha statue with a pointed hat…you are seeing his antenna!
The classical seats Iโd like to illuminate today are Virasana = the hero and Padmasana the lotus.ย I encourage you to explore both of these with physical teachers (in person) and through your own research.ย These postures often become accessible only after considerable yoga practice.ย
Virasana the hero is taken with the knees together, sitting between the heels with the sitz bones grounded.ย The knees together – drawing inward – create a powerful gathering and focusing of energy which supports concentration and focus –ย practices required for managing the mind.ย The focused energy also creates a stability which lifts the spine.
Padmasana โ the lotus โ is unique in itโs combination of deep grounding and expansiveness.ย 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.ย ย ย When the shins cross a powerful acupressure point known as SP6 โ the juncture of three major โyinโ channels -Liver, Kidney and Spleen is toned.ย Yin draws the energy inward.โAs with Virasana this inward energy creates a stability that lifts the spine.ย Any posture with knees open to the sides will create openness and spaciousness.ย With Padmasana we master our capacity to remain focused and steady in more and more expansive states of consciousness.ย Padmasana allows us to sit with the experience of enlightenment.ย
Want a little more “woo” in your life?โNo?โMe neither.โBut yoga philosophy approached with wisdom is grounding and empowering.โThe philosophical elements are explored in my newsletter.โI promise…it’s not a marketing email although I do suggest readings and music.โYou can sign up here.โThey are also posted simultaneously on my facebook business page – NatalieteachesYoga.โThanks for reading!
Processingโฆ
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
The study of yoga and yogic anatomy is a slowly evolving process of ever deepening understanding. There is a difference between โknowingโ 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 โ 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 โnormallyโ but, itโs 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 โ and understand our wholeness differently. Last post we explored the concept of the food body or Anamayakosha. Today Iโd like to open the portal to the pranamayakosha โ 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 itโs connected the food body. Itโs impact on our psychological well-being tells us that itโs 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 โ itโs where we start to explore a world beyond our usual perceptions. When the pranamaya kosha is clear โ not muddied โ itโs 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 canโt yet measure it; we can only observe its effects. This could change โ 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 yogiโs perceptions of the pranamayosha is the breath. Consider how breath is processed by the physical body: an invisible substance โ 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 โ itโs absorbed from the universe around us and it permeates and moves through the physical form โnourishing 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 systemโ 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 โ so the work of pranayama โ deep and powerful breathwork โ is not obstructed by more superficial congestion. Pranayama is a transformative healing practice. Itโs 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 โnadamโ. The ancient rishiโs 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. Yogiโs 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 โmanaging your energyโ 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:
Yoga Asana
Pranayama (advised for well experienced practioners)
Sound
Attention
A last note about the pranic body โ The ancient yogic texts speak of the adamantine body formed by the hatha yoga practice.ย This is distinctly related to and an outcome of the management and toning of the pranic body.ย When the pranic body is well cared for โ clear and moving and strong we become incredibly resilient.ย The texts say all dis-ease is eradicated.ย As contemporary yogis we can say that our immune system becomes incredibly potent in response to the health of the pranic body.ย This, as the article included here indicates, is a result of consistent, well-done practice.ย
To receive newsletters with a different perspective on the blogposts, please subscribe to my Mailchimp!โI promise…no ads.โJust more talk about yoga, maybe some reading and musical suggestions.โAll designed to supplement your yoga practice.
Processingโฆ
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
โPTSD is the inability to forgetโ Dr. Ellen Kirschman1
Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Patanjali Yoga Sutra 1.1
Yoga is the ability to digest and transform our thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences so that our clear and sacred selves will shine through.
Yoga is the experience of peace that emerges when our afflictions have been overcome.
Yoga is the freedom that arises when our past has been processed and we are fully present.
