What is Ahimsa and Pratipaksha Bhavanam?

What is Ahimsa and Pratipaksha Bhavanam?

Ahimsa (non-violence toward self and others in thoughts, word and deed, Sutra 2.35) is the first Yama (abstinences, the first limb of yoga as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras).  Pratipaksha Bhavana (Sutra 2.33 and 2.34) is the practice of replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts.  Ahimsa and Pratipaksha Bhavana are concepts and practices that have been central to the work of some of the most influential spiritual and political leaders in human history, including Gandhi, Jesus and Martin Luther King. 

            Interpretations of Ahimsa (by Desikachar, Farhi, Satchidananda) agree that the principle of non-violence includes thoughts, actions and words directed at the self, as well as others.  Self-acceptance and compassion require that one works to eliminate negative “self-talk” (i.e. criticism of the body, habits, etc.).  Thoughts act as affirmation of intention.   Pratipaksha Bhavana is the practice of cultivating a perspective that sees negative situations in the opposite way and in so doing will cultivate a positive and balanced mind.  Switching from negative to positive self-talk allows one to have a more positive and joyful existence at the physical, mental and spiritual levels.  The difficulty is making the shift out of old habits (Samskara) of negative thoughts and action to new more positive ones.  It is difficult, but each day provides many opportunities to exercise both Ahimsa and Pratipaksha Bhavana.

For example, every day we make food choices, which provide many opportunities to practice non-violence and negative-to-positive thinking.  To practice ahimsa, vegetarianism and/or eating free range, organic, kosher meat, supporting local growers, etc. are options.  Yet regardless of the “quality” of ingredients, food prepared and consumed with loving care serves Ishvara perfectly.  Doing Asana regularly also provides the opportunity to practice Ahimsa and Pratipaksha Bhavana.  In practicing Asana, the tendency is to become distracted by thoughts, and/or to judge or compare ourselves to others or previous practices.  The challenge is to practice Asana while simultaneously letting go of these Samskara (focusing on the breath helps!). 

The key to Pratipaksha Bhavana is changing the environment by inviting the positive in, as well as considering the after-effect of holding on to negative/violent thoughts and actions. Pratipaksha Bhavana is a powerful technique that relies on the power of the mind-body connection.  Consider the harm caused by chronically thinking negative thoughts about self and others.  Thought becomes intention, and over time, intention often becomes action/deeds or physically manifest in the body (i.e. as a disease).  Disease occurs because chronic negative and violent thoughts stress and overwork the sympathetic nervous system (in a continuous fight or flight response) and flood the body with stress hormones, causing illness.  The practice of Pratipaksha Bhavana can help one to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation response) promoting homeostasis and healing. 

Negative thoughts about self and others also shape one’s self esteem and actions in the contexts of inter-personal relationships.  If one approaches the world and daily events with an attitude of (Ahimsa) kindness, friendliness and thoughtful consideration of others, then interactions with friends, co-workers and strangers are less stressful and have more positive outcomes. The practice of Pratipaksha Bhavana is particularly helpful in dealing with negative individuals and/or crisis situations, yet despite its clear “turn the other cheek” mandate, the practice does not mean to become either Pollyanna or a doormat.  Rather, one must thoughtfully examine (negative) attitudes towards self and others and consider the consequences of those (or alternative positive) attitudes at every moment of time and place. 

Source of Image:  http://wholelivingdaily.wholeliving.com/2011/01/the-yamas-of-the-yoga-sutras-part-i-%e2%80%93-ahimsa-non-violence-yoga-off-the-mat.html

What is the significance of Patanjali’s Sutra 2.1 ?

What is the significance of Patanjali’s Sutra 2.1 ?

