Intent comes first – for example “I am going to inhale and raise my arms” is formulated before the inhale begins. Only then does the inhale begin, shortly followed by movement. When movement is completed, inhale continues a bit longer and when it has completed there is again closure & confirmation of intent – for example “I have finished inhaling and placed my arms on the floor”.  A similar pattern is then followed on the exhale.

Intent “takes place”  between inhales and exhales – during breaks/holds in the breathing.  To practice intent you need to first develop an extended capacity of breath – including breaks and holds which you can hold comfortably. Otherwise intent will become a rushed, unsteady, destabilizing practice that may compromise the development of the breath & movement.

At this elaborated phase of practice there is an opportunity to glimpse some under-currents in Yoga philosophy and practice:

• Vinyasa  – each layer of practice is a foundation for a more subtle form of practice. Each subtle development in practice reinforces the foundations upon which it was built. There is a gradual learning process – each step a preparation for another.
• Dismantling and Rebuilding – despite the popularity of Yoga as a “calming” practice – it is actually a purifying process in which the system is disturbed and then re-assimilated, over and over again.  Breath separates movement and forms a new & refined unity, then Intent separates breath and create a new and further refined unity… and so on.
• Expansion – each sheath extends each cycle of practice in both quality (length & intensity) and quantity (subtle refinement).  Expansion eventually leads to energetic practices with an opposite quality of compression.

In childhood and adolescence the practice is made up mostly of asana. This makes sense – if you think about children and young teenagers – it’s not practical to expect them to sit through elaborate and subtle Pranayama (breathing) and meditative practices. They need to be kept involved otherwise their attention gets pulled away. Asana is the primary tool used to keep them engaged.

Adult life is about creating a life – family, career, etc. There are many distractions and preoccupations. The body is not a supple as it used to be, and there is typically much less space and time for practice. Asana is a shorter practice and used mostly to prepare for Pranayama and meditation, which in turn provide a counter-balance to the business of life.

Old age is typically another major shift – from business to contemplation. As responsibilities take up less space, there is room for exploration. Departure and death become a more substantial part of life. This phase  of life leans towards a meditation.

This model depicts Pranayama as a key ingredient of Yoga practice. It is introduced early in life and maintained throughout. It evolves from a goal (of Asana practice) to a means of preparation and support for meditative practices. It also demonstrates that Yoga practice moves together with the cycle of life from gross to subtle.

My searching led me to a blog post by Bas Nijenhuis (who’s blog  I enjoy visiting from time to time) titled Wavering Motivation. This is something I’ve experienced in Yoga and  in Shakuhachi practice. When I’m fortunate enough to not get overwhelmed by it – I recall some supportive teachings I have received about this in Yoga – and it helps me.

When people first come to Yoga, it is relatively easy to experience change – the very fact that they are there, moving and breathing is an achievement. Sometimes there are achievements such as noticeable improvement of the breath, touching the floor when bending forward, calm and meditative moments, etc. This is the first part of the learning curve – there is a sense of satisfaction that comes from a balance of effort and reward. Each such period of “satisfaction” is followed by a period where there is no evident progress, the learning curve flattens – and motivation drops. Until sometime down the line there is an experience of progress again – in a recurring pattern.

My experience shows that as learning progresses:

• Periods of satisfaction (green tinted areas on the chart) become shorter.
• Periods of low-motivation (red tinted areas on the chart) become longer.
• As a result of which, periods of satisfaction grow further apart.
• Achievements (which lead to satisfaction) become more subtle and refined.
• Somewhat surprisingly – less effort is required to experience achievements (most of the effort is focused on the longer period of waiting)

Preparing for the Waiting

Longer periods of waiting are inevitable. As your practice deepens the more likely you are to experience longer and more challenging such periods. A sign of a mature and quality practice is the ability to recognize and sustain these periods gracefully:

• Discipline is usually the first tool mentioned for these situations. It is useful to cultivate discipline during periods of satisfaction when there is a forward momentum working for you. This can be achieved by introducing regularity into your practice – forming a habit. There will be parts of the practice you love doing (usually those that give you a sense of satisfaction), and there will be others which are less interesting – some almost like chores. A balanced practice includes an effective combination of these qualities – so when the motivation drops – you will have a fall-back – you will be practiced at doing your chores. But discipline shouldn’t be over-rated.
• Grazing – is a quality I learned in improvised performance. It is a quality of doing without expecting results. It is a mode of suspended judgment and an appreciation of whatever is present. A great way to learn grazing is watching professionals do it – so go and watch cows. They do what they do not because of a promised fruit, they do what they do, because this is what they do. Calling it “grazing” seems to give it a legitimate existence – it’s no longer something temporary we do until something better comes a long, it is a worthy action in it’s own right.
• Playfulness is a really great ingredient to introduce in your practice. I used to take Yoga sooooo seriously – ridiculously serious. Smiling is a great technique to introduce playfulness – whenever I find myself intensely concentrated I add a smile – which softens my face and then radiates into whatever posture my body is in.
• Softness is quality that balances effort & discipline and it usually comes bundled with grazing and playfulness. Sometimes when I teach guest classes (which means teaching only once people I don’t know) I build a practice around a theme of softness. One way to introduce this is to approach familiar practices but stopping just before your known limits – doing slightly less then what you are used to doing. It’s always proved to be a great practice. It comes in very handy when you are impatient and achievement is stubbornly pushing you into an intense practice which leads to more impatience. A touch of softness can turn that around.

