Ahimsa

This month, our studio has chosen a theme to explore. Here are some ideas of mine around our theme, ahimsa.

The idea of the Ashtanga (eight-limbs) method is that through devoted practice to the eight steps, the yogi will progress toward the final limb, samadhi, understood as "self-revelation." But of course, there is much work to be done along the way.

The limbs, in order, are:
1. Yamas: Social Conduct
2. Niyamas: Individual Conduct
3. Asana: Posture
4. Pranayama: Breathing
5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the Senses (beginning stages of meditation)
6. Dharana: Concentration (also in relation to meditation)
7. Dhyana: True Meditation
8. Samadhi: Self-Revelation

There are five Yamas which begin the 8-limbs. They are basically five ways to act in the presence of others. To me, they represent a way to sort of set ones' intentions in a clear and pure direction. They are  the "if you can accept these, then you can move on to the next stage" step.

The yamas, in order, are:
1. Ahimsa: non-violence/non-harming
2. Satya: truthfulness
3. Asteya: non-stealing
4. Brachmacharya: moderation
5. Aparigraha: non-attachment

Today, I want to do a little exploration around Ahimsa or non-harming. Whenever I think of the first Yama I think of the lesson told to me by my teacher, Theresa Murphy. She is brilliant when it comes to putting knowledge of the 8-limbed path into practice on the mat. Although the Yamas are in reference to social conduct, certainly, you must be able to apply them to yourself first. In Theresa's lesson, one needs to consider acting with non-violence not only toward others, but toward oneself, especially when it comes to yoga asana.  In the class setting, we often try to push ourselves further than our bodies want to go or are prepared to go. Maybe we are trying to impress our teacher or others or maybe we feel a sense of peer-pressure to look as good as our neighbor does in their pose. In practicing ahimsa on the mat, you respect your limits and abilities by avoiding harmful behaviors which could lead to injury.

In the social context of ahimsa how do we act non-violently, or non-harmfully toward others? Seems like a no-brainer, right? Treat others with kindness, compassion, and love.
Easy to say. Not always so easy to fulfill. It is common to become annoyed or angry with others due to the wide-range of personalities out there and the regularity with which we interact with people. Even those who we choose to spend our time with can anger or annoy us, leading us to act in a harmful way.
What steps can we take to prepare ourselves to act regularly in a non-harmful way?

I like Donna Farhi's perspective on the first yama. In Bringing Yoga to Life on page 30, she says,

"When we feel connected to others, we find that we are naturally compassionate, ahimsa, and that the first yama, "not-harming" is not something we strive to be but something that we are. We see the essence of ourselves in the other and realize that the tenderness and forgiveness we so wish to have extended toward us is something that all humans long for."

Okay. So maybe the first step of the first yama is (again) beginning with our own selves, actually recognizing our own humanity. Recognizing our own desire to be treated non-harmfully and without violence. Calls to mind the old adage to treat others the way you'd like to be treated. Understanding that we ourselves should prefer love, compassion, and kindness over hate, misunderstanding and meanness is a great way to prepare ourselves to act accordingly when we go out into the world.

Now the hard part. Acting with ahimsa toward those whom we love. They are (almost) always the recipients of our anger because we spend more time with them and we know that they will love us even when we are cruel to them. How do we avoid funneling our harmful thoughts and actions toward them? I can think of a few ways, but surely they are boundless:

1. Thinking before you speak. My mother used to suggest this to me all the time. And I finally just decided that she's right. Before something unproductive and harmful comes out of your mouth, taking a  moment to reflect on its possible damaging effects. And then stopping yourself if it's bound to do more harm than good.
2. Consider how you would feel if the roles were reversed. Putting yourself in the others situation and trying to understand their perspective and reason for action before acting hurtfully yourself.
3. Breathe. Sometimes when we are going to say something negative or hurtful, the best way to avoid it is to breathe deeply and count to ten. Perhaps by the time you get to ten, you will have thought about what you were going to say before you say it and you may also have considered the reversal of roles.

So, maybe as you move through your week, thinking about ahimsa and how to put the philosophy into action. Perhaps each time before you are about to act in a harmful way (be it towards yourself or another) you can stop yourself and consider the possibility of acting more kindly. And with each time you do so, making it more habitual and more likely that you will live with love in your heart.