Image source:  http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/2011/01/patanjali-you-optimist-or-when-learning.html

The second chapter (Sadhana Pada) of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras begins with the statement “Yoga in the form of action has three parts: 1) training and purifying the senses (tapas), 2) self-study in the context of teachings (svadhyaya), and 3) devotion and letting go into the creative source from which we emerged (ishvara pranidhana)” (English translation, Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati).  There are a wide range of translations of this Sutra.  For example, Sri Swami Satchidananda’s states “Accepting pain as help for purification, study of spiritual book, and surrender to the Supreme Being constitute Yoga in practice,”  whereas B.K.S. Iyengar’s translation reads “Burning zeal in practice, self-study and study of scriptures, and surrender to God are the acts of yoga.” 

What does Patanjali mean by the the “yoga in the form of action has three parts”?

• Tapas -Training the senses-  means literally “to blaze or burn”, tapas refers to purifying action and self discipline, particularly in the practice of yoga, that helps us remove blocks, tensions and illness in the body and the mind.  Hot yoga is an excellent form of tapas, as it keeps the body fit via heat and cleansing sweat.

•Svadhyaya - Sva =self, and Adhyaya = inquiry, so Svadhyaya refers to the regular practice of self- reflection and personal growth in the context of sacred texts, mantra, and meditation. 

•Isvhara Pranidhana – Ishvara = creative source, god, etc. and Pranidhana = devotion.  This concept refers to surrendering the fruits of yoga to the divine.

These three practices work together.  For example, when in your yoga practice you are spending 60 to 90 minutes training your senses, exploring within, and letting go of physical and mental attachments and aversions to your body and thoughts.  As you move from asana to asana, focusing on your breath and staying present in each moment of your yoga practice, you enact the three principles of Kriya Yoga: Heating and cleansing the body (tapas), noting and letting go of mental thoughts and physical reactions to the yoga practice and the heat (svadhyaya), and with the closing Namaste at the end of each class, recognizing the light and beauty in self and others (ishvara pranidhana).

Sources:  http://swamij.com/yoga-sutras-20109.htm, http://www.athayoganusasanam.com/index.php?zone=browse_sutras&pada=2&sutra=1&action=display, http://earthyogi.blogspot.com/2011/01/patanjali-you-optimist-or-when-learning.html

What is the Significance of OM?

What is the Significance of OM?

The symbol OM, Source: http://om.exoticindiaart.com/

OM is one of the most well known symbols of spiritual knowledge in Hinduism; it also appears in Buddhism as a mantric symbol.  It is both a symbol and a mono-syllabic sound that is not a word but rather a manifestation of spiritual power, often associated with god and the “presence of the absolute within.”

The curves in the symbol OM represent four states of consciousness.  The largest curve on the bottom (1) is the waking state, the level of external activity; it is consciousness turned outward and the most common state of humans.  The upper curve (2) symbolizes unconsciousness or deep sleep, complete unawareness; and the smaller side curve (3) represents the dream state, the individual turned inwards.  The dot is the fourth state of consciousness- the absolute state of integration of all differentiated aspects of existence and absolute bliss.  The semicircle (4) under the point represents the phenomenal world of appearances and forms of illusion or deception that separates us from bliss.

 Chanting OM gives us the experience of the divine.  According to Patanjali’s Sutras, OM is pranava, which means humming.  Patanjali selected OM as the name of God (or Ishvara) because it is a “vibration which can include all vibrations, all sounds and syllables, because God is like that – infinite” (Satchidananda).  To vocalize the OM, it helps to know that the syllable has three sounds:

A (ah)	Waking state	Beta waves
U (oh)	Dream state	Alpha waves
M (mm)	Deep sleep state	Theta waves
-silence	Bliss/turiya	Delta waves

Why do we chant OM?  Chanting OM is an extremely effective way of connecting with your prana- vital energy.  Prana is the basic vibration of the body and of the universe, right down to the atomic level in both animate beings and inanimate objects.  Satchidananda states that “even without you repeating it, the basic sound [of OM] is always vibrating in you…. That is why OM represents God [the divine] in the fullest sense.”

Click here to read more and listen to the sound of OM: http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/techniques/Om.htm

Sources:  A Concise Dictionary of Buddhism and Zen, 2010; http://om.exoticindiaart.com/

Ask Yogi - What does Sutra 2:46 mean?

