Ask the Yoga Expert
May 2012 Article
Aparigraha – Non-hoarding or Letting Go
The 5th yama, aparigraha, helps us to deal with those things that we hold on to but are of no use to us. Accumulating and holding onto things, emotions, events, or memories that keep us in the past and weigh us down prevents us from being present and seeing clearly. The ability to let go of anything that does not serve us in the present creates the space and freedom to be able to think and act with clarity. This code is one of the best tools to keep us out of our avoidance patterns.
Aparigraha doesn’t ask us to get rid of everything, or ignore the past, it just asks us to look at those things that we accumulate to the point of excess out of greed. Even useful things can become a detriment to us if we’ve gathered so many that we can’t use them all.
An appropriate theme for my last article in the Experts…I’ve had Half Moon Yoga Studio in Medicine Hat since the fall of 2000. And now it’s time to let go. At least in some capacity, so that I can move on to a new way of life in a different town. Never once has the studio weighed me down, however, without letting go I can’t move forward. It’s simply what we have to do if we don’t want to get stuck.
I’ll be back to do monthly(ish) workshops.
The next 2 are scheduled for May 28th and June 9th.
9am-Noon is Restorative and Pranayama 2-5pm is the monthly focus.
Backbends in May. Forward bends & twists in June.
If you’re interested in registering, please email me at halfmoonyoga@shaw.ca or drop by the studio and talk to Pam.
Namaste, Sam
April 2012 Article
Brahmacharya: Containment
Every spiritual tradition has a covenant of containment. Quite often it’s interpreted and meant for containment of sexual energy, but as Mr. Iyengar said, if God meant for us to be celibate, no one would be here to practice the yamas and niyamas. So the fourth yama as documented by Patanjali is better practiced as containment. On all levels.
I, personally, consider Brahmacharya as a form of commitment. Once I have made a commitment to something…marriage, being a mother, Iyengar Yoga, it is important for me to keep the energy I have for the those things in my life contained. Scattering my energy about, or using it inappropriately doesn’t serve the bonds I’ve chosen to commit to in my life well.
I quite often say I’m Brahmachary-istic about my Iyengar Yoga. I’ve made a commitment to this particular style of yoga and it serves me no purpose to jump from yoga mat to yoga mat if I’m going to benefit from the deep richness this practice can give me. Scattering myself about between traditions doesn’t honor them, nor does it take me to the depths consistent, contained, focused practice can provide. It’s the same with your marriage, or your church, or your job.
Contained energy also keeps you present. If you’re practicing yoga, stay on your mat. If you’re in a marriage, stay in that bed. If you’ve committed to a particular form of worship stick with it. If you’re at your child’s hockey game and you missed the goal because you were on your Blackberry, you’re parenting energy was scattered. When you’re driving, just drive.
You get the idea. Do the thing you’re doing. When you’re not, don’t. Multitasking is the best way to scatter your energy. Brahmacharya is one of the best ways to conserve your energy and keep you present to the best things and experiences in your life.
March 2012 Article
Asteya: Non-stealing
The 3rd yama, Asteya, circles back to the first 2 codes of non-harming (Ahimsa) and honesty (Satya). We live in a world that is built on layers of shadows. The black and white world is easy: “thou shalt not steal” – many of us don’t take that beyond the basic idea of shoplifting. But Patanjali, again, asks us to live this code – make it a way of life – which demands honesty and thoughtfulness.
Time is one of the easiest things to steal. From yourself if you are violent in your personal habits, you may shorten your life. From someone else if you dominate a conversation, or interrupt their day by telling an unnecessary story. The ultimate act of violence – killing – steals that life.
What about ideas? Mr. Iyengar has said many times that he just does Yoga – it’s other’s that have labeled his teaching as “Iyengar Yoga”. But that is out of a deep respect and need to give credit where credit is due. Many yoga teachers take the alignment from Iyengar, the pace from Shiva Rae, the power from Baptiste and the chanting from Krisna Das – which is all fine if they credit the source. Calling it their own, however, breaks the code of Asteya.
Stealing is an act of dishonesty that creates harm. None of the yamas or niyamas are water tight – they flow in and out of one another with a ripple effect that affects our lives. When we begin to practice them in the grey areas of our lives things become clearer and less complicated. Our lives are simplified. But simple is not easy. It requires honesty, consciousness and the ability to quite often take the more difficult road. Asteya, especially, demands responsibility. It offers us the opportunity to make amends if we’ve broken the code and to evaluate ourselves in a deeper way when we choose not to take what isn’t ours.
