Some profound thoughts from Pattabhi Jois via Victoria’s blog:
“Since his first arrival in Mysore he went through exceeding difficulties. He knew neither friends nor relatives in the town, and was forced to beg for food during his first few years of staying there.”
“ ..the primary steps are first to cleanse the body of its physical imbalances.”
“what all practitioners seem to have in common is the love for their practice and the embodiment of greater health and well being that seem to shine vibrantly through their skin and eyes and manifest clearly on their faces.”
“Pattabhi Jois urges his students to pay more attention to this inner receptivity of ‘being” in matters of diet, health, nutrition, etc. “Find out what works for you,” he says. ”
“The significant feature of these simple exercises is that people certainly improve their health and well being, but also seem to find a new approach to life which involves a greater receptivity to something internally profound.”
“The practice takes time,” he repeatedly claims, but says further: “When you experience it for yourself you will come to know that it is real.”
How has Pattabhi Jois directly or indirectly influenced you in your practice?
http://theconfluencecountdown.com/2011/12/15/studies-support-gurujis-claim-no-coffee-no-prana/
“No coffee, no prana,” Guruji used to say.
“Tim Miller tells great stories about being just wiped out after practicing in the early days in Mysore, lying down for 10 or 15 or 20 minutes in Savasana until Guruji’s wife, Amma, would stick her head into the room and quietly ask, “Tim? OK? Coffee, Tim?”
Asana is a Sanskrit word that loosely translates as “poses” or “postures” in English. Asana is one of the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga. When the average Westerner thinks of yoga, they think of the asanas.
It’s great to see that so many Westerners are finding yoga but we also feel that as a result, yoga has become somewhat commercialized and diluted. For example, ask the average Westerner what comes to mind when they think of yoga and their answer might be, “The girl from Lulu Lemon’s advertising.” Or they might associate asana with other “classes” offered at their local gym such as Zumba or pilates. However, at Lucid Practice, we adhere more to the Eastern approach when viewing asana.
Through the daily, consistent practice of asanas with proper breathing, the practitioner purifies body and mind. You begin to feel a new source of energy and become more aware of your surroundings and your own inner being. We grant ourselves the ability to truly concentrate. The ultimate purpose of asana is to prepare the body and mind for meditation.
Click to read more about our views on the other limbs of yoga specifically the yamas and niyamas.
What’s your definition of asana?
“With practice, all is coming.”
~ Krishna Pattabhi Jois
http://sarasyogajoint.com/mbyoga/asana1.mp3
“I’ve been practicing yoga since I was 18 and teaching since I was 19. In truth, my entire adult life has been shaped and influenced by yoga; by great teachers, practices, conversations, relationships, successes and failures. Now I am 35, and I would rather have my work speak as my credentials. So here you go, a free class to download and form your own opinions of me.” ~Mitchell Bleier
Meditation is universal. Just like you don’t need to be Italian to eat pasta.
What if everyone could have a more peaceful and clear mind?
We are all connected. We can create a better world and it starts with something as simple as closing your eyes, meditating and feeling a deeper connection with yourself.
To really open your eyes, sometimes you have to close them.
Amen.
What is the first limb of yoga according to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras?
Yama is first limb of yoga and it is as important if not more important as the asana (physical postures).
“Practice of asanas without the backing of Yama and Niyama is mere acrobatics.” -B.K.S Iyengar
The Yamas: Ethical disciplines. The Yamas represent a series of “right living.”
The Yamas are comprised of five principles that Patanjali listed in his Yoga Sutras:
1. Ahimsa: Nonviolence. The yogi sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings and therefore opposes violence and loses all fear. The yogi is stern with himself when dealing with his own faults but gentle with the faults of others.
2. Satya: Truth. Truth is God and God is Truth. Satya presupposes perfect truthfulness is thought, word, and deed. When the mind bears malice towards none, it is filled with charity towards all. The man firmly established in truth gets the fruit of his actions without apparently doing anything. God the source of all truth, supplies his needs and looks after his welfare.
3. Asteya: Non-stealing. Goes past not only taking what belongs to someone else. The yogi should reduce his physical needs to the minimum, believing that if he gathers things he does not really need, he is a thief. While other men crave for wealth, power, fame or enjoyment, the yogi has one craving and that is to adore the Lord. He who obeys the commandment Thou Shalt Not Steal, becomes a trusted repository of all treasures.
4. Brachmacharya: Life of celibacy, religious study and self-restraint. It is the battery that sparks the torch of wisdom. Without experiencing human love and happiness it is not possible to know divine love.
5. Aparigraha: To be free from hoarding. The yogi should feel that the collection of things implies a lack of faith in God and in himself to provide for his future. The yogi trains his mind not to feel the loss or the lack of anything. Then everything he really needs will come to him by itself at the proper time. Keep the mind in a state of equilibrium. Develop the capacity to remain satisfied with whatever happens to you. To those who worship Him alone with single minded devotion,which are in harmony with Him every moment, He brings full security. He shall supply all their wants and shall protect them forever.
Descriptions are from Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar.
How do you incorporate the Yamas into your daily practice on and off the mat?
A great visual guide to the practice of yoga
http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/2013/05/07/5-ways-to-master-the-art-of-doing-without-doing/