'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' #4 of series YAMAS Brahmacharya

The Eight Limbs of Yoga' post #4

YAMAS - BRAHMACHARYA

"Devoted to living a balanced and moderate life, 

the scope of ones life force becomes boundless"

Nischala Joy Devi

The act of conserving vital energy. Being consciously mindful of your senses to live with balance and moderation in your daily life. Brahma translates to meaning 'infinity' and Charya translates to meaning 'moving in infinity'.

In ancient wisdom Bramacharya was the practice of celibacy as it was believed that this conservation of vital energy was thought to assist greatly in reaching enlightenment, however it was discovered that many who practiced celibacy did not attain enlightenment. Bramacharya gained a new definition as the conservation of the five senses. Yoga was seen to identify the five senses as the layers surrounding the journey to self realisation over 3000 years ago, they were called the five Koshas. These five Koshas can be recognised more familiarly today.

5 Koshas

• Body
• Emotion 
• Thought 
• Spirit 
• Breath

Think about how you can cultivate Brahmacharya in your life with focus on the five Koshas and the balancing of our 2 energies. Our 2 prime energies are the divine and the human ie the spiritual self and the physical self.

We live in an age of instance where technology has made some incredible advances to which there are many benefits and we certainly know how to live life to excess, however the downside is do any of us know how to live more calmly, to access down time, to re-balance and achieve an equilibrium? Modern life is moving so fast that we have been swept along in the current and we need to remember to press pause, we need to re-learn the art of moderation to practice Brahmacharya.

We all have male and female energy within us and in our life. The right side of the body is considered to be the male force whilst the left is considered to be the female force. The right is represented by the sun and by action/doing whereas the left is represented by the moon and receiving/nourishing.

To bring Brahmacharya into your life it helps to set an intention at the beginning of each day that promotes balanced living through the conservation of vital energy. For example you could set the intention of kindness, being gentle with yourself and all else. In relation to Yoga you could practice an energetic series of sun salutations representing the male energy and follow this with a calming Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) to focus on the female energy. Viparita Karani is an excellent morning asana to help revive you if you have experienced a difficult nights sleep, bringing balance and equally ideal for the end of the day especially if you have been standing up for most of it.

Kundalini Yoga is a great example of practicing Brahmacharya as it creates powerful energy from subtle movement, Kundalini instructors such as Maya Fiennes are definitely worth checking out if you would like to try some Kundalini Yoga.

Om Namaste

Further info;

http://www.mayaspace.com/ 

http://www.abundantwellbeing.com/

http://www.kundaliniyoga.org.uk/

 

'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' #3 of series YAMAS - Asteya

The Eight Limbs of Yoga' #3 of series Yamas - Asteya

'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' post #3

YAMAS

Asteya; The act of none stealing ... of self and of others. Eliminating desire and being content with all you have.

To practice Asteya you should not steal from others, this is not just in the obvious sense such as taking money or possessions it is also being mindful not to represent other peoples ideas as your own, to not steal peoples time, to not interrupt their happiness or even not to hoard belongings without use. Asteya is found in not taking more from this world than you need. At an energetic level it is about giving and receiving equally or indeed giving more to energize the world further.

"If you are established in none stealing all wealth will come to you"
Swami Sivananda

Kumbhakasana (Plank Pose) could be considered as connecting to some of the values of Asteya. It is an efficient posture for building body heat whilst it tones a range of muscles not least the abdominal ones. You do not hold the pose for a long time and you are efficient with your breathing as you hold you breath during the pose.

