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January Yoga 2024

January Yoga 2024

Yoga classes January 2024

The next series of five yoga classes will begin Thursday 11th January until February 8th.

The class is made up of forty five minutes of breath centric asana followed by a seated breathing practice and a short lying down meditation. January can be a bleak time of year so this class aims to gently lift the spirits while cultivating stability and calm in the body and mind.

The class is suitable for beginners to yoga, more experienced practitioners and those who may have a curiosity about the philosophy which underpins yoga practice.

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Ann-Marie
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The Kleshas in Practice

The Kleshas in Practice

 

The Kleshas: Forces affecting all levels
of our being, but not our spirit

In [YS 1.3] Patanjali describes a state of yoga as being able to live from the unchanging freshness of the spiritual principle (Purusha), rather than from the constantly changing often habitual natural one (prakriti), where we identify ourselves with the contents of our minds and our external circumstances.

It can be interesting, and often helpful to yoga practice  to think about some of the things that can obscure that experience, of living from a spiritual perspective.

CITTA VRITTIS: TWO TYPES

Patanjali defines the mind (citta), which is part of nature and can obscure the spiritual principle according to its activities or patterns, of which there are five, understanding, error, imagination, deep sleep and memory [YS 1.6].

All and any of these mental activities (citta vritti) can be seen as either of two types.Those which either move us along the path of yoga towards a state of clarity, stability and luminosity (aklista citta vritti) or those which disturb the mind and move us further away from this state (klista citta vritti). [YS 1.5]]

FIVE KLESHAS

According to Edwin Bryant’s book on the yoga sutras the disturbing mental activities are underpinned by deeper, often unconscious psychological mechanisms. These are fundamental forces (kleshas) which affect us on all levels of our being except for spirit.

Patanjali, in the yoga sutras, lists things according to a hierarchy of importance, putting the most most important first. Vyasa, in his commentary on the sutras, says that the first klesha listed, confusion (between the mind and the spirit) is a perception in its own right rather than a lack of perception or knowledge and is the root cause of the following four.

The next four evolve out of the previous one — these are ego, desire, aversion and fear. They are natural impulses which are necessary for life but can become problematic when they become excessive. This excess can lead to actions (karma) that may cause suffering and be a further obstacle to moving towards a state of clarity, stability and luminosity. These actions leave imprints (samsaras) on the mind and often lead to further unhelpful actions either now or in the future.

The kleshas are sometimes considered to be synonymous with duhka. On a practical level you can feel when  kleshas/duhka are increasing, the body, breath and mind can feel constricted and contracted. Equally when the kleshas/duhka are easing you can feel the converse effect of a gradual expansion of space and a sense of ease.

Yoga practice can help reduce these kleshas from overwhelming to intermittent, then to weakened and finally to dormant [YS 2.4]. As the kleshas are reduced the mind gradually clears, stabilises and becomes more luminous, gradually uncovering the spirit [YS 2.2].

When the kleshas are increasing or decreasing, they are underpinned by the energies of the gunas (three energies of nature). When the kleshas are increasing, the energy of agitation (rajas ) and/or the energy of dullness (tamas) are behind the disturbing mental activities (klista citta vritti) . When they are decreasing they are influenced by a predominance of the energy of luminosity (sattwa) helping to bring the mind toward, clarity, stability and luminosity and so making it easier to see from a perspective of spirit.

FIVE STATES OF MIND

Vyasa, the principal commentator on Patanjali’s yoga sutras, explains that there are five states of mind. A.G.Mohan describes these states as agitated, dull, distracted, focusedand absorbed.

The first three are not considered to be states of yoga. The third state (distracted) is probably where most of us find our minds, alternating between being focused and being distracted. This third state brings to mind what it is like to practice the tools of yoga, to align and constantly realign attention within asana, pranayama and meditation.

Normally the mind goes in many directions at the same time sometimes leading to feelings of being scattered, generally uncomfortable and overwhelmed but working in this third state aiming for the fourth (focused) we are not attempting to stop the movements of the mind, but rather to channel them in one direction. This can seem like a more accessible aim for practice rather than stilling the mental activity completely. The aim is not to stop the mind or thoughts but to become increasingly absorbed in our activity.

The fourth (focused) and fifth (absorbed) states of mind are considered to be states of yoga as they have both clarity and stability. The fifth mental state is the highest state of yoga where the mind is not just focused on an object, it is absorbed. This state of mind is rare.

TWO TYPES OF PRACTICE

Broadly speaking , practical ways of working with the kleshas can be practices which focus on reducing the disturbing energy which feels more prevalent at the time, agitation(rajas) or dullness (tamas)

Gary Kraftsow suggests two such practices. The first one address a predominance of agitation, expressing itself as anxiety and irritability in a middle-aged person who leads a sedentary lifestyle.

The approach here is to stimulate the energy in the body up to the level of the mental agitation and from there they can be more easily reduced together.