February 2012 Article
Satya: Being Truthful
Last month the article was on non-violence (ahimsa) – the 1st code of the Yamas, or social observances as documented by Patanjali millennia ago. This month we focus on satya, or truthfulness. It is the 2nd code, and probably one of the hardest to practice. Because the truth must always be deferred with non-violence.
If in speaking out loud we only told the truth, and then only in a non-violent way, the world would be a much quieter place. If in thinking we only allowed discernably-truthful thoughts, our minds would be much calmer and that mental hamster wheel that we often find ourselves on at 2:30 in the morning would have less fuel.
Telling the truth doesn’t just mean “don’t lie”, but also don’t make things up – speculation and the stories we contrive from it breeds a life based on un-truths, if not out-right lies. So, just as ahimsa means more than “thou shalt not kill”, but rather making a commitment to living peacefully, Patanjali asks us to take the practice of Satya to one of living a life based on truth.
Living it, not just speaking it. How many times do we say one thing and then do something different? This form of lieing confuses our bodies and those around us. It creates conflict and unrest physically, mentally and emotionally. It is called hypocrisy and nothing errods social values and fosters distrust like hypocrisy.
Talk the talk, walk the walk. This is basically what the practice of satya asks us to do. It is one of the best ways to simplify your life and create trust with those around you.
If you say it, do it.
If you’re not sure, wait, and find out.
If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it behind their backs.
Non-violence in speech comes first even if it is the truth.
January 2012 Article
Ahimsa: Non-violence. Peacefulness.
Ahimsa, non-violence, is the first code of the first limb of Ashtanga Yoga and as such is the default to every other yama (social codes) and niyama (individual observances) and determines with each step whether we are on the right path. Although the yamas are said to be social rather than individual codes, the first place that we need to introduce this practice and to learn from it, is with ourselves.
How we treat, think about and speak to ourselves, is often more violent than we ever do to others. There are 3 ways in which we can practice non-violence with ourselves so that as we extend that behaviour to those around us, peace and equanimity is cultured.
1. Physically. Sleep enough? Eat enough – or too much? Excersice without hurting yourself?
Play a little, and take the time to recover when you do. Enjoy what you eat so that you don’t eat too much. Up late? There’s always a cure for that…it’s called a nap!
2. Mentally. Do you beat yourself up, or create un-realistic goals? Are you constantly critiqueing your appearance? Our self-talk is often negative and so consistent that we don’t even realize we’re doing it. And if that’s the case, is it how we talk to others? Especially those closest to us. Whether it’s directly to someone or behind their back, violence in speech is one of the most harmful acts. Noticing it within yourself gives you a chance to break patterns with those around you.
3. Emotionally. Can you express yourself without creating drama? Emotions often cause us to cling or withdraw. And drive us to act out in ways that perhaps we regret later. The best way to be kind to ourselves emotionally is to stay present with whatever we’re feeling.
So, still working on your resolution list? This one’s pretty simple. Be kind – to yourself first!
December 2011 Article
Yoga Philosophy
There is so much more to yoga than the physical asana that most of the western world identifies with. The yoga sutras of Patanjali are based on an 8-limbed path that gives us guidance on basic human nature and how to accept, identify and work well with it.
Rather than dictating that a certain quality is ‘bad’ or ‘good’, the sutras identify that what we experience as human beings; joy or sorrow, is just part of life and if we try to block or not feel all aspects of what it is to be fully living, then we create more suffering. The practice, if we choose to follow it, is to be honestly present with each situation and to deal with, rather than deny, whatever it is our life has brought us. The ability to experience joy without clinging to it, or the need to create more allows us to experience sorrow without getting stuck in it and developes the ability it let it go.
The 8 limbs consist of individual and social codes of ethics, phyisical practices, and the development of mental focus and clarity. Over the next few articles I’m going to write about the codes of ethics that are given in the Yamas and Niyamas, the first 2 limbs of Patanjali’s Classical Yoga.
The Yamas are social codes that make the world go around a little easier when they are practiced. They consist of: Ahimsa: non-violence, Satya: truthfulness, Asteya: non-stealing, Bramhacharya: contained dedication, Aparigraha: non-grasping
It’s always easier to see flaws in others and think you know how to fix them…the real work comes when we are willing to do the same with ourselves. The Niyamas are our guides for doing this work. They consist of: Santosha: contentment, Saucha: purity/cleanliness, Tapas: discipline, Svadhayaya: self-study, Ishvara Pranidhana: Surrender
We’ll explore each code individually over the next few months. I hope you enjoy!
November 2011 Article
What makes Yoga different from other forms of exercise?
Yoga asana is different from other forms of exercise in that you are asked to pay attention to how you are working with your body. Learning to listen to the feedback your body is giving you rather than paying attention to the timer or the number of reps or the miles is one of the greatest gifts of yoga. If you are physically suffering whether it’s in a gym workout, a yoga class, or a job, you are giving up your power by placing your body under someone/thing else’s control.