Some experiences are very difficult to forget. If, at the moment of trauma, we are unable to fully process and digest what is happening, that experience can be held in the physical body (also identified as the “Food Body” or Anamayakosha in the yogic anatomy map known as the koshas) ย Sometimes food and experiences are indigestible – uncomfortable, painful, difficult to absorb and process.โThe blockage caused by the undigested matter can obstruct our access to the other dimensions of our being – our knowledge, wisdom and joy.โThrough understanding this we can use our yoga practices to digest and healโtraumatic memories stored in the physical body.
There is an inherent wisdom in the process of yoga practice.โ We can buzz along in our lives just fine, and then, one day the blockage becomes apparent and it’s time to heal it.โ We’re not defective if we have issues.โIt’s pretty normal to have a degree of trauma in the body.โYoga is a fairly sophisticated method of dealing with the residue of trauma due to this potential for digestion and transformation.โWe could just manage our symptoms.โBut we are invited – in the deeper levels of yogic experience – to transform what was not processed into insight and wisdom.โIt takes deep willingness, an open mind and considerable bravery.โBut the rewards are ample.โ
There are multiple approaches to processing trauma through our yoga practices.โWe may be experiencing the impacts of the trauma on the psychological level, and our yoga practice restores equilibrium.โBut going further -โby breathing and feeling and observing arising memories on the mat – if we are spacious enough – the memories are released from the physical body and new understandings of experiences awaken.โThe experiences are digested.โWe can use those same techniques in the presence of physical symptoms which can range from tightness to chronic misalignment to pain or acute injury.โWise presence in yoga asanas can resolve physical trauma through wise practice.โThis can be approached well by experimenting gently with specific postures that intuitively, or as a result of research and study, we believe will be related to the anatomical structures involved.
As we use the tools of yoga to train ourselves to be calm, objective and present to reawakened memories of traumatic feelings and experiences, we mitigate the cycles of recurrence. We move from the experience of being bombarded by the repetitions of memory and subconscious patterning to creating new relationships with the stories we have lived. The charged quality of the memory becomes neutralized and laid to rest. We may never โforget itโ – but we can transform it into a tool for awakening, empowerment, deepening and opening to ourselves.
Just as digested food nourishes the cellular structure of the body, digested experiences nourish the stability and robustness of our neural landscape. They transform the very mechanisms through which we understand the world. We become less fragmented, less dissociated and more integrated.โWe become whole.โIn this way well-practiced yoga can be a powerful tool in the management and healing of PTSD. โSome tips for practice are:
Work with the quality of your breathing.โBegin with gentle but focused breath and explore how the different qualities of breath impact the physical experience of a posture.โLook for the quality of breath that is in effect when you feel a muscle release.
Work with the quality of your attention.โBegin with gentle but focused presence.โYou can train specifically in this – take a posture and maintain your gentle receptive attention on the bones, the flesh, the skin.โThe moment when a memory arises and you stay present rather than becoming lost in it is a power point for healing.
As you train in this way, it’s important to notice your reactions to the awakening of trauma in the body.โThe most common reaction is to attempt to control it by pressing it down – psychologically, physically – a kind of powering through.โThis will interfere with the release of stress pattern in the body.โAllowing is key to healing.โAssuming you are practicing with moderate intensity – you can practice staying present to discomfort.โOf course – don’t force.
.Through a carefully cultivated yoga practice we reintegrate the parts of ourselves that have been locked away through trauma. No longer fractured in this way, we become whole, and the experience of PTSD can be transformed into a process of healing. While the knowledge of the experience still remains, we are now no longer bound by it.
Each blog post is associated with a related newsletter with related commentary, suggested reading and maybe a song or two.โโYou can find past newsletters (and the current one )on my Facebook page NatalieteachesYoga.โSign up below to receive newsletters in your inbox. No marketing, I promise!โJust content that I hope will open your mind to deeper levels of yoga practice.โ
Processingโฆ
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
Today Iโd like to begin an exploration of yogic anatomy by introducing the five bodies – also referred to as โsheaths or koshas.โ Because of their numinous nature, I think of them as โdimensionsโ, dimensions being a way that science conceptualizes that which we believe to exist but cannot see or measure. The classic yogic anatomy maps (of which this is one) provide analytical tools that we can use to assess and refine our practice in a very personal way โ without being dependent on external validation. When learning, external validation is helpful. But through these maps we can come to know our yogic anatomy and create protocols for self-healing and growth through self-assessment. I encourage you to observe how these dimensions or bodies of you are continually transformed by your commitment to practice, your receptivity to expansion and the new levels of understanding that awaken day to day. I encourage you to go beyond conventional wisdom in working with these ideas, exploring how you experience them in life and practice.