Practicing Asteya cultivates the following;

• Being generous without expecting return as your reward is in the giving
• Being content with what you have
• Being mindful of your footprint in life
• Being respectful of others time and equally not wasting your own
• Being conscious of your needs and clear in their description if requiring help from others
• Being efficient in whatever you do

Think about not taking up too much space or time with your life; 

• Physically where ever you go; Sitting position, your possessions
• From other peoples time; Being late, lengthy emails, talking too much
• Being emotionally demanding; Be aware of others needs
• In conversation; Interruption of other peoples time to speak
• Your accommodation; Living in a home that isn't too big for your needs
• Not creating too much waste; Reuse and up-cycle as a priority to recycling

 Think of all your relationships as being like the ever giving sun, this is Asteya;

'The Sun Never Says'

Even after all this time
The Sun never says to the Earth
"You owe me"
Look what happens with a love like that...
It lights the whole sky!
(Poem taken from The Gift by Hafiz the Great Sufi Master and translated by Daniel Ladinsky a Sufi Poet)

Om Namaste

'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' #2 of series YAMAS - Satya

'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' post #2

YAMAS - SATYA 

As with AHIMSA this is one of the 5 YAMAS of virtuous restraint which combine to create the first of the 8 limbs of Yoga ... Satya is the act of being truthful.

Sat means; being, reality, root, origin, 'to be'. Ya means; advancing, sustaining. Satya is the practice of supporting reality, being genuine and considerate.

To practice Satya is to remain honest and truthful without prejudice. Patanjali explains in 'The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali' that words do not reflect truth unless they flow from the origin of nonviolence therefore our words should always be considered, honest and never deliberately harmful. This belief sits in harmony with the Buddhist teachings of 'Right Speech'; To converse in 'Right Speech' is to express truths; observations rather than judgments. 

Satya encourages us to consider how we communicate. For instance have you ever noticed your own inner dialogue? If you are experiencing something unwanted such as ongoing pain are you mindful that you accept it as permanent or that you choose not to accept it as your permanent truth? To practice Satya you should not assume your experiences are permanent ie 'my neck always hurts therefore it will always hurt and is to be expected from here on in', this is an untruthful unhelpful inner dialogue, a judgment of the future rather than an observation of the present. You do not know how long the pain you are experiencing will last. It does not mean you should deny that your neck hurts - the aim is to learn to acknowledge that it does hurt today right now in the present moment but resist your attachment to it, your judgment of it, do not become it or indeed let it become you. Observation of the present demonstrates a truer, kinder inner dialogue. When you begin to adjust your inner dialogue your outward dialogue will also begin to change, it will become more truthful, more factual.

Words are our most common and most powerful form of communication they can easily bring happiness or harm to their recipient. Cultivate the courage to remain truthful at all times, even when the whole truth is not known to us meaning we need to be completely honest with ourselves and others. This makes us mindful to not create or sustain a lie thus distorting the truth, being untruthful. 

Satya teaches us to accept what life brings to us rather than become judgmental and therefore avoiding the error of passing our judgments on to others. It is important to act with compassion when there is need for response, to interact with a situation rather than swiftly identifying with your immediate emotional response, this is not to say you should deny your true feelings but that practicing Satya in communication makes you authentic in word and thought, as you are abstaining from speaking in haste. To converse in this way give yourself a moment - a breath or two to compose a nonviolent response. Choosing your words carefully with consideration of their effects avoids you jumping into a hurried and often harsh reaction responding without compassion, the very opposite of Satya.

It is said that our toughest times bring us wisdom for it is our response that becomes our character this guides us to welcome the less comfortable events in our lives responding appropriately, truthfully and compassionately rather than purely emotionally to allow us to gain knowledge and growth. When sadness or happiness knock on your door welcome them in and treat both like an honoured guest. It is important that when we do not like something we are honest and do not lie but also that we show kindness to all in our aversion. 

We can bring Satya into our Yoga practice and into all aspects of our lives, listening, being truthful to ourselves and sharing this with others.

"Just as a flower gives out its fragrance to whomsoever approaches or uses it, so love from within us radiates towards everybody and manifests as spontaneous service." Swami Ramdas

Om Namaste

'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' #1 of series YAMAS - Ahimsa

'The Eight Limbs of Yoga' post #1

 
YAMAS

Ahimsa; The first step...The act of non-violence to self and all other living things, to do no harm.

