Aren’t we forgetting something?

We’re traveling to China and India to study business, it’s wonderful… but India is calling my name for another reason. It’s the home of yoga, where the ancient roots began. So I thought I’d give a glimpse into what yoga is and why it’s so important. I’m going to focus on the Eastern version of yoga as opposed to the Westernized (commercial gym) form of yoga.

What is yoga? Yoga is bliss. It’s union with God or the Divine Self. Yoga is self-exploration and spiritual enlightenment. It goes beyond our five senses. It is amazing. An Indian philosopher, Patanjali, wrote it’s manual thousands of years ago, although he did not invent the practice.

Hinduism is the India-based religion yoga helps to teach. It includes: Vegetarianism, the Law of Karma, Reincarnation and freedom from all suffering. It incorporates all religions, it’s universal, it values what works for you. Sanskrit is the spoken and written language of Hinduism and yoga; most of the ancient texts are in Sanskrit.

“Yoga is your true nature: union with the divine self. Yoga practices such as asana (postures) enable us to feel there is something animating our physical form. Yoga practice of meditation enable us to watch our minds think, to realize that we must be more than the mind, if we can sit back and watch it generate thoughts.” (Jivamukti Yoga, 2002)

If that makes no sense, it takes time. To me, yoga is my faith, and it’s my connection to the spirit world and to my self. Each time I step onto my mat, I learn more about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, my internal layers of emotion, fear, guilt. I learn about the stress stored in the cells of my body. I grow stronger, more alive, more aware. It’s my therapy, my freedom from suffering. And this amazing life-changing practice originated in India… where we’re headed! Are we grasping the importance yet?

Three of the oldest and foundational books for yoga are Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, written over 5,000 years ago.

The 5 obstacles yoga helps you to overcome or Kleshas are:
1. Avidya: ignorance
2. Asmita: egoism
3. Raga: excessive attachment to pleasurable things
4. Dvesa: excessive aversion, hatred
5. Abhinivesha: fear of death

We rid ourselves of the Kleshas by practicing Patanjali’s 8 limbs:
1. Yama: restraint
2. Niyama: observance
3. Asana: postures
4. Pranayama: breath work or control of the life force
5. Pratyahara: withdrawl of the senses
6. Dharana: concentration
7. Dhyana: meditation
8. Samadhi: bliss, union with the divine

Seem simple enough? In Patanjali’s second sutra, he defines yoga (translated), “yoga is realized when identification with the fluctuations of the mind ceases.” Make sense? When our minds relax and find peace… when we give up resisting life.

The body is also comprised of 5 koshas or bodies, experienced with the practice of yoga. They are, starting from the outside and moving in:
1. Annamaya kosha: the physical body
2. Pranamaya kosha: the vital body or breath body
3. Manomaya kosha: emotional body
4. Vijnanamaya kosha: intellectual body
5. Anandamaya kosha: the bliss body

What happens in yoga class?
• You show up, no shoes, with a mat
• Your teacher leads you through meditation before practicing
• You move through asanas (postures) using pranayama (breath work)
• Usually standing postures first, then inversions and backbends, followed by floor practice. There are many forms of yoga so each class varies
• End class in savasana or corpse pose
• In corpse pose, the final meditation (10-25 minutes) you feel your body alive, you feel the koshas or layers to your being… you feel alive… you feel high, at peace, at ease.

For the scientists in the group, look at Dr. Len Kravitz’s (no not the singer, the award winning professor and researcher) article on the science of breathing. This will give you scientific research behind pranayama.

Yoga is a way to experience higher states of consciousness. Excited yet? Maybe we can visit an ashram on our trip as a cultural experience?

I’ve studied the human body and spirit for over a decade. I’ve helped people heal in a number of ways: physical therapy, structural integration, emotional healing, nutrition, dance… and the most effective modality of healing I’ve found? You guessed it. Yoga.