The sheaths or koshas are a multidimensional mapping of energy and consciousness of the individual which were observed in deep meditation practices by the rishis โ the original wise persons who cultivated the practices of yoga. In simple two-dimensional images they can be depicted like the featured image above. Five rings within or around the body. These two ways of understanding are important: Some folks experience their awakening coming from deep within themselves. Some folks experience it coming from outside themselves. As you grow and deepen your yoga practice I anticipate that the division between inner and outer will dissolve, and you will understand within and without in a way that encompasses both in a unique and tangible way! The bodies are parts of us, and more than we can imagine about ourselves at the same time.
The sheaths are identified as follows:
Anandamaya Kosha is the tangible dimension of sacred joy. Itโs not an endorphin high, nor is it bound by physical limitations. Itโs ever present, but frequently obscured by clutter in the other denser bodies.
Jnanamaya Kosha is the dimension of knowledge or wisdom. We experience this dimension when we awaken into numinous, wholistic insight or understanding. Connecting with this dimension yields the power of true knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Opening into it is often experienced as a shift in perception โ an aha!
Manomaya Kosha is the sheath of mind which holds within it time and space bound ideas, constructs, beliefs and thoughts. While the concepts Einstein brought forth in the world or science were sublime and no doubt and born of transcendent wisdomโthe communication of this wisdom required the concrete form we know as the famous equation e=mc2 . When this sheath is clear โ uncluttered โ we experience precise and accurate clarity.
Pranamaya Kosha is the breath body โ the dimension of subtle energy. Like electricity โ itโs invisible, powerful, and when operational it moves. We can all feel prana โ although sometimes training is required. Stagnant prana can contribute to dis-ease conditions. In itโs unadulterated state prana, like electricity, flows. Flowing prana has a healing effect on all the koshas.
Anamaya Kosha or food body is composed of the dense physical elements that we consume. Food, supplements, drugs, even surgical implants are things that impact the food body. The argument could be made that even watching television impacts the food body as it effects the physical neural circuits in the brain.
All the koshas are impacted by what we ingest, digest and eliminate, and working with them is about cultivating mastery over what we ingest, digest and eliminate both in quality and quantity.
Ideally the yogi seeks balance. Sometimes an extreme is required to create the balance. Sometimes scaling back is required to create balance. A good way to begin to work with the sheaths is to contemplate where you are right now, and what you are feeling.
How do you sit with this information? Do you have a wisdom dimension of your practice? Do you have a blissful dimension of your practice? Do you have a physical body practice? Is the food you eat part of your practice? How and why? Do certain aspects of your practice take up more space and time than others? That may be just what you need right now. Is it serving you, or just a habit?
Understanding yogic anatomy can refine the way we work through obstacles in our practices. Am I breathing? What am I thinking day to day? What kinds of TV am I watching and what music I am listening too? Do I feel different when I practice before or afterwards. What am I eating and drinking and when am I doing it? What am I reading? Does it impact my experience on the mat? Consider days where it takes more effort to achieve something ordinary. Were you ingesting anything out of the ordinary?
Coming next time: deeper reflections on the individual dimensions.
My cat, Lakshmi, has developed a strange behavior.ย Sheโs claimed a spot in front of the house, kind of in the sun. Thereโs mulch, but raw earth is touchable directly underneath it.ย She lays there and sleeps very deeply — very, very deeply.ย We can walk right up to her and she doesnโt wake up.ย I can scoop her up in my arms and she is so deeply in another state of consciousness that she doesnโt object.