Just Get On Your Mat

I believe that nothing will teach you more than getting on your mat everyday with sincere effort to stay focused and to accept where you are Now. Allow practice to become second nature, like brushing your teeth, and keep your eyes open. When you are focused and still, insight may shine through. You may not be able to put this insight into words in a blog. If you try, then the experience will disappear as quickly as it came. Pages in books do not convey the essence of what is possible with practice. 

Sri K Pattabhi Jois, affectionately referred to as Guruji by his students, often said, "practice and all is coming". He emphasized "99% practice and 1% theory". 

In traditional Ashtanga communities around the world, it is common for the teacher to get up in the wee hours of morning (3 am, for example) in order to take their own practice and be prepared for students to arrive before sunrise. This occurs at least 5 days/week, Sundays allowing for a later start time and Saturday being a rest day. The commitment and responsibility are huge for the teacher and it goes on week after week, month after month, until a break comes when he/she leaves to visit their own teacher (far away). While the pilgrimage to study may afford a slightly later wake up time, it also means a stronger asana practice under watchful eyes. 

When I began to learn Ashtanga from a dedicated teacher, I noticed that he did this. He was there every morning unless he was in Mysore with Guruji. I am grateful to have shared that time with him. I am grateful to have witnessed his commitment and dedication. If my alarm went off and I didn't want to get up, I thought of him. I still do. I think of all the teachers around the world and their efforts. I learned more by absorbing this discipline than any book could have portrayed in words. 

I was convinced to make time everyday for practice. Initially, I may not have understood how or why, but still I managed to create a habit of practicing every morning. Sometimes the night before I'd stay up too late, I'd eat too much or drink too much, sometimes with a crick in my neck or an ache in my heart. Still, I got up. I moved through postures and breath. I came to see that no matter how I felt before, always I felt better after - peaceful. I created experience within myself that became part of my Being. Now, even when my mind is questioning, my body does not. I get up and I do it. 

Ten years later and with very little effort, my habits have changed. I get enough sleep, my diet has changed, and I practice with respect to where I find my body each day. For the most part I have learned when to push myself and when to back off. I am less enchanted by postures and more focused on breath and stillness. I see opportunities to face fears which come up in challenging postures but I also know that large internal shifts can occur in subtle movements. I may not know why or how such shifts occur, but when I am still enough I can observe that it is so.

If yoga philosophy teaches us that turning inward we will be free, then why are we spending so much time reading others' thoughts and theories and blogs and suggestions...? Instead of feeding the mind, who is weak and gives up, perhaps we can be still in meditation 10 minutes longer. Practice and see how you feel after. It speaks for itself.

kirtan!

In the yoga tradition, there are several yogic paths all of which have the same goal: that of creating a practice which aims to achieve enlightenment through yoga. One of those paths is the yoga of devotion or bhakti yoga. This is the type of yoga that we practice when we come together as a community to chant/sing together.

Bhakti yogis might not ever do an asana in their entire lives. Theirs is the yoga of worship. They pray, they chant, they devote all that they do to their higher power. In the Bhagavad Gita, chapter 12 outlines the practice of bhakti yoga. It begins with a question posed by Arjuna to Krishna who says,

"One man loves you with pure devotion; another man loves the Unmanifest. Which of these two understands yoga more deeply?"

To which Krishna replies,

"Those who love and revere me with unwavering faith, always centering their minds on me--they are the most perfect in yoga." (Stephen Mitchell translation, page 144)

One form of bhakti yoga which has become popularized among Western yogis is kirtan. Kirtan is actually an Indian song-form in which there is a leader or a caller and a group of responders. In other words, it's call and response style chanting. Typically, the chants are chants to gurus (teachers), deities, or they are mantras. The chants themselves are highly repetitive and can last for just a few minutes or for hours. They are accompanied by instruments like harmonium or tablas, or are sometimes a capella. My favorite bhakti yogi is Bhagavan Das and he plays an ektara which is a single-stringed plucked instrument.

This practice can be so sweet and devotional. Essentially, you give yourself over to the chant or to the music. You don't have to think about what to do or what to say since the chants say the same thing over and over. You can just feel the music and be surrounded by the vibratory quality and do the damn thing.

This Friday night (July 12th), our little sangha (community) will hold a kirtan. I will have the glorious opportunity to lead everyone through some chants. I find this type of practice incredibly inspirational and deeply moving to feel so connected both musically and spiritually. Come on out and check it out! www.socoyoga.com