WATCH NOW: Recording of Led Primary class, plus Conference

WATCH NOW: Recording of Led Intermediate class

Sharathji is undoubtably the foremost teacher of Ashtanga Yoga in the world today. If you’re unable to travel to India to study with him directly, these recorded classes are the next best opportunity to experience his teachings and the powerful benefits of the Ashtanga yoga practice under his guidance. You’ll get a chance to experience the atmosphere of his yoga shala in Mysore with the presence of many of his most dedicated students.

The Led Primary Class is followed by a conference in which this master of Ashtanga yoga answers questions from students from around the world. And the Led Intermediate recording offers a rare glimpse at one of Ashtanga yoga’s most challenging sessions.

WATCH NOW: Recording of Led Primary class, plus Conference
WATCH NOW: Recording of Led Intermediate class

If you plan to practice along with the recordings:

• For Led Primary, students should ideally be familiar with the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series.
• For Led Intermediate, students should have been regularly practicing the Ashtanga Yoga Led Intermediate Series and be competent at least up until Dwipada Shirshasana.

“Everyone should practice yoga for their own well-being,” Sharathji says. “Once that happens, the whole planet becomes a spiritual place. The whole planet will become totally different. Everyone will realize their own responsibility in their life toward this planet, toward humanity. Yoga will give you that kind of knowledge.”

The post On-Demand: Watch Paramaguru Sharath Jois’s Recent Led Classes appeared first on Sonima.

Click here to sign up and reserve your spot. Class size is limited, so sign-ups are on a first-come basis.

This is a traditional counted Ashtanga Yoga Led Primary Series class. Ideally, students should be familiar with the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series.

Hillam started practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 1994, and from 2001 travelled regularly to Mysore, India, to practice and study under Sri K. Pattabhi Jois and Sharath Jois. He continues to visit Sharath in Mysore whenever he is able. He has been the director of Jois Yoga since 2010. Hillam is also a long-term student of Sanskrit, yoga, and Vedic philosophy as well as Vedic chanting.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, the idea that I could teach yoga online seemed at best a short-term replacement for Iive classes,” Hillam says. “However, many students were able to practice more regularly, and those who did progressed nicely. Some were able to add the pranayama and meditation that they were unable to incorporate previously due to time constraints. I was also surprised how much I could perceive through the screen as the teacher. The lack of hands-on adjustments by me was replaced by more consistent and diligent effort by my devoted students, resulting in slow and steady progress.”

Sign up now for the next Led Primary Series class, which starts at 6:30 a.m. PT / 9:30 ET.

The post Online Ashtanga Yoga Led Primary Series With Andrew Hillam appeared first on Sonima.

Class will be live-streamed via Zoom at the following times:

• USA: Friday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
• India: Saturday, February 12 at 6:00 a.m. IST
• China: Saturday, February 12 at 8:30 a.m. CST
• Japan/Korea: Saturday, February 12 at 9:30 a.m. JST/KST
• Australia: Saturday, February 12 at 11:30 a.m. AEDT

Class size is limited, so sign-ups are on a first-come basis. Click here to sign up and reserve your spot, and follow @livesonima, @sharathjoisr, and @jois.yoga for updates.

This is a traditional counted Ashtanga Yoga Led Primary Series class. Ideally, students should be familiar with the Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series. Class will run for approximately 1 1/2 hours and will be followed by a one-hour conference, including question and answers with Sharathji about the Ashtanga Yoga practice and its philosophy.

“Everyone should practice yoga for their own well-being,” Sharathji says. “Once that happens, the whole planet becomes a spiritual place. The whole planet will become totally different. Everyone will realize their own responsibility in their life toward this planet, toward humanity, so that’s what we have to think about. Yoga will give you that kind of knowledge.”

Sign up now for the Led Primary Class and Conference with Paramaguru Sharath Jois.

The post Paramaguru Sharath Jois Livestream of Led Primary Class and Conference appeared first on Sonima.

Don’t let the harried nature of the holidays rob you of this vital time for yourself. Here are seven things you can do to ensure you maintain your practice and find some much-needed centering during the hustle and merriment of the season. Most important, do your best to relax and enjoy these special moments and to make memories with your friends and family. The yoga practice is a technique to help us feel more deeply interconnected with everything around us. This time of year can be viewed as a particularly interesting test for our ability to take our practice off the sticky mat or meditation cushion and share its benefits and positive effects with those around us.

1. Make an appointment with yourself

It is so important to set aside a special time for your yoga practice and guard this time as you would any appointment. If you know that you have a particularly busy day ahead, get up 1 hour before the rest of your family to honor your commitment to yourself. If you practice first thing in the morning, it can be helpful to clear the space where you will practice and set out your yoga mat the night before so that, as soon as you wake up, you can begin. On the other hand, if it’s better for you to get your sleep, make an agreement with your family—especially your partner or kids—that this private time is inviolable. Have them help you guard your practice time.

Related: A Brilliant Way to Organize Your Calendar for Less Stress

2. Start and finish your practice with quiet contemplation

The holidays can be a strangely stressful time when you might notice more anxiety, worry, fear, or anger coming up. To help counter this activation of your sympathetic nervous system, it is very helpful to take a few minutes to sit quietly and center yourself before or after your practice. Begin by observing your breath. Then consciously start to lengthen your exhalation. By doing so, you directly stimulate a natural parasympathetic response, which will help increase your feelings of calmness, connection, and compassion. It can be especially nice to include a gratitude or loving kindness meditation to increase this intentional cultivation of thankfulness and good wishes for yourself and others. Or you may wish to set an intention for yourself, your family, or the day ahead. You can do this by chanting a particular mantra, saying a quiet prayer, or reciting Om several times.

3. Set realistic goals and plan ahead

It is helpful to keep a realistic perspective about how much time you have for your practice each day. If you have only 20 minutes, plan a routine that will fit into that time frame. Assess what is most important for you to do in order to make it feel like you are able to maximize this time you have to connect more deeply to yourself. When you have less time, it is important to plan ahead and know which postures you intend to practice. Be sure to move your spine in all of the cardinal directions: forward bending, backward bending, twisting to each side, lateral movement to each side, extension, and compression. Take a few minutes to include conscious breathing or pranayama, relaxation, or a short meditation. Above all, remember that even if it is highly modified, keeping the continuity in your practice will help you to feel mentally and emotionally balanced.

