"There is one way of breathing that is shameful and constricted.  Then there's 
                      another way; a breath of love that takes you all the way to infinity." -   Rumi

 

 

   

  

 

 

Our breath is an invisible energy that connects the unseen world like a spider's web, weaving together all of creation; including plants, birds, animals, and humans, since we all need oxygen to survive.  When we are born, our breath is deep and relaxed.  As we go through life, however, we are taught about FEAR, which changes our breathing patterns and causes us to create a habit of shallow breathing.

Our whole body needs oxygen to survive.  It is the nourishment for each cell, organ, and all functions in the body; and most importantly, the brain. When we re-remember how to breathe, we begin to slow down; trust; and relax the body.  In turn, we relax the mind, as they mirror one another.

Have you ever asked yourself, where does breath come from? When we open up to a deeper connection, then we open ourselves to spirit, which awakens our consciousness.  The cause and effect of breathing consciously is awakening energy inside, which connects to a greater source.  It also expands our heart, our perception, and helps us feel better.  Have you ever known anyone who felt bad from taking a deep breath?  

Make time to slow down and breathe.  Try to notice how you're breathing throughout the day.  This simple activity can tell you the state of your nervous system.  By learning to control your breathing, you can influence the regulation of your heart rate, blood pressure, circulation, and digestion.  

 

The practice of yoga is an art and science dedicated to creating union between body, mind, and spirit.  Its objective is to assist in using the breath and body to foster an awareness of ourselves as individualized beings, intimately connecting to the unified whole of creation.  In short, it is about making balance and creating equanimity so as to live in peace, good health, and harmony with the greater whole. This art of right living was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years ago, and the foundations of yoga philosophy were written down in The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, approximately 200 AD.  This sacred text describes the inner workings of the mind, and provides an eight-step blueprint for controlling its restlessness, so as to enjoying lasting peace.

 

The core of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is an eight-limbed path that forms the structural framework for yoga practice.  Upon practicing all eight limbs of the path, it becomes self-evident that no one element is elevated over another in a hierarchical order.  Each is part of a holistic focus which eventually brings completeness to the individual, as they find their connectivity to the Divine.  Because we are all uniquely individual, a person can emphasize one branch and then move on to another as they round out their understanding.

  In brief, the Eight Limbs, or steps to yoga, are as follows:

1. Yama :  Universal morality
2. Niyama :  Personal observances
3. Asanas :  Body postures
4. Pranayama :  Breathing exercises and control of prana
5. Pratyahara :  Control of the senses
6. Dharana :  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
7. Dhyana :  Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
8. Samadhi :  Union with the Divine

The first two limbs that Patanjali describes are the fundamental ethical precepts called yamas and niyamas.  Yamas and niyamas are the suggestions given on how we should deal with people around us, and our attitude toward ourselves.  The attitude we have toward things and people outside of ourselves is yama; how we relate to ourselves inwardly is niyama.  Both are mostly concerned with how we use our energy in relationship to others and ourselves.

 

 

 

 

The word ahimsa literally means "not to injure or show cruelty to any creature or any person in any way, whatsoever."   Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as adapted in yoga.  It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other people and things.  It also has to do with our duties and responsibilities.  Ahimsa implies that in every situation, we should adopt a considerate attitude and do no harm.

 

Satya means "to speak the truth," yet it is not always desirable to speak the truth on all occasions; for it could harm someone unnecessarily.  We have to consider what we say, how we say it, and in what way it could affect others.  If speaking the truth has negative consequences for another, then it is better to say nothing.

 

Steya means "to steal."  Asteya is the opposite:  to take nothing that does not belong to us.

 

Brahmacharya is used mostly in the sense of abstinence; particularly in relationship to sexual activity.  Brahmacharya suggests that we should form relationships that foster our understanding of the highest truths.  Brahmacharya does not necessarily imply celibacy.  Rather, it means responsible behavior with respect to our goal of moving toward the truth.  Practicing brahmacharya means that we use our sexual energy to regenerate our connection to our spiritual self.

 

Aparigraha means to take only what is necessary, and not to take advantage of a situation or act greedily.  Aparigraha also implies letting go of our attachments to things, and an understanding that impermanence and change are the only constants.  Suffering is caused by attachment to things, people, and ideas.

 

The Yoga Sutra describes what happens when the five behaviors outlined above become part of a person's daily life.  Thus, the yamas are the moral virtues which, if attended to, purify human nature and contribute to health and happiness of society.

 

 

 

Isvarapranidhana means "to lay all your actions at the feet of the Supreme Power."  It is the contemplation on God (Isvara) in order to become attuned to the higher power of Divine will.  It is the recognition that the spiritual suffuses everything, and through our attention and care we can attune ourselves with our role as part of the Creator. The practice requires that we set aside time daily for our conscious connection.

3. Asanas (Body postures)

Asana is the practice of physical postures.  It is the most commonly known aspect of yoga for those unfamiliar with the other seven limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra.  The practice of moving the body into postures has widespread benefits; of these, the most underlying are improved health, strength, balance, and flexibility.  On a deeper level, the practice of asana, which means "staying" or "abiding" in Sanskrit language, is used as a tool to calm the mind and move into the inner essence of being. The challenge of poses offers the practitioner the opportunity to explore and control all aspects of their emotions; concentration; intent; faith; and unity between the physical and the ethereal body.  Indeed, using asanas to challenge and open the physical body acts as a binding agent to bring one into harmony with all of the unseen elements of their being; the forces that shape our lives through our responses to the physical world.  Asana then becomes a way of exploring our mental attitudes and strengthening our will as we learn to release, and move into the state of grace that comes from creating balance between our material world and our spiritual experience.

