Yoga and the 10 bulls of Zen

In the 12th century, Zen master Kakuan, painted 10 pictures illustrating a boy’s search for a bull.

Zen often uses simple stories to illustrate important points—this series of pictures depicts the stages someone might pass in search of their own true nature.

Yoga is often seen as the process of becoming ourselves, or finding our own true nature.

The 10 phases lend themselves to the stages we might pass on our journey, and provide a map to show us where we are and where we may be heading.

Find out more about the 10 stages in an article I wrote for the Elephant Journal. 

Is yoga just for "chicks"?

It's true that there are usually more women than men in yoga classes. But no, yoga is not just for 'chicks'. In fact, some of the best and most popular yoga teachers in the UK, and the world, are men.

Another comment I often hear from men is that they can't do yoga because they're not flexible enough. That is almost the same as saying that you can't go to France because you can't speak French... What would you do in that case? Buy a phrase book, start with the basics and before you know it, you can say hello, please, thank-you, where is the Louvre... and off you go! Similarly, if someone wanted to start weight lifting, they start with light weights to build strength, and slowly they move up to heavier weights. It's exactly the same with yoga - start with a class where beginners are supported, and go from there. Many people start off with little flexibility and they build it over time.

Admittedly, it can feel intimidating for a guy to join a yoga class full of women, but I can tell you from my own experience of practicing and teaching.... everyone is so busy with their own stuff, they're probably not looking at you!

I love teaching and practicing with women, and have often ended up having a good laugh with the other ladies, but I also find that having men in a class really adds something different. Because men tend to be physically stronger, especially in the upper body, it can help lift the energy of the class when there are a few men who are doing well in the more challenging postures. In addition, men bring a humour and detachment which is different from the feminine energy.

So if you're a guy, and you're reading this, consider trying it! Bring a friend for some broga :)

Find more information here:
7 reasons men should do yoga
12 reasons I love having men in yoga class
 

What I learnt from the headstand

I recently conquered a mental block by teaching myself to do the headstand.

I love how in your yoga practice, the body can often be used as an analogy for the mind.

In this process, I learnt something about myself, my body, and life in general.

I wrote a little piece about it, and it was published in the Elephant Journal (one of my favourite yoga journals) here: The Wisdom of the Headstand

Yama and Niyama

The yamas (ethical disciplines) and niyamas (self observations) are the first two of the eight limbs of yoga as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, one of the main texts of yoga. 

There are 5 yamas and 5 niyamas, which can trick new students into thinking of them as a sort-of 'Yoga Ten Commandments'. However they are not to be viewed in this way. The real practice of yoga works toward the understanding and complete mastery of the mind, and the yamas and niyamas are qualities which the practitioner should try to nurture over time, which would form the foundation of, and contribute to, this stillness and peace of mind.

Yama - ethical disciplines

1. Non-violence - Ahimsa
2. Truthfulness - Satya
3. Non-stealing - Asteya
4. Moderation - Brachmacharya
5. Non-possessiveness - Aparigraha

Niyama - self observations

1. Cleanliness - Saucha
2. Contentment - Santosa
3. Cleansing - Tapas
4. Self study - Svadhyaya
5. Devotion (to something greater than yourself) - Isvara Pranidhana

These qualities seem simple at first glance, but they are multi-layered. For example, non-violence (ahimsa) seems like a pretty obvious concept. However it can be extended to aspects such as violent or angry words you may speak or write, or violent thoughts. Or violence to yourself - how many of us push ourselves too hard, or (figuratively) beat ourselves up on a regular basis? Consider some of the punishing diets, workouts or work schedules we might put ourselves through. These are certainly not habits which contribute to a still and peaceful mind.

Drawing out some of the other less obvious qualities, let's consider non-possessiveness (aparigraha). Another way of describing this quality could be non-hoarding, or non-grasping. How many of us know that feeling when you want something so badly, you can't think of anything else? It can also be extended to our fixations on shopping, and needing to acquire more and more, when our cupboards and wardrobes are already bursting at the seams. One of the worst ones could be jealousy, or possessiveness of another person. It's not difficult to see how disturbing this is.

The yamas and niyamas operate together - for example - you could say that if you aim to practice non-possessiveness, you can encourage this by practicing contentment (santosa). Or you could say that you are practicing self-study (svadhyaya) by observing what you may be clinging to.

The niyama of tapas (cleansing) also requires a little further explanation. Tapas (not the small plates of food!) is a discipline you can impose on yourself in order to rid yourself of unwanted habits, and to build your willpower. You could decide that you will do something or that you won't do something, for a period of time. It's kind-of like Lent. A typical example would be giving up alcohol in January, or setting new year's resolutions. Yoga practitioners may set themselves a tapas of practicing yoga every day, or of working on particular challenging postures for a period of time. This type of cleansing helps break bad habits, and set new ones which will contribute to the understanding and mastery of the mind.

I will touch on more of these in future blog posts.