4. Feel the flow

Don’t worry about making the perfect position with your body or doing a “correct” sequence within your practice. Instead, focus on your breath and the subtle sensations in your body. Immerse yourself in the flow of body, breath, and movement together. Let go of any preconceived ideas about what a “good” practice should be, and allow the yoga practice to become whatever it needs to be for you in that moment. Enjoy this experience for what it is and approach it with a sense of playfulness and curiosity. Celebrate the fact that you made time to connect with a deeper aspect of yourself at all during this busy and stressful time of year. Maybe even try something different or new.

Related: How Important is Perfect Form in Fitness?

5. Hydrate and eat well

The holidays tend to be full of rich, sweet, and indulgent foods. Every cell and tissue in your body needs water to work properly, so be sure to remember to hydrate well during these demanding and decadent days and nights. Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired and drain your energy. The body also needs water to rid itself of toxins and waste and to keep your joints lubricated. Also try to avoid drinking too much alcohol, eating big meals late at night, and snacking after your last meal. When you eat late at night, it becomes more difficult to wake up early feeling refreshed. If you know you will be out late with family or friends, plan ahead and move the next day’s yoga practice to a later start time, if possible.

6. Travel with your yoga mat

If you are visiting family or traveling during the holidays, bring your yoga mat. It can be fun to check out a local yoga class or visit a new studio. If you have the space to practice on your own, taking an online yoga class can help keep you focused and motivated. There are several classes with yoga Master R. Sharath Jois on Sonima ranging from a short 10-minute class to a 60-minute class. You can also find free classes on YouTube. Making an effort to connect with other practitioners or a yoga community will help support your practice. Plus, this can be another way to stay committed to setting aside dedicated time for yourself and your practice.

7. Take 5 minutes to breathe

Even 5 minutes of controlled, coherent breathing will go a long way to helping you feel calm, connected, and peaceful during busy or stressful periods. To practice a coherent breathing technique, sit comfortably or lie down. Then lengthen your inhalation to a count of 4 to 6 seconds and extend your exhalation to a count of 6 to 8 seconds. This kind of conscious, controlled breathing can help reduce symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, depression, and other types of agitation caused by excess stress building up in the nervous system. Couple this with some restorative postures like legs up the wall, or lie over a bolster or pillow in reclined bound angle pose. Making this short time to rest and restore while consciously focusing on your breath can drastically change your mental and emotional space for the better.

The post How to Maintain Your Yoga Practice During the Holidays appeared first on Sonima.

After reviewing 49 trials, University of Connecticut researchers recently concluded that practicing yoga may help reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension. In particular, yoga practices that include breathing and relaxation exercises three times a week may reduce blood pressure as much as aerobic exercise does.

While more research is necessary, other studies point to the heart health benefits of yoga. For example, in a 2018 study, researchers assigned 60 adults to practice either yoga, deep breathing, stretching, or relaxation exercises five days a week. After three months, every group except the relaxation group experienced a drop in systolic blood pressure. However, the yoga group saw the greatest decrease.

How yoga causes this positive effect is multifaceted. For one, yoga practices are shown to help reduce stress, a factor linked to blood pressure concerns. “Yoga reduces mental tension by calming the thoughts and focusing the mind on the breath while also observing present-moment sensation within the body,” says Ashtanga yoga teacher Harmony Slater.

Additionally, yoga may improve heart rate variability, which is the variation in time between heartbeats. Reduced heart rate variability is another risk factor for hypertension. Furthermore, yoga increases flexibility not only in the muscles but also in the arteries, and it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system through the vagus nerve. In turn, this lowers heart rate and blood pressure, Slater explains.

And then there’s the benefits of pranayama. Studies suggest that this “yogic breathing” may be an effective tool for hypertension.

“We are not telling people to use yoga to substitute for aerobic exercise,” researcher Yin Wu of the University of Connecticut said in a press release. “Aerobic exercise is the gold standard for antihypertensive lifestyle therapy. But yoga provides an additional option that can be just as effective.”

So, as long as your doctor gives you the green light, it may be worth starting a yoga practice. And if you’re a seasoned yogi, now you have yet another reason to continue stepping onto your mat on a regular basis.

Related: The Health Benefits of a Heart in Balance

Yoga Poses for High Blood Pressure

If you have hypertension or want to try to prevent it, Slater suggests the following sequence. Aim to hold each posture for 15 to 20 breaths. If you wish, you can repeat any of the postures as many times as you like.

This entire practice (including the resting posture at the end) takes about 15 to 20 minutes, and you can practice on your own at home. Keep in mind that diet, overall activity, and other lifestyle factors play a role in hypertension, so if you have any heart health concerns, talk to your doctor.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

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Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

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Child’s Pose (Balasana)

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Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

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Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

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Wide Angle Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana)

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Supported Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)

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Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)

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Easy Seated Posture (Sukhasana)

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Come to a comfortable cross-legged seat with your shins crossed right in the center. Then practice a simple breathing technique sometimes referred to as “yogic breathing”: Following a ratio of 2:1 (exhale: inhale), make your exhalation twice the length of your inhalation. Sit here for as long as you wish.

The post Yoga for High Blood Pressure appeared first on Sonima.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Yoga Yajñavalkya list 10 niyamas, which are also mentioned by Krishnamacharya in his Yoga Makaranda. Below are brief descriptions of these 10 niyamas.

1. Tapas is the effort that is required to bring about our personal transformation in yoga practice. It is also the effort required in adhering to one’s dharma. Dharma here refers to the duties that we need to do in relation to our position within our families, communities, and society. Traditionally, these included spiritual duties that were performed for the good of all. The word tapas can also be translated as heat, penance, or austerity, and implies that we apply continuous and focused effort in the direction of yoga. Without this focus, we are unlikely to progress.

2. Saṃtoṣa can be translated as cultivating a feeling of contentment in all aspects of life, regardless of the situation in which we find ourselves. Cultivating saṃtoṣa allows us to overcome many of the negative emotions that may otherwise impede our progress. This requires the effort of tapas, and will reach its fullest expression by following all 10 niyamas.

3. Āstikya. Krishnamacharya defines āstikya as deep faith and firm conviction in the Paramātman (supreme soul). It is very much like Īśvarapraṇidhāna (intense devotion to Īsvara) mentioned in Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras. Patañjali does not define Īśvara as a particular deity such as Śiva or Viśṇu, as these are all expressions of the same higher reality. Instead, he describes Īśvara as the source of all knowledge, without any reservoir of previous karma, untouched by any afflictions—the “guru for all gurus”.

