As a Yoga studio, our job is to share knowledge, experience and philosophies about Yoga. Our hope is that you, our practitioners, will absorb what we share and eventually, begin to do the same. There is a middle ground, though, for all of this. You see, we all have to practice and our practice is more than just what we do in the studio. It is the generalization of the skills we learn in class into our lives. It is a lifestyle.
You are Me
Have you felt the effects of your practice? To find Yoga is to find your Self. In order to get there, you have to restrain (Yamas) your wants and observe (Niyamas) your needs. The way you treat yourself should be reflected in how you treat others. And, if you see yourself as spiritual, holy, god-loved, etc. then you will see all others in this way.
Restrain, Direct, Control
Every posture is a demonstration of the practice of Yama. We move with intention trying to retain the position prescribed in any way that our bodies are able. We can generalize this practice into our lives through the Yamas.
The Yamas are five-fold: Truth, Helping, Generosity, Moderation and Sharing. Living your life with the intention of retaining these aspects of Yoga can shift our perspective and have an effect on others. Imagine if everything you did was guided by these principals. What would you do differently? Observe, Reflect, Realize
Pranayama practices are tools designed to focus and limit our thoughts. These breathing techniques include a count of breaths, length of each, pauses between and various aspects of mudra or mantra. These techniques are the first step in establishing Niyama.
Niyama are five-fold: Purity, Contentment, Self Study, Dedication and Devotion. These practices direct our attention toward our own habits. We live life based upon memories, experiences, wants and desires. Our thoughts and actions are a demonstration of subconscious karma. To practice Niyama is to practice treating yourself well. The more you do so, the better you will treat others. Shift, Adjust, Change
Our continued practice of Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama ultimately leads us toward the additional four limbs: Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
The more we live a lifestyle of Yama and Niyama, maintain our physical health through Asana and consciously breathe the less our attention will be drawn to distraction (pratyahara). Allowing ourselves opportunities to spend time alone, in quiet spaces allowing our minds to be directed by rhythmic breathing or sound vibrations, the better we become at focusing upon that which is important (dharana). Silencing the chatter of useless thoughts, detaching from toxic people and environments, recognizing that which we can control and letting things happen as they will while remaining present becomes natural (dhyana). Eventually, we will settle into contentment and recognize that we are each a tiny droplet in the ocean of the universe (samadhi).
If you would like to learn more about the eight limbs (asta anga) and the lifestyle of Yoga join the practice with us, book a Private Session or apply to the Lake Tahoe Yoga School.
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We have reached the end of bliss contemplation and contemplate it we did. For those of you who are still having a difficult time wrapping your head around how the ocean would not be the ocean without everything in it and at the same time it is not attached to those things (a metaphor of ourselves), we understand. Patanjali must have also understood. Book II; Sadhana Pada, gives us guidance from a tangible perspective. Throughout the next few months we will work our way through the "Portion on Practice." As we study the Yamas and Niyamas, Kleshas and Asana, we hope to guide you into deepening your practice and bringing it beyond the physical.
October began our study of the Yoga Sutra. Throughout the next few months we will be following the Yoga Sutra from Pada Eka through the end. The most important lesson to remember is from Sutra 2:1: Yogas chitta vrtti nirodha; "Yoga is the quieting of the mind's chatter." The rest is just direction for accomplishing this task. Each sutra is like a gentle guide drawing us along the path to finding union and separation. Join in as we reference translations by Saccidananda and Iyengar. Our study will continue until we complete the book.
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