The Yogic Path
My journey into yoga began just over two years ago. In search of a remedy for anxiety (caused by life's daily stresses) accompanied with insomnia and non-stop mental chatter, I decided it was time to give it a try. Yoga, meaning “to yoke” is an ancient practice developed by sages of old to create balance between mind, body and spirit. It has been said that practicing asana (yogic postures), is a way of asking questions relating to embodiment, such as how should we conduct ourselves, and what should we do now? Refinement of the postures accompanied with reflection upon them are ways of finding the answers.
I discovered upon embarking on this path, there is so much more involved than simply forming postures. Breath plays a major role in each asana. One of my teachers says that we don't do yoga, yoga does us. Our job is to breath, constantly staying committed to the breath. Every day is different. Some days remembering to breath is the hard part. Other days the rythmic breath flows smoothly, accompanying each asana, enabling graceful movements and deep stretches each with its own purpose.
My mind seems to be a constant agitation for about the first 20-30min of class until it finally stills. Mental chatter is a constant in this life, blocking out the voice of our own inner life force. Penny Kelley said in Kundalini Rising: “The truth is that deep inside each human being is a river of life. That life is an Intelligent Presence within you. It is like a seed that can grow and become something marvelous and beautiful...the secret to developing this Intelligent Presence, which is sometimes referred to as the inner teacher, is to stop everything, become silent, and listen for the 'still, small voice within.' ” We practice asana in order to find a comfortable seat in meditation. Meditation facilitates mindfulness and eventually a quiet mind. With a quiet mind, we begin to feel the flow of this internal river of life and hear the sweet voice within of our inner teacher. To simply become aware of the constant stream of our thoughts is a great feat, and the first step toward finding our peace within.
We find that just as our moods change, so does they way our body may feel from day to day.
Some days certain postures feel like you're freeing up great space and opening, where other days the same posture may seem to be a great challenge requiring commitment to breath in order to stay with the asana in such discomfort. Frank Jude Boccio observed in an article in Shambhala Sun, “ Pain and discomfort often arise during asana practice. Much of our discomfort is really just a reaction to novelty, and much of our pain is the pain of change....The most pain avoidance people have the least joy in their lives. In trying to armor ourselves against pain, we numb ourselves to all experiences. In opening ourselves to felt experiences, we allow ourselves to live life fully, not caught in habitual patterns of reactivity.”
By committing to our breath regardless of sensations that may arise, (injurious or excessive pain should not be ignored but most likely this is not what we're experiencing) we learn not to run from discomforts that arise in daily life. It is possible just to be with what is, not reacting to every wave of life that comes and goes. We learn to breathe through the experience, whether it may be on the mat or off. Boccio goes on to say that, there is a difference between pain and suffering. Suffering is the mental anguish we add to our experiences because of our aversion. “We practice with the discomfort and pain that arise in asana practice so that we can remain free from suffering throughout our life.”
Yoga has taught me so many things in the past couple of years. I've learned not to be so emotionally reactive to the daily ups and down of this roller coaster ride of life. Things change moment to moment on this great adventure, this does not mean though, that we must attach judgment to everything. We can learn to be the observer. Practicing mindfulness allows us to watch the comings and goings of our mind as if watching a film reel. When my mind is full of mental chatter, I've learned to recognize it, and come back to my breath. One of the most important things yoga has taught me is how to breathe. Learning this skill has brought enormous benefits to my life. Often in stressful times I've noticed that I hold my breath or breathe very shallowly. In yoga the exhale is lengthened and drawn into focus encouraging calm. We must remember that outward happenings never change the inward tranquility of our spirit.
My journey of walking the yogic path has facilitated so many life applicable lessons. As so beautifully put by author Elizabeth Lesser, “The most useful spiritual techniques are those that have taught me how to relax into the mystery. Once there, the path home lights up from within.”
Vanessa is a year round island resident whose native roots extend back to her great-grandparents. She credits her husband and two children as being her greatest teachers. Vanessa spends her free time with her family and studying yoga. She was recently accepted into Kripalu's yoga teacher training and will be attending this spring. You can reach Vanessa at; VsKent2@msn.com
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