What to expect in a typical yoga class

There are a number of elements which are touched on in most yoga classes. In some styles there may be more of one or the other, but generally the following aspects will be present, whether the teacher refers to them by name or not.

Asana - Postures

These are the physical postures. Asana is one of the eight limbs of yoga. The physical aspect is also sometimes referred to as Hatha Yoga (the yoga of force). Postures may very from being pretty easy and unchallenging, to extremely challenging, depending on what your level of practice is. It also depends on the focus and effort you put in yourself.

Bandha - Energy locks

Basically, bandhas refer to three 'energetic locks' which are applied to the body in most styles of yoga. This may not be strongly emphasised in beginners' or open classes, but it is a key element of a strong yoga practice. The bandhas are muladhara bandha (lifting or contracting the pelvic floor muscles), uddhiyana bandha (lifting and tightening the abdominal muscles) and jalandhara bandha (tipping the chin down to slightly constrict the throat). Apply all three bandhas to create mahabandha.

Drishti - Gaze

This refers to the focus or gaze. The teacher will ask you to direct the gaze in a particular direction for every posture. You may be asked to look upwards, towards the knees, feet or hands, for example. The purpose may be to get the full stretch in the posture, to maintain mental focus, to help with balance, or sometimes make the balance more challenging.

Pranayama - Breath

Breath work is an intrinsic part of every yoga class, and is also one of the eight limbs of yoga. This is one of the elements which makes it so different from other forms of exercise, as you are asked to remain aware of the breath, and to work with the breath. Pranayama exercises may be included in the class on their own, and Ujjayi breath (breathing through the nose, through slightly narrowed throat passage) will be incorporated as part of the practice of asana.

Savasana - Relaxation / Corpse Pose

Translated from Sanskrit, this means 'corpse pose' (corpse = sava; pose = asana). Many teachers will tell you that this is the most difficult posture in the whole class, as you are asked to lie completely still, flat on your back for a period of time. Depending on what type of class you are doing, it could be for anything from 2 to 20 minutes. Most one-hour classes will have 5-10 minutes of savasana at the end of the class, which may be accompanied by a guided meditation from the teacher, music, or silence.

Vinyasa - the flowing element

Translated from Sanskrit, vinyasa means 'to place in a special way'. Each movement is a progression from one to the next. The movement is aligned with the breath so that you move with each inhale and exhale. It can be said that each action encourages the next. Vinyasa-style yoga classes are ones where there is a flow from posture to posture. These classes are also often referred to as Flow Yoga or Power Yoga and are derived from Ashtanga yoga. 

These are very simple descriptions of the elements you can expect to see in a yoga class. Experience these elements directly by joining one of my classes!

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

When people think of yoga, they most likely think of the physical exercise, or a set of contortions performed by only the most flexible of people. It is also difficult not to associate yoga with a huge marketing machine, churning out images of picture-perfect people wearing very cool and expensive yoga clothes, and going to the trendiest yoga studios.

It can be difficult to associate those glossy images with yoga as an ancient science, which comprises eight aspects, commonly known as the eight limbs of yoga. The physical aspect of yoga - known as asana - is only one of the eight.

These eight limbs were explained in the classic Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as far back as 100 AD, and really it was all about the understanding and complete mastery of the mind. The idea is that all eight aspects are practiced, to achieve "the cessation of the modifications of the mind".

Here's a short summary of the eight limbs of yoga:

1. Yama - Ethical disciplines
2. Niyama - Self observations
3. Asana - Physical poses
4. Pranayama - Breath control
5. Pratyahara - Sense withdrawal
6. Dharana - Concentration
7. Dhyana - Meditation
8. Samadhi - A state of freedom, joy and peace

The first two limbs, yama and niyama, serve as the foundation of practice. Within each of these limbs, there are five qualities, which I will cover in a future post. An example would be non-violence as one of the yamas and self-study as one of the niyamas. It is very important to note that yoga doesn't say you must follow these rules, like a sort of Ten Commandments, but it is suggesting that following these are helpful if you wish to steady the mind.

Limbs three to five, asana, pranayama and pratyahara, are what people may be most familiar with, as these are commonly encountered in yoga classes. These aspects prepare the practitioner for the deeper practices where some steadiness of the mind is required.

The last three limbs are a little more difficult to explain, but simply put, it can be said that a practice of concentration (dharana) will lead the way to meditation (dhyana) and eventually to states of joy and peace (samadhi).

In order to get the most benefit from a physical yoga practice, it is useful to understand the context in which it was created, and the system of which it is a part. Often these more subtle aspects are not covered in classes, and much of this rich knowledge is not shared, so this is my attempt to ensure that students have an overview of the system.

I'll write another post soon explaining the yamas and niyamas in more detail, the styles and paths of yoga, as well as give some suggestions for how you might take your yoga study further.

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Struggling with the monkey mind? Find out about how the Eight Limbs can help in this article I wrote for Zen Monkey.