Experiments
Permanence in a World of Change
We live in a world of change. We all know this, one has only to notice the seasons or watch sunrise or sunset to see perfect examples of that change. Sit still, close your eyes and notice what you feel. Does it stay the same or does it almost immediately change? Just like the sky, what you feel is in motion and always changing.
Life is constantly changing and yet so many of us crave permanence which simply does not exist. How often have you said or heard someone else say, “I hate change”? The best expression of this is the phrase, “It won’t be the same without you.” Of course it won’t be the same! It won’t be the same with or without me.
When we say, “I hate change” or “It won’t be the same without you,” we are really saying that change is bad. We also rob ourselves of the chance to joyfully experience something new. We create an expectation that whatever happens will not only be different but that the difference will be bad. Often when we believe something will go badly, it does so because we make it so. On occasion, such times are so happy or joyful that the experience overwhelms our belief but this tends to be the exception and not the rule.
Why do we resist change so much? Control, we want to control our lives and, sometimes, the lives of those around us. Those of us who hate change the most, do so because that change makes us feel out of control.
What can you do to begin letting go of the need for permanence in our ever changing world? Start to notice all of the change going on around you right now. Next, notice all of the change going on inside your body right now. Your body is literally alive with sensations right now. Are you in control of any of these changes? No, you may be able to influence them but they are not in your control. Check outside to make sure that the world didn’t just come to an end. Continue this little experiment and notice what you feel as you recognize change. Panic, wonder, awe, fear? Then drop out of labeling what you feel down into the sensations you feel. How does panic/wonder/awe/fear feel? Where you do you feel it? Does the sensation stay the same and in the same place or does it also change? Expand this little experiment and notice what comes up with larger changes, is it the same, more intense or something else entirely? As you continue this practice, you will find that your relationship with change will . . . change.
Jai Bhagwan
Read MoreRamdas’ Class Notes: Intention
Well it’s been a long while since I last wrote here and I’m not sure I want to interrupt Dhruti’s series. However, I keep saying that I will put up class notes and I really need to follow through on what I say I will do.
Classes this week covered two different themes. On Monday and Tuesday we focused on intention, “Why am I here in class tonight?” and on Wednesday and Thursday we focused on feeling. Now I want to take some time and focus on each of these themes. Today, we’ll look at intention.
Intentions really boil down to one very simple question, “Why am I doing what I am doing?” So often, we rush through life without ever stopping to think about why we are doing what we are doing. It is not that we do not have a reason for doing what we are doing; rather, we simply are not aware of what that reason is. When was the last time you thought about why you brush your teeth when you were actually brushing your teeth? Even better, when you ask “How are you doing?” are you simply being polite or do you really want to know how the person is doing?
Here is a little experiment you can try. Over the next couple of days, simply stop for a moment and think about what your intention is for whatever you are doing. After you have recognized what your intention is, go back to what you were doing and bring the feeling of your intention into what you are doing. Just notice whether consciously acting with intention changes the way you do things.
Why would anyone want to act with intention? When we act without being aware of our intention, we are simply going through the motions. When we consciously act with intention, our actions are alive and engaging. We have all simply gone through the motions before and we all know how boring that can be. We also all know how exciting it is to be fully engaged in what we are doing and the key to being fully engaged is acting with intention. Now, don’t just take my word for it, try our little experiment and experience it for yourself.
Watch for part two of this week’s class notes, where I will talk about feeling, Monday.
Jai Bhagwan
Ramdas
Purity and Sweat
#5 in a series of posts that addresses the topics listed in this article.
“Wear deodorant. Look up the Sanskrit word “saucha.” It means “cleanliness.” No one wants to smell you; it’s off-putting.”
Diving right in, the word Saucha means so much more than cleanliness and certainly does not refer solely to the body. That’s the amazing thing about Sanskrit, there are multiple meanings for words. Saucha includes bodily cleanliness, but also cleanliness of mind and of the way we live our lives. Furthermore, Saucha is not merely a word, but is one of the five Niyamas, the second limb of Patañjali’s Ashtanga Yoga. My preferred translation is Purity, which can then be further understood to mean taking care of ourselves. But, to take care of oneself, one needs to pay attention. Anything you do affects your stillness and living with purity is an invitation to not only pay attention to whatever you are doing, but your reaction to it, eventually leading you to ask yourself what the effect would be before you do it.
What compels you to practice yoga? Whatever the reason – increased strength, happiness, improved health, ease, less stress, enlightenment – you need to remember up front that yoga is not about getting what you want. Remember this post? I wrote that yoga is about breaking our reactive patterns to any given situation, on or off the mat. This applies to what you, or anyone else, may smell during a practice. People can sweat during an asana practice; it’s what our bodies are designed to do. Requesting that someone not sweat, or in this case wear deodorant, is tantamount to ordering your preferred ideal. Wearing deodorant is your choice, but instead of dwelling on the odor of your classmates (or yourself), I encourage you to practice Saucha and pay attention to what is happening to you and how your reactions are affecting you and ultimately your stillness. Allow me to ask this: If deodorant is designed to cover up and mask odor, how is covering up reality ever going to be enlightening?