For those who do not follow any particular spiritual path, āstikya is the cultivation of faith and devotion to a higher power with these characteristics. The existence of Īśvara is central to the philosophy of yoga outlined by Patañjali in his Yoga Sutras. And Krishnamacharya says in Yogavalli, his commentary on the first chapter of the Yoga Sutras, that Īśvarapraṇidhāna, or devotion, to Īśvara is essential to making progress in yoga.

Related: Finding Community Outside of Religion

4. Dānam is generosity or charity. It is the distribution to others of that which is gained through honest means, without any expectation of return (including the expectation of recognition). This is considered a very important upāya (method) for atoning for past karma and for the removal of impediments to spiritual progress.

5. Īśvarapūjanam is the worship or veneration of Īśvara. While āstikya means cultivation of faith in the existence of a higher power, Īśvarapūjanam refers to the act of worship. On a basic level, this can mean the performance of devotional rituals. At a higher level, when we recognize that there is a higher power behind everything, we can bring devotion to all aspects of life. Performing dānam (charity) with the attitude that we are serving the divine within those who receive our charity helps prevent the onset of pride and brings even greater transformational power to those actions, which now contain the essence of worship.

6. Siddhānta-vākya-śravaṇam means listening to the established doctrine on philosophical and spiritual texts, in this case related to the yoga system. For instance, studying texts such as Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras and listening to discourses on the sutras is considered an important aspect of yoga practice. These texts should be studied with a knowledgeable teacher who has gained experiential knowledge of yoga philosophy through his or her practice. This helps us to gain perspective in our yoga practice so that we can pursue it in a meaningful way.

Krishnamacharya also mentions that siddhānta-vākya-śravaṇam “is practiced to know the secret of Dharma and often remind[s] ourselves of the good advice given by great people.” The Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, and Bhagavata Purana are texts filled with stories that are both enlightening and inspirational for deepening our understanding of spiritual matters related to yoga.

7. Hṛī. The Monier Williams Sanskrit Dictionary defines hrī as “shame, modesty, shyness, or timidity.” In yoga, hrī can be best defined as humility. Without hrī, the ego increases and the attitude that “I know” becomes dominant, leading us to be less receptive to new ways of understanding. On the other hand, an attitude of humility results in an openness that is conducive to learning. The yogic mind has to become fresh like a child’s mind, able to see things clearly and in new ways that may challenge our previously held beliefs. In yoga and in all spiritual disciplines, this is extremely important for the purpose of spiritual growth.

Related: The Importance of Humility in Athletics

8. Matī means a discerning intellect. We should develop the capacity for spiritual discernment (viveka), which is the ability to differentiate between our spirit or soul (ātman) and the phenomenal world (prakṛti). Matī is also the ability to judge situations clearly and insightfully. The practice of the first four limbs of Aṣṭāṅga yoga (yama, niyama, āsana, and prāṇāyāma) brings about the conditions under which matī can begin to develop. It also follows that matī builds on the previous niyamas. In particular, matī becomes far more powerful when coupled with hrī.

9. Japa means continuous repetition of mantras. The best-known mantra is the sacred syllable Oṃ. Patañjali states that Oṃ is the word which is an expression for Īśvara. He says that we should perform japa with meditation on its meaning in order to reveal the “pure consciousness” within, as well as for the removal of all obstacles to yoga. It is said that mantra should only be taught directly to a student by a teacher who has mastered and understood the mantra, otherwise there will be no effect. Mantra japa is extremely powerful and should be approached with great respect and humility.

10. Hutam or homa means the performance of special ritual actions outlined in the Vedas. These are relevant for those who follow Vedic traditions, but for those outside of these traditions, hutam can also refer to internal sacrifice. The idea of internal sacrifice is presented in the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā where Krishna states:

“Yajñārthātkarmaṇo’nyatra loko’yaṃ karmabandhanaḥ. tadarthaṃ karma kaunteya muktasaṅgaḥ samācara.” (“This world is bound by action, except those actions which are sacrificed to the Supreme. Oh Arjuna, perform all actions perfectly, free from attachment, for the purpose of sacrifice alone.”)

And in chapter five, Krishna says:

“Yuktaḥ karmaphalaṃ tyaktvā śāntimāpnoti naiśtikīm, ayuktaḥ kāmakāreṇa phale sakto nibadhyate.” (“The karma-yogin attains peace of mind when he abandons the fruit of his actions, while one who does not know yoga, clinging to the results of action, becomes forever bound.”)

Taken together, these two ślokas tell us to surrender our ego and perform all our actions for the good of the world. We should maintain an attitude that everything we do is done for a higher purpose and as an offering to the Supreme. We should attempt to do our very best but without any expectation of recognition or return from our actions. This kind of wisdom put into action requires a highly discriminating intellect (matī) coupled with great humility (hrī). When done perfectly, hutaṃ contains the elements of all the preceding niyamas.

The post 10 Niyamas: Personal Observances to Deepen Your Yoga Practice appeared first on Sonima.

Like many, I entered the realm of yoga through the gateway of asana practice. What a fantastical entry point! I became mesmerized by the linking of movement with breath, thrilled by the challenges of unfamiliar body positions, obsessed with attaining postures like souvenirs, and coaxed by the calming effects of physical exertion. By the time the “honeymoon” faded, there was no turning back. Instead, the true instruction of yoga began. Practice became the tool with which to explore the depths and shadows of the places I did not want to go.

I ended up writing a children’s book in disguise about this very thing. You see, Young Yogi and the Mind Monsters is actually written for people like me, people who learn best when things are simplified and fun. The book transforms Samadhi Pada—the first chapter of Patanjali’s classic Yoga Sutras—into a whimsical, illustrated story told through the eyes of a little boy called Young Yogi. Patanjali is his friend, and together they have lots to say about the rest of that yoga iceberg. Young Yogi meets all kinds of crazy characters who challenge and enlighten him on his journey of understanding what yoga is really about.

For example, one of the first and most valuable things Patanjali says about suffering is that yoga is the ceasing of the “crazies,” or the turnings of the mind. Once the crazies stop, you can dwell in the truth of your nature. Otherwise, you mistakenly identify with the crazies and their patterns, and you suffer. Young Yogi learns that these “Mind Monsters” are simply self-generated and that his belief in them only enhances their power. Likewise, when he does not believe in them, they cease to exist as a source of suffering.

As the story progresses, Young Yogi continually learns that nothing is as it seems. Bullies become friends, trees become teachers, and his mind becomes a source of liberation.

