Can you live in the world like a swan? Even though a swan lives in water, the water does not penetrate and it remains dry. Wouldn't it be wonderful to live in this world and let our troubles roll off without being soaked by them?

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In this episode I will discuss the yogic process of self-study to better understand what makes you tick, and how to you can become more balanced in life.

Yoga is classically a means to evolve your consciousness to be the best possible version of yourself. It is not meant to be an end to itself. You don’t need to go off to a cave and meditate endlessly. In fact, this will usually result in mental imbalance and darkness of spirit. But if you only focus on the outer life, your day-to-day busy-ness, then the result will be dissatisfaction and attachments.

So, we need to develop both – find the inner power and strength of mind as well as carry that into the world around us creating a compatibility of the inner and outer world.

Easier said than done! Our karmas, our patterns, are like gravity pulling us down. There will need to be effort to break free. Think about the amount of energy it takes to lift a rocket into space – to overcome the force of gravity! Sometimes it feels that difficult to break free of our patterns.

In the style of yoga that I practice and teach there is great emphasis on the practice of karma yoga, or meditative action. When we can learn to approach our daily activities with meditative action, with enhanced awareness, we can begin to recognize our emotional patterns. Combining karma yoga with mindfulness meditation, we will be able to begin the process of self-study and truly see what patterns are holding us down.

When you go to the eye doctor and you put your chin on the big device, and then the eye doctor flips different lenses in front of your eye as you look at the chart. Which is better, this or this. What about this or that? Sometimes it’s easy to tell the difference and other times it’s not! Well, we need to cultivate this same attention to what we are looking at…what we are doing…what we are feeling…this or that. Which choice will bring more clarity!

To get to this point, it is so important to engage in the practice of self-study, or swadhyaya. ‘Swa’ = self and dyaya = to meditate on. For our purposes we will think of it as the process to be able to observe or study one’s self from the little ego self to our higher self

As we move into self-study we must engage 2 important concepts – awareness and acceptance (remove tendency toward judgement)

Stages of Swadhyaya

1. observe (witness) - awareness through creation of space between seeing and action
2. understand (viveka) - discrimination
   1. to see the root of our patterns (example childhood bullying)
   2. accept and let go
3. regulate (appropriateness) – being proactive rather than reactive

Swadhyaya – what it is and isn’t

• It is not an intellectual process; rather it is finding the nature of the self, who we are, what we are, what we are trying to do, how we are trying to do it.
• Swadhyaya is not reading this and reading that, cluttering the mind with different concepts and ideas while not being clear about our own aims and directions in life.
• Swadhyaya is a complete psychological analysis of the personality.
• There are two kinds of understanding: one is mental, rational, intellectual understanding or knowledge, and the other is the application of knowledge. We have to learn how to apply knowledge to gain wisdom.

SWAN - Our strengths, weaknesses, ambitions and needs all have to be known, analyzed and understood using the faculty of discrimination and self-acceptance.

Describe the process. Divide a paper in 4 blocks with the SWAN letters one in each. Start by listing 3 things in each category.

'S' stands for strength and every individual has strengths. Strengths are those qualities, skills, talents and characteristics which support and help us to evolve. They are those aspects of the personality that can be applied positively and constructively in life, those positive attributes of our character that have been acquired through our karmas.

Everyone has a 'W' too. We have weakness, insecurity, inferiority complexes and unawareness of our potential. Weaknesses limit our progress. Weaknesses are the deficiencies in our personality, for example, apathy, anger and procrastination. Most of the time we are influenced by and try to hide our weaknesses, but by overly focusing on them we let them overshadow our strengths. When listing your SWAN aspects, do not let your weaknesses outnumber your strengths. This will make you more positive.

At the same time everyone has an 'A', ambition. We all want to become what we are not and we try very hard to do it. Ambitions are what we want to do in life. They are the driving force behind our actions; we cannot achieve anything without ambition. Ambition can be based on fear, desire, power or a natural love of life. When practicing SWAN sadhana, do not let your ambitions overshadow or outnumber your needs.

Everyone also has an 'N', need. Needs are what everybody has. The body needs food and water, clothing and shelter. There are mental needs, the desire for satisfaction, some purpose in life, while the need for inner harmony and balance with nature comprise our spiritual needs.

Utilization of SWAN

• Write your strengths and display them somewhere to remind you that these are your positive points that will develop and encourage you in life. You will gain in strength and support each time you look at them consciously.
• Choose one weakness that you want to eliminate over the next month. Focus your awareness on that weakness for a month, using your strengths and your awareness to overcome that weakness. After a month, do your SWAN again and write down the results, then choose another weakness to eliminate, or if the first one needs more work, continue on that one.
• Which negative ambitions (if any) can be changed into positive ones? For example, “I will never” can become “I will always.” List your ambitions according to priority or chronologically. When do you want to achieve them? What first steps are you going to make to achieve them? Do you need to make an affirmation that you repeat frequently to help you?
• Over the month see what comes up as needs and which needs you can successfully modify, drop or put into ambitions, and adjust your needs list accordingly.

In conclusion, Swami Niranjanananda says, “Ultimately, through the practices of SWAN meditation, a stage of integration is reached wherein the different levels of the personality, instinctive, emotional, mental and psychic, are able to function and coordinate harmoniously. The fragmented aspects of the human personality which hinder and limit creative potential are gradually unified and reinforced, creating more positive channels of expression. In this way, the practice unfolds a new vision of oneself and of one's life, an experience of internal unity and self-acceptance which is not affected by external changes and influences.”

The breath is important. We all know that if you stop breathing for more than a few minutes you will not survive! Our breath keeps us alive. But did you know that the breath is just the more familiar aspect of a more subtle, yet complex force that not only animates you but upholds the world? Upholds the universe?

In this episode you will learn more about the breath and how it not only keeps you alive but can heal both physical and mental disturbances.

Let’s start with the basics. The average person breathes more than 20,000 times per day. Do you pay attention to any of those 20,000 plus breaths? Maybe if you have a cold. Or if you are short of breath from exertion.

