Continuing Evolution of Will Power

Continuing with Prashantji’s concept of Will Power from my last blog, let’s revisit the Will to Know.  When we know about a topic we are more proficient in that area and are able to do that particular task better.  Whether it is making a vase, cooking a delicious dish, or practicing an asana, if we know more the quality improves. In asana, self study is a major component of our practice.  We get to know a pose in depth with an introspective attitude.

Scientific,  Technological or Yogic Mind

Our grey matter gets involved with cognitive activity, ego activity, logic, deliberation, and synthesis when we practice. As you may recall, the scientific and technological mind is typically only interested in effect, a materialistic approach. The yoga mind has an eye on consciousness and is interested in cause, effect and consequences, a philosophical holistic approach. The impact of yoga sets in when you are consequence minded rather than effect minded. The question is, are you practicing sagaciously, with wisdom? Or are you only practicing with your ability?

Will to Become

Yoga will evolve your consciousness when you work in a sagacious manner. Once we have practiced the will to do (involves the ego and the body) and the will to know (involves the mind), we evolve into the will to become.  We cannot be trained to evolve, we can only get prepared with practice. Once we have put in the time and become a seasoned practitioner, then we evolve and change. When we get to this level we discover that we have become. We are being rather than doing.

Will to Be

The breath has a philosophers mind, prospective, vision and is the bridge to a philosophical culture. Engaging breath awareness, breath activity culture, breath sensitivity culture will help you go for this negotiation. When we work in an asana we have to reach a certain plane. If we get caught in a technicality of doing dynamics then we will never be close to the essential asana. We have to reach a certain level of preparedness, and this means watching something steady.  If you are caught in the posture and constantly doing something all the time, doing, doing, doing, you are constantly hurling pebbles into the lake of consciousness and that lake will never become steady. The ripples keep emanating. As if we get caught in the bewitching, beautiful, pearl necklace and don’t bother about the thread which runs through it at all.

When you come to a particular level of becoming, the being will be there.  When we are prepared we evolve from the will to do, to the will to maintain, to the will to know, to the will to become, to the will to be.  

My deep appreciation to Prashant Iyengar for the material in this blog on Will Power.

DIMENSIONS OF Will Power

BKS Iyengar describes will power as, “Intention with attention”.  If one can get clear about what is to be done and stay in the moment with rapt attention then it is very likely that this agenda will be carried out. When you consider how a momentary distraction can cause one to fall out of balance in a pose, the understanding of lack of attention is instantaneous.

The Will to Do

Prashant Iyengar deciphers will power into a assortment of scenarios. When we practice asana there is the will to do.  We are eager to do a particular pose that may be out of our reach.  It is our will to do that motivates us to practice and our ego drives our will to do. We achieve egoic satisfaction from striving to do.  While the will to do may get us into a challenging pose, there has to be more substance than simply to do if we want to remain interested.  Yoga has a strong mental component. It makes our mental body (manomaya kosa)  more muscular, but that is just one dimension.

The Will to Maintain

When we continue on our journey and probe more deeply beyond just doing, our will to maintain can be engaged.  If we want to penetrate from the periphery to the core, we have to stay, maintain. The asana experience becomes more than enter, pause, and exit.  By maintaining we have an opportunity to be in the state of the pose. Our physical body (annamaya kosa) receives benefits of increased strength and stability, flexibility and stamina. We begin to understand the psychology of the asana. While practicing in this manner has tremendous value, there is still more to receive from deeper work.

The Will to Know

Practicing with the will to know opens the doorway to the laboratory of Self. We take time to explore our organic body. We study the particular pattern of breath associated with a given pose, the channels of energy where prana will flow, and the compression or extension of various organs. Ultimately, we penetrate beyond the organic body and move towards the stillness of being in the moment. The mind and consciousness move toward the Self, a profound benefit of engaging one’s will power. The intellect of the head surrenders to the intelligence of the heart and we become benevolent in spirit. This, in turn, inspires us to be committed to our practice.

Mastering Profound and Deep Relaxation

What is the purpose of such a practice?

Restorative poses are supported in a manner that allows practitioners to remain in a relaxed position for an extended period of time. Typically the body is still while the breath is mobilized and the mind is stabilized. Various poses target specific areas, similar to a more active practice, except in this case the body is still.

What are restorative poses?

The simplest answer is to teach one to deeply and profoundly relax and to tone the Sympathetic Nervous System. Once relaxation is learned under optimal conditions and we encounter stressful events, then we are are less likely to have a fully blown over-reaction.  Restorative poses replenish energy after a demanding day or week, or can provide a less demanding practice during one’s menstrual cycle. When a variety of poses are used the body will be purified, soothed and refreshed. Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclinded Bound Angle Pose) is seen below.