To practice Ahimsa is to be wholly kind in thought, action and deed. It is important to be careful what we think as our thoughts become our character and our actions. Therefore our thoughts take effect on ourselves and others. Ahimsa encourages us to find balance within ourself, our thoughts and emotions, for example if you are experiencing anger a common emotion it can be quenched with compassion by practicing the principles of Ahimsa. 

Ahimsa however should not be confused with being passive, it does not mean we need to become numb or defenseless, we should always protect our selves and others in the kindest way possible. The sacred texts of the Vedas is a collection of ancient philosophical teachings from India which has within it a story about a monk and a snake the story  demonstrates how practicing Ahimsa does not mean that you become neutral. 

A wandering monk, who traveled a circuit of villages annually delivering his teachings entered one of the villages and saw a large menacing snake terrorizing people. The monk spoke to the snake and taught him about Ahimsa. The following year when the monk visited the village, he saw the snake again and was surprised at how changed the snake was. This previously impressive creature was now skinny and very bruised. The monk asked the snake what had happened to it. The snake replied that it had taken the teaching of Ahimsa to heart and had stopped terrorizing the villagers. But because he was no longer scary, the children threw rocks at the snake and taunted it, leaving the snake afraid to leave its hiding place to hunt, this led to the snake becoming malnourished and bruised. The monk shook his head and explained to the snake “I did advise you against violence, but I never told you not to hiss.” Highlighting that the snake should not practice violence to others, but equally not to itself either which it was doing by not protecting itself.

Protection of ourselves and others does not violate Ahimsa, its practice means that we take responsibility for our own considered behavior to others and try to prevent harm caused by others too. True Ahimsa springs from the clear intention to act with clarity and love to all, it means to share kindness to benefit all inhabitants of our society it does not mean to become a victim. 

Yoga postures should always be practiced following the principles of Ahimsa. For example forward bends such as Uttanasana (standing forward fold), Paschimottanasana (seated forward fold) are introspective in nature inviting you inwards and should not be practiced aggressively. Trying to force yourself to fold deeper than you are ready to do so is being unkind to yourself, first find your edge, breathe deeply into the pose and relax further if/when this becomes available to you. Remember working deeper does not necessarily mean physically folding further it is about looking inwards and listening to what your needs are.

Consider how you can practice and share Ahimsa in your life... for example if you have had a day full of worry and are feeling dragged down by pressures, do not add to these pressures by berating yourself instead remind yourself to be gentle with yourself this kindness will then spread to others. You can also choose to protect yourself by avoiding the intake of stimulants in your daily life such as caffeine, tobacco and alcohol allowing balance and calmness to reside within you, this serenity can then be shared with those around you.

Om Namaste

The subtle mind & meditation

Meditation is a state of being, arrived at through understanding. It needs intelligence, it does not need techniques.

OSHO

http://meditation.blog.osho.com/meditation-is-understanding-the-subtle-workings-of-the-mind/

Keeping the Balance

Bring balance into your life by bringing it into your yoga practice...

Image (c) S-C Peace; Peace Yoga. Natarajasana, Miyajima Torii sunset.

 

"Yoga is the study of balance and balance is the aim of all living creatures" 
Rolf Gates…

Balances calm your mind and bring you into the present;
What's your favourite balance pose? Is it one of these;

Dancer/Natarajasana
Tree/Vrkasana
Eagle/Garudasana
Crow/Bakasana

Or something else? 

The key to all balances is to to exist in the moment, focus your gaze softly on a point, feel grounded - rooted to the floor, centered, keep focusing on your point and your breath as you gently release one foot moving into your selected balance. As you arrive into your balance simply enjoy the moment... be present... be calm.

Practicing balances regularly brings peace to your mind and harmony into your life as you learn to pause amidst all the pressures; developing mindfulness.

As the nights draw in ... take the opportunity to grow

Yoga is a lot about stretching but not just your body; your mind, your abilities, your comfort zone.

Challenge yourself, use reflection to see what you can achieve :)

"The highest point of yesterday 
should be the lowest point of today"

B.K.S. Iyengar

Utthita Hasta Padangushthasana (Extended hand to big toe pose)

(C) Peace Yoga S-C Peace