Anyway, from my perspective asana practice can have several initial goals and have several layers of long term effect. As we gain these effects and reach these goals,  the motivation for continuing to practice asana may shift. You may begin an asana practice for any number of reasons; to get in shape, ease bio-mechanic discomfort, find deeper self- knowledge, to work through “your stuff,” make new friends, etc.. The list can be as long  and varied as the number of people taking up the practice. Yet as you continue to practice, what motivates you to persist  may shift. At a certain point, some may decide that they have attained their purpose for practicing asana.  They may no longer feel the need to practice this aspect of yoga very extensively. They may choose to put their focus on other types of practice. So if the comment was intended to point out that asana practice is not necessarily an end goal in itself, this can indeed be true. And yet others will continue a very expanded practice for the delight this embodied experience can offer.  They too may have reached their intended goals. They may perhaps now delve into other practices. And they may still choose to  continue an extensive asana practice just for the sheer joy of it!

In a world of seemly random chaos and unpredictability, ancient cultures looked to the heavens to glean a sense or order and rhythm. Astronomy was the great science of antiquity. Distances and patterns of movement could be studied, measured and predicted. Ancient astronomers looked for correlations between the movement of stars and distances between plants with their everyday experience on Earth. Could the order of the cosmos be reflected in other aspects of nature and life?

Below, astronomer Bruce Bohannan offers these perspectives on the subject:

- The origin of 108 must be very ancient as many cultures and religions consider the number 108 to be sacred.  And given that much of primordial sacredness comes from the heavens, 108 likely is derived from motions of objects in the sky.

-  Numbers are a way to make order out of chaos.  If the number cannot be related to something of significance, then one looks to its factors, numbers which when multiplied together equal the number. One factor pair of 108 — 12 and 9 — has fundamental significance in astronomy.

-  Twelve for the phases that the moon goes through in a year, the origin of the twelve signs of the zodiac, where the sun spends one month (one moonth) in each.

-  Nine for nine wanderers through the zodiac (centered on the ecliptic, the path of the sun in the sky).  Two are the sun and moon. Five more are the naked eye planets. The remaining two are the places where the moon’s orbit crosses the ecliptic, locations where eclipses of the sun and moon occur, a big event in anybody’s book and one that one wants to track equally to the sun, moon and planets themselves.

The sacred number 108 is a way of connecting us to the sun, moon and earth.  Its power comes from our making that connection, what one might call making a wholeness of existence.

With the sound bites over, now comes the commentary …

108 as a sacred number likely dates back to the ancient Babylonians (early first millennium BCE) or even earlier with the Ancient Sumerians (4th millennium BCE) as this is were systematic and recorded observations of the sun, moon and planets began. The Vedic peoples likely made no observations themselves and drew upon the work of the Babylonians.  108 spread eastward into India with Hinduism and Buddhism and then into China and Japan.

In my take, 108 is related to the  periods of the sun, moon and planets in the sky.  To attribute 108 to the ratio of the average distance of the sun and moon to their diameters is a coincidence and simplistic seeking of meaning in the 21st century without regard to the deep history of this number.

Distances in the solar system could not be measured at the time of the Babylonians, who  could measure the time intervals of these objects quite accurately, nor would distances be known to the Vedas.  Relative distances in the solar system became possible to measure from the orbital periods of the planets when Kepler published his third law early in the seventeenth century. The first attempt to directly measure the distance to Mars and the distance to the sun (using a transit of Venus) did not come until much later in the 17th century.  And these observations were not of sufficient accuracy to come up with the ratio of 108, which would hold steady with advancing precision of measurement.

Even the most casual observation of the sky reveals order in the  motions of the sun, moon and planets.  One can predict the rising and setting of the sun.  The phases of the moon. The motions of the planets. The seasons.  Eclipses. Etc. That regularity and predictability makes the heavens sacred in a world that seems otherwise unpredictable and full of chaos. Sacred has its origin in other-worldly or unworldly, not of this earth where we dwell.

