āsana

seat / posture

A sadhana is obviously not merely about physical postures, but about the introspection that happens when different tools for discovery are applied. In short, a sadhana is a personal practice that allows the individual to expand. This can be through a myriad of different practices, be it concentration, physical and/or contemplative practices. Some of these tools and practices may have physical expressions, or they are so subtle that they are invisible to the eye.

Physical yoga postures are expressions of yantras, aligning the system/organism on many levels. The postures geometrically align our physical body and energy body to the cosmic forces and planetary bodies that impact our life, whether we know it or not. This is of course of great importance in order to establish balance within the human organism, as well as with the surrounding natural world. After a while one will notice all of this, experientially. This is one of the ways the idea of separation falls away, and we start to feel connected to everything around us. Energetically, the postures serve as gateways and can be eye openers on multiple levels. They offer a way to open up our being to larger dimensions of Life. Of course this sounds fluffy or silly to someone who merely perceives asanas as some physical discipline or even acrobatics. But for those who study the energetics of our make up while moving through an asana practice, this may resonate. Unless we drop our preconceived ideas, we won’t be open to the offerings of the practice.  

WHY WE PRACTICE ASANAS
Postural yoga prepares the body/mind complex for knowledge. It helps purify both the physical body as well as the mental and emotional body in the sense that it gets energy moving. Postural yoga is a means to get to know the body/mind complex more intimately, so that the self-study can sink from the physical plane to more subtle levels. In the beginning, we may practice to become flexible or strong, to target a certain injury or health condition. However the more esoteric explanations for physical practice is that it prepares us for long sits, long durations in meditation. Asanas prepare the body and the mind in this regard, allows the body to be more open and comfortable, as well as the mind more at ease. Postural yoga has the potential to be extremely helpful in cultivating concentration, which is the bed rock for meditation. We may apply effort in the beginning, and certain days we may require a lot of effort to even begin our practice, never the less get through all of it - however, with time, we see the mental games that are occur as we practice and with certain tools and shifts of attention, the effort transforms into effortlessness. This is often linked to how we choose to view our practice, so we’ll dive deeper into some of these perspectives - for you to try in your own practice.

STEADINESS AND EASE
The stepping stones to effortlessness are steadiness and ease. Hold, without clinging, these two gems within each breath. Each posture will for sure challenge exactly this. Effort and effortlessness will ebb and flow, ease and resistance will come and go - mentally, emotionally and physically. If you let yourself be swept away by the current of the breath, you will find yourself in a moving meditation that exposes the duality that is held in the palms of Life. It is all perfection.

How to cultivate steadiness and ease? First we’ve got to look at what these two concepts mean and what they point towards. Steadiness in body, is brought about by steadiness of mind, born from steady breath. Of course one can start by grounding down through all limbs that are touching the ground, to find physical stability, that will in turn create a less agitated mind and bring a more steady breath. A steady gaze (drishti) is also a key component. As we see it, there is no right or wrong, as little as there is a set sequence to the steps mentioned here. It all happens simultaneously, and is guided by your deep attention. It starts there, with the attention, and unfolds as you inquire into each responding to what’s present within you on that particular day, in that moment. Stay afresh and coherent in your observation. Let the attention guide you to what to address at what moment, applying physical grounding or evenness of breath (or let it all happen at once). This is where we surrender to the practice, staying as the witness and allowing things to unfold. Ease is a result of your trust in the process. Of course applying the tools for steadiness will help you gain ease, but sometimes dropping all tools and merely being with the process, without an agenda, brings a steadiness and ease that you didn’t even know was within you, or even possible. Stay present and let yourself be guided by the moment.

A trick to teach the body/mind complex what ‘ease’ really means, is to hold a pose until you find ease and spaciousness. Some days that may be 5 breaths, some days that may be 25. The important part is to work with the breath. Deepen the connection, with each inhale and exhale. Open up to the moment. Be willing to soften, to see, to surrender. That will cultivate both steadiness and ease - as well as an honesty as to what you find in the moment.