Ironically, in writing this book, I had to overcome my own Mind Monsters. The same fears, insecurities, and frustrations that plague Young Yogi have plagued me, and, incidentally, they’re many of the same feelings I wanted to avoid on a yoga mat and in life in general. The feeling of not being good enough has been a loud Monster in my life. But being vulnerable, insecure, creatively frozen, and rejected by publishers could not be avoided during this project. Now I see how all these experiences led to growth, self-acceptance, and the availability to face life’s challenges. Young Yogi taught me to love myself anyway, to write anyway, and, most important, to lighten up!

Related: A Meditation for Self-Love and Acceptance from Deepak Chopra

Another big lesson Patanjali shares about practice is to show up and detach or “let it go.” This can obviously be applied to asana practice, but it’s really a principle of life: Show up for each moment and let go for the next. Young Yogi learns this through his righteous surfing guru, Anders, who tells him, “Just, like, practice the right way. A lot. And for, like, a really long time, and without too many breaks. You gotta be total, dude!” Young Yogi learns to show up even when he fails, even when he is fearful and angry or when resistance is strong.

In writing Young Yogi, there were periods of time when I gave up—versions written only to be thrown into the trash, collaborations that failed, and a seemingly endless array of more obstacles to face once the book was actually written. It’s been years in the making. Still, I took the lessons to heart, and I showed up, did my best, and let it go.

Young Yogi finally overcomes the Mind Monsters and learns to live in a state of presence—and with peace of mind and tranquility with what arises—by learning ways to focus his mind or “tame the monsters”. For example, one can chant OM, or focus on the breath, an arising sensation, an inner light, or any desire-less object. Thanks to Patanjali, we have many tools at our disposal.

My own journey with yoga has been a deepening of presence, experiential understanding, and quiet contemplation. I’m indebted to my friend, Young Yogi, who shared so much with me about courage, honesty, and perseverance through the essence of Patanjali’s philosophy. The ceasing of suffering is possible and accessible for anyone, at any age. Coming to know the wisdom of Patanjali through the creation of this book helped me explore the depths beneath the surface, and it is my hope and wish that Young Yogi will do that for you, too.

The post How Writing a Children’s Book Deepened My Yoga Practice appeared first on Sonima.

Yoga provides specific practices for this purpose: yamas (social observances) and niyamas (personal observances). Yama and niyama are the first two of ashtanga yoga’s eight limbs. When combined with āsana (the practice of postures) and prāṇāyāma (breathing techniques), they help to bring the mind and senses into a state of stable attention. This allows for progression in the later four limbs of yoga, which focus on attaining higher meditative states. Following yama and niyama is the foundation for a yoga practice that allows us to operate smoothly and easily in the world. It provides us with greater mental clarity, freeing up much of the energy that is otherwise wasted when we are out of sync with our physical, mental, and emotional surroundings.

Many people are familiar with the five yamas and five niyamas outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, but other hatha yoga texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Svātmarāma and the Yoga Yājñavalka include additional yamas and niyamas. These are also outlined in Krishnamacharya’s Yoga Makaranda, originally published in 1934.

Although the practice of the yamas will positively affect those around us, the main aim is for our internal transformation, which is essential for progression beyond the physical aspects of yoga practice. Additionally, by practicing the other limbs of ashtanga yoga, we will be able to bring greater perfection to each of the yamas, bringing greater clarity, peace, and joy in all our relationships. Below are six additional yamas not listed by Patanjali.

1. Kṣamā can be translated as patience or forgiveness. When we forgive, we relinquish the hold that past experience has on the mind and emotions. We are no longer bound by that experience. Kṣamā allows us to understand our situation from a broader perspective and to live more easily in the present moment.

Related: The Unique Power of Forgiveness on Your Health

2. Dhṛtiḥ means holding, seizing, keeping, supporting, firmness, constancy, resolution, will, or command. It can also have the meaning of satisfaction, contentment, or joy. In order to find success in any path, it is necessary to have a firm and unwavering conviction in what we do. When that steadfastness also has as an essence of satisfaction and contentment in the chosen path, the chances of maintaining our conviction, even in the face of obstacles, increase many times. Although dhṛtiḥ is not included in Patanjali’s list of yamas, he alludes to both its aspects in sūtra 1:14 when he states: “sātu dīrgha kāla nairantarya satkāra ādara āsevito dṛḍabhūmiḥ (practice becomes firmly established when it done for a long time, without interruption and with devotion and respect/enthusiasm).”

3. Dayā is sympathy or compassion. Being truly compassionate requires looking deeply into the hearts of others and trying to feel their experiences first-hand. We should try to see ourselves in others, and others within ourselves. Those great yogis who recognize that we are all an expression of the same consciousness and who experience unity within all beings are a perfect example of dayā. Patanjali’s sūtras on pratipakṣabhāvanam allude to dayā when he explains the importance of taking an opposing viewpoint in order to counteract our negative thoughts (vitarkas) and emotions.

4. Ārjava means straight, honest, sincere, or straightforward. We practice ārjava by aligning thought, speech, and action into one. The more we practice yoga and follow dharma, the more easily this process comes about. Ārjava is also described as meekness or humility. The mantra “idam na mama,” meaning, “This is not mine,” is uttered after making offerings during Vedic ceremonies. We should not gloat and say, ”Look what I have done,” but relinquish our ownership of any good results. Another smṛti text says, ”dharmaḥ kṣarati kīrtanāt,” meaning, “A virtue is spent by being made known through one’s own lips.” The attitude of a yogi should be that what we do is done happily for the good of all, and not for the purpose of recognition.

Related: The Power of Selfless Service

5. Mitāhāra means that one should not overeat, instead eating only the amount and types of food necessary to maintain good health and which are supportive of our sādhana (practice). Food should be simple, pure, and nourishing, but it is also very important not to become overly obsessed with diet. Food is sacred, it should be received with an attitude of reverence and thankfulness, and it should not be wasted. Regularity in eating is also very helpful for yoga practice. Consider the following śloka, which is mentioned as being quoted by Śrīdhara Swāmi in the Bhagavata Purana (Gita Press 1971): “dvau bhāgau pūrayedannaistoyenaikaṃ prapūrayet mārutasya pracārārthaṃ caturthamavaśeṣayet” (or “One should fill two-quarters of one’s belly with [articles of] food and one quarter with water. The fourth should be kept empty for the free passage of air”).