But in yoga, we learn to become more aware of the breath because the breath can be a tool to alter how we respond to the world around us, both physically and mentally. In fact, the breath is said to be the “bridge” between the physical and mental.

There are practices in yoga called Pranayama practices. The word pranayama is often translated as breathing practices, because these practices manipulate the breath in different ways to create calmness, cool the body, relieve anger and anxiety, lower blood pressure and pulse, improve digestion and so much more. But the word “pranayama” is a combination of two words “prana” meaning the life force, the quality of aliveness, and “ayama” meaning to expand. Therefore, the word pranayama actually means to “expand the life force” that exists in each of us, and through that expansion the systems of the body can become more fully harmonized and health optimized.

Prana is ever changing. It is essence of movement and change in the world and in you. In terms of the universe, prana is then called Mahaprana – the great force of aliveness.

Are you aware of this prana? Your prana is a part of this bigger prana. Can you fell it? Do you know when is prana strong? When is it weak? Let’s look at some lifestyle considerations when you may have felt prana without necessarily being aware of what you were feeling.

Prana in food

• Strong - Fruits, fresh veggies, whole grains, olive oil, fish, eggs
• Weak – meat, fatty fried foods, processed foods, white food (bread, rice, sugar) alcohol

Prana in air

• Strong - Air near a waterfall, ocean, forest
• Weak - Air in city, polluted areas

Prana in relationships

• Strong - Love, hugs, laughing
• Weak - Stress, anger, sorrow

Now you may realize that you’ve been feeling prana in your life and how that feels in you. But can you translate that into the feeling of your own subtle prana within?

In yoga we talk about the koshas, or the five different layers or dimensions of our being – physical, energetic, mental associated with the senses and thoughts, more subtle mental associated with higher knowing and intuition, and the spiritual. The energetic kosha is called pranamaya kosha and is composed of about 72,000 nadis or energy passageways through which the prana flows. These nadis are similar to the meridians in eastern medicine practices like acupuncture, and are arranged in systems within the body and extend a bit beyond the body as well.

These energy passages can become blocked or disturbed, resulting in both physical and mental disturbances that if prolonged, can create dis-ease. Our physical and mental states are a good indication of our pranic condition.

In the different areas of the physical body, prana serves different functions, energizing certain organs and supporting their corresponding actions. There are 5 main subpranas and there are yoga practices that are designed to help you truly feel the energy flowing in each of these. Within the chest, there is a subprana that supports the function of the lungs and heart, in the pelvis one that supports excretion and sexuality, and in between one that supports digestion. Then there is one in the head and extremities that supports the brain, nervous system and circulation. And the remaining one is spread through the whole body ad acts like the backup battery to the other four.

By practicing prana vidya, or knowledge of the pranas, you can learn to feel these pranas and gradually optimize their support of the bodily systems.

As you can see, the physiology of energy within us is more complex than you may have realized. Where should you start to better facilitate your awareness of, and strengthen your prana.

Start by becoming aware of your breath. Don’t change it. Just be aware of it and notice what happens. Usually, what happens is that as you begin to watch the breath you realize you aren’t breathing very deep or it might be irregular, so you begin to change it. But I told you not to change it. And it you don’t change it, then how many breaths can you take without the mind wandering? The mind finds the watching the breath boring and so it will distract you. To stay aware of the natural breath will take practice. You can actually download a free natural breath awareness recording on my website, swamiatmarupa.com.

It is important to understand that the emotions change our breathing and therefore we can use the breath to change our emotions.

A recent study in the Journal of Neurophysiology revealed that several brain regions linked to emotion, attention, and body awareness are activated when we pay attention to our breath.

What they found was that increased activity across a network of brain structures, including the amygdala, when participants breathed rapidly, like what happens when stressed. Activity in the amygdala suggests that quick breathing rates may trigger feelings like anxiety, anger, or fear. Other studies have shown that we tend to be more attuned to fear when we’re breathing quickly. Conversely, it may be possible to reduce fear and anxiety by slowing down our breath.

A basic breathing practice that will help you deepen and lengthen the breath is to do rhythmic breathing and gradually extend the breath and the length of the exhalation. Count your inhalation and make the exhalation the same and then every few breaths make the exhalation one count longer.

In a comprehensive article on the importance of breath in yoga, Amarjit Singh explains the process that occurs when we slow our breathing down:

“By changing the breathing pattern, you can produce different states of mind. Slowing down the breath has an impact on your emotional state. The cerebral cortex is activated through consciously slowing down the release of breath. Then the cerebral cortex sends inhibitory impulses to the respiratory center in the midbrain. These inhibitory impulses from the cortex overflow into the area of the hypothalamus, which is concerned with emotions, and relax this area. This is why slowing down the breath has a soothing effect on your emotional state.”

Many researchers have documented the benefits of a regular practice of simple, deep breathing, which include the following:

• Reduced anxiety and depression
• Lower/stabilized blood pressure
• Increased energy levels
• Improved immunity
• Decreased feelings of stress and overwhelm

Beyond observing the natural breath and a regular practice of simple, deep breathing there are many, many more breathing practices and pranayama practices. Additionally, there are more advanced practices that unblock the pranic passageway and balance the pranic systems to optimize health.

I am currently writing a 4 month long, home study course, Prana and Pranayama, for the Yoga Academy of North America. This course is a good introduction to the foundational practices and knowledge. The subject is broad and deep.

If you would like to learn more about the course or breathing practices in general, please feel free to email me through my website.

There’s a lot going on these days that can trigger significant anxiety! We have an ongoing pandemic. We have an upcoming presidential election that is often feeding cultural divisiveness. Our cities are experiencing protests and riots. Our forests are on fire. Our oceans are producing more hurricanes and bigger ones than normal.

It’s no wonder we are experiencing stress and anxiety! These are unprecedented times. How can yoga help? Classical, integrative yoga is meant to support you, to give you inner strength and the ability to remain calm and centered in turbulent situations.

In the US approximately 18% of the population can be diagnosed with some form of diagnosable, formal anxiety disorder at any time.  However, nearly everyone experiences generalized anxiety at different times. And these are different times!

