Tapas, The Fire of Yoga

“What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence.” Samuel Johnson

As the first official day of summer on June 21 heats up our external environment, it also marks a fitting time for us to excite our own internal heat (tapas) by re-dedicating ourselves to our yoga practice. As creatures of an instant gratification culture, we may be skeptical about a practice like yoga that demands persistent training and perseverance over a long period of time and perhaps we may question if there is a faster way to achieve the results we desire.

This query is easily answered by contemplating the things in your life that are of most value to you. If your list is similar to mine, you will notice that every thing in your life of true worth has required time, consistent maintenance, and an attitude of determination. Whether growing a garden or a business, sustaining a relationship or a home, diligence is always a necessity.

“Tapas” is a Sanskrit word used to describe the diligence that is essential in maintaining a yoga practice. Tapas derives from the root word “tap” meaning “to burn” and has been translated as heat, fire, unwavering zeal, and passion. Tapas may be understood as the will to cleanse oneself by burning away impurities through the regular practice of hatha yoga.

But what impurities, exactly, are we burning away and for what purpose? This question is best answered in the context of yoga philosophy, which views a human as having 5 koshas (layers). The outermost layer is the Annamaya kosha, which is the physical body including the bones, muscles, and skin. Slightly deeper lies the Pranamaya kosha, or energetic body which consists of the breath and the prana (life force) that pervades the body. Still deeper lies the Manamaya kosha, which encompasses the mind, thoughts, and impressions. Vijnanamaya kosha lies even deeper and is our wisdom body, or the true knowing that exists beyond thoughts. The deepest layer, Anandamaya kosha is referred to as the body of Bliss. This layer consists of the pure joy of Being and within this sheath lies that which is eternal in each of us (Soul, spirit, True Self, Divinity, Atman).

The concept, then, is that at the center of each of us lies pure Divine light and our objective is to radiate it outward as a beacon to other seekers. However, when the layers of our self lying external to our inner light are not kept clean, our inner light will appear dull, not because the source of the light has diminished in intensity but simply because the grime that has collected on the outer koshas has overshadowed its brilliance. The daily practice of focusing our mind on the movements of our breath and body in yoga burns away the impurities of our outer koshas, making us clear vessels through which divine light can shine.

The yearning to become a pure instrument of light is the Tapas, or inner fire, that drives us to show up to our mat on the good days, the bad days, and the in-between days. We recognize that, not unlike the daily ritual of brushing our teeth or washing our faces, yoga practice is a purification process that requires constant maintenance. Gradually our diligence transforms into ease as we relax into the realization that there is nothing to outwardly achieve. In our yoga as in other meaningful aspects of our lives we come to discover that the journey is, in fact, the goal: The act of gardening is as joyful as the sight of a beautifully blooming plot, the act of loving is as wonderful as the thriving relationship it creates, and the practice of yoga is as freeing as the final liberation towards which we strive.

 Playlist #9: Soul Flow

 Dunya Salam - 1 Giant Leap featuring Baaba Maal

 Om - Soulfood

 Om - ShaktiSean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band   

 The Way You Dream - 1 Giant Leap featuring Michael Stipe

 Ram - Sita RamSean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band

 Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

 In The Sun - Michael Stipe and Chris Martin

 Daphne - 1 Giant Leap featuring The Mahotella Queens 

 Jai Ma - Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band

 Gymnopedies - Claude Debussy

 Claire de Lune - Claude Debussy 

Honoring the Cycle of Completion

September 22, 2010 marked the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. The Autumnal Equinox, as the day is termed, occurs when the Earth's Equator lies in the same plane as the center of the sun creating a 24-hour period of balanced daylight and darkness before a subsequent journey into Fall and Winter, marked by nights that are longer than days.

Every 3 months the end of one season creates the beginning of another. Watching the cyclical patterns of nature, I am reminded that everything is subject to birth, to change, and to death. Whereas Summer is a time of heat, daylight, activity, and the coming to fruition of seeds planted in the Spring, the Fall is a time of slowing down, releasing, and clearing space. These shifts are apparent as the days become shorter, the weather cools down, and more time is spent indoors. Leaves begin to fall from trees and the grasses and flowers in the fields begin to wither, preparing for their journey back to the soil. Autumn is a time for releasing that which has already fulfilled its purpose in order to create space for the new. Recognizing ourselves as part of this natural cycle is a necessary step in our spiritual maturity.

Endings are easier to accept when they do not directly affect us. It is obviously much easier to deal with leaves falling from a tree than to accept the end of our relationships, the death of our loved ones, or termination from our jobs. We want to bask in the eternal sunshine of summer, to always be joyful, to celebrate life, and to be amongst our loved ones always. The Yoga Sutras call this Raga, or attachment. While enjoying the beauty of life is a good practice, holding onto anything too tightly is unhealthy because inevitably everything changes and everything ends. Resisting, avoiding, or ignoring difficult situations (like the ones we are faced with when our pleasurable experiences come to an end) is called Dvesha. Both attachment (Raga) and aversion (Dvesha) lead to unnecessary suffering.

I remind myself regularly that beginnings are only made possible through endings. Looking back, I realize that often the things I struggled so stubbornly to hold on to in my life were actually impediments to my growth. As pleasurable or comfortable as they may have seemed at the time, I see in retrospect that only by releasing them did I clear space to let something new and wonderful in. Life seems to work that way. I have come to recognize that the reason I attach to things is out of a basic fear that I will not ever find anything as good or that I will not be taken care of if I let go. On the other side of that, I see that the more I trust and relax into life, the more smoothly things run. I remind myself that I do not know the big picture, and so although what is happening to me now might not be what I wanted, it may be opening the door for things better than I ever could have imagined.