Itโs ย fall in Northern California and soon, if we are lucky, the rains will come โ big buckets of rain, months of soggy ground.ย Today I head out to the beach intending to walk and then, as usual, found myself just laying on the earth for a long while, a long, long while, in a deep and dreamy altered state.ย When I woke and began walking, on this slightly chilly day when beach days are almost over, there were few people at the beach.ย Just a few, ย but many among them were ย just laying on the beach โ like female elephant seals waiting to give birth.ย No books, no radio.ย Bodies drawing on the energy of the earth to tap into a mysterious and nourishing deep rest.
The value of the connection to the earth is reflected in Patanjaliโs Yoga Sutra, a classic source text of yoga. Patanjali speaks to us about the nature of mind. ย He speaks to us about the breath. ย He speaks to us, briefly, about the yoga postures or asanas. The asanas, he states, should be stable and joyful.ย (shtira and suhka).ย Asana translates as seat, and we find in texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP), that the key asanas are seats.ย The postures are ways to sit on the earth. Connecting to the earth, resonating with the earth is key to a good yoga posture.ย That connection is the foundation on which every posture is built.ย In the understanding of contemporary environmental scientists – planet earth has an abundance of electrons and direct connection to the earth and this well of electrons nourish and heals us. In our lives, disconnected from the natural world, we are frequently depleted.[i](The article is here – Earthing.) The HYP offers that this resonance is key to the healing of the disease in the body with yoga.ย The ancient yogis who developed this practice were clearly on a path of great discovery and understanding, just as we are. We don’t have to take anyone’s word for this. Yoga is our personal experiment and we can access the same experiences they had when we follow the maps they left behind.
When planning our practice, this idea can be useful.ย Of course we practice wherever we can, but practicing on natural surfaces (like wood or sand or earth) taps into the flow of these electrons. This in turn supports the flow of energy in our own bodies .ย Clear flowing prana changes the resonance of the body.ย Similarly, wearing and practicing with other natural materials will also facilitate this energetic flow. These are simple things to experiment with in our practices and the potential gain is significant.
[i] Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Sokal K, Sokal P. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. J Environ Public Health. 2012;2012:291541. doi: 10.1155/2012/291541. Epub 2012 Jan 12. PMID: 22291721; PMCID: PMC3265077.
Vinyasa, sometimes integrated with the idea of โflowโ in yoga is rooted in yogic mysticism. It is fruitful to contemplate this time with a beginnerโs mind as our practice deepens in time. On the physical level, momentary awareness, intentional placement, the nature of transitioning and the unfolding of a sequence are effective tools to open into altered states of consciousness. To contemplate the mystic roots of this practice reveals much about the nature of reality itself and how to engage it consciously.
In sutra 3:52 Patanjali advises that by meditating on the present moments in a sequence we come to know the nature of choice and results (discernment).
It sounds obvious and mundane, but in the revelation โ it is anything but. The yogi actually sees how they created this moment. This provides understanding which facilitates the ability to create with intention. We seldom arrive in a situation for the reasons we think we arrived there.
The first time I experienced this, I was notified that I received an award. Because I was a hot shot right? No. What was revealed to me during practice was that the moment of being honored was created by a dozen times when I had honored others and acted with sincere humility. It was potent and unforgettable because I had longed for that acknowledgement for a long time, and I am not very humble at all. It revealed to me the potency of a small decision made with heart, and planted a seed for me to want to live a different kind of life.
So what is the physical body technique for this? Vinyasa can be complicated, but the alpha and omega of it the rhythm of the breath in practice. Yep. Rhythm functions like a ticking clock. It holds us in the present moment. Being fully in a present moment is the doorway to observing time from a different perspective. Music can be exhilarating by itโs very nature, but cultivating the presence of rhythm and lyrics consciously in our playlist choices can support opening into the full experience of asana practice and vinyasa in particular.