Major symptoms of anxiety affect the body, energy, emotions, mind, and spirit.  Therefore, yoga is an excellent resource to alleviate anxiety, especially any style that integrates practices that address our bodies, our energy, our emotions, minds and our spirit. When we practice n this way, we are cultivating a state of awareness that allows us to become more objective and present.

There have been many studies on anxiety and yoga. One showed when yoga asanas were performed without breath awareness there was no improvement in the symptoms of anxiety.  However, when deep breathing was linked to the movements, there was improvement.  Another study showed that salivary cortisol levels (stress hormones) decreased after yoga classes that incorporated breath work and short meditations along with the asana practice.

Asanas - or physical movements

Asanas not only stretch tense muscles, but they massage the internal organs that are often negatively affected by stress and anxiety.  An important concept that distinguishes the practice of asana from other forms of exercise is the awareness with which the practice is done.  If the asanas are performed with loud music, rapid movements, and externalized attention the practice is no different that exercise.  Classically, asanas are meant to be accompanied by the sound of the breath, done slowly, while keeping the awareness on the sensations, thoughts and feelings generated at that moment during the practice. 

Norman Doidge, a psychiatrist who has written extensively on neuroplasticity, said in his book, “The Brain’s Way of Healing” -

“Slowness of movement is the key to awareness, and awareness is the key to learning…Slower movement leads to more subtle observation and map differentiation, so that more change is possible.”

Mapping means the brain’s ability to access different methods of learning and consolidating information to help the mind function with more efficiency, to understand relationships and connections more readily, and to improve symptoms of chronic disease.

I’ve been teaching classical yoga for over 25 years and I’ve seen how this slower style of practice has benefited my students in so many ways! I’ve also seen how this style has helped me manage chronic pain conditions, low energy states, mental stressors and kept my spirit singing.

Today, I want to share some simple practices with you that I often teach in my regular classes. You won’t be able to do these at this time, but you can listen to the instructions, visualize the practice and review the show notes later when you are able to practice.

We’ll start with a few simple asanas that are very therapeutic for releasing tensions throughout the body and especially suitable to practice when the mind is racing.  These asanas massage the adrenal glands (our stress glands) and encourage deepening of the breath.

Palm tree pose. Start by interlacing the fingers and place the hands on the head with the palms facing up. Inhale and stretch the arms as high as you can, pulling yourself up on your toes, then exhale and return to the starting position. Practice 10 times.

Swaying palm tree. Move the feet about shoulder width apart. Again, interlace the fingers and place the hands on the head with the palms up. Inhale and stretch the arms up, but don’t rise onto the toes, instead exhale and bend to one side. Inhale back to center and exhale to the other side. Inhale back to center and release the arms down with the exhale. Practice 10 times.

Moving on from these practices, do a standing forward bend slowly.  Bend the knees as much as necessary to release any back discomfort, rolling down like a rag doll, letting the arms hang.  Hold the pose for up to 10 slow, deep breaths and with each breath allow the tensions to be released with the breath.

Lie down on the floor on the abdomen and rest the forehead on folded forearms. Close the eyes and breathe deeply in and out of the abdomen.  Push the abdomen out against the floor with the inhale and repeat mentally “letting go” with each exhale.  Count at least 10 slow, deep breaths. This deep abdominal breathing triggers a relaxation response in the body.

When you are finished, notice how you feel.

Pranayama – breathing practices

Anxiety results in rapid breathing with more focus on inhalation and thoracic breathing- the belly doesn’t move.  Part of the purpose of the breathing practice from a yogic perspective is to encourage diaphragmatic breathing and to lengthen the exhalation. 

The energy body contains energy channels.  The breath is just the external manifestation of these channels. Some of the channels create extroversion and an increase in energy and some create a more introverted, calm state of mind.  The practice of nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) helps to balance both of these energies Normally when doing this form of breathing, the breath moves back and forth from one side to the other utilizing the hand.

The technique can be altered during an anxiety attack by only breathing in the left nostril and out the right repeatedly, rather than back and forth, using the fingers to block one side then the other.

Another useful technique that I teach in every one of my Yoga for Anxiety classes, is Bhramari (humming or bee breath).  This not only alleviates anxiety, but it is also good for anger. In this practice, the eyes are closed, the ears are plugged with the fingers, and after breathing in deeply, the breath is released while making a deep, humming sound. Continue humming like a bee, focusing on the sound in the center of the head behind the eyebrow center.

To learn more about this practice, see the episode from September of last year called, “What do Bees Have to do with Yoga.”

Meditation – to manage the mind

There are several meditation practices that are excellent for anxiety disorders.  Meditation helps the mind introvert and let go of what’s going on around us. It’s a bit like rebooting your computer when it’s not quite working the way you want. It doesn’t mean you need to spend a lot of time for this. There are 3 that are labeled as bonus episodes from last year’s podcasts that are available to you. These make great starting points for those who aren’t used to doing any form of meditation. They also work well as a brief “meditation break” when you need to calm down and re-center.

1. Natural Breath Awareness (about 5 min)
2. A Yoga Nap (about 10 min)
3. Antar Mouna (about 20 min)

Intentionally setting aside time for daily meditation, even 5 minutes, will help release those deeply held tensions that can be the root of anxiety.

The order I have given is the order in which the practices are done in a typical class in the style that I teach, and it is ideal for someone suffering from anxiety.  Starting with asanas there is release of the physical tensions and they begin to move the energy in a more directed and healthy way.  Following with pranayama brings the awareness more internal and focused.  Concluding with meditation work allows the mind and emotions to relax and release those deeply held patterns in the subconscious that manifest as anxiety.

Lifestyle Additional considerations

When the mind is creating anxiety, we need to look at what we are putting into our subconscious and what we are letting out. Look at your daily life and be aware of how some changes might alter your levels of anxiety.

Do you watch a lot of news?  It is filled with repetitive, sometimes unnecessary material that feeds fear and results in more stress and anxiety.  Limit how much you watch or turn it off.