 

As one practices asana, it fosters a quieting of the mind; thus becoming both a preparation for meditation, and a meditation sufficient in and of itself.  Releasing to the flow and inner strength that one develops brings about a profound grounding spirituality in the body.  The physicality of the yoga postures becomes a vehicle to expand the consciousness that pervades our every aspect of our body.  The key to fostering this expansion of awareness and consciousness begins with the control of breath, the fourth limb – Pranayama.  Patanjali suggests that the asana and the pranayama practices will bring about the desired state of health;  that the control of breath and bodily posture will harmonize the flow of energy in the organism, thus creating a fertile field for the evolution of the spirit.

4. Pranayama (Breath Control)

Prana means “breath” and yama means “pause”.  Pranayama is the means of properly regulating the otherwise irregular and hurried respiratory process without using excessive force or restraint.  Pranayama regulates the three processes of exhalation (rechaka), suspensions (kumbhaka), and inhalation (puraka), and establishes control over prana, the vital force of the body.

 

When the in-flowing breath is neutralized or joined with the out-flowing breath, then perfect relaxation and balance of body activities is realized.  In yoga, we are concerned with balancing the flows of vital forces; then directing them inward to the chakra system, and upward to the crown chakra.

 

Pranayama, or breathing technique, is very important in yoga.  It goes hand-in-hand with the asana or pose.  In the Yoga Sutra, the practices of pranayama and asana are considered to be the highest forms of purification and self-discipline for the mind and body, respectively.  The practices produce the actual physical sensation of heat, called tapas, or the inner fire of purification.  It is taught that this heat is part of the process of purifying the nadis, or subtle nerve channels of the body.  One can heal one's self of disease with the use of pranayama.

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of senses from their external objects.

Pratyahara means drawing back, or retreating.  The word ahara means "nourishment"; pratyahara translates as "to withdraw oneself from that which nourishes the senses."  In yoga, the term pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from attachment to external objects.  It can then be seen as the practice of non-attachment to sensorial distractions as we constantly return to the path of self-realization and achievement of internal peace.  It means our senses stop living off the things that stimulate.  The senses no longer depend on these stimulants, and are no longer fed by them.

 

Dharana means concentration of the mind upon a physical object, such as a flame of a lamp. In dharana we create the conditions for the mind to focus its attention in one direction, instead of going out in many different directions.

 

When the mind has become purified by yoga practices, it becomes able to focus efficiently on one subject or point of experience.  Now we can unleash the great potential for inner healing.

 

Dhyana means worship, or profound meditation.  It is perfect contemplation.  It involves concentration upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it.  This concept holds that when one focuses their mind in concentration on an object, the mind is transformed into the shape of the object.  Hence, when one focuses on the divine, they become more reflective of it, and know their true nature.  As we fine-tune our concentration and become more aware of the nature of reality, we perceive that the world is unreal.  "The only reality is the universal self, or God, which is veiled by Maya (the illusory power).  As the veils are lifted, the mind becomes clearer.  Unhappiness and fear – even the fear of death – vanishes.  This state of freedom, or moksha, is the goal of yoga.

 

Samadhi means "to bring together, to merge."  Yoga is the attainment of samadhi.  In the state of samadhi, the body and senses are at rest - as if asleep - yet the faculty of mind and reason are alert, as if awake.  In samadhi, one goes beyond consciousness.  During samadhi, we realize what it is to be an identity without differences, and how a liberated soul can enjoy pure awareness of this pure identity.  The conscious mind drops back into that unconscious oblivion from which it first emerged.

 

Thus, samadhi refers to union, or true Yoga.  There is an ending to the separation that is created by the "I" and "mine" of our illusory perceptions of reality.  The mind does not distinguish between self and non-self, or between the object contemplated and the process of contemplation.  The mind and the intellect have stopped, and there is only the experience of consciousness, truth, and unutterable joy.

 

 

 

 

Life is like the flowing ocean, with the continuous waves of emotion (energy in motion) going up and down.  When I ride the waves with equanimity and flow, I find that inner harmony and peace within myself which reflects from the inside out.  When I am in this place, I allow; I accept; I trust; and I feel content with all that is happening - and this is yoga.

 

The  path of yoga opened up for me on my second trip to India 1992.  I invested six full weeks of daily yoga, each morning at the Shivananda  ashram in Hatha tradition, and afternoons with Iyengar tradition at another ashram.  After two full months of yoga living, my life completely changed.  Since then, I have been studying various styles including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Mantra, and pranayama yoga.

I have a Teacher's Training certification with Hatha yoga.  Now it is an integral part of my daily life; sometimes asana, sometimes just mantra, and pranayama.  It is not so important which limb of yoga it is, as long as I invest myself in the practice.  As with the waves, some days there is a stronger practice than another. 

Yoga is more than a class; it is a way of life.  It is a reflection of how we can live in harmony off of the mat - being more conscious in our life; our thoughts; our actions; and our reactions.  It is finding it easier to align with the union of harmony.  As we shift our consciousness, we begin to cultivate a change in perception; and to embrace each moment with the opportunity for inner growth and acceptance.

 

 

 

 

 

All classes assist you in finding a union from the inside out, through the combination of rejuvenating the body with conscious moments, mindful connections, and stilling the mind with the breath awareness.  You automatically strengthen your relationship with your spirit.  The more we can slow down and connect to what life has created us to be, and accept what is about us, we can change the aspects that we do not like.  We then begin to live in unity in all we think, say, and do.   This reflects from the inside out from our inner vibrating thoughts in the body; to our inner emotions which are contagious; and then ripple out into the unseen sea of vibrations.  All classes focus on breath; conscious awarness; and assisting you with your own inner power, assisting to silence the mind and find the union within.