Patanjali's Breath

Pranayama, Chi, Breath

2011-04-03T23:02:00.002-06:00

Pranayama, Chi, breath, all names for the life giving force. I often remind my students that life begins with a breath and ends with a breath. Think about that the next time you effortlessly take a breath. We don't think about the breath because it is so natural for most of us.

Yesterday I observed one of our four legged family members take his last breath and his soul leave his body. I was reminded again that our bodies, while of colossal importance, are only temporary "houses" for our souls. When you witness death, it is sad but also peaceful, especially if someone or something has been suffering. We had a wonderful life with our dog, Dizzy, and I don't regret letting him go even though we are grieving his loss.

I hope that the human race will progress to the point that we can allow each other a dignified death when the time comes, rather than when a hospital or doctor determines we are ready.

GO WITH THE FLOW

2011-02-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Before each of my classes, I put a lot of thought and preparation into what I plan to teach, and seldom do I teach what I've planned. It all depends on who shows up. It's a great way to practice pratyahara, non-attachment. It took me several years to learn to go with the flow, in other words, teach to who shows up and what their needs are. Another bonus is that I practice the sequence anyway, so I get a good workout. I selected the literal meaning from the link above. I highly recommend reading the full article to see how pratyhara applies in your life.

Pratyahara means literally "control of ahara," or "gaining mastery over external influences." "Ahara means "food," or "anything we take into ourselves from the outside." Prati is a preposition meaning "against" or "away." — Swami Shivananda

Showing Up!

2011-01-24T08:24:00.002-07:00

Teachers never know how information given to students will be received. So, you can only imagine my delight when I received a call last night from my new student who came to class yesterday, and she was calling to tell me about some of the positive changes she experienced throughout the day yesterday. Her voice even sounded more confident just eight hours later, and I'm off the charts happy for her. I think she is recognizing that RA is a condition and not a life sentence!

As my favorite teacher once told me, "showing up" is the beginning of healing. Since the day we had a talk about showing up, I've discovered how many positive ways it applies in my life.

Reflection

2011-01-23T18:23:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful class today filled with teaching and learning opportunities. I had 18 students and the range of experience was from brand new students, pregnant women, non-Iyengar teachers, and continuing students. One of the new students was recently diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and is in a lot of pain. I remembered when I was first diagnosed with RA: the feeling of pain, fear, isolation, and hopelessness. As I reflect on my own experience, I am filled with compassion for this new student, and for everyone who suffers with chronic pain. It is hard to understand chronic pain unless you've lived with it, and certainly not something I would want anybody to understand because that would mean they live with chronic pain. I have found some good tips on a web site called The New Way RA.

I am full of gratitude for the career path that I have chosen because I know how much it has helped me live a happy, productive life, and I look forward to working with my new student to help her find some ways to manage her pain.

Santosa or Contentment

2011-01-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Our focus in class today was on santosa. As I read the description from Light on Yoga, the sentence that resonated with the class the most was, "There is contentment and tranquility when the flame of the spirit does not waver in the wind of desire." During our practice, we discovered what contentment in class is: asana, presence, breath, etc.

The final pose we did before savasana today was niralamba sarvangasana, unsupported whole body pose. I had each student look at the other students to decide if they needed more or less support for the shoulders. After looking at each others upper bodies, we determined that some needed more support and some less, based on the curvature in the neck. If there was less curve in the neck, more support was required. One student pointed out that it seemed it should be the opposite: if there was a natural healthy curve in the neck, then more support should be used to fill the space so the neck wouldn't flatten. It reminded me how important the explanation for sarvangasana is, and I must make it clear to students that we balance on the shoulders and not the cervical vertebrae. Therefore, students who tend to balance on the cervical vertebrae need more support because they are unable to draw the spine in enough to balance on the shoulders. I continue to learn from my students in every class and am grateful to them for their thoughtful questions.

Free Classes for Food Donations

2010-11-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, November 13, I taught my first of two free classes to collect food for the Food Bank of The Rockies. The class was a success; ten people showed up and we collected four boxes of food. One of the women that came was on her way down to the Channel 9 News food drive to volunteer and she took the food with her to drop off. I will be hosting one more free class this year on Saturday, December 4 to collect non-perishable food for the food banks. Please spread the word and come and bring a friend.

November is a month when I think of the abundance in my own life. I have a home in the foothills of the majestic Rockies, a wonderful husband, plenty of food to eat, a great family including two four legged family members, and two feathered family members, along with many good friends. There are so many people that are not as fortunate, and I think we must all take a moment to reflect on and help those who are less fortunate in any way we can. Food drives, money collections, clothes donations, and most of all, volunteering your time are some of the ways we can "pay it forward". If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then let's all imitate one another and give back to our community in every way we can.

Practicing Pratyahara

2010-11-14T16:40:00.001-07:00

Every since I started teaching yoga I have begun each class with three aums and the Invocation to Patanjali. The invocation is intended to invoke the presence of Patanjali, the Indian deity who codified the writings and teachings of yoga. In classes I take with my teachers, the aums and invocation help me to become centered and to clear my mind so I can be present for yoga, so I assumed that it would have the same effect on all students. I have been teaching since 1999 and have recently decided to stop chanting the invocation and just begin all of my classes with three aums. I stopped the chant because any students find the chant to be in direct conflict with their spiritual practice, and I honor their feelings.

So, I decided one of my lessons for that day was Pratyahara.

Statue of Patanjali

Pratyhara means drawing back or retreat. 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 not fed by them any more.

by William J.D. Doran