Do you spend a lot of time on Facebook or other social media? Status updates and endless postings of information may result in looking outside yourself for reassurance and answers. It may make you feel inferior or angry. Remember, in yoga philosophy all of the important answers are inside you.

Do you eat a lot of processed foods?  Eating a healthy diet goes a long way in altering mood.  Anything that doesn’t ever spoil when left in the air or can be stored for weeks on end is processed. It has no prana, no life in it.  Try eating more fresh foods. Be creative. I make fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast every day. It’s fun to try different combinations of fruit. This morning it was blueberries and mango! Cook for yourself. Freshly cooked, warm foods help to soothe and calm the mind. 

Do you worry about how others behave?  Worrying about loved ones and friends can be natural up to a point.  But sometimes you need to realize what you can change and what you need to accept as it is, or let it go. Yoga philosophy advocates the only one that you can change is you. And that will normally keep you busy for a lifetime or so!

But yoga can help! Remember yoga is thousands of years of teachings and has existed through so many desperate times. But the reason it has survived is because it can relieve our suffering.

How do we still the mind? How do we go beyond the surface thoughts and emotions and reach that unchanging, pure consciousness that lies within? How do we access that potentiality? One way is through the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Key Concept

In deep relaxation, receptivity increases. During fully conscious state, intellect and senses are engaged. Information being processed is related to external world. In yoga nidra, we are taking the awareness away from the external world and the senses to access the subconscious and unconscious states mind.

I teach Satyananda Yoga Nidra, developed in the 1960’s from ancient tantric techniques.

Yoga Nidra book published in 1976 by Swami Satyananda. When I started teaching it 25 years ago, virtually no one had heard of this technique. In fact, it wasn’t until about 10-12 years ago that it became widely known. Now there are many styles, all involving deep relaxation. Obviously, it works that it has spread so quickly through the yoga world.

Last year I was a main presenter at First International Yoga Nidra Conference at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Wellness.

4-8 Stages of the practice depending on your experience or time available.

SETTLING – moves awareness from outside to inside

First adjust the physical body and be aware of the body supported by the floor/chair. Physically releasing the body and scanning for tensions and using breath to release.

Awareness of sensations of the body – clothing/air, awareness of sounds – to be able to let go of the senses and move the awareness inward. This becomes the start of process of pratyahara.

SANKALPA - at beginning and end when relaxed and at the end before finishing a special sort of affirmation is made.

Brain waves are at alpha/theta junction – a place between relaxation and drifting into sleep. Where incredible amount of information is “downloaded” into subconscious mind. The subconscious mind can hold a lot of negative downloads, resulting in patterned behaviors that really don’t serve us well. Sankalpa designed to work at the subconscious level to change what the conscious mind cannot.

BODY ROTATION – captures the awareness and directs it through the body. Activates the sensory/motor area of the brain based on the homunculus. Rotation was created before right/left brain scientific studies but supports what we’ve learned in the last couple of decades.

Starting on right side of body is left brain which is our extroverted nature and the “planning brain” then goes to the left side which is right brain and our introverted, more present, “everything is fine” part of the brain.

Then crosses back and forth, activating the fluidity of nervous transmission from right to left and left to right, balancing the hemispheres of the brain.

By moving the awareness in this systematic way through the body, the physical body relaxes deeply. And because the rotation doesn’t vary, over time the habituation of the awareness to follow along initiates relaxation more quickly and easily.

BREATH AWARENESS – further deepens relaxation on an energetic level

Further internalizes awareness. At the subtle level, helps balance the nadis, or energy channels of the body and facilitates the flow of energy.

Connects cerebral cortex with brain stem. Connections go through limbic system, the emotional brain.

OPPOSITES – deepens release of deeply held tensions, strengthens will power & helps us accept dualities.

With opposites, there is the creation of experiences normally beyond our control. These experiences normally arise from the limbic system in the middle of the brain. The limbic system helps regulate responses to environmental factors as well as emotional factors. The limbic system is the emotional brain, controlling the emotional aspects of behavior related to survival. So the practice involves feeling hot then cold, heavy then light.

The practice of opposites within the depth of relaxation of yoga nidra, releases emotional material held in deep subconsciousness independent of good/bad.

Acceptance of dualities of life. Strengthens will power on the psychic level. Aids in cultivating opposites in daily life, so when there is sadness it is recognized as the other side of the coin and we learn how to let it go and cultivate happiness.

VISUALIZATIONS – creating the dream.

Most subtle stage providing deep mental relaxation. Here images are suggested that are meant to help purge the subconscious and unconscious mind. Imagery is used to ‘nudge’ samskaras – those deeply held patterns of thought that tend to dictate our responses to life.

Images suggested may lead to drifting into other imagery – a dreamlike state. Dreams when we sleep are an important mechanism to release the buildup of emotional stress. In yoga nidra, with practice, this can be more like lucid dreaming whereby there is a level of awareness functioning that doesn’t usually exist in regular sleep.

Slow progression of types of imagery based on practitioner’s experience and it is important to be able to witness whatever comes up without becoming disturbed and without intellectual analysis.

Symbols are used to process information throughout our lives. In the same way what is seen in yoga nidra can be symbolic and one should just see the imagery and let it go.

Over time, subconscious and unconscious material that influences the negative aspects of the personality are released to provide better integration within conscious states. Develops self-awareness and acceptance. Enhances imagination and creativity

EXTERNALIZATION

Moves from subtle to gross – reversing the process of internalization

Upon completing the practice & moving back into your daily activities, ideally you feel:

• Physically relaxed
• Refreshed/Energized
• Clearer mentally

So, this is what the practice entails, and I encourage you to make it a part of your life. Rather than a coffee break, why not try a yoga nidra break? Yoga nidra practices are generally 15-40 minutes long but remember it’s important to use a recording to hold you in the practice so that you can reach and stay at that threshold between awake and asleep. There is a variety of yoga nidra recordings available on my website.

This episode will explore how yoga defines the mind and provide you with information to help you believe that you can manage the mind.