The practice starts with bridge pose and kneeling forward bend to begin to open the chest and mobilise the spine. These are followed by some poses which will continue to open the chest, such as warrior pose with a short retention of the breath after inhale, to increase the stimulation in the body so that it more closely resembles the level of mental agitation. This makes it easier to come to poses lying on the back and finally taking a lying rest. To further calm the body and mind, the pranayama is focused on progressively lengthening the exhale in order to relax the body, breath and mind.

The second practice is aimed at a predominance of dullness. For a middle-aged person who felt depressed, tired easily and had little interest in anything, for example. The approach here is to begin with gentle, simple, lying down poses so as not to discourage the person from practice.

Then progressing to more physically demanding ones like combining two poses and introducing a pause after inhale. There is also focus here on chest opening poses but with no lying down at the end of practice in order to prevent the spirits and energy from sinking again. During the sequence, care is taken to prepare and counterpose to avoid over-stimulating the energy. The pranayama focuses on expanding the chest and deepening the capacity for inhale without compromising the exhale.

Both practices aim to reduce the energy of agitation and dullness with a subsequent increase of clarity. The aim is to impart a sense of space and ease to the body, mind and breath following the practice.

“ The heart is considered to be the seat of the mind” – Desikachar.

Ann-Marie works as a yoga therapist and yoga teacher in the tradition of Krishnamacharya and his son Desikachar. Her practice, The Yoga Process, is based in north Wicklow.

 

 

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The Yoga Sutras

The Yoga Sutras

 

The first four lines of the yoga sutras

Patanjalis yoga sutras are sometimes seen as daunting but here I am attemtping to simplify and clarify some of the basic principles in order to convey their ability to enrich, encourage and inform the practice of the tools of yoga.

The Yoga Sutras are a guide to the experience of a state of yoga, what can occur along the way and advice on how to navigate the journey towards that state.

Patanjali begins by defining a state of yoga as a peaceful, transparent, reflective and calm state of mind (YS 1.2 yoga is to still the movements of the mind). This calm state of mind allows us to experience ourselves as we really are, spacious and free. 

To explore this he describes two different components and two possible scenarios.

The first component is the spiritual principle, often referred to as awareness; and the second the natural principle, which is consciousness. The spiritual principle, sometimes called the essential Self, the seer or observer is unchanging and is the power of seeing. 

The natural principle differs in that it is everything that is not the seer, including the mind, breath, body, environment and is subject to constant change. The mind is a large part of the field of interest to the yoga practitioner as it is part of the natural principal as well as being the instrument of seeing.

The first scenario Patanjali presents is one in which the Seer can experience itself as it really is, a sense of wholeness and freedom. 

The second one is where the mind, the instrument of seeing, is disturbed and we mistake ourselves to be the contents of our minds and life circumstances rather than the spiritual principle.

To reduce this confusion between the Seer and the contents of the mind the ancients tell us that spirit cannot be affected directly but that the lens of the mind can be examined and gradually cleared, enabling clearer vision. When vision becomes gradually clearer due to a clearer lens we are moving closer to the first scenario of freedom and wholeness, rather than believing that we are the contents of our minds and our life circumstances presented in the second one.

A solution to this confusion is to spend time looking at the the field of the body, breath and mind as we practice yoga. When we spend time looking at anything, we either begin or continue a relationship with it. As we start looking at something we initially notice larger elements of it and as we continue looking we begin to notice more details and maybe how these elements may interact, so becoming increasingly familiar with the mind, body and breath.

This is applying constant discernment and discrimination (viveka) to the mind, breath and body.

“Viveka is present when the difference between citta (mind) and purusha (spiritual principle) is clear” – Desikachar.

Applying this practically, you can see how paying attention to the body, breath and mind with yoga practices can lead to a better knowledge of the them. 

Sometimes, for a beginner starting an asana practice, the body can feel a bit like one entity, until movement with awareness shows that many physical aspects we previously thought were joined (samyoga) are actually separate (viyoga).They are simultaneously independant and interrelated. The same is also true of the breath and the mind — pranayama and meditation practices help to understand their nature and our awareness of them. 

According to Hindu philosophy, the changing nature of the mind is due to it being subject to three different energies. Taking the often used example of the moon reflected in water, firstly there is a state of mind which is calm, luminous and transparent, this is both the inherent and ideal state of the mind. In this sattvic state the mind (water) can reflect the true nature of awareness back to itself, enabling Patanjali’s first scenario — awareness can abide in its own nature. The reflectivity and transparancy of the water not alone  accurately reflects the moon to itself but also allows us to see the mind as it inherently is without disturbance. 

Then there is the energy of activity, a rajasic energy which is necessary to get things done, but can easily tip over into agitation, distorting the surface of the water and giving spirit a false reflection of itself. The third is tamas, a heavy and obscuring energy. A certain amount of this energy is needed to feel a sense of stability but beyond that its mud-like consistency obscures the reflective surface of the water.

A yoga practice which works well for you is one which gradually cultivates the qualities of clarity and luminosity in the mind, body and breath and which reduces agitation and dullness.

As the clouds in the mind are gradually cleared, a feeling of wholeness  develops over time. This sense of wholeness is the presence of the spiritual principle which under ordinary circumstances is often covered over by the commotion of the mind. 

The point of yoga, as a very dear yoga teacher once told me, is joy!

