Embracing Yoga: A Journey Beyond Asana
Welcome to the world of yoga, a practice that extends far beyond the physical postures (asanas) and into the realms of mental clarity, emotional balance, and spiritual growth. Whether you’re new to yoga or deepening your practice, understanding the holistic benefits of asanas can transform your approach to this ancient discipline.
The Fivefold Path of Asana
Physical Health: The saying goes that yoga is not just about touching your toes; it’s about what you learn on the way down. Asanas are crafted to enhance your flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. They are the caretakers of your body’s organs, glands, and systems, nurturing your vitality and longevity.
For most of us, asana or postures are our first invitation into the teachings of Yoga. I remember my very first teacher and my first class (Iyengar Yoga with Felicity Goodson) and how much emotion came up with the sequences. That was what surprised me the most. I had been doing gym work and gym classes for years…So what an earth was so different about this yoga thing that I could hardly get through the class because I was overwhelmed by anger? What on earth had I uncovered?
Mental Clarity: Imagine asanas as a gentle broom, sweeping away the cobwebs of your mind. They encourage a state of mindfulness that sharpens your focus and fosters a view into your inner emotional and mental landscape.
When I mused about it afterwards, I knew that I had touched into a space within myself that I had been trying to cover up and cover over. I was in a tumultuous relationship that was eating me up, and in the context of the yoga class, there was no hiding it away. I could feel it with every breath.
Energetic Balance: As you move through each pose, envision guiding the flow of energy (prana) through your body. Asanas are the key to unlocking energy channels (nadis), promoting a vibrant and harmonious inner world.
One of the reasons that I went back again and again was that it was the ONLY space that was safe enough for me to touch into these delicate and difficult spaces. It allowed me an hour of safety in my day where I could feel into all that was without having to face it before I was ready and with minute by minute instructions to open, lengthen, centre and breathe.
Emotional Well-being: Each stretch and bend is an opportunity to release the knots of stress and negativity. Asanas are your allies in cultivating emotional resilience and a tranquil heart.
It is called a practice because it is just that. A practice for everything else.
Spiritual Growth: Beyond the physical, asanas are a silent dialogue with the self. They invite you to explore, discover, and transform, leading to profound spiritual connections and insights.
When I arrived years later at my Ayurvedic degree in London I was ready for the deep dive into the teachings of Yoga and I was not disappointed. It was richer and more meaningful than I could have ever expected.
The Mind’s Dance: Understanding Vrittis
In the philosophy of yoga, our minds are like oceans, with waves (vrittis) that can either be health promoting or health destroying. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras teach us about five types of these waves:
Pramana (Valid Knowledge): Like a compass guiding a sailor, pramana vrittis lead us by truth and sacred knowledge.
I can give you an example here from my own life. I have a friend who has been unwell. We know that he is because he has visible symptoms and he has had tests that show results from respected professionals within the medical field. It does not mean it is the truth forever or that there aren’t other truths that wrap around this truth. But in that breath in and that breath out. The truth was that he had physical symptoms for reasons given out in the test results.
Viparyaya (Misconception): Beware of viparyaya, the deceptive currents that can lead us astray with false perceptions and misunderstandings.
Just before he was diagnosed he was having lots of troubles and symptoms and he became difficult and hard to communicate with. At this point, I decided that he was being obtuse on purpose whilst I was ignorant that this was part of a larger picture of disease.
Vikalpa (Imagination): Vikalpa is the art of the mind, painting pictures that may not reflect reality. It’s the realm of dreams and what-ifs.
Over the years of his illness I have tried to keep myself centred and pragmatic but many times my mind has fallen into the depths of worry and I have painted pictures of dramas that will unfold or a loss that will happen based purely on catastrophic thinking rather than any basis in reality.
Nidra (Sleep): Nidra as a vritti represents a unique state of consciousness that provides a bridge to the unconscious. It is more than just the absence of wakefulness; it’s an altered state of consciousness where the mind’s thought patterns are significantly reduced. In this state, the mind is not actively perceiving or processing external stimuli.
My unconscious also affects my mind. At an earlier time, my friend became confused and had a fall down the stairs. It took a couple of hours for someone to find him before the ambulance was called. It was, they said, a close call. Now, when I can’t get hold of him on the phone it is as if I am dreaming away, even though, in my logical mind, I know the fall scenario is not likely at this point, my unconscious body reaction before conscious thought is fear, panic and urgency and the waves of thought in my mind follow this tsunami of panic.
Smriti (Memory): Smriti is the mind’s library, a collection of all we have experienced and learned.
As above, I can also remember that time of the fall. And even though I know that he is fine in that moment, I can remember what happened in the past and feel my mind remind me of all the events, emotions and experiences that went along with it.
I have given you examples of thoughts of difficulty and worry. The mind-waves can be helpful or unhelpful and are usually a mixture of both wrapped around what we habitually do day in and day out.
Nirodhah: The Art of Stillness
Nirodhah can be translated as control, restraint, or cessation. In yoga, it often refers to the control of the mind or the restraint of the senses.
At the heart of yoga is nirodhah, the practice of calming the mind’s waves (all of the above) to reveal the stillness beneath. It’s about finding the pause between thoughts, the silence within the noise, and the peace beyond the chaos.
One of the key points that makes yoga different from body exercises is the emphasis on the mind. This is a practice for gaining balance within our nervous system and one of the primary practices is slowing down enough to see and become aware of our own inner landscapes. Knowing the five vrttis can be a great starting point. Next time you practice, in-between moves, in the still points, look for and catch one particular vrtti. Name it and have compassion that this is your mind trying to take care of you and keep you safe. Then give it a virtual hug and set it free again. For me, this is a daily practice. Just like that first class, I get onto my mat and I feel it all. Within the eye of the storm of my thoughts I breathe. I move a little. I move a lot. I breathe. I catch some of those thought-waves as they rise up to a peak and let them go as the ebb away. Somewhere in there I will get some moments of Nirodhah. The stillness within. I may get 3 seconds of that on the mat. I may get quite a few minutes. Whatever I get it is a gift for that day.
Klishta and Aklishta: The Shades of the Mind
Our mental waves can be klishta (afflicted), stirring up trouble and turmoil, or aklishta (non-afflicted), bringing calm and clarity. Recognizing these patterns is the first step towards inner tranquility.
Do you recognise any of these mind-waves within your own day-to-day? Do you find that you get closer to them or further away as you practice? Do you have a practice that allows you to bring these mind-waves into view so that you can witness them from the beach safe and dry but interested and awed? Do you also have a practice where you start to affect the waves of thought, finding remedial movements and exercises that bring stillness and calm?