To do this

• Understand our thought patterns called samskaras
• Develop and focus our awareness
• Observe where our response is coming from – the root of the pattern
• Use yoga techniques such as meditation, yoga nidra, breathing techniques, slow & mindful asanas
• Practice, practice, practice

What are samskaras?

• A conditioned and automatic way of responding to the events of life around us, eg. anger, guilt or indecisiveness
• Subconscious process
• Samskaras decide your thoughts, behavior, pattern of perception, understanding, expression, reaction, everything
• Sum of our samskaras make up our personality, and we even define a person’s personality based on them – He’s an angry person, she’s indecisive
• We need to know about samskaras to understand some of the fundamental, underpinning concepts about yoga

Yoga Sutras

1. Yoga is to be understood as a form of discipline
   1. My guru says it means “to tame the wild nature of the mind”
2. Yoga is defined as stopping the pattern of the mind. Enlightenment, not for most of us. Rather it is a system of mind management where the subconscious patterns that continue to keep us stuck doing the same old things the same old way are stopped.
3. Once the mind is managed, a person becomes the “seer” established in his or her own true nature - meaning that you can access your higher self, your more intuitive wisdom and be less influenced by the dramas of life. You will have the space needed to do that.
4. If this is not practiced, one continually assumes the form of the patterns and they continue without change and keep getting sucked into those dramas

Consideration in Understanding the mind

• The mind is so preoccupied with thoughts about the past, the future, or some imaginary problem that we usually leave the day-to-day, moment-to-moment tasks to the subconscious.
• This becomes habitual.
• When the conscious mind is busy, we do not observe our own programmed subconscious behaviors.
• 95% of our decisions, actions, emotions, and behaviors are derived from the unobserved processing of the subconscious mind.
• Being unaware of our subconscious behaviors, we often perceive ourselves as being influenced only by external forces or see ourselves as victims of these circumstances.
• As victims we may fell that we are powerless to manifest our best intentions.
• Most powerful and influential programs in the subconscious mind are the ones that were recorded first during the formative period of our lives up to age six.
• Much of what we learned as a child, was based on misperceptions that may now be expressed as limiting beliefs.
• This keeps a lot of us from maximizing our potential.
• It has been estimated that over 40 million nerve impulses per second are interpreted by the subconscious mind.
• The prefontal cortex (the self-conscious mind) only processes about 40 nerve impulses per second.
• Subconscious mind 40 million – conscious mind 40?
• This means the subconscious mind is a million times more functional or powerful than the self-conscious mind.
• No wonder we “think” we are going to change, but then don’t.
• Additionally, psychologists estimate 70% of our thoughts are negative and redundant. Think about that one!

Now, by combining this information with yoga psychology, we will have a better understanding of how yoga can help us.

Sanskrit

Antar Karana – Inner Instrument

Manas

• Thinking mind, responds to sensory input for survival
• Measuring and judgemental
• Relates to thought and counter-thought
• Changes from moment to moment
• Continuously engaged with other parts of the mind

Ahamkara

• The sense of “I - ness”
• Ego as protector

Chitta

• consciousness
• The storehouse of past experiences
• Memory
• Substratum of mind and mental power

Buddhi

• ‘To know’
• True discernment, awareness and understanding – at higher levels
• Intellect & rational thought – at lower levels

Here’s an example of how these parts work together. You walk into the kitchen and find a chocolate cake on your counter -

• Manas: That round thing smells of chocolate
• Chitta: I remember, it’s cake!
• Ahamkara: “I” like cake
• Manas: I want cake, but cake is fattening, but it smells so good, a little piece won’t hurt, I haven’t had chocolate all week, etc.
• Buddhi: Is eating cake really the best thing to do right now?

Buddhi decides Yes or No

• Decides based on its strength from the input it receives
• If buddhi is influenced to act due to the continuous input of manas & ahamkara?
  • The senses are always attended to without awareness
  • The ego/I-ness is habituated into getting whatever it wants
• Then budhhi will use rational thought and decide a small piece is OK.
• If buddhi is influenced to connect with our inner sense of knowing based on strength of discernment and a better understanding of what our actions yield over time
  • Has arisen by developing a depth of awareness
  • A release of old patterns through mindfulness
  • Having space to act rather than react
• Then buddhi will help us realize that cake is not leaving the planet and your desire for sugar is not necessary

Must practice mindfulness techniques such as meditation, yoga nidra, breathing practices.

Why Practice?

To purify the subconscious mind.

• In life, we accept positive thoughts & allow them to be expressed.
• Negative thoughts & feelings are pushed down into those subconscious layers of mind, adding to our samaskaras. Those patterns that keep us stuck.
• Vast accumulation of suppressed thoughts create tension, stress, chronic pain & unhappiness in life.

As we begin to practice yoga mindfully and cultivate our awareness there are many benefits that will be realized.

• Learn to witness the thoughts without reacting to them
• Allows subconscious thoughts and emotions to slowly be confronted and released in a therapeutic manner.
• Increases our resistance to external disturbances
• Mind becomes more tranquil and focused
• We can become more proactive and live with intentions. We become healthier, both physically and mentally

Please note that there are several practice episodes in Season One that can help you get started.

We are experiencing a pandemic that has disrupted our way of life. We are yearning for normalcy! Today I will discuss how we can use this time to make a mental shift that will allow us to move from our yearnings to be able to see new opportunities.

For much of my life, I did not feel normal. This feeling was rooted in childhood circumstances that resulted in patterns that kept me wishing I was different. Wishing that I was what I thought was normal. Normal meant that I would fit in. Have lots of friends. Be shorter and thinner! It wasn’t until I was well into my 30’s that I realized that normal was not all it is cracked up to be. I began to look for an alternative to normalcy.

In my 40’s I started my yogic journey and learned more about the mind and how our fears and subconscious patterns tend to dictate our behavior. How we function in life primarily from this undercurrent of subconscious feelings and beliefs instilled in us from our childhood. Unfortunately, this results in a reactive approach to life that tends to be very self-centered. Classical yoga teaches us how to take a wiser, more inclusive, more proactive stance. Through my studies of yoga, I’ve found that what makes me feel “normal” is to be more present with fewer expectations.