What is the process of such a practice?

The inner work practiced in asana is more easily done when the body is still and “points of the pose” are not demanding one’s attention as they do in a more active practice.  The physical body is put at ease. Poses are propped to make them comfortable based on individual differences. The breath is encouraged to move in a rhythmical manner, and the consciousness can then be directed in a specific pathway.  

Yoga Philosophy teaches us that the manomyakosa, the mental sheath of our embodiment, is comprised of components with unique functions. The goal is to quiet the mind, manos, which is concerned with the human condition, to quite the ego, asmita,  which is absorbed with issues pertaining to “me, my and mine”, and to exist in a witnessing state from the perspective of our discriminating intelligence, buddhi.  Once these components are deciphered then one can cultivate a steady state of mental calmness. Stilling the fluctuations of the mind, the goal of yoga, becomes more pronounced as one cultures the manomyakosa.  

At Iyengar Yoga Source we practice Restorative Poses once a month for each level of class.  Once a student learns the proper set up for the poses, then they can cultivate the art of relaxation.

Yoga's Stress Free Zone

When stressful events strike, powerful hormones are released into the blood stream. A toxic stew wears and tears our organic body and weakens the immune system. My first exposure to the biochemistry of stress came from The Stress of Life by Hans Selye. It was a fascinating read for me at the time. Modern inventions such as voice mail, cell phones, and computers were accelerating the pace of life. Cigarettes were being revealed as the killers they are. Heart disease, cancer and diabetes were on the rise. As a budding yoga teacher, I felt passionate about yoga's ability to reduce the strength of the fight of flight (or freeze) response and bolster one's resistance to stress. My experience showed me how a regular yoga practice toned the parasympathetic nervous system, the pathway to relaxation and digestion. 

Practice and Detachment

B.K.S. Iyengar said these principles are two wings on the bird of yoga. We are encouraged to practice diligently, uninterruptedly, for an extended period and to let go of those habits that prevent us from doing so. On a practical level, when we step on our mat to practice, we become detached from distraction. We cultivate a muscular mental body and concentrate on the task at hand: our practice, which must be heartfelt rather than mechanical. With the tools of yoga we create a state of concentration on the physical body and the breath. 

What are the tools of yoga?

The more one studies the Self, the more one discovers the power of these hidden jewels. The most obvious tool is our vehicle, the body, our ride while on this planet. We use our muscles and bones to mold ourselves into iconic shapes called asanas, yoga poses. As the asana is held, the organic body is stretched, squeezed, flushed and rinsed in a unique manner. The breath is the second tool. The point is to engage the breath in a deliberate manner to energize the body, deliver prana, and rid oneself of impurities. While these first two aspects are more superficial, when we engage our consciousness, the third tool, the practice becomes more absorbing and we penetrate inward. We exist in a witnessing state and are at the threshold of Yoga's Stress Free Zone. 

Moving from Learning to Understanding to Mastery

At Iyengar Yoga Source students learn to practice in this manner and as the weeks go by they become more proficient with the process. One can learn the process with simple poses which makes these teachings accessible to first year students. There are many other tools to utilize while practicing yoga. Come and practice with us and find your Stress Free Zone. It will make you feel whole, together and in harmony with your Self. 

Standing on your own two feet.

by Linda DiCarlo

Life is constantly challenging us to maintain stability, strength and stamina under unusual circumstances. Occasionally we are thrown off balance, feel sluggish or run out of gas and have to retreat. To remain focused during these tough times requires physical as well as mental muscles. A standing pose yoga practice can transform your legs and your core, improve stability and equilibrium as well as develop your mental acuity. 

Each Standing Pose Has a Different Shape

By working with a wide variety of standing positions the legs are engaged to maximize stability in the hips, knees and ankles. Even though the position may be held for less than a minute, when repeated on a regular basis, these muscles, bones and joints become stronger and more flexible. Equally important is the vestibular system, located in the inner ear. It impacts your ability to balance and is challenged to become more adapt by the demands of unique positions. 

Upper Body Strength and Coordination are Engaged in a Deliberate Manner

While the lower body has its clear intention, the upper body is held steady to compliment the work of the lower body. The standing poses become full body poses. Extension and expansion of the entire embodiment becomes a reality and this awakens one's awareness in an interesting manner. 

The Breath is Called to Action in Each Pose

Of course we breath on a regular basis, but in yoga poses normal breathing is not enough. The breath works as diligently as the body and interestingly works as a tool for purification. In addition to the unusual task of gaseous exchange occurring in the alveoli of the lungs, the positive life force of prana rides on the breath. The body becomes saturated with these initial components and the end result is that consciousness spreads and awakens the intelligence in your vehicle, the body. 