6. Śauca is cleanliness. External (bahir) or physical cleanliness refers not only to the body but also the surrounding environment, while internal (antara) cleanliness refers to a state of mental purity. Through external cleanliness, we become aware that the body is in a continual state of decay, resulting in a level of detachment from the physical body. At the same time, internal cleanliness results in an increase in mental clarity, greater control of the senses, and a vision or awareness of one’s own ātman or Self, the source of purity from within. Although there is indifference to the physical body, we will desire to maintain it in as pure state as possible in order to allow the full expression of the ātman.

Patanjali lists śauca as a niyama rather than a yama. He notes that attention to śauca will bring about saumanasya, or a state of gladness or cheerfulness in the mind. Therefore we should be careful not to become obsessive or puritanical in śauca.

The post Yoga Yamas: 6 Additional Yamas to Deepen Your Yoga Practice appeared first on Sonima.

After introducing the yamas and niyamas, Patanjali then states in sūtra 2.33, “vitarkabādhane pratipakṣabhāvanam,” which translates to, “One must cultivate a mental attitude that counteracts the doubts and uncertainties that trouble us.”

Here, Patanjali refers to doubts and uncertainties (vitarkas) that arise when we have begun to integrate the yamas and niyamas into our lives. These vitarkas result in thoughts and actions that contradict the yamas and niyamas. Although the same kinds of vitarkas had previously been present in our lives, now that we are following the path of yoga we must try to overcome them. At these times Patanjali says that we should cultivate an opposite mental attitude (pratipakṣa-bhāvanam) in order to counteract or annul (bhādane) those negative thoughts and tendencies as well as their resulting actions.

The next sūtra, 2.34, explains the kinds of vitarkas that arise and their consequences: “vitarkāḥ himsādayaḥ kṛta kāritā anumoditāḥ lobha krodha mohapūrvakāḥ mṛdu madhya adhimātrāḥ duḥkha ajñāna anantaphalāḥ iti pratipakṣabhāvanam,” or, “Those vitarkas such as violence etc., that we commit, condone, or enjoy vicariously are rooted in greed, anger, and delusion. They can be mild, medium, or excessive. Their consequences are endless suffering and ignorance. So contemplation on their opposites should be done.”

Previously we may have ignored these vitarkas, allowing ourselves to become caught up in the drama that they bring. But as we practice the yamas and niyamas and devote more time to yoga practice, we begin to become more sensitive to the presence of these negative mental influences. Patanjali tells us that the consequence of allowing them to go unchecked will be endless suffering and ajñāna, or spiritual ignorance.

It is not enough to curb the negative actions that result from these vitarkas, but we must also not condone those kinds of actions by others. Even vicarious enjoyment of the pain of others should be recognized and avoided. Yet the vitarkas can be very deeply rooted in the mind. Patanjali’s solution is to perform pratipakṣa-bhāvanam—to contemplate the opposite perspective or to produce a feeling that counters the current one.

Related: The Power of Our Personal Narratives

By taking the view of the opposite side in any situation, we gain a different perspective. For instance, when I am approached by someone in the street asking me for money, I may have a negative reaction. But if I meet the same person when volunteering at a soup kitchen and hear their story, I will most likely gain a very different perspective. In the second scenario, I have allowed myself to experience an opposite viewpoint, or a pratipakṣa-bhāvana, that is helpful in dispelling my vitarkas of prejudice.

In Sharathji’s recent article, he writes about the importance of this kind of seva, or service to others. The above example shows how seva not only benefits those that we serve, but also that it is extremely beneficial in helping us overcome our own mental obstacles.

Following the idea of pratipakṣa-bhāvana further, we can begin to explore another layer of meaning. When contemplating two differing viewpoints of the same situation, we may begin to experience in a tangible way that the relative truth of either side of an argument is simply part of a greater unity of the whole. That is, there is a bigger picture in which these differing perspectives are simply “two wings” of the same bird.

We have examples of realized people who have become established in this mode of being to such an extent that they continually experience this unity within all of life. Some perfect examples would be the Buddha, the Jain saints, or the Indian saint Ramana Maharshi. In sūtra 1.37, Patanjali recommends that we contemplate on such people in order to overcome obstacles in yoga: “vītarāgaviṣayaṃ vā cittam,” or “(Fix) the mind on a person (vītarāgā) that has abandoned attraction.”

The vītarāgas mentioned in this sūtra are highly spiritually-evolved souls who abandoned all attachments and were able to follow the yamas and niyamas perfectly. By focusing our minds on such people, we too are able to gain an insight into this ideal, which is extremely helpful for stabilizing our minds and overcoming our own vitarkas.

I was reminded of this sutra recently when I found myself increasingly frustrated and upset by the current political landscapes worldwide that are filled with so much division. At some point I decided to set aside listening to the news and instead to read the Rāmāyana. The protaganists, Rāma and Sīta, are both great souls filled with dharma who always follow the path of righteousness without any arrogance or pride. Both are perfect examples on which to meditate. Reading and contemplating their story was the perfect pratipakṣa-bhāvana, helping me to return my mind to a clear and stable perspective.

The post Pratipaksha-bhāvana: Overcoming Negative Thinking appeared first on Sonima.

This is where the practice of seva can make a difference. Seva is a Sanskrit term that translates literally as “together with” and represents the act of performing charity work or service without any expectation, acknowledgment, or recognition in return.

Seva can be applied to anything: people, animals, the environment, your community, your country, the world. It does not require a particular setting or location, nor does it need to be done at a particular time or frequency. There are no application processes or standards for the doer, other than the work be done selflessly. This is very important because seva gives peace of mind and satisfaction for you, the person doing the work, because you did something for your community. When you do seva you should not advertise to others, otherwise you will not reap the benefits of whatever seva you’ve done.

Because the world is in need of such work, seva often comes when our consciousness has illuminated our desire to work for others or for something other than ourselves for the betterment of the world. Supporting projects financially is important, but seva is more profound in that giving your time and skills greatly adds to the aid of those suffering. Human contact and human energy put forth from people in the community can reach areas where money cannot.

In this life, there are three paths we can take to obtain moksha, or liberation. One is through self-realization, which includes doing yoga, studying philosophy, and applying that to your life. This requires a lot of studying, and after many years of practice you may be liberated. The second path is through devotion to your Ishta Devata, which is to show devotion to whichever deity you like. The third path is through seva. You can be liberated by doing community service and continually doing service for others.

