I’ve been reflecting on some things that I have said over the past several years — things I’ve repeated many times and maybe haven’t taken the opportunity to connect the dots. So, I’m sharing this with you today in hopes that it will provide clarification, inspiration and connection (and as always, I welcome your feedback). Here goes….
Mind and body are one.
In Sanskrit and in Pali (the ancient languages of the regions where yoga and Buddhism arose) the word for our state of mind, our mindset, is “citta”, which can be translated as “heart” or “heart-mind”. This emphasizes that our experience of the internal and external (to the body) world comes through our whole body’s sensorial engagement with the world. The sensations that we feel then translate into our outlook on life and how we react and/or respond (reaction with mindfulness) to it. When we come to accept this to be true, we gain a deeper appreciation for the work we choose to do with the body-mind on the mat. We know that by focusing our minds on breath and movement we are engaging in a deeply meditative act that provides the opportunity to unravel so much about who we are in order that we may see more clearly and act more compassionately.
Pay attention.
How many times did you hear that as a kid? I remember hearing it quite often. Thing is, it’s excellent guidance and we often don’t take it. One of the greatest gifts our practice can give us is the ability to pay attention, to listen deeply and to receive the messages our own body-mind is sending us. (Here’s a great blog on the matter if you’d like to read more… https://sangha.live/2021/11/22/the-bodys-knowledge/).
Our true nature is one of love, compassion and peace.
At our core, each and every one of us — all sentient beings — are imbued with an essence that is radiant and pure. It is a belief in that basic goodness that fuels our vast capacities for universal/impartial loving-kindness and compassion.
Yoga isn’t willy nilly.
Yoga is a practice — a path — to realize this true nature — to experience its liberating quality within us. Traversing the path does take effort, and it takes commitment, as we work to peel back the layers of avidya (deep ignorance) that keep us from remembering who we really are.
Practice isn’t confined to asana - it’s an all-encompassing pursuit for liberation that goes well beyond the mat. And there is more than one valid way to do just about everything - including yoga (i.e., there’s no room for dogma here).
There are many ways to practice yoga. From acts of service, to studies of sacred texts, to the various methods of asana, to the path of the bhakta, to Buddhism, Christianity and other contemplative love-based religions. There is a way(s) for everyone who wants it and it can become a 24/7/365 way of being. The importance of steering clear of attaching one’s self to a one “right” way of doing anything is utmost because we can so easily get blinded by our perceived “best/right/one” way and diminish our capacity for exploration, evolution/change/impermanence, and growth.
There is a catch. We do need to incorporate some time to recharge, to further our own pursuit of liberation. It’s important to find it within ourselves to enact some level of discipline and commit to a practice - albeit asana, pranayama, meditation or some combination thereof - on a regular basis. Establishing a routine and sticking to it is essential. And remember, the asana practice can be a form of moving meditation - it’s all about how you show up.
The Mysore room is the best format for diving deep into your body-mind and immersing in the practice of yoga [asana].
When I say “best” here it’s not really meant to create a hierarchy or put down other practices, it’s just me being excited about Mysore because the thing is, it’s my favorite way to work with you. My own years of work in the Mysore rooms of David Garrigues, Tim Miller, Tim Feldmann, Jen René and others furthered the transformation of my heart-mind in big ways. The one-on-one Mysore format provides a depth of experience that I found so fulfilling it motivated me to want to serve others in that way.
For Mysore to work, you have to show up, and show up consistently - open and willing at least three times a week for three months before you even think about assessing your experience.
Practicing Ashtanga in the Mysore way presents a steep initial learning curve on the gross level. One has to show up consistently enough to commit the beginning stages of the series to memory and that just doesn’t happen without enough repetitive time on the mat. And as the teacher it can be disheartening to see that a person has the motivation to give it a try, but because the consistency isn’t there frustration/dissatisfaction arises, the motivation wanes and the student stops coming. If one can just get beyond that memorization stage then the mind is able to shift into a new, more meditative and liberating, gear with vast potential for spiritual level exploration and personal growth.
Keep in mind, the practice is meant to reduce our suffering in all its myriad of forms from pain to dissatisfaction and anxiety — and bring us closer to remembering our true nature. That doesn’t happen quickly, it doesn’t happen without focused effort, and it requires persistent cultivation through the course of one’s life. As for the three times a week for three months — that’s a general timeframe and level of consistency that is necessary to begin to get a real feel for the practice (Mysore or otherwise) — it’s challenges and benefits. If you find yourself struggling to make such a minimum commitment and stick to it — but you want to —I’ve got good news for you. January 8th we’re launching The 3x3x3 Mysore Challenge — a community-based program to explore the path of yoga! (Use this link to learn more: https://withribbon.com/s/419434).
Yoga is an inside job — go inward.
At the end of the day, whether you find yourself in a hot yoga class at Hot Yoga East or sitting on a cushion or doing asana in the Mysore room at Yoga Shala Nashville, the only one who really knows if you’re practicing yoga is you. It’s not something that can be seen from the outside — displays of ritual and chanting do not a yogi make. The yoga is within us and the practices are here to help us realize and connect with that — to live from that place within us, which then others may detect as yoga in action.
All this is to say that however and wherever you find inspiration, devotion and commitment to practice - run with it! Whether it’s in the soup kitchen, on the job, raising your children, teaching others children, practicing asana or sitting on a cushion, if your heart-mind is in the “right” place, the yoga is there.
As The Dalai Lama says,
“My Western friends often ask me for the quickest, easiest, most effective — and cheapest — way of practicing Dharma! I think to find such a way is impossible! Maybe that is a sign of failure!
We should realize that practicing the Dharma is actually something that needs to be done twenty-four hours of the day. That’s why we make a distinction between the actual meditation sessions and post-meditation periods, the idea being that both while you are in the meditative session and also when you are out of it, you should be fully within the realm of Dharma practice.
In fact, one could say that the post-meditative periods are the real test of the strength of your practice. During formal meditation in a sense you are recharging your batteries, so that when you come out of the session you are better equipped to deal with the demands of your everyday life. The very purpose of recharging a battery is to enable it to run something, isn’t it? Similarly, once you have equipped yourself though whatever practices you engage in, as a human being you can’t avoid the daily routines of life, and it is during these periods that you should be able to live according to the principles of your Dharma practice.
Of course at the initial stage, as a beginner, you do need periods of concentrated meditation so that you have a base from which you can begin. This is certainly crucial. But once you have established that base, then you will be able to adopt a way of life where your daily activity is at least in accord with the principles of the Dharma. So all this points to the importance of making an effort. Without some effort, there is no way that we can integrate the principles of Dharma in our lives.
For a serious practitioner, the most serious effort is necessary. Just a few short prayers, a little chanting, and some mantra recitation with a mala (rosary) are not sufficient. Why not? Because that cannot transform your mind. Our negative emotions are so powerful that constant effort is needed in order to counteract them. If we practice constantly, then we can definitely change.” — from The Four Noble Truths by The Dalai Lama.
*(Dharma being the 8-fold path of sila = morality; samadhi = concentration; pañña = enlightened/liberated being).