As home practitionersโ this can be one of the hardest facets of group practice to replicate at home. So for this, I donโt try to replicate it. I endeavor to work with the techniques in a different way. Home practice allows us to explore a posture in deeper way related to positioning etc. Once weโve made progress with learning a sequence or a posture, benefit is obtained by spending time integrating the breath with the movement. This kind of breathing is not like exercise breathing. It requires a constant steady equilibrium of inhale 2 3 4, exhale 2 3 4. Where the substance of the inhale and exhale are consistent throughout the breath.
Students have often asked about other kinds of breathing that they were told were โbetterโ for one reason or another. This isnโt about good or bad โ it is just one specific technique used to develop one specific element of practice. If you want to explore this deeper dimensions of yoga, I invite you to work this way with your breath.
For each blog post I create a newsletter which delves into related topics.ย You can find this postโs related email here.ย To sign up to receive the email in your inbox concurrent with the posting on the blog please sign up below.ย I promise you will never be bombarded by marketing emails.
Processingโฆ
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
There are a few ways that repetition is useful in a yoga practice. First, it wears a groove and opens us to experiences of greater depth. Constant change in our yoga practices is amazing- it builds resilience and the ability to adapt. But this experience of yoga โ to become yoked to our deeper wisdom self – requires that we dig down deep enough to hit a level of awakening beyond our normal waking state. One benefit of getting in a groove, if we do it consciously, is that when our practice gets disrupted itโs easier to shift back into the positive mental and physical states we are cultivating. Perpetual change can break apart obstructions which obscure those deeper levels of ourselves, but once again, repetition is a key component to really getting deep in there. Like digging a hole, if we just take out a scoop here and there as we wishโฆour well will never be dug deep enough to access the clear pure water. Yoga works the same way.
Repetition is also a great tool for assessing our bodies from day to day. To get an accurate assessment, we need to do the same posture as we did the day before. Yesterday, my Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half seated spinal twist) was at a level Iโd never experienced in 30 years of practice. Today, it wasnโt even at my average. This is interesting. Itโs information about my body, my habits and my stress responses to the world around me. Repetition can lead to realization and understanding.
The other thing to consider though, is that repetition invites unconsciousness if itโs not the right time and place to do it. I remember when I started practicing I frequented the local Bikram studio. I thrived in the heat and the repetition. Then one day my knees started to hurt. I took a break from the practice and focused on Vinyasa for a while. As I embraced returning to vinyasa, I realized that in Bikram class I was going to sleep. Instead of using repetition to fine tune my execution of the postures โ I practiced by rote, but was thinking about cupcakes. At first I thought the form of yoga I was doing was the problem. I realized as I practiced more and became more knowledgeable that, no, I had just gotten bored and stopped paying attention to the details. As a teacher I saw many students who gave up a posture or a style of yoga because they felt it wasnโt good for them. My experience is that when we experience a painful result itโs a call to greater attention to our moments on the mat, and to develop greater self awareness of the body in whatever way we can. Sometimes a change in practice wakes us up. Sometimes we just need to tune in deeply to what we are doing.
So how to practice with repetition in a way that is wise? You can place the posture repeatedly at certain junctures in the sequence you are practicing. Say Arhdhamatsyendrasanaโฆat the beginning before sun salutes, after standing, between back bends and forward bends, between each back bend. Working this way requires that you begin with a very gentle execution of the posture and go progressively deeper.
Another approach is to design a short sequence to prepare for the posture you are working on and then repeat that entire short sequence at key junctures in your daily practice. This creates depth, and you can tweak the sequence to explore the impact of various lead ins to the posture you are exploring.
The last approach Iโll mention today is that you can just repeat a single posture several times a day, every day for a certain amount of time โ a week, a month, a year. This will help you truly own the posture in a healthy way โ it creates an intimacy with it that can change your whole understanding of yoga. Practicing repetition in asana practice is a profound way to deepen your practice and to experientially deepen your understanding of particular postures, how they work, the dynamics created by placing them in certain points of sequence. Itโs a great way to transition your practice and teaching from a place where you are practicing and teaching what you have been told by others into a place where you are practicing and teaching from your own inner knowing.