How is this relevant to the pandemic? Well, let’s flash back to New Year’s Day of 2020. Another year. Another set of goals. This year, I am going to….fill in the blank. I’m going to be that person that I have always wanted to be!! Then boom! We are in a pandemic!

We didn’t know that we would soon be experiencing a pandemic with all of the fears, restrictions and economic fallout.  And who would have thought that people would become so divisive, so mean, rather than pulling together in an effort to face the unknown together?

In this country we are proud of our individual rights, our freedoms, but then each of us may only function from our own individual version of “this is how I’m going to survive this.” Well it’s not working!

In yoga philosophy each of us is a part of a greater whole. In the yoga sutras, when we lose touch with that concept of wholeness, we develop avidya, or ignorance. And this is one of the great sufferings described in the sutras.

So the first step to relieve the suffering happens when we can put aside our “individualism” and begin to move into ”collectivism”. It’s only when we realize that we are a part of this greater, universal consciousness that we can begin to alleviate our pain and fear. Easier said than done. 

I don’t know about you, but I know that I have had some serious low points over these last several months when I have nearly lost hope. Hope that people would just suck it up, find more humanity, and realize that if we can look at the “greater good” instead of our own personal desire for everything to get back to normal, we might even come out the other side of this in a better place.

So when I slip into those places of darkness and hopelessness, I quickly become aware that I’ve “slipped” and that I need to pick myself up and move forward. This is not always easy, but it’s absolutely necessary. And moving forward means giving up the notion of “normal.”

Now I don’t think there’s a person alive that isn’t longing for everything to get back to “normal.” But I’m here to tell you that “normal” is not going to happen.

Even if this virus suddenly disappeared, the virus and its results have laid bare our souls, creating a level of fear and trauma that will need a very long time to heal. And if you don’t believe that, then  you are probably in denial. Denial! It’s one of our favorite coping mechanisms, after all. Denial can help us cope for a while, but not over the long haul.

So what do we do? How do we step out of denial? How do we make a proactive shift that will begin to relieve our suffering? 

The first thing that needs to be done is to stop! Stop, take a deep breath and accept what’s happening! 

We need to ACCEPT that this is happening to everyone -  in every home, every town, every state, every country. We are actually all connected through this pandemic. And if you aren’t able to feel that connection, it’s as though you are saying, “Look at me! I’m a wave. I’m special. I’m not a part of the ocean!”

We are connected through our pain. If you are fortunate enough to escape the virus you cannot escape the pain that exists and permeates our lives. The pain from those whose health has failed, the pain of those who have lost loved ones, the pain of the economic fallout,  the pain from having our lives turned upside down, and the pain born out of fear from those who challenge, deny and reject the reality of what’s happening,

We must truly accept what is happening - that normal is not coming back! It is only when we practice acceptance that we can move out of fear and move forward into creating “a new normal or what I’d rather refer to as “a new opportunity.” 

How can we create a new normal when we are clinging to the past? It will take awareness and courage! Life is full of dualities. Day and night. Love and hate. Pain and pleasure. Be aware. And use your courage to step out of discomfort and step into opportunity. 

See this as a time for opportunity. 

An opportunity to find new ways to connect. An opportunity to show the pain and to ask for support. An opportunity for gratitude. 

What I’m going to say, may sound simplistic. But it has been my life experience that many of the answers ARE simple if we can just stop and create the mental space to look for them. to take the time away from our busy lives to allow the answers to come to the surface of our minds by getting out of the way of our usual mental  ruminations that tend to be negative. To be still, to breathe, to feel and to let go. This is where classical yoga can be such an amazing tool to navigate through this time.

See this as an opportunity to deepen your experience of life, rather than seeking to widen life’s experiences through distractions and busy-ness.

Simple yogic meditation techniques can help us see and reframe our internal messaging. 

Feeling isolated by stay at home orders? Be grateful that you have a home. Explore your home, open those drawers and closets full of stuff, donating things that you aren’t using and that might support others. You will feel lighter and more positive.

Don’t like wearing a mask? Imagine how uncomfortable it is to be on a ventilator. I used to be an anesthetist and put those tubes down into people’s lungs to breathe for them. You don’t want one. And you shouldn’t want anyone else to end up with one either. Wear a mask. 

Don’t want to social distance? Realize these precautions are not just about you. They are acts of kindness and respect for others. Maybe you’ve heard the word namaste? It basically means that “I see you as I see myself.”

Don’t get me wrong. I do like a good hug, both giving and receiving one. But I don’t think about what I’m lacking, rather I think about how it’s not safe for the person that I care enough to hug so it’s not available to me right now. It’s not about me. It’s about more than me.

Deepen your experiences rather than widen them?

Last week I received an email from my teacher in India after relaying some information about teaching and holding programs via the internet. 

Part of the email said:

“In the current situation, modern technology, used appropriately and with a positive intent, is the way to connect, relate and uplift each other. There is only a need for physical distancing, however our social interactions should become more meaningful, supportive and caring.”

Let me repeat that.

“Our social interactions should become more meaningful, supportive and caring.”

So I might not be able to hug someone physically, but I can still send virtual hugs. I can reach out to people I haven’t seen for a long time. I can actually call people rather than texting. I can tell people I care about them. I can listen.

And it’s important that we begin now. Remember normal is not coming back. Start planning ahead. 

Right now since it’s summer and we can easily do socially distanced coffee dates and dinner outside. What about when the snow flies? Start deepening your connections now. Commit to others. Maybe create a pod of a few people and figure out how to continue to support each other when it’s cold and snowy. Open up to possibilities. New ways of being.

Can you do it? Can you express your feelings and concerns to those around you that have remained unexpressed? Now is the time.

Can you be a positive force, setting an example for others? Can you step into your higher self and away from the self-absorption of what you like and don’t like? The opportunities are here, waiting for you. Now is the time.

And now is the time, even if it’s just 5-10 minutes, now is the time to do some form of meditation. It will help you see your thoughts in a new way. It will prevent your negative thoughts from defining who you are. If you don’t know where to start, I have several short meditations available for download on my website.