“Yoga asanas are steady and comfortable…”

(Source:  http://www.sadhanayogahudson.com/seated.html)

 Ask Yogi - What does Sutra 2:46 mean?

Sutra 2:46 explains that Asana is mastered by achieving a balance (Sattva) between steadiness/effort (Sthira) and comfort/ease (Sukham) in any pose.  This Sutra can also be applied to everyday life;  according to Swami Satchidananda (1914-2002), in times of dissaster or crisis, there are many benefits to being a “bendy weed” versus a “stiff strong tree” to better survive and thrive in situations of adversity. 

Mentally and emotionally, the balance between effort and ease can be cultivated by meditation and ‘contemplating the infinite’ potential of the connection between ‘self’ and ‘source’. According to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, to perfect asana meant to find stillness and to quiet the body enough to turn attention toward the mind and the senses.  When you are able to hold an asana comfortably you unite the mind-body dualism; the results are your physical limitations dissolve, your mental and emotional focus centers and your energy expands and fills the space around you.

Physically, we seek the perfect combination of “firm and soft” that occurs in the body while being still and steady, yet active in a pose, feeling as if one could hold a pose forever, with very little effort, simply by breathing.  The Sutra also invokes the need to be aware of what is felt as “good” and “bad” pain in the body, and cultivate an ability to work the “edge” of each Asana without competing or pushing oneself into injury. 

For many years Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog) was a pose that felt like pure effort and no ease.  That began to shift as I focused on the instructions to 1) “root my hands and feet to rebound up through my arms and legs”; and 2) using ujjayi breathing while lengthening the spine by drawing the core inward and pelvis up and away from the crown of the head.  Both of these instructions create “lightness” and “space” in the body, and bring the ease-to-effort ratio into balance in this pose.

Ask Yogi - What is Sutra 1.2 Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodhah?

Sutra  1.2  Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodhah

Yogas (yo-gas) = Yoga   

Citta (chit-ta) = of the mind-stuff                             

Vrtti (vrit-ti) = modifications       

Nirodhah (ni-ro-d-hah) = restraint

The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.

In Sutra 1.2, Pantanjali begins his explanation of yoga by stating that its primary purpose is to restrain and control the fluctuations of the mind.  “Mind-stuff”(citta vrtti) refers to the mental stress caused by the ego, or “I” feelings that activate the desiring part of the mind which is attracted to outside things through the senses (Satchidananda, 1990).  When the ego and desiring mind are active, peace (Samadhi) is not possible.  According to Sri Swami Satchidananda, “the entire outside world is based on your thoughts and mental attitude.  The entire world is your own projection“.  In other words, we create our own reality (world) by giving meaning – via making ‘stories’ and attaching them - to all of the events, relationships, and issues we experience in our lives.  The insight of this Sutra is that through practicing Yoga we can control our thoughts simply by becoming aware of them.  Fortunately, one of the few things we do have control over in life is our attitude and the way we think!  From this perspective, happiness and peace become a matter of individual choice, not a condition dependant on external circumstances beyond our control. 

Practicing “Nirodhah”

How do we achieve nirodhah, or “thought control”, and put it into daily practice on and off the yoga mat?  Patanjali says there are five kinds of citta vrtti, divided into “good” and “bad” types – the good are characterized by selfless (and the bad by selfish) thoughts.  The regular practice of Yoga helps to make clear the quality of our thoughts.  How are we to know whether our thoughts are selfless or not?  Satchidananda states “we have to watch carefully the moment a thought-form arises in the mind.  We become analysts.  This itself is Yoga practice – watching our own thoughts…”.  If there is no selfishness behind your thoughts, they will bring you peace; by extension, selfish thoughts will bring you physical and mental discomfort, not feelings of happiness. 

