In modern contexts, the practice of Yoga has been mistakenly classified as a just another exercise regiment however this practice which dates back thousands of years in human history is actually a compendium of applied wisdom and guidance for generating and sustaining an overall sense of synergy between our minds and bodies, and harmony between our inner and outer reality.
Mindful
Movement
Often when someone is talking about teaching or attending a yoga class, they are referring to just one of Yoga’s eight facets which is called Asana. The literal translation of this word is posture or pose and describes the sequences of movement you work through in a class. The description given to me by one of my teachers however, is that asana is the practice of “sitting comfortably in the seat of uncomfortability”. This gets closer to the heart of how the physical aspect of yoga contributes to personal revolution. It teaches us on a visceral, physiological, nervous system level how to find our point of control in challenging circumstances, that point of control being our focus.
Focus requires collaboration between the subtle realm of the mind and the substantial world of matter. The bridge between these two components is the breath. This facet of yoga is called Pranayama. By cultivating a deep relationship with your breath through the practices offered by this discipline, you expand your ability to direct your mind rather than the other way around. That is because our breath is one of very few physiological processes we have substantial control over. This becomes especially useful in cases where your mental state has been heavily influenced by trauma since your world view creates the scaffolding for your mind builds itself around. That structure in turn influences the building of your nervous system and even your epigenetic expression.
Science is beginning to be able to explain some of how and why these so called mindfulness based practices are so transformative. For example, researchers at UC Davis have been able to demonstrate that Meditation had a significant protective and potentially regenerative effect on telomer activity which helps to retain the stability of our very DNA (Jacobs et al., 2011). Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill showed how practices like meditating specifically on loving- kindness correlated with improvements in the vagal tone in the heart and can improve outcomes in cardiac disease (Kok & Fredrickson, forthcoming). The correlative aspects of yoga in this case are the Yamas and Niyamas; the practice of pursuing a set of ethical values that promote our ability to be in harmony with ourselves and the world around us.
Our practice gives us an opportunity to tune into our innermost state which is beyond the reach of the distortions of society. As we flow through a sequence or kriya, there is a continual invitation to bring our mental focus back from wherever it tends to wander and back to this inner neutrality, this is called Pratyahara. With enough dedication, less effort is needed to muster this overall sense of cohesion and you attain what is called Dharana or a natural present moment awareness. When we can maintain this state of attunement for extended periods of time, you are said to have obtained Samadhi or harmony.
For some, the ultimate goal of yoga is this state of Samadhi and it is used interchangeably with the word enlightenment. It is my opinion though, that yoga supports us in transcending all of our goal and result oriented thinking and gifts us a sense of capacity and equanimity during the ups and downs that come with life. This is the “peace that surpasses all understanding”. The longevity of yoga as a path and philosophy can be attributed to this kind of wholistic approach to optimizing the human experience on so many levels.
Although these concepts emerge from the timeless lexicon of human technology, it is the Eastern cultures who have been able to preserve and codify these teachings in the form that we all benefit from today. For this reason I honor, respect, and name the Hindu and Buddhist roots of this ancient anthology and give my thanks for the generous sharing of these teachings. They have set the foundation for the ways that I have been able to transform my own mental and physical health and how I integrate movement and cognitive engagement in order to support the communities I serve.
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