About the body: Yoga and the Parasympathetic nervous system
When we breathe calmly, peacefully, rhythmically through the nostrils, we ignite our parasympathetic nervous system โ the relaxation response. In that mode โ many things happen. Rigid long held stress patterns in the body dissolve, the immune system is nourished and deep healing occurs. It is also easier to access deeper levels of inner states of consciousness โ which allow for different perceptions of the world โ for transformation on the level of mind.
As we take a posture we want to ignite this kind of easeful experience while remaining awake, alert and active.ย The more challenging a posture is for us โ the more powerful it will be to nurture this kind of breathing.ย This is pivotal in transforming our life experience from being a person with a body that is always controlling us โ to being a person who has some degree of mastery over the physical and energetic bodies.ย Itโs important.ย ย
Interested in a little philosophy with your postures? Please join my newsletter community. No ads, just ideas. Once a week.
Processingโฆ
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.
In the classic medieval text the โHatha Yoga Pradipikaโ or The Guiding Light of the Yoking of the Sun and Moon โ we learn that in classical yoga, the practice of Hatha Yoga culminates in the bodyโs resonance with the sound of โOmโ. We are tuned by the practice to a vibration where opposites are united and revealed as facets of one source. That state of unity creates a particular feeling tone. In my experience when that happens, we are feeling the love of the universe within our own form. To do this, the biochemical aspect of the body requires cleansing (diet and various cleansing practices โ the shat karma kriyas โ the process of sweating during practice), the musculoskeletal system needs to be toned and balanced, and the energy body, emotions and the mind require discipline and clearing through meditation and sound practices (Om) and adjustments in personal care and ways of relating. I know it sounds like a lot, but for most of us we do a little at a time, transforming at a pace that is appropriate for us. The result of this is a clear โsoundโ. We can hear it in the sound of our voice. We can also hear it inside us as our intuition and wisdom become illuminated. A common test is to listen to your Om at the beginning and end of the class. Or any old time you feel out of tune. This clarity of resonance or lack there of is key to our capacity to communicate. If youโve ever tried to sort things out with a friend when you felt foggy day you know it’s more difficult than when you are awake and clear. The body is a communication device โ not just with our tongues and mouths, but with our posture, the brightness of our eyes, and our health. Imbalance in our system is reflected in the body. And through working with techniques of Hatha Yoga we can bring the system back into balance.
A good place to start is always the musculoskeletal system. The density of the bones and the memory capacity for the fascial tissue and muscles impacts the balance of the whole body mind spirit system. So how do we start?
All yoga starts with Tadasana โ or Mountain -or Simple Standing Posture. It is so simple and straightforward that every tension is apparent. We just stand upright with the balance of the weight distributed evenly across the soles of the feet, arms alongside the body. Personally, I never try to force change in Tadasana. I use it as a measure. How is my Tadasana at the beginning of practice? What is it like at the end. Like the Om, itโs often very different, reflecting as greater state of balance and resonance. Sometimes Iโll just stand in it for a long time and feel the tension patterns surface.
Those tension patterns can tell us a lot about how we could create positive change in our lives.ย There is no formula.ย For me itโs always my hamstrings get short and tight and my head juts forward.ย Over the years โ through spacious self-reflection and input from yoga colleagues โ Iโve come to know that when that pattern emerges – some piece of me is not in the present moment.ย Iโm hanging on to a belief, or perception or way of being that doesnโt serve me anymore.ย Often by the time my body communicates something โ Iโve been ignoring it for a while.ย Sometimes insights about what needs to change will emerge during asana practice, sometimes meditation or the other forms of practice can help to illuminate the issues.ย The key is to seek to understand in a receptive way rather than just to fix or overcome and that understanding lays the groundwork for transformation of the body and everything else through my practice.
Natalie Ullmann 