Jai Bhagwan
Read MoreMove Toward Stillness
#4 in a series of posts that addresses the topics listed in this article.
“Yoga is not a magic bullet or a pill you can take to solve your bad attitude if you’re not prepared to put in the work yourself.”
Who determines whether or not your attitude is bad? This is important. If someone feels you have a bad attitude then I am going to be rather bold here and say that person is comparing you to a predetermined ideal he or she has set. A bad attitude to one person might be strength and perseverance to another. We just cannot know what battles another person is facing. But, what about our perception of ourselves?
What if you believe yourself as having a bad attitude? First, start attending yoga class. The purpose of yoga is stillness, this being the most succinct definition of yoga I have ever heard as well as the one that resonates with me. Now, stillness doesn’t mean being passive and not acting (e.g. magic bullets), it simply means to accept things as they are, right now. Instead of defining your attitude as bad, begin moving toward stillness by paying attention to why you feel the way you do. As Ramdas so eloquently phrased it, “Do not assume you know what you think you know. Breathe. Feel. Explore. Learn. Take off the lenses of the past and see reality for what it truly is, then act.”
Jai Bhagwan
Read MoreWe Don’t Have All The Answers, Please Ask Anyway!
A few weeks ago, Ramdas forwarded an article to me. Now, this is not an uncommon occurrence; we both enjoy reading about yoga in its many forms, but when I first began reading it, I found myself wondering if it might have been written as tongue-in-cheek, but I don’t believe so. This article, titled 13 Things Your Yoga Teacher Won’t Tell You, inspired some self-study of my own. Here is a link to the original article, I invite you to form your own opinion, but as a yoga teacher, I would like to offer my personal understanding for each of these 13 items.
Over the next several days, I will address one, or perhaps two of these in each post; thirteen is simply too much for one post! So, let’s start at the beginning:
#1 “I don’t have all the answers—about yoga or anything else—and I get irritated when I witness other yoga teachers putting themselves out there as gurus, therapists, or doctors.”
Rather an interesting topic for the first item on a list of things for which I plan to offer opinions! First, know this, both Ramdas and I dearly love to laugh, we enjoy teaching and continually read and study to further our understanding of yoga, but it’s true; I don’t have all the answers, and I write only of myself. How could I possess your answers? You have the answer you seek already inside of you, and as a teacher, my purpose is to help you discover that. I do not become irritated when you, or any other student, present a question or concern, whether directly aimed at yoga practice or not, nor do I become irritated when I might witness what another teacher is doing. Viewing another teacher’s methods often will continue to strengthen my own practice and quite possibly providing me with needed insight. If nothing else, the simple fact the teacher showed up illustrates a liking for what they are doing.
I truly want to help you and share with you all I can about what I have learned about yoga. I can only teach who I am, and I am a person who is continually amazed by the power of a diligent yoga practice. We can work together to help you discover those answers you seek, or perhaps find a way to let go of the need for and answer, and in doing so, find peace and stillness within yourself. After all, that is the purpose of yoga.
Jai Bhagwan
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See You There
I have recently returned from an amazing 10-day journey through yoga. I lived yoga 24 hours a day for 10 days and was taught by stellar teachers with years and years of experience; however, I became curious about something. Could that same peace and stillness I cultivated during training still be found within the small class I started out in? Could I still practice alongside others? Would I make comparisons? Would I grow bored? Could I stay focused and follow directions? My curiosity grew and an experiment blossomed. I went to class!
When I arrived in class, I unrolled my mat and sat down. I was still tired from my travels, but I knew how I’d feel once I began; it only took one round of Sun Salutations for me to dust off the cobwebs and dive in, so to speak. I found that I was following directions without really even trying, it came without strain. It did, however, take a bit longer for my mind to quiet down. I focused more on breathing, and even more on bodily sensations, and before I knew it, I had integrated into my practice. The peace and stillness I found were tangible.
So, why would I want to do this? Why would I attend a beginner level class right after completing teacher training? One of the greatest things about this yoga is learning to surrender yourself to the moment you are in. If you think about it, the present is the only moment you ever can be in. Yoga has showed me to accept what comes up, to accept where I am and give my best in those moments. Standing in Mountain Pose in a beginner level class in Utah wouldn’t magically place me back in Florida for training, nor would it catapult me into a more advanced-level class. I made the choice to attend that class, and to that class I gave every thing I had available at that moment.
Recognizing this sounds simplistic, I offer this advice: Come to class. An asana practice is a wonderful way to step out of the confines of the mind, experiment with our edges, and expand our capacity to manage various aspects of life. You don’t need to attend teach training to cultivate this ability, you only need to come to class. I hope to see you there.
Jai Bhagwan!
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