I once asked — in public and then answered myself — how many years of observation would it take to measure the length of the year and the periods of the moon.  Only a few years.  The periods of the outer planets — Mars, Jupiter and Saturn — would of course take longer, several decades for Saturn.  All well within the lifetime of a single astronomer, from asking the question as a young person with leisure to dying as an old one with wisdom. It is likely that every civilization had this knowledge, as it took only one person with a spark of curiosity and sufficient energy to stay up at night.

In my recent book, The Yoga Practice Guide ll, Sequencing and Pranayama for Energy Balancing, I offer several hasta mudrās, or hand gestures, that you can use to balance the flow of the vāyus or to influence and enhance prāṇic flow in specific chakras.

(Color illustration by Laramie Sasseville)

Mudrā is a Sanskrit word that translates as “seal, ” “attitude, ” or “symbolic gesture.” Mudrās can be used to stimulate specific vāyus of the body and to help circulate prāṇa through the chakras, ultimately affecting your state of mind, attitude, emotional quality and your higher states of consciousness. (see kundalini shakti and pranayama). Mudrās are primarily used during prāṇāyāma and meditation practice.

When used during prāṇāyāma and meditation, mudrās help to stimulate the network of nāḍis to enhance and redirect prāṇic flow through this system. The various finger positions and configurations create a circuit by connecting the terminus of certain nāḍis in the hands thus re-circulating the body’s vital energy. Because the seven major chakras are the main centers for the entire system of nāḍis, the mudrās presented in this book are those that correspond with those chakras. The five vāyus move directly to and from the chakra system, so we’ll also be talking about mudrās that influence the prāṇic movement of the vāyus.

I

The Five Elements and the Doshas
Below briefly describes how the five elements manifest in us on a more physiological level.

Vata dosha is the way the elements of air and ether express themselves in us as human beings. Vata is in charge of all forms of movement in the body: from molecular activity to nerve impulses to forming our thoughts and emotions.

Pitta dosha is in charge of all transformation in the body. The elements of fire and water are expressed by our digestion and metabolism and by the taking in of sensory information through the eyes and by the “light” of our intelligence.

Kapha dosha is connected to the elements of water and earth. Kapha is how these elements are at play in maintaining, stabilizing and lubricating the various tissues and systems of the physical body. It is how they are expressed by our capacity for compassion, understanding, forgiveness and knowledge.

This brief summary of the three doshas gives you an idea of their activity within us. It is a way of grouping certain observed functions and qualities and how they operate within our bodies. An Ayurvedic doctor would observe more refined sub groupings or combinations of the three doshas to describe the infinite subtleties of our being. For our purposes, we will focus on just the three individual doshas.

What the doshas mean for our practice

The three doshas are at play within us on a physiological level as described above.The same mix of the doshas influences the expression of our personalities, emotional states and behaviour. So, a dosha is not some diagnosis or condition needing to be cured. The three doshas are a model based on millennia of observing how the forces in nature are seen to operate within us as human beings, and how these natural forces and processes can help define and explain our human complexities.

Understanding the differences between the three doshas and identifying which doshas are most dominant in your constitution will help you approach your yoga practice appropriately and with deeper insight as to what might work best to help you maintain balance.

Vata Dosha
As we said above, this dosha correlates with the qualities of the air and ether elements. A person with vata as their more dominant dosha is typically intelligent with a quick mind, sensitive, creative, and enthusiastic, yet is disposed to nervous energy and has tendency to get distracted or sidetracked.

Vata dominant people are usually tall and slender, with less muscle mass, strength, and endurance. Their digestion is prone to fluctuation, and their immune system often needs bolstering. They need to protect more against hot and cold temperatures than do other doshic types.

A beneficial yoga practice for vata is one that is slow and strong with long holds in each pose. Standing poses are good for vata types because of their grounding quality. Strong standing balance poses and arm balances help vata people stay focused. Sitting poses or standing poses that bow forward are all very balancing for this dosha.

Vata types should aim to maintain a steady, deep and fluid breath. Slow, steady pranayama like ujjayi, incorporating some kumbhka (see pranayama) helps to settle vata types. Meditation using a mantra repeated silently or focusing the gaze on some object such as a flower can help in giving the vata mind focus.