We practice Standing Poses in just about every class. Certain sequences place a greater emphasis on this category of poses. Come and practice with us and experience the points I have mentioned above. See for yourself. 

What is So Different About Iyengar Yoga?

What is So Different About Iyengar Yoga?

by Linda DiCarlo

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Linda teaches beginning to advanced students at the Iyengar Yoga Source in Providence, RI.

The art and science of yoga has evolved over the last several decades to appeal to contemporary society. In an effort to keep up with trends, individual teachers have devised a variety of approaches in yoga classes. There is something for everyone: slow, fast, sequential, hot, suspended, musical, silent, eyes opened or closed, disciplined, freedom of movement and the list goes on. All yoga is good as long as no one is getting injured. After all, the philosophical tenet of ahimsa, non-violence, is the first step of a yoga practice. 

• Yoga is An Attention Game

The Iyengar method of yoga is "meditation in action" according to BKS Iyengar. After ten years of searching, I first started practicing the method in 1986 and was impressed with the mental discipline required to pay attention for the duration of a class. At the same time I was fascinated by the effects of following the precise instructions on alignment. This was yoga with a clear purpose, no ambiguity! It taught me how to pay attention for an extended period of time.

• Instructions are Clear and Precise

The teacher was articulate and had the ability to describe what I was to do in a pose and then how to make that happen. He demonstrated the poses being taught and invited us to all watch him closely. Then we practiced the pose and he observed us keenly to see what we missed. He demonstrated again and we repeated the pose. The end result was impressive. Alignment improved and concentrated deepened.

• Rich Diversity of Poses are Utilized

Iyengar Yoga has a rich, diverse collection of poses that are practiced over time. No two classes are the same. Each week there is a different emphasis. Standing, Seated, Arching, Twisting, Inverted, or Restorative. The creativity of the teacher is well exercised. 

• Home Practice is Cultivated

As one moved through the various levels of classes, new sets of poses are learned and students cultivate the ability to develop a home practice. Practitioners are considered beginners for five years, but after only a couple months one feels as if mastery has begun. Confidence builds and the evolution of the yogi continues for years and years. It is a beautiful awakening of body, consciousness and soul. 

There is an ineffable quality to Iyengar Yoga and one must try it to truly understand the uniqueness of the method. It is best to attend a few consecutive classes to investigate the teacher, the variety of sequences and the effects created. As an educated consumer you will be able to describe the differences for yourself. Do come. 

Start your Iyengar Yoga training with our beautiful Iyengar Yoga Beginner Pose Guide. Download for viewing on your mobile device or order a poster size print today. Featuring 28 basic poses along with the Sanskrit and English names, our guide will assist you in your home practice. Click below to view: 

Yoga Sequences to Uplift the Spirit - Providence RI Yoga Studio

Yoga Sequences to Uplift the Spirit

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It is interesting to study the psychology of yoga poses. Different states of mind can be experienced while in yoga postures (asanas) of various shapes. Hence, you can design a practice to become more calm, joyful, focused, alert, or relaxed. The spine arching, chest opening poses are utilized to relieve depression or uplift the spirit.

What is normal posture? 

The range of movement during the course of the day typically does not include chest expanding actions, rather the opposite is more likely. The chest houses the physical heart, considered the seat of emotions. The heart chakra, Anahata, located at heart level in the center of the body is associated with love and compassion. When thee components are crowded, the mood is flattened or deflated and the depth of breathing is shallow. By standing with shoulders rounded and chest sinking, the head tilted forward and downward, one can observe this psychological state. 

What are the Effects of Chest Opening?

When we expand the chest with active or supported chest opening poses, spaciousness in the chest cavity is created. The ability to breathe is enhanced and body chemistry is transformed. We become more alert, energized and open hearted. 

Supported or Energetic Approach?

Methodically practice to strengthen the back, extend the shoulders, hip flexors and thighs to prepare the body to open the chest region. Work with a chair or bolster to provide support to remain in the pose for several minutes. This is an excellent way to work if one has low energy or a flat affect. For a more energetic practice use the rope wall to invigorate the chest cavity. Use the yoga chair as support to increase the movement of the spine away from the skin on the back. Once one has suitably prepared, the classical backbends can be practiced. 

These sequences are somewhat technical and are generally followed with poses to bring the body back to a neutral position. It can take some time to understand how to create a sequence to open the chest. Lessons with a good teacher can help you cultivate the skill to practice in this manner. At our Iyengar Yoga Source studio, we practice spine extending poses every month. They are progressive and you can learn to practice in the privacy of your home practice space.