FULL BODY PRAYER
Once we look beyond the physical nature of a yoga practice and enter the mode of treating it as a full body prayer or offering, something magical opens up. When a reverence and appreciation for the life that we’ve been gifted guides us through our practice, we tend to go much deeper and the practice starts shift our perspective. It is from this place that we believe that the practice can really start to work on the multiple layers of being. The shift of perspective will eventually spill over into the rest of our human experience, into our daily life. An asana practice is essentially not about the form, but about the formless that resides within - That which goes by many names. So we invite you to treat it as a full body prayer, in every breath and every movement. The surrender that happens through the prayer is what will bring you closer to that which you are seeking - that which you already are. Some people just can’t swallow the word prayer. It may seem religious to some. What we’re trying to invite is a giving of yourself, a deep rooted offering, from the core of your being. Try your best to step out of the way. Let the practice be done for more reasons than the physical benefits. Let the movements and breaths shower your entire being with humility and gratitude. The practice will work you no matter what, but you can dive deeper through your prayer and full body offering.

BENEFITS
On a physiological and emotional level, there are a lot of side effects of a consistent physical yoga practice. It becomes apparent pretty quickly. The improved rest and recovery time (physically), the stabilized mood (emotional level), stabilized physical functions over all, an improved strength, flexibility, resilience and adaptability, less impacted by stress, including old triggers (emotional), less reactivity, better response-ability. But no matter how much these side effects improve our day-to-day experience of life and our relationships with the world around us, it is all about the inner works. The level of attention, the level of coherence with the body/mind complex, the expanded awareness (often started at the physical level going to the more subtle levels), the level of equanimity, the level of peace - ultimately the level of freedom. That is the heart of what a regularly practice is pointing at. Our job is to shift our perspective from the gross levels of being to the innermost self. As hard as that sounds, it is as simple as that.

There is lots of information out there about the physical benefits of an asana practice. On a physical level, the whole organism is targeted and purified at every level, from cellular to muscular, as well as nurturing tissues, organs, hormonal balance etc. Tensions, traumas and stress that have been stored in the physical body can with movement be released. Yoga postures can serve as keys, unlocking energies and emotions that have been stored in the body, allowing the proper flow and/or to release. At a fundamental level, a physical yoga practice is about serving the Life force that flows through us and about honoring it enough to care for its proper flow. This is of course a very abbreviated version of the myriad of benefits a physical practice can provide the system, but we still want to touch on it as it is of importance. Any physical practice, be it climbing, yoga, martial arts - or whatever physical practice you allow yourself to be completely absorbed by - holds the possibility of physical, mental and emotional stress relief, as we dive deeper into coping mechanisms based on observation of our programming and patterns. By continuously observing our patterns, we have the opportunity to move beyond them. On a mental level, we get to observe our conditioning, reactions, expectations and beliefs. Once these limiting patterns become conscious, we have a choice to respond differently. Like Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev would say, we become “response-able”, instead of acting out of impulse. In this regard, a practice becomes a tool to expand our awareness to the multiple layers of our make-up, and to in a sense reprogram our conditioned behavior.

Postural practice (hatha yoga) is about uniting of ha and tha - moon and sun - prana and apana - the opposing forces within our system, to nurture harmony, equanimity and balance. By watching and holding space for the play of duality, as it manifests within and through us, can we see what is beyond the entire play. Only through the lens of duality can unity be seen. So the key is to stay attentive, yet relaxed, in our vision - without projecting but rather piercing through memories and associations to really see the source of what arises.

ADVANCED POSTURES
In the contemporary world of yoga, acquisition and perfection of advanced postures has become the focus for many. This is something that points toward attachments, or even obsession in some cases, that can veil the practitioner from the deeper inner work. What matters is not how far you can bend in a posture, or how far you go in a sequence. What matters is your level of attention, your relationship with the breath, your level of detachment, etc. The western culture we live in feeds itself on comparison and competition, and it is easy to fall into the trap. With the inflation of yoga offerings and the thousands of yoga teacher trainings out there, we have to stay extra alert to our subconscious mind wanting to follow the trends and the persuasive desires to advance quickly in our practice. Take your time - enjoy every bit of the journey. Show up for yourself, as you are, where you are. All is perfection. Offer yourself with sincerity and gratitude.

Imagine how long it has taken to collect impressions in our bodies, resulting in our current condition. Give yourself time to reprogram the body/mind complex, as to not overload the system. Be driven by curiosity of the journey rather than some sort of end goal or expectation. It is about quality over quantity, and most often, less is more. It is not what you do, but how you do it. Stay rooted in what is appropriate for you, not for someone else. Comparison, not even with yourself and what your practice looked like or ‘ought’ to look like. Let the inner work guide the way for the opening of the mind/body complex. If you are devoted to a regular practice, everything will unfold over time. Patience - thus loving patience - is part of the practice.