Pitta Dosha
This dosha correlates to the elements of fire and water. People with pitta as their dominant dosha are very perceptive and intelligent and possess great knowledge in areas that interest them. They are naturally assertive and outgoing and often ambitious. Pitta people tend to have medium build body types with strong tissues and average strength. Pittas have good circulation and a strong digestion and don’t put on weight easily. But their high metabolisms and potentially fiery tempers can sometimes leave them feeling burned out.

A good practice for a pitta person is a vinyasa practice done at a slower, more relaxed pace than their natural inclination might encourage. A good variety of postures will keep the active mind of pitta engaged. Staying in forward folds and twists for longer periods will help balance pitta energy. In general, sirsasana (headstand) is considered a heating pose and one that stimulates inner fire. Yet sirsasana is a very beneficial pose for pitta as long as you don’t over-effort. Keep your jaw and eye relaxed, your breath smooth and easy, and only stay 2-3 minutes. This approach will help you keep your mind tranquil during headstand and avoid creating too much inner heat. Sarvangasana (shoulderstand) and halasana (plow pose) variations can be cooling poses and should always follow sirsasana.

In all poses, breath work should be kept smooth and deep and not too forceful. Ujjayii pranayama incorporating veloma (see pranayama) will help keep pittas mentally engaged and can help reduce heat in the system and the mind. Chandra Bhedana is also a very cooling pranayama for pittas.

Kapha Dosha
This doshic type corresponds to the elements of earth and water. Kapha dominant types tend to be friendly, quiet, and steady. They can work hard but may need more stimulation and encouragement to do so as this dosha tends more toward stillness. Kapha people have thicker, heavier frames with strong musculature. While they generally have robust health and strong immune systems, their metabolism and digestion are slower, so they may carry a little extra weight.

A balancing practice for kapha is a vinyasa practice that begins slowly in a grounded way then works up in speed and challenge. Movement is key. Better for kapha to repeat a pose rather than stay in a posture for a long time. Headstands and handstands bring heat to the practice, which is good for kapha types. Forward folds are best held briefly. Staying for longer periods slows the practice and can reinforce kapha tendancies

Steady, strong breathing throughout the practice will keep kapha people from getting bogged down or lethargic. Adding a “fire building” pranayama such as kapalabhati at the beginning of practice will help to heat up a kapha dosha. Finishing with surya bhedana pranayama, another energizing breathing practice (see pranayama) can help kaphas finish their practice on an uplifting, bright note.

Note: The three doshic types described above are almost like three building blocks that can be combined in a variety of ways and to in varying amounts. In other words, as complex beings, we can’t all fit into just three distinct types. Each of us may have a particular dosha that is predominant, yet we all are some mix or some degree of all three.

“Bruce! I have really enjoyed being back in your classes this past week. I am hoping you could give me some pearls of wisdom with regards to work…

I have started a new job and I feel really off balance. Some days I work 14 hours in front of a computer. I thought it would be different. How do you know if something is right for you or when you are investing too much time at work at not enough on yourself and home life. I feel very overworked. I’m afraid if I mention this that I will be looked down on for not wanting to “move up”. I totally work hard but have no desire for work to be my main focus. Just reaching out for any advice.”

That is always a hard question for any of us. I had a “great career” in advertising that I left after about 10 years. It just never felt right. It was also really demanding of my energy and my time and was relentless that way. I felt like it was destroying me! Obviously I am not there now.

It may be different for you. You may be doing what you love but the job in which you are doing it isn’t the right fit. If it is a short-term step that will lead to bigger things, it may be worth the effort. If this job isn’t leading anywhere and it feels like it is only tearing you down, then look for something where they don’t demand so much and suck you dry. Unfortunately it is our work culture in this country. More demands for not much in return. A bad economy is just an excuse.

We only have this one life to live and our own happiness and peace of mind is OUR responsibility. If your employers don’t want to hear that you are overworked, if they don’t value your contribution and don’t value you showing up with enthusiasm for what you do, then start looking elsewhere.

But first, remember, in any job, you will only receive what you ask for.