So remember, normal is not what it’s cracked up to be so let it go. Think about the opportunities coming your way if you can accept what’s happening, realize that you are a small part of a greater whole, and do a little meditation. Then you will be able to deepen your experience of life by interacting with others in a meaningful, supportive and caring way. Won’t that be better?

The holidays are a fun and exciting time but it’s also a time that becomes stressful for a lot of people. So this week we are talking about how you can stay calm. I am going to discuss five different yoga techniques that are also quite simple. You’ll be able to take a few moments everyday to practice any of these at home, at work, at the grocery store, or even in your car! Tune in to find out what they are.

FIVE SIMPLE YOGA TECHNIQUES TO FIND CALMNESS IN MINUTES

• Take one deep breath

• stop and close your eyes and be still

• take one slow, deep breath filling up and hold for count of 3

• release slowly

• open eyes and get on with what you were doing

• practice hourly as needed

• Practice viloma or staged breathing

• breathe in 1/3 pause

• another 1/3 pause

• fill all the way pause

• let the breath go in one long exhalation

• repeat until calm

• Deep forward bend

• sit down on a chair or couch

• knees wide apart

• slowly bend forward between the knees putting hands on floor if possible

• take 3 slow deep breaths and with each exhalation feel the tension ooze out your finger tips

• bring hands to knees and help yourself back up to sitting

• repeat until calm

• Take a 5 minute stillness break 

• sit somewhere quiet, maybe even in your car

• close your eyes and feel yourself being still

• breathe slowly in your natural breath 

• count the breath to 80 – average is 16/minute x 5

• practice at least one time per day

• Take a 10 minute yoga nap

• this requires you to have access to my free recording on the atmacenter.com website

• listen to this recording, preferably lying down but can be done sitting

• practice at least one time per day

To follow along on social find me on Instagram @atmarupasaraswati and Facebook at Swami Ji, The OG.

Please take a moment to leave a review if you have been enjoying this podcast. It’s a great way to show support. Thank you!

In this bonus episode, we are going to practice a technique called Antar Mouna. It is a technique to start cultivating the witness. Cultivation of the witness allows us to be less reactive to what we are experiencing. This is a practice episode so if you are driving, please pause and tune in when you are in a safe place.

Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this practice episode, head to Atma Center’s website to check out our class schedule. We would love to help you further your practice even more!

To follow along, find me on Instagram @atmarupasaraswati or Facebook at Swami Ji, the OG.

This week on Swami Ji, the OG we are talking about how the various types of yoga practices can help change the current state of the mind and emotions to free yourself from negative thoughts and actions. Yoga isn’t just about bending into unusual shapes-it helps you lead a more positive life! So in this episode we will touch on what practices you can implement in your life to experience more positivity. Some of these practices include asana, pranayama and meditation but that’s not it. Tune into find out more!

To follow along on social media, find me on Instagram @atmarupasaraswati or on Facebook at Swami Ji, the OG.

To learn even more about these practices come check out the Atma Center in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. You can find our schedule on our website.

Using Asana

• Forward bending is introverting and calming – use to overcome anxiety and anger

• Backward bending is extroverting and stimulating – use to overcome lethargy and dullness

• Spinal twists can yield insight and untie the “knots” of life – use to increase energy and help to see the twists and turns of life more proactively

• Balancing improves steadiness and concentration – use for relief of stress and mental dissipation

• Inversions improve self-confidence and allow us to see things differently – use to release old patterns of behavior

Using Pranayama

• Basic breathing methods are introverting and improve concentration – use to overcome anxiety, agitation and mental dissipation

• Vitalizing pranayama increase energy and release held stress – use to overcome lethargy and depression

• Balancing pranayama introvert the mind, balance the energies and hemispheres of the brain – use to create calmness, focus and insight

• Tranquilizing pranayama calm and the mind and create serenity – use to overcome states of agitation, stress and dissipation

Using Mudra

• Yoni mudra improves concentration and balances energies and hemispheres of the brain – use to gain focus and insight

• Hridaya mudra increases energy to the heart physically and soothes emotions in times of crisis – use to release pent-up emotions and unburden the heart 

• Nasikagra drishti is calming, focusing and grounding – use for disturbed states of mind and to attain focus 

Using Mantra - Japa 

• Om chanting – chanting with a long ‘o’ is more extroverting, with a long ‘m’ more introverting

• Om Gam Ganapatayah Namaha – Ganesh mantra to help remove obstacles

Meditations

• Yoga nidra – calming, restorative, rejuvenating and transformative

• Antar mouna – become the witness to thoughts with less reactivity

• Antar Darshan – become the witness to the emotions and ego

If you learned something new from this episode, please share with a friend who might learn something too! You can copy and paste the link from the episode right into a text message or email. It’s a great way to support the podcast and spread the word about how yoga can help change your life! Thank you for your support.

Today I am taking the time to discuss the Codes of Joy.

The yoga sutras is one of the classic writings of yoga and covers the philosophy of Raja Yoga. In Raja yoga one learns how to rule the mind. To govern the emotions. 

It is a path whereby we can achieve Self-realization but for most of us it is managing the mind! There are eight limbs to Raja yoga and today we will be discussing the first 2, the yamas and niyamas. These are often referred to as codes of conduct for social interactions and personal codes for interactions with oneself. Tune in to find out how the Codes OF JOY move us in the direction of being more aware of who we are and how we live our lives now, so that we can act more in line with our higher self and create a life filled with harmony and joy.

They may sound a bit like the 10 commandments, but they are not meant to be used for moral positioning.

Purpose is not to tell you what to believe and how to be “good” vs. “evil”.