In Waiting

I find that periods of waiting are delicate times (at least in the context in which I am in waiting). I tend to be protective and private about my Yoga practice when I am in waiting. I don’t talk about it with others, I don’t seek advice, I don’t try to solve it. It’s tempting to look for solutions and salvation, and it usually leads to disappointment – because there are none. Advice seems to always fall short, what works for someone else may not work for you.

If possible, I will turn to my teachers for inspiration, they have been through this too, they know me and they know how to offer a supportive presence without making false promises.

I find that this learning curve is typical of many aspects of life. Relationships come to mind, as I write these words, as another great example where I experience this curve. It’s kind of like driving on a fast downhill road and accumulating momentum for a steep uphill climb that follows. Momentum is not enough to get you up the hill, you need to know how to run the engine effectively, and hopefully remember to enjoy the view going up as much as the thrill of going down.

The subtle elements are presented in Vedic Philosophy as a hierarchy in which each element has one quality that is unique to it (which separates it from the other elements) and additional qualities it inherits from the more subtle elements that come before it.

For example – ether is a subtle element that has a unique quality of sound. Air is a subtle quality that inherits the quality of sound from ether & has a unique quality of touch. Earth is a subtle element that inherits the qualities of sound, touch, form and flavor, and has a unique quality of odor.

Though all five elements are referred to as “subtle elements” – there is actually a refined order of gross to subtle within them. Ether being the more subtle “subtle element” and earth being the most gross “subtle element”.

Asana, Pranayama & Meditation

The structure of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (a primary text about Hatha Yoga) delineates an overview structure of practice:

• The 1st chapter is about generating and stimulating Prana using Asana (physical practices)
  
• The 2nd chapter is about containing the Prana that has been stimulated using Pranayama
• The 4th chapter is about Samadhi – a Meditative state.

When applied to the map of elements we see that the tools are arranged from gross to subtle – fire, air and then ether. Asana is a gross form of practice compared to Pranayama, and Pranayama is a gross form of practice compared to Meditation.

Kriya

Kriyas are cleansing practices and they are described in the 2nd chapter of the HYP (slokas 21 – 38). There are 6 practices introduced in the following order:

1. Dhauti – swallowing a wet cloth and pulling it out
2. Vasti – which is basically an enema
3. Neti – passing a thread through the nasal passages
4. Trataka – intense gazing
5. Nauli – revolving the stomach muscles.
6. Kapalabhati – a forceful breathing practice.

The order in which the Kriyas are introduced is aligned with the overall strategy of practice – from gross to subtle. The first 3 (Dhauti, Vasti & Neti) are water practices, the next 2 are fire (Trataka & Nauli) practices and the last one (Kapalabhati – which some consider a Pranayama) is an air practice. Therefore Kriya’s are practices that cross over from water to fire.

Mudra & Bandhas

The 3rd chapter of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika is dedicated to Mudras & Bandhas. These are various techniques that can be thought of as locks – their purpose is to internally direct Prana that has been aroused through Asana and contained through Pranayama.

Chanting

Chanting is a special tool that is often overlooked in Yoga practices and also can be difficult to introduce in the West (people are generally very self-conscious about using their voice). It is said, and I have experienced, chanting to be a “magical shortcut” that leads directly into meditation.

Chanting is an art of it’s own and deserves specialized teaching and practices. It is fairly intuitive to associate Chanting with air, though anyone who has practiced it will recognize that it is also a practice of fire – it requires a steady stamina.

Chanting can be useful in teaching people to breathe – particularly to lengthen the exhale. People can feel lost when they are asked to extend their exhale, but ask them to make a continuous sound – and voila – the exhale lengthens.

Chanting can also be used together with Asana to bring the breath into consciousness. By creating sounds during exhales both the practitioner and teachers can better observe the quality of the breath. If the breath is even slightly unsteady – it will immediately effect the quality of sound. Sound paints the breath, bringing it closer to consciousness and to a refined physical practice.

A Practice Session

A Yoga practice session can be a conscious practice of these qualities. The HYP can be applied to the construct of a single practice session:

1. Asana
2. Pranayama
3. Meditation

A path from gross to subtle can be experienced as a change over years of practice, in a single practice session, in a single asana and in a single breath. We are always on this