With this in mind, I make a dedicated effort to practice Aparigraha, or non-hoarding, by letting go of items, thoughts, feelings, relationships that have run their course and no longer serve me. I liken this to a snake sloughing off its old, outgrown skin with the faith that a better-fitting skin will return in its place. While the beginning of Autumn is a fitting time of year to practice letting go, it need not be the only time we are conscious of the cycles of life. Indeed, every breath is a perfect reminder. Each exhalation is necessary to clear space for the next inhalation. The in-breaths and out-breaths do not exist in competition with each other, but rather coexist in perfect harmony.

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Playlist: Deep Meditative Flow

Gayatri Mantra - Tina Malia & Shimshai

Om Namah Shivaya - Dharma Mittra

Hum Sa - Dharma Mittra

Big Mind

“We participate in our natural spaciousness so seldom that we have come to believe we are whatever arises in the mind.” Stephen Levine

You have probably heard your yoga or meditation teacher say it before:

- YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS -

Central to yogic philosophy is the concept that we are not the thoughts and impressions that arise in our minds, but rather witnesses who watch the thoughts come and go. As external seers, we have the ability to transform our reality by remaining unattached to these thoughts, recognizing that they are merely changeable clouds within the limitless sky of our True selves.

Patanjali states in the Yoga Sutras that yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. The true objective of the yoga practice is not a bendy back, long hamstrings, or a solid handstand, but rather to awaken the practitioner to the spaciousness of his/her True self.  This “True” self is a reality only recognized when the mind’s chatter is silenced. As long as we remain preoccupied with wavering thought patterns (“small mind”), there will be little peace, clarity, or ability to grasp our ultimate capacity (our “big mind”).

Analyzing, defining, and judging are acts of our small mind, or ego. When we act from the standpoint of our egos, we remain reactive, habitual, and limited in the scope of our thinking; our awareness is honed in on specific objects or situations.  This mindset can be very useful at times; for example, solving a mathematical equation with a well-defined solution. If, however, the mathematical equation is of a new order and has been heretofore considered unsolvable, then relying on usual patterns of problem-solving would not likely lead to success and a wider viewpoint would need to be employed. Inventors, pioneers, and notable artists necessarily utilize this Big Mind perspective because innovation requires the capacity to think outside the box of small mind.

Unfortunately, I find myself frequently viewing the world from a small mind perspective. Whatever my mind is focused on is experienced as my entire, all-consuming reality.  Sometimes it is pleasant, sometimes it is agonizing. Forgetting that I am more than these fluctuating thoughts, I become a victim of my own mind, at the whim of the next notion that arises and I forget the boundless wisdom that is available to me in every moment.

My goal this month is to be more attentive to tapping into this wisdom, this Big Mind perspective, rather than merely reacting to situations. This simply requires stepping back from my limited vantage point and asking “what should I do now?” It is not so important who or what I believe I am asking for guidance, be it God, my True Self, my intuition. What matters is that I let go of the need to immediately act (or react) and instead take a moment for an extra breath, to become receptive, to allow the mud to settle, and to patiently wait for the answers. The beauty of this practice is that the answers will come; things will get better! Whether it is because the situation itself changes or just because my perspective on it does, things will improve. And in the meantime, I am enjoying life more, appreciating life more, because I am allowing it to unfold without so much struggle.

Playlist:Yoga Flow

 Bija Mantras - Ben Leinbach & Jai Uttal

 Offshore - Chicane

 Vai Vai - Thunderball

 No Saint - Wasis Diop 

 Early Daiquiris - Club des Belugas

 Funky Guru - Prem Joshua

 Troubled Girl - Karen Ramirez

 Solar - Thunderball

 Leo Leo - Indo Animata

 Lying in the Hands of God - Dave Matthews Band

 Gopala Lullaby - Ben Leinbach & Jai Uttal

Just Breathe

The April Inspiration is up late this month as I just arrived home from an extended trip, which included leading True Flow Yoga’s Yoga and Live Music Retreat on the Big Island of Hawaii. The place, the sounds, the people, and the spirit there were all absolutely incredible! Traveling is an opportunity to step outside of one’s usual environment and open oneself to new experiences. Along with all the advantages of travel also comes the upheaval of changing time zones, climates, diet, etc., which can be a bit disconcerting. As I voyaged from one adventure to the next, there were a lot of unknowns and many unpredictable circumstances.

In travel as in life, there is not much that we can count on in any absolute sense. One exception, however, is breath. As long as we are alive, by definition, we can depend on having breath and thus connecting to it in times of uncertainty is like embracing an anchor of stability. Pausing to focus on my breath is akin to standing directly in the eye of the storm: I am still aware of the chaos and the flux around me, but in the calm of my breath, there is stillness. Breath is a constant guide and companion to those who remember to notice it. No matter where we go, no matter what is happening around us, it is always there as a stable harbor. There is no specific technique necessary; just breathe.

What is a trip without bringing back a souvenir?  After teaching one of our afternoon yoga with live music classes on the retreat, the musicians decided to stay and jam for a bit.  The sound was beautiful and having not gotten a chance to practice myself that day, I rolled out my mat.  This video is a one-take, impromptu video shot by one of the retreat attendees. I hope you enjoy it!

PLAYLIST #7 The playlist this month is the DownTemple Dub:Waves album by Desert Dwellers. It is a beautiful collection of music that is wonderful to breathe and flow to.

 Playlist: Desert Dwellers - DownTemple Dub Waves

 Prana Shakti - Desert Dwellers

 Subterranean Sanctuary - Desert Dwellers 

 On Namo Bhagavate - Desert Dwellers 

 Misty Mountain - Desert Dwellers 

 Solar Prayers - Desert Dwellers 

 Bhodi Mandala - Desert Dwellers