Related: Why Practice Yoga? The Many Ways It Changes Us

Many people devote their entire lives to seva. Everyone has to earn money for a living, but we should also spend some time doing community work without expecting any returns. Each one of us has our own profession, and we can do seva through that. Everyone also has certain skills, and when brought to the act of seva, the benefits can be enormous.

For example, if I’m good at teaching yoga, then I may help people without charging any money. I can do this type of seva in my everyday life. In fact, we are doing this through the shala by offering scholarships. Now many Indian students are learning yoga. Yoga is for humanity’s well-being, and that’s why it should reach everyone.

Wherever there are people in need, be it in your neighborhood or elsewhere, that is where you go and do the work, and it becomes seva.

Seva reminds us that there is something beyond meeting our own life goals, such as education, good health, and providing for our family and ourselves, because when we do seva, we have the satisfaction that we did something for someone. It is very powerful and an important motivator in life. When you do seva, it’s the experience of doing something not for your survival or success—it’s selfless giving.

The post The Power of Seva appeared first on Sonima.

These things I now know to be true, but I have come to realize that it is the ongoing physical practice of yoga that is necessary for the deeper insights of yoga to occur.

The Lineage of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga

In the early 1990s, when suffering from sporadic severe back and neck pain, I began practicing Aṣṭāṅga yoga in the Mysore class format, sweating my way through the primary series every morning. Although working in the physical realm, I became aware that I was also dealing with some subtle and more internal aspects of myself.

Yoga practice was like bringing a small, dim candle into an attic and beginning to find all sorts of unnecessary and potentially deleterious material that needed to be dealt with. Cleaning out the attic was (and still is) a slow and not always pretty process, but it is why I practice and what continues to sustain my yogic sādhana.

It was extremely helpful for me, especially in the early years of practice, to be surrounded by a community of teachers and students who were all dedicated to the same practice method. From my first trip 20 years ago to practice with Guruji and Sharathji at the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore to the many subsequent times practicing with them at KPJAYI, I always experienced a deepening of this transformational process. I recognize their profound influence on all of us in the room and have been humbled by the Aṣṭāṅga paramparā that has flourished under their guidance.

The Monier Williams Sanskrit-English dictionary defines paramparā to mean “an uninterrupted row or series, order, succession, continuation, mediation. Lineage or progeny. By tradition.” The broader meaning of “paramparā” implies far more than this simple definition. Paramparā is very important in many of the spiritual disciplines in India, and many individuals chant a daily mantra that lists their spiritual lineage, often reaching back a thousand years or more.

What has become clear to me from years spent studying yoga (and the related disciplines of Vedic chanting and Vedic philosophy) is that the profound nature of these kinds of experiential teachings does not come through books or videos. Those are only a support for learning. The teachings come full force when imparted directly from teacher to student within close physical proximity. Even the word upaniṣat (used as a moniker for philosophical texts in the vedas) implies receiving teaching when “sitting near” the teacher.

Transmission of knowledge is strongest when successive teachers within an unbroken lineage have been completely immersed in, and surrounded by, their discipline, especially when cradled in a culture and environment that supports their understanding and internalization of the subject. Such a teacher becomes drenched in experiential knowledge and cannot help showering his students with the authentic teachings of yoga.

Related: What It Means to Celebrate Guru Pūrṇimā

In the lineage of Aṣṭāṅga yoga, Ramamohan Brahmachari, Krishnamacharya, Pattabhi Jois, and now Sharathji are a line of teachers who have been fully immersed in yogic sādhana in this way. We should not quibble that there may have been changes to the exact methodology that they have used, since the method will always be adapted to suit the times. In yoga, maintaining a static and rigid methodology is not the purpose or result of true paramparā. Rather, it is how to support the continuation of the experiential understanding of the “state of yoga,” that eternal and unchanging condition, which is most important.

The Energy Within All of Us

In February I made yet another pilgrimage to practice at KPJAYI, and this time Sharathji asked me to come not just to study with him but to lead the primary led classes at KPJAYI while he was away in Rishikesh for a few days attending a conference.

Calling the vinyāsas of the primary series to a class of 350 of Sharathji’s dedicated students was extraordinary, but what struck me most while leading these classes was how strongly I felt the energy of both my teachers, Sharathji and Guruji, coming through the students. I did not feel as though I was teaching the classes but that I was simply holding the space for Sharathji. I was following the energy of my teachers that was already present within the students, allowing the practice to emerge and only assisting the process.

Having taken hundreds of led classes with them over the last 20 years, I also felt Sharathji and Guruji’s energy from within myself guiding me as I called the class. This was evidence of the profundity of the Aṣṭāṅga paramparā that we are all part of as students in this lineage. It reminded me that, as students, we are also an indispensable support of the Aṣṭāṅga paramparā and have a responsibility to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to understanding the practice so that we can support the journeys of those students who are just beginning.

Inspired by the Puruṣa Suktam, Viśiṣṭa Advaita philosophy teaches that we are all part of the body of the Paramātman. We are a part of the whole, and each of us fulfills a role. At the same time, the Paramātman also resides within our own ātman (soul) as the antaryāmin (inner controller), guiding and directing each one of us. As part of the Aṣṭāṅga paramparā, we all have our role, and through the teachings and by consistent practice over a long time, we are able to gradually remove the dirt that clouds our perception, leading us to connect inwardly to this antaryāmin, the source of pure sattva or light.

The post Following the Energy of the Guru appeared first on Sonima.

As Ashtanga yoga practitioners, we have a dedicated time in our day where we connect our mind and body together through the use of our breath and the subtle movement of internal energy. This practice gives us so much, including physical health, mental stability, and a deep sense of inner serenity. It is a part of the very fabric of our existence.

For many of us, it’s also a solo practice, often done in our living room with only our pets or children to keep us company. Sometimes we may be fortunate to have a dedicated school and teacher to guide us through the poses. But nothing quite compares to receiving the practice from the source.

No wonder the presence of Guru Sharath Jois teaching in the U.S. draws students out from all corners of the globe. It’s not only a more accessible option for those who cannot make the difficult and often costly trek to Mysore, India. It also brings the global community together in a spirit of oneness and devotion, while his teachings give new light to the practice and philosophy that we aspire to embody.

All of us come to receive the transmission that happens when we practice together in the presence of our teacher. These few days with Paramaguru Sharath Jois are a unique opportunity to share in the energy of the practice with hundreds of others who also share our passion and heart for the practice. This intensity creates the kind of focus that invigorates the old routine with new life and rekindles a spark where the enthusiasm may have dampened. It draws the community of students together, allowing old friends to catch up and new students to feel the excitement of being invited into the global family of Ashtanga yoga practitioners.