Given that the original focus of Yoga was largely spiritual, not physical, its practices were based on sitting meditation, breathing exercises, chanting, and other forms of ‘sense withdrawal’ to cultivate thought awareness.  In the 1400’s the first Hatha Yoga Pradipika (posture guide) was created and included only 15 poses!  The largely asana (physical posture)-based Hatha Yoga practice that dominates in the West today originated in 1900 with Krishnamacharya (1888-1989).  For many HBHY Hot Yoga practitioners, the physical benefits of the asana practice are so powerful it is easy to forget how the yoga operates at the mental and spiritual level until we are faced with a challenging life event and/or can’t practice yoga for a few weeks. 

Sutra 1.2 tells us via regular yoga practice, we take the peace and equanimity we find on our yoga mat into everyday life.  The aphorism reminds us that happiness and meeting life’s challenges are achieved by letting go of our ‘stories’ about the past and future and cultivating equanimity, mindfulness and acceptance in the moment of now.   

Ask Yogi: What is Sangha?

Ask Yogi: Looking at our Yoga Roots

What is “Sangha”?

Sangha is Sanskrit for community, referred to in Wiki as an “association, assembly, company or community with common goal, vision or purpose”.  The Sangha is maintained by the community via the daily practice of rituals and observance of rules of behavior and conduct characteristic of the Buddha.   In the Buddhist sense the Sangha, or community has four common characteristics:

1. practicing the good way
2. practicing the upright way
3. practicing the knowledgeable or logical way
4. practicing the proper way;

In looser terms Sangha can also mean your ‘yoga community’ – or the group of people you practice yoga with on a regular basis.  Every yoga class is its own ‘Sangha’, created between the participants (teachers and students) by the rituals and norms of the typical yoga class.  Most of us take the Sangha for granted and only notice it when someone breaks the Sangha, by leaving the room or distracting other yogis, and thus disrupts the circle and flow of energy in the class.


The Sangha is often symbolized by the Lotus Flower or the Dharma Wheel. The lotus is deep-rooted in mud but the blossom is open in the sun and it shows very attractive and fragrant. In Buddhism the lotus represents the real character of beings, which rise through “samsara” which is a process of defining the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. The Dharma Wheel is comprised of eight spokes that represent the eightfold Buddhist path (similar to the eight limbs of yoga referenced in previous columns).  The shape of the circle represents the perfection and continuity of the Sangha; the hub stands for discipline, which is the essential core of asana and meditation practice; and the rim, which holds the spokes, refers to mindfulness (Samadhi), or state of consciousness induced by complete meditation, which holds everything together.

The Dharma Wheel

Source: Wikipedia

Ask Yogi- What is Saucha?

What is Saucha?

The Sanskrit translation of Saucha is ‘purity and cleanliness.’  Within the eight limbs of yoga, Saucha is the first of the five Niyama’s (personal observances for coming to terms with oneself).  The interpretation of ‘purity and cleanliness’ differs depending on each individual.  The practice of Saucha is particularly relevant during the early Spring when many yogis have the seasonal urge to engage in some “Spring Cleaning” of home and lifestyle.  Saucha typically has both inner (heart and mind) and outer (body and environment) aspects.  Outer purity means keeping our bodies and yoga gear (matt, towel, clothes) clean - something to keep in mind at HBHY as the weather gets warm!  Inner cleanliness has to do with the quality of our relationships and the clarity of our mind. The yogi practicing Saucha seeks to cleanse the mind of its “clutter” and stressful emotions, and to be open and clear in his or her actions and interactions both on and off the yoga matt. 

Practicing Saucha

Yoga: Any twisting yoga posture (i.e. seaated Ardha Matsyendrasana, half spinal twist) facilities Saucha because twists squeeze toxins out of our organs like a washcloth, releasing old energy, and making space for new revitalized energy to enter our body. 

Body/Diet:  shower daily, consume plenty of fresh, chemical-free, unprocessed foods and pure water, avoid eating meat and fast food

Environment:  recycle, ride your bike, skip the perfume or cologne, clean your work area of clutter, rid your home of clutter

Heart/Mind: Relationships:  let go of toxic people, tell your family and friends “I love you”, smile at strangers, meditate regularly, let go of anger

Image Source: http://www.hangrypants.com/2011/03/yoga-has-eight-limbs/