• Equip you to meet situations with flexibility, wisdom and understanding

• Will help you to live life more simply with less disturbance due to situations you face

• Overcome the negative traits of personality

YAMAS – there are 5

• Social codes of conduct

• Focus on intentions rather than the action

• Virtues that strengthen and purify the mind

• To be understood as principles to prepare one for actions in life

• Value the spirit of each principle without rigidity

• Bring clarity, focus and objectivity to our situations

AHIMSA=NONHARMING

• Refrain from harm in thought, word and deed

• Violence is a reaction to fear

• Motivation vs. Action

• Others as well as self

• Gross level

  • War and terrorism 

  • Killing and Abuse 

  • Polluting and taxing natural resources 

• Subtle level

  • Inability to accept and love ourselves

  • Thinking we know what’s better for others

How do we start practicing? With all of these we must start small with achievable goals.

• To change the world we have to change ourselves

• Be aware of fear and what you do to feel secure

• Learn how to practice self-acceptance

• Show love – nurture yourself so you can love others

• Practice acts of kindness – first step toward compassion

SATYA-TRUTHFULNESS

• Measure truthfulness against nonviolence – go hand in hand – no need to mow someone down with your idea of truth

• Ask yourself if what you say is for the benefit of all or is there a motive behind “telling it like it is”

• Truth can be fluid

  • Tough intervention with a loved one experiencing alcoholism

  • Heaping praise on a small child’s artwork

• Putting on a front is a form of a lie

• When we keep saying “should” we are abiding from sets of rules that we have been indoctrinated with from our families, culture, religion, employment, etc.  

• We may be suppressing our authentic nature and this results in a dullness because our energy is used to numb our authentic nature

How do we start practicing then?

• Be authentic rather than nice

• Be willing to grow rather than “belong”

  • This requires you to learn to see what isn’t there

  • Tap into your most heartfelt needs

• Show up to every moment 

ASTEYA-NONSTEALING

• Not robbing a bank, but stealing in little ways?

• Taking a few office supplies, checking email and Facebook on company time, taking credit for other’s ideas

• Stealing from others

  • One upmanship

  • Turning the conversation to be about us rather than being present with others

• Stealing from future

• Stealing from ourselves

Hard work is fine, but we often work without knowing what is our heartfelt need 

• We often have exactly what we need or more than we need, but we aren’t aware enough to see it

How do we start practicing?

• Be fully present with others by supporting and uplifting

• Be aware of our excesses – need vs want

• Be grateful for what we have rather focusing on what we don’t have

• Quit placing demands and expectations on ourselves that steal our enthusiasm and prevent us from living fully

• Build your competency of life

BRAHMACHARYA-BE WITH ONE’S HIGHER SELF

• Avoidance of nonproductive expenditures of energy

• Sometimes defined as celibacy but so much more

• Entering you day with a sense of sacred rather than indulgence

• What the Buddhists call the middle path

• How many ways do you expend energy that takes you away from your higher purpose?

How do we start practicing?

• Truly learn the meaning of “ENOUGH”

• Look at our needs rather than wants

• Cultivate a sense of wonder

• Ask yourself, “What makes me feel alive?”

APARIGRAHA-NOPOSSESSIVENESS

• Can also be nonattachment, nonclinging, nongrasping, noncoveting

• Simply it is being able to “let go”

• Not letting our possessions possess us

• Story of the monkey catchers

• the things we cling to require maintenance and energy

How do we start practicing?

• Practice nonattachment – clean out our closet and life

• The fewer attachments we have the lighter and freer we become

• Give generously with unfailing trust

• Remember a bird cannot fly holding onto its perch

NIYAMAS – THERE ARE ALSO 5

• Personal codes of conduct

• Principles that guide spiritual growth

SAUCHA-PURIFY

• To clean the body, mind and actions

• Simple, easy to digest diet yields strong physical energy

• Asanas, Pranayamas, Shatkarmas

• Purifying unresolved mental patterns

• Whatever form purification takes, we become “lighter”

How do we start practicing?

• What “loads” weigh you down?  

• What areas of life feel toxic?

• Clean up your life, your relationships, your body, your spaces.

• Purify your mind by accepting all the pieces of yourself.

• Slow down, be present and pure in the moment

SANTOSHA-CONTENTMENT

• There is a Chinese proverb that says, “People in the West are always getting ready to live.”

• Santosha can only be achieved by being in the present moment

• Contentment cannot exist alongside craving and seeking more

• Contentment will never come by reliving the past

How do we start practicing?

• Yogis say everything is neutral but we spend most of our energy seeking what we like and avoiding what we dislike

• Take responsibility for your emotional state – no one “caused” it

• Remember to practice gratitude

• Be content in boredom, sadness, impatience, loss, etc.

• It’s all positive, even the negative

• Perform your duty with right action

TAPAS-AUSTERITIES, SELF-DISCIPLINE

• Literally means “heat” – cook in the fire of discipline

• Accepting the pains of life as opportunities to learn

• A place where we are used up, all of our “props” have been taken away and we have exhausted who we are to become who we can be

How do we start practicing?

• Sadhana – daily disciplined practice

• Develop the ability to stay in the unknown or unpleasantness – give up fear 

• Don’t waste a crisis – see it as an opportunity to become stronger and see the important things in life

• Take right action

SWADHYAYA-SELF-STUDY

• To discover and know your true Self.

• To study the great writings, lives of sages, nature and the ways of life

• Mantra repetition is also swadhyaya – transcends the intellect to find a deeper realization

What we believe is “right” may simply be a pattern created in childhood example if you yell, you don’t love someone

How do we start practicing?

• See others as a mirror of ourselves

• Become aware of our patterns and conditionings

• Be open to our shadow side 

• Each of us has a lamb and lion inside – choose to feed the lamb, but stay aware of the lion

• Practice witnessing

ISHWARA PRANIDHANA-SURRENDER TO A HIGHER POWER OR TO YOUR HIGHER SELF

• Surrendering to a greater force

• Sometimes referred to worship or prayer and ritual

• Think of it as “being in the flow”

• Self-surrender is willingly giving the time and energy to become better

How do we start to practice?

• Release rigidity and need to control

• Accept challenges

• Become aware of feelings of constriction and expansion

• Path of karma yoga = actions for the welfare of others without selfish expectations

• Cultivate devotion

To follow along on social, give me a follow on Instagram @atmarupasaraswati and like the Facebook page, Swami Ji, the OG.

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