Related: Sign up to practice with Paramaguru Sharath Jois now!

Hearing Sharath Jois call out “Samastihi”, a sound many students have heard hundreds of times before, is an emotional moment filled with elation and anticipation. On the surface, the practice looks the same, but inside this group of students there is a heightened vibration of intensity that holds the power to perform this secret inner alchemy we call yoga.

There’s still an opportunity to take part in this transformational experience. Paramaguru Sharath Jois begins his 2019 U.S. teaching tour with a week in northern California at Stanford University. Then he will be in Miami for another full week of practice before returning to New York to complete his tour with five classes in Brooklyn.

Don’t miss your chance to attend class with Ashtanga yoga master Sharath Jois when he visits the U.S. this spring! Watch the video above to learn more, then click here to register.

Photo by Agathe Padovani; Video by Jesse Gordon

The post Why Nothing Compares to Paramaguru Sharath Jois’s 2019 U.S. Tour appeared first on Sonima.

Now with the advent of social media, we as a world culture are learning on the fly how to live with a new toy (or weapon, you may call it), and life as we know it has forever changed. If ever there was a time when yogic philosophy proved useful to guide us from the disturbances of the mind and toward a peaceful existence, it is now.

In India, one of the world’s stalwart cultures, I find solace in many of the impermeable traditions and philosophies gathered around yoga. India’s yogic philosophy has directed and guided countless searchers, from the novice to the learned, who hope to make peace with that which brings us so much joy and pain: the ego.

The ego helps us achieve, but it also draws us into conflict and confusion; it plays a witty game with us until we somehow, if we are lucky, tame the beast. But how do we begin to understand what we’re up against? How do we shunt being a contestant in the game of life and simply contentedly live the game? Ageless, a wonderful new book by R. Sharath Jois with Isha Singh Sawhney, is a good place to begin.

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Jois’s entire life has been steeped in the eight pillars of yoga, which he contends lead to an ageless life. Agelessness is not simply defined by time but, by “giving ourselves the chance to live a longer, more satisfied, happier life”, we can be ageless, he says.

With ease and adaptability, Ageless makes Jois’s practices accessible for all who care to live a better quality of life. The book covers physical care, mental care, and care for others, with space allotted for 10 asanas in step-by-step form, which Jois states is all you really need.

The first part of the book largely covers diet. In India, food has been a science for millennia. When you enter the world of modern yoga, half of one’s time can be spent simply understanding the fuel needed (and not needed) for our humanly vehicles.

Jois lays out how the Vedas, the guiding texts to Hinduism, say that eating too much ultimately can lead to sickness and disease. The body really doesn’t need too much food after all. In this context, we can be “frugal” with food for wiser reasons than to look skinny. Fasting for one day out of the month can be done not because you are going to the beach the next day, but because it’s tendered through a grounding spiritual base.

Related: Sharath Jois on Balancing the Body for a Stable Mind

Jois addresses emotional and mental health throughout the book, starting with cultivating a positive outlook. He proffers that while there is a great need to support ourselves and our families and to be productive, “perhaps taking time out to play an instrument, write, paint, cook, mediate, exercise, or practice Ashtanga yoga is all one needs to come back to the daily grind refreshed and with a more optimistic outlook.”

“We all live by deadlines and place a lot of stress on ourselves to achieve what we think are ‘perfect lives,’” he says. In doing so, we inadvertently crave negative things and thus bring negativity. But when we do something joyful, a natural instinctive positivity arises to face our problems. That mindset is far different from the one that generally causes problems and is essential for mental well being. A yogic practice can further help this by creating a calm state of being and lowering the burden on our mind and body.

But the most inspiring portion of the book is Jois’s simple codifying of the act of seva, or service, which is performed without any thought of reward or repayment. “Being ageless is intricately intertwined with selflessness,” Jois states. There is seva for yourself, seva for nature (the physical environment), seva for country, and seva for community. “A real yogi shares money and knowledge,” Jois says. “A real yogi considers everyone equal.”

If every corner of the world imported this type of approach to equality, I wonder if we would see less suffering? To honor and respect oneself and others and to serve humanity is the essence of being not only ageless but also of transcendent. And that is the real crux of the book.

The post How Yoga Can Lead to a Longer, More Satisfying, and Happier Life appeared first on Sonima.

In ‘Mysore class’, students work at their own pace, practicing whatever series or section of a series that is appropriate for their individual needs and ability. The class is mostly silent apart from a few words of instruction, with only the combined sound of breathing in the room as a backdrop. It requires a skilled and experienced teacher able to give individual attention as and when each practitioner requires and with as little interruption as possible to the continuity of their inner flow of experience.

This method is particularly powerful when a student dedicates themselves to a single teacher. The nourishing of a close student-teacher relationship allows the teacher to understand the idiosyncrasies of each student, and gain an insight into how to help their progression both in the short and longer term.

At one level the teacher’s role is to make sure that each student is practicing correctly, including their breathing, vinyāsa, alignment in each posture, dṛṣti, etc. However, the Mysore method allows the teacher to give students enough space to explore and experience the yogic process internally, without unnecessary interference. They should guide them toward self-discovery, rather than trying to define their experience. Much of the time the teacher’s role is simply to provide a supportive environment for the yoga to evolve while observing their practice, making corrections only when necessary.

In modern culture, we are used to paying for services and expecting a tangible return. In yoga, what is being taught is often very subtle and unfolds slowly over time. When a student has an attitude or expectation of paying for service, there is less of an opportunity for self-discovery and the process of yoga is less likely to take place. Mysore teachers must therefore educate students in the philosophy and methodology of Aṣṭāṅga yoga so that students will fully embrace the opportunity for supported self-learning to get the most out of their practice.

In the Mysore room, there exists the opportunity for complete silence. Often only a few words may need to be exchanged between a student and their teacher throughout the whole class. For some, particularly those who are used to being guided, the silence can be confronting. But just as silence in a library allows you to become immersed in the subject that you’re reading, silence in the Mysore room supports a focused and attentive practice.

Related: The Meditative Magic of Tristhāna in Ashtanga Yoga

I occasionally hear from a new student that they have come to yoga class in order to ‘switch off’, preferring to just follow along in a guided environment. Patañjali defines yoga as the ability to maintain stable and unwavering attention, thus ‘switching off’ is somewhat antithetical to yoga. Conversely, self-practice requires the development of greater focus and attention, and over time the result is a calmer and less scattered mind, resulting in the liberation of more energy. The memorization and self-direction inherent in the Mysore method are important in this process.