Ann-Marie works as a one to one yoga therapist and yoga teacher in the tradition of Krishnamacharya and his son Desikacar. She teaches regular half day weekend yoga retreats and weekly classes in north Wicklow and South Dublin. Email [email protected]

 

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Ann-Marie
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Summer Yoga 2023

Summer Yoga 2023

 

Summer 2023 Yoga classes and retreat in Greystones

The Yoga Process is offering two indoor yoga classes per month in June and July. 

In June

Tuesday the 13th

Tuesday 20th

All classes are in St Patricks recreation hall in Greystones at 7.15pm. The class dates for July are the 11th and the 25th.

The half-day yoga retreat will be on Saturday 29th July

 

The focus for the Summer classes and retreat will look at postures, breath work and meditation to ease muscle tension, and cool the body and mind, ideally bringing you closer to a state of yoga. Also, we will take a look at the fundamentals of the experiential guide to yoga practice, the yoga sutras.

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Yoga for the busy householder

Late Spring yoga classes

I remember the overall structure of the four chapters of the yoga sutras being described to me as a horse riding metaphor. The second chapter is for learning how to ride a horse and the first, third and fourth are about what to do when you are up on the horse.

Of the four chapters of the yoga sutras , chapter two is aimed at the person who is busy in the world rather than chapter one which is aimed at someone who has a more contemplative lifestyle and/or temperament. 

However, the definition of yoga remains the same regardless of what stage you find yourself in the process and is found in the second sutra of chapter one.

YS 1.2 yoga citta vritti nirodha – yoga is to still the movement of the mind, to bring it towards calmness. So from the very beginning yoga is described as a state of mind, calm and stable. Yoga as a process aims to cultivate clarity and calmness in the mind which is its natural state when it is not obscured by the energies of hyperactivity and/or dullness.

Then moving  to chapter two, Patanjali offers the most accessible method to move along the yoga path for the person that is busy in the world. This method is

 kryia yoga (yoga of action) and it is emphasised by another mention further along in the chapter as a way to harmonise our relationship with ourselves. There are three aspects to kryia yoga , tapas, svadyaya and isvara pranidhanai. 

The first aspect, tapah, is a gentle self discipline that can move us from one point to another and it can be applied to any activity we decide to focus on. If you choose to spend thirty minutes daily on yoga poses, breathing practice and meditation you also have to choose what not to do to accommodate this and often this choosing what not to do involves resisting the senses in some way. Each time we note and resist the pull of the senses and do the practice we have decided on, the body mind gains energy and moves gradually towards a state of yoga.

The second part of kryia yoga is svadyaya referring to the study of self. In yoga practice the most accessible parts of ourselves are the sensations in our bodies and our breathing patterns and by paying attention to them we are better able to note what is going on with them and to know them better.

Isvara pranidhanani is the third component of kriya yoga. This is the fruit of the previous two aspects of self discipline and self study. It is an attitude of openness and trust in life regardless of our expectations.

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Familiarity with body mind processes as you move towards a state of yoga

Late Spring yoga classes

 

Kleshas

The definition of yoga according to the yoga sutras of patanjali is YS1.2 yoga città vritti nirodha. Yoga is a state of mind that is completely still.

This is hard to achieve unless you become familiar with the fundamental forces that disturb the mind whose natural inclination is to be still and luminous. These forces  are the physiological mechanisms underlying the movements of the mind which we are attempting to still.

Patanjali lists these five fundamental forces calling them Kleshas which increase excess activity, lethargy or both, clouding the natural luminosity of the mind.

Vyasa in his commentary of the sutras says that the first Klesha, avidya is a perception in its own right rather than a lack of perception or knowledge. He give the example of someone walking in a garden and mistaking a rope for a snake, thinking we know something whereas that is not the case.

The next four evolve out of the previous one, ego, desire, aversion and fear. All are natural impulses which are nesscarsry for life but can become problematic when they become excessive. This excess can lead to actions that will cause suffering and be an obstacle to moving towards a state of concentration, wholeness and stillness.

The intention of yoga is to gradually cultivate wholeness and simutanouely reduce the strength of the kleshas which exist in the body as well as the mind. Yoga practice can help reduce the kleshas from overwhelming to intermittent, then to weakened and then finally to dormant. As the kleshas are reduced the mind gradually calms and becomes more luminous. 

As you know observing anything increases knowledge and familiarity of that subject.

A yoga practice is an ideal situation where we can give undivided attention to the body, breath and mind in order to know them better, reducing avidya

 For the beginner the body often feels like it operates as one component and as practice continues, familiarity grows and things about the body and its different components are noticed more. The kleshas gradually reduce and eventually return to their source (pratiprasava), so we are less distracted by them, better able to concentrate leading to an increased sense of wholeness.

 

As yoga is practiced questions may arise. 

 “What effect is this pose having on my breath pattern.”?

“Has my attention wandered or is it still resting on my body sensations and my breath”?

“Do I feel both supported and open in this pose”?

In this way also the kleshas can be noticed as and if they come up. Can I feel supported and comfortable here and do I notice if ego, desire, aversion or fear are present.