More and more, the simple advice I offering in class seems pretty right for the other aspects of life: “If something in the pose hurts or just doesn’t feel right, your body is asking you to pay attention. Pause, back off, reassess, then make an adjustment to create more stability, ease and freedom in what you are doing.”

This is something I remind myself of often.

Art by Leah Tomaino

This idea of “going to the next level” gets mentioned a lot in yoga. The inference is that if you study with this teacher or attend that workshop you will, almost by transference, amp up your asana practice to some mystical height. You will be given something you did not have before and very likely would not attain on your own.

This appeals to our tendency to want to accumulate things and to find the people who might get us what we want. It also appeals to our competitiveness.

I too spent several years “accumulating” asana and wanting to “get the pose.” This was especially true when most of the other people I was studying with were already very accomplished asana practitioners, endowed with tremendous athletic gifts. They were the benchmark. I worked hard to step up to that mark. I worked hard to win my teacher’s approval and the recognition of my peers. I would go to workshops or retreats, absorb all I could then go home and practice everything for the next few months until the next time I attended some event.

While I made quick progress in the asana practice, my understanding of myself at a deeper level was not keeping pace. I also got injured trying to push to get something I didn’t quite understand. This isn’t to say that I didn’t have a great time in the process. It’s fun to discover that you can do things with your body you never imagined you could. I also met many amazing people and made many wonderful friends.

But at a certain point I began to ask myself what “the next level” really was: What did that mean to me?

What I discovered is that you might be able to get your foot to your head or do 108 sun salutations – you could achieve all this and much more – and still have no idea how your behavior is causing havoc in your life. You may practice asana all day long yet continue to engage in habitual, unconscious behavior that causes both yourself and others pain.

In hatha yoga, with its apparent physical emphasis, it’s easy to get very wrapped up in the body. While this aspect of the practice is important and works at a certain layer, yoga recognizes various layers of human experience. These layers or “sheaths” are termed the five koshas[1].

 Asana practice is on the level of the first two koshas: the annamaya kosha or “food body”, the body of flesh and blood, and the pranamaya kosha, the “energy” or pranic body.

To reach the deeper levels of the mind and spirit, our practice needs to be less about asana at a certain point and more about self-observation, self-awareness and reflection. It takes courage to look at our habits, the quality of our thinking and perceptions and be clear and honest about what we see. To reach our deepest layers, it takes a desire to seek the sacred in all we do. This sort of work is not so much about rising up some scale of achievement as it is about going inside, toward ourselves.

From this perspective, “the next level” may be more about going in than up.

It may be more about waking up to how we perceive ourselves, what we perceive as our shortcomings and talents, our limitations and strengths, the roles we play and the stories and dramas we perpetuate. Being willing to let things fall away rather than attaching more to us. It’s about softening and being relentlessly curious about the confusing mystery of being human.

My friend James Macadam speaks to this in his recent article, “Confessions of a Type-A Yogi.”

http://jamesmacadam.com/2011/02/28/confessions-of-a-type-a-yogi/

[1] The five koshas or “sheaths” are:

Annamaya kosha – the physical layer

Pranamaya kosha – the pranic layer

Manomaya kosha – the layer of the perceiving mind or “outer mind”

Vijnanamaya kosha- the layer of intelligence or “discerning mind”

Anandamaya kosha – the ‘bliss” layer, or layer of our deepest wishes, intentions and aspirations and joy.

http://jamesmacadam.com/2011/02/28/confessions-of-a-type-a-yogi/

Thank you James!

Everything in nature is subject to these complements or polarities. A tree must grow its stabilizing roots deep into dark soil so that it’s branches may reach out for life’s nourishment and play in the light. Within each of us, not only do our biological functions, such as the breath, reflect this same primordial rhythm, but our minds, emotions and relationship with the world around us are subject to this dance. The nature of nature is polarity, from the magnetism that flows between the North and South poles of the earth, to the attraction between the masculine core and feminine radiance and beauty.