Breath is key, and it is essential to learn and develop the specific breathing technique required in Aṣṭāṅga yoga. Since the breathing of each student will differ in terms of capacity and quality, students need to be able to work on this independently. The Mysore method allows students to be taught slowly so that they can fine-tune the breathing for each new āsana and vinyāsa without forming bad habits that need to be undone later.

The consistency of the breath should be smooth and even, with inhales and exhales of the same duration. It should remain constant throughout all of the different āsanas and vinyāsa movements, from the first Sūryanamaskāra until laying down for rest at the end of practice. Attention should be focused on the initiation, movement, and completion of each breath; its synchronization with each vinyāsa; and with the internal form of the āsana. Breathing is also connected to the steadiness of the dṛṣṭi (gazing point). When all these elements are in tune with the breathing, āsana practice becomes a form of dhyāna or meditation.

It is important to understand some philosophy in order to inform the qualities of practice that lead you toward a yogic state of clear and stable attention. An obsession with outward form can lead to injury as a result of not listening internally, but it can also lead you away from the very of essence of where yoga seeks to take you.

In his Yoga Sutras, Patañjali says that āsana should have the dual qualities of sthira (stability) and sukha (comfort or ease). He does not describe any specific āsana, and many classical commentaries describe that āsana refers only to a comfortable seated posture for the purpose of meditation.

The sanskrit root of the word āsana, √ās, has the meaning to ‘sit or sit down’, but it also has the extended meanings ‘to be present, to sit quietly, to abide, to remain, or to continue’. One interpretation of this sutra is that the word āsana infers the embodiment of a particular state, rather than a particular posture. We should therefore aim to embody a ‘state’ of comfort and steadiness in our posture, breath, dṛṣṭi. and attention. You can apply this ‘state’ of āsana to all aspects of life. Practicing the Mysore method supports this aim, asking us to listen internally and cultivate stability and comfort that can be applied in every aspect of our spiritual practice and, indeed, every aspect of life.

Related: A Master’s Take on Why Yoga Is for Everyone

In Aṣṭāṅga yoga, the tradition has developed to finish each week with a led primary series class. This is an opportunity for each student to practice the correct vinyāsa and breathing while following the strict count of the teacher. It can be quite challenging to do, especially during more difficult āsanas and vinyāsas, and it is an opportunity to gauge where we are in our practice and to see how the mind and senses react. The once weekly led class provides a perfect balance to daily Mysore self-practice during the week, and together they are an extremely beneficial combination.

I recommend that anybody who is able to practice with Paramaguru Sharath Jois. If you cannot make the pilgrimage to the KPJAYI school in Mysore in India, try to attend his classes when he is on tour. He has experienced yoga very deeply through his own sādhana, from many years spent in the continuous presence of his grandfather and guru, and by teaching thousands of students over many decades. The result is a great depth of wisdom and understanding but with a very simple and accessible approach to teaching.

The post The Benefits of Practicing the Ashtanga Yoga Mysore Method appeared first on Sonima.

The event’s goal was to help attendants “leave with a better understanding of why yoga is so effective for so many people, and also how they can use specific yoga practices to achieve the effects that they are looking for,” conference founder Eddie Stern said. One consistent, resonant theme woven throughout was that through cultivating individual well-being, yoga practices also have the ability to promote social interconnectedness and thereby societal healing. Here is a brief recap of the conference’s top takeaways.

Social Connectedness Promotes Health

According to Stephen Porges, PhD, when we experience positive social connectedness, it triggers a sympathetic nervous response called the “polyvagal state”. This state of increased vagal tone not only coincides with tremendous health benefits, it triggers “co-regulation” in which positive feedback occurs between two or more individuals. In other words, the experience of connectedness promotes health and well-being. On the other hand, a chronic disruption of connectedness is the definition of trauma, according to Porges. Listening and witnessing—some of skills developed through yoga and meditation—are therapy, he says. But in terms of yoga as therapy, someone’s increased polyvagal tone only occurs when they are attentive and listening to another’s pro-social cues.

Yoga Can Heal the Wounds of Racial Distress

Based upon her clinical work, Gail Parker, PhD, observed that “race-based traumatic stress injury” occurs when people are continually marginalized. Over time, the experience of ongoing, recurrent exclusion and subtle hostility results in maladaptive responses, including intrusive thoughts, irritability, and overall stress. All of these have been directly correlated with so-called “life-style illnesses” such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. Parker called on individual yoga practitioners to acknowledge their own unwitting participation in exclusive communities marked by racial and economic homogeneity and to strive to create inclusive environments within yoga. Resonating with Porges’s talk, she emphasized the need for face-to-face eye contact as a vital component of social connectedness.

Related: A Conscious Reflection on Racial Tensions in America

Yoga Teaches Survival of the Wisest

Drawing on the classical Indian system of non-dualism philosophy (Advaita Vedanta), Deepak Chopra, MD, led the audience on a thought experiment proposing that what is ultimately real is in fact pure consciousness or “a field of infinite possibilities”. “Biology is an experience of awareness, not container of awareness,” he said, and the notion “I have a body” is merely a perceptual activity of an experience that shifts every moment. The higher brain functions and emotional potentials of metacognition and empathy that are cultivated in yoga practices are themselves evidence of how our everyday awareness represents only “limited bandwidth” of an infinite spectrum, he said. What the science is demonstrating, he explained, is that the cultivation of self-awareness through yoga and everything entailed by that (heightened empathy, compassion, health, resilience, etc.) proposes an alternative to the materialist model of “survival of the fittest”. Instead, Chopra advised, the science of yoga teaches us “survival of the wisest”.

Science on Yoga Serves a Larger Purpose

During a Q&A, moderator Erich Anderer, MD, chief of neurosurgery at NYU Langone Hospital, asked the panelists about the purpose of hard scientific data on yoga, given that “we already know yoga is good for you.” Sat Bir S. Khalsa, PhD eloquently summarized the collective views, explaining that mainstreaming yoga to societal systems like schools and hospitals will only happen with the backing of hard science. Furthermore, given yoga’s limited reach beyond a relatively small, privileged part of society, facilitating the greater mainstreaming of yoga is, in fact, addressing widespread social injustice.

The post 4 Intriguing Insights from the Yoga & Science Conference appeared first on Sonima.