PACING
Another topic is the importance of pacing. I invite you to hold the attitude of moving mindfully, making every breath and movement conscious. Let nothing become automatic. See everything with new eyes as if you are doing it for the first time ever. I also invite you to hold the attitude that the physical practice is not a means to get anywhere (no practice at all to be honest) - will take you to a final destination. That is all an idea, a belief. Once you invest in that belief you will continue to be on the search forever. Instead, I invite you to dive into your practice investigating the now, what is held in this very moment. The practice is extremely helpful for that. So in a sense you are not going anywhere, but the whole world as you know it will change. The paradox is that the practice will not take you any place that you are not already. Then why are you rushing? Where are you going? The more we do our practice, the more we see that there is no where to go, that what we’re looking for is right here, right now.

The Patanjali Yoga Sutras do spell out that you “do this” in order to “get there” and “in order to experience this…” - but in all honesty (and maybe this is the Advaita Vedanta bias in me speaking) you’re not going to get anywhere - there is absolutely no where to go. That is the paradox which is both liberating and scary at the same time. If it is all right here, then what am I missing? This turns the responsibility back at yourself. All we can do is apply our attention to become more intimate with the now. Initially we may do the postures and concentration practices to work out kinks in the physical and energetic system, and to train the mind to turn the gaze inward. The physical benefits of the practice is mere bonus benefits, side effects if you so wish. But by the means of a postural practice, we attend to - and honor - the physical body, the temple of spirit. With such a practice we facilitate balance in the emotional and mental layers of our being. With the help of the breath we have the opportunity to deepen our connection - we go both deeper into the human experience and into That which is beyond. However, there is no where to go, nothing to be achieved, because it is already here, underneath all the stuff we cover it up with. But it doesn’t help to hear it from someone else, it won’t stimulate your yearning until you find out for yourself. So stay - and appreciate - where you are, because it is perfect.

INTENSITY
There is a distinct difference between pace and intensity. One’s pace points towards if we are being in a hurry to get somewhere, one’s intensity points towards a hunger to go deep, to learn, to understand, to unfold. As you move through your practice, notice any or both of these come up within, and inquire into their expression as they ebb and flow. You watch them like you would watch a couple dancing. Just observe, without judging what you see.

CONTINUITY AND REPETITION
The beauty of repetition is the relationships that one has the opportunity to nurture, and the deepened connection through those relationships. Commitment holds that same opportunity. With a steady practice, in this example a physical practice, each and every posture becomes like an old friend that you have the opportunity to connect with at depth. You have a chance to visit with that friend again and again. Just like a true friend, they hold the mirror up for you so that you can witness the conditioning that’s there. They call you out on your bullshit, they hold you accountable. So, in a lot of ways, you’ll create a love/hate relationship with a physical practice that is demanding of you (not just physically demanding but one that will open up your eyes to the layers of conditioning). But that’s because there is truth there to be seen. And also, that’s all it is; conditioning - part of the divine play, for you to witness. Once the awareness is there around your patterns and beliefs, everything becomes a conscious choice. If you’d choose a new practice everyday, it’s like you’re mingling with acquaintances forever, not really getting to the heart of the matter. Personally, I feel that there is no more time to waste than to really look within. So, in a way, a practice is a nurturing of relationships - of connection - with that which lies beyond the mundane, the identity, the patterns and the beliefs.

OBSERVANCES
Food & Water: Allow 3-4 hours after a meal before any type of asana practice. Hydrate well before practice, but stop drinking 30 min prior. Don’t drink during practice. Allow for 30 min after practice before drinking again, and 45 min-1 hr before eating a meal. However, do rehydrate and eat a healthy meal to replenish afterward. The reasons for this type of meal regime is that asana practice cultivates an upward flow of energy, while digestion and elimination demands a downward energy. Hence, it is best to practice with empty bowls and bladder. Also, why we don’t drink during practice is due to the fact that we intentionally want to increase our internal heat while practicing, for purification purposes. If we drink while practicing, we literally put the fire out.

Moon Days: It is important to honor rest days, Moon Days and ladies holiday. We discuss this in more detail in the Moon Days section.