On a personal level, this dance is a skillful reconciliation between what we view as our strengths and our weaknesses, our fears and our deepest loving, what is expected of us and what may be our deepest truth. It’s a balance of our desire to be safe and comfortable and the compelling need for personal growth. If we push beyond our edge in constant challenge, we’ll be unable to metabolize our experience. Neither can we happily stagnate in a zone of security and comfort. To do this we must learn to relax into fearlessness. We must lean into our edge with sensitivity and compassion. Fear shuts us down while love coaxes us to open our heart. We must learn to be free and loving in the chaos of change and growth, not quitting when we seem to fail, but rather we must learn from our failures and return to love. We must do so by standing our ground and loving so strongly that only love prevails.

One aspect of us (*Siva) has as its ultimate reason for doing anything the discovery of our deepest truth and total freedom. The other aspect in all of us (*Shakti) is a deep desire to relate to the world fully and experience boundless love and creativity.  Ultimate true love and true freedom are the same, yet the paths to this unity are very different. Nature, in its essence is unstoppable change and growth. Because of this every moment of our lives is either a test or a celebration. When we can engage in the dance and deeply commune in love we may then, with no boundaries, and fully open, offer our greatest gifts as they are revealed.

This is yoga. This is the dance of Siva and Shakti.

*Siva- the Divine masculine essence: imperturbable, totally loving, fully present, and all pervading.

*Shakti – the Divine feminine essence: The power of creation and growth, action, nurturance and the flow of love in relationship, the force of life.

Live Juicy…!

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human. It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!” It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

By Oriah Mountain Dreamer copyright © 1999 by Oriah Mountain Dreamer.

Photo of Jade by Flagstaff Rob

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, is a classic text devoted entirely to the methods and practice of yoga. Within this ancient text there is actually little mention of the

sthira means either firm, steady, fixed, steadfast or unchanging

 sukham translates as either easeful, happiness, delight or joy

 asanam is the plural form of asana, meaning posture, pose or seat

 Since the Sutras generally frame yoga practice as primarily concerning meditation, it would be easy to interpret this sutra as advice on taking a steady and comfortable position in which to mediate. This may indeed be the first level of intention and is very practical advice. It is equally sound advice for creating balanced action in any yoga posture. Yet, since the entirety of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras offer such profound teachings it’s worth taking a second look at what appears to be a simple and basic instruction. We’ll find that encapsulated in this sutra is the very essence of yoga practice.

Most Sanskrit sutras on any topic are short, cryptic phrases with many layers of meaning. Patanjali’s entire text speaks of various elements of practice that are meant to guide us through toward the highest intention of yoga: the discovery of the indestructible, infinite Divine essence within us. From this perspective of higher self-realization, the 46th Sutra of chapter two would be interpreted very differently:

“Abide and delight in the steady, everlasting Self that is seated within the heart of all beings.”

Just as with the Sutras, our yoga asana practice can have many layers of intention. What brings most of us to the practice is a desire to feel better in some way. Perhaps we wish to get physically fit, lessen our experience of stress, heal an injury, sleep better, or make new friends. Most of the time those objectives are quickly fulfilled. If we continue with the practice, deeper and less obvious shifts begin to take place. We become more sensitive to how we feel and think. We may get thrown off center by life’s challenges less, or when we do, we find our way back more quickly. Old habits that have been somehow undermining our health and peace of mind become less attractive.  We may begin to make choices not merely based on our initial desires but based on what is best for our own highest good as well as the highest good of those around us. We may begin to see more of the things that connect us to others rather than what makes us different. We may find we take delight in the triumphs and successes of others rather than revert to feelings of competition. We may discover that our personal power comes less from what we have, who we know or the strength of our limbs, but comes more from the depth of our love, the compassion in our heart and a willingness to help. We may begin to experience ourselves in a new light – a keener knowing of who we truly are and an understanding of our greatest gifts. As we become more established in our practice, we begin to sit more fully, more comfortably, within the core of our being. As the roots of our heart connection grow deeper, our happiness will come from offering those gifts to the world.

 This quote from the modern, late sage Ramana sums up things beautifully:

 “’Heart’ is merely another name for the Supreme Spirit which is in all hearts. The entire universe is condensed in the body, and the entire body in the heart. Thus the heart is the nucleus of the whole universe.”