Why would we do that?
I think part of it is that we are taught from children to pay attention to the task/goal rather than how we get the task done. How many of us justify the stress of exams or evaluations or organizing a successful party by the result – no matter how sick we’ve made ourselves to get the grade, raise, or praise?
This is the beginning of the disconnect with our body. It’s how we override the signals to do something different because we are so focussed on the task and external feedback we’re given that we ignore what our body is telling us.
Yoga gives us a way to break those patterns and come back into harmony with the body. By finding our way into difficult or new postures without creating fear or suffering we learn how to take on tasks in a manner that minimizes stress and keeps us healthy.
Try this: challenge your balance by standing on one foot. Feel the difference when you do this with your normal breath while you are looking around and when you do it with a slow smooth breath and a soft steady gaze. If you haven’t worked with your balance for awhile be patient and keep trying.
October 2011 Article
“Saying you are too stiff to do yoga is like saying you are too dirty to take a shower.” – Eoin Finn
I love this quote!
I hear that comment all the time. A lot of people think they can’t do yoga because they are too stiff. They are the people that need to do yoga the most!
A stiff body isn’t just tight with limited movement. It can cause poor circulation, mis-aligned posture, and improper lifting techniques that load the spine – the list goes on and on. Any improvement to flexibility increases circulation and improves posture resulting in better breathing patterns, sleep, stress release, greater range of motion and overall comfort.
Take my daughter Jayden for instance – she can’t touch her toes, but she did beginner classes in India when we were there in June. By the end of the month she could touch her toes, but even better, her back stopped hurting. Her tightness had caused chronic backaches which were relieved by the improved flexibility she gained through daily practice. It made such a difference that she continues to practice at home and misses it when she doesn’t come to class.
Thank goodness you don’t have to go to India to increase flexibility! Find a beginner or drop in class that accommodates a wide range of abilities if you feel you are ‘too stiff to do yoga’. It doesn’t matter if you can barely touch your knees – any improvement to your flexibility will help you to feel better.
September 2011 Article
Can Yoga help with Addictions?
Fr. Joe Pereira uses Iyengar Yoga in conjunction with the values of the AA 12-step approach to battle addictions and the diseases resulting from them (HIV Aids, hepatitis, depression, etc.) in centres throughout India. The physical body reaps the abuse of addiction and so, it makes sense, that a physical practice helps in the recovery process.
The Kripa Centres that were founded by Fr. Joe with his mentor Mother Theresa’s guidance, are now recognized not only in India, but throughout the world, as having one of the most successful addiction recovery programs.
We are fortunate that Fr. Joe visits Medicine Hat every fall to teach yoga at Half Moon. He will be here September 19-21 and classes are open to the public. At the time of this publication the schedule is yet to be determined, but as always all proceeds will go to the Kripa West Charity Foundation in support of Fr. Joe’s incredible work.
For more information, or if you have questions regarding yoga and recovery, please contact Samantha at 403-866-9642 or visit Halfmoonyoga.blogspot.com for links to Fr. Joe’s work.
We are fortunate at Half Moon to have Fr. Joe visit us every year. Most studios in town bring in International or Senior teachers as well. Please visit their websites or stay informed of the workshops they offer. It’s a great way to expand your experience of yoga and what it has to offer.
August 2011 Article
I’d like to take the opportunity to tell you a bit about my month in India studying yoga with the Iyengar Family. It is a requirement of Iyengar teachers to attend the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India if they are going to continue to be assessed at higher levels in the Iyengar Yoga Teaching system. I just came home from my 2nd trip there. B.K.S. Iyengar – the man who teaches the style of yoga that I do is 93 now. He still practices daily and is constantly developing and teaching those following in his footsteps. Mostly, though, he’s studying – how one thing affects another on levels deeper than I will ever access. He is continually challenging, modifying and making discoveries connected to his practice and study. This keeps the practice of Iyengar Yoga current and relevant to what is needed in the world today. And is why we are required to go – to keep the teaching up-to-date.
I attended daily classes Monday to Saturday with 2 on Thursdays this past June with about 100 other students from around the world. There is also a practice time scheduled each day. It is one of the things that makes Iyengar yoga a bit different from how some other styles of Hatha yoga are taught. There is an expectation that you practice on your own. Class is where you learn the yoga, practice is where you apply what you learn.
Personal practice helps you to apply the benefits of yoga to your life outside of the studio and off of the mat.
It’s not necessary to go to India to study yoga – there are amazing, well-trained teachers in most Canadian centres now. But it sure is an experience! One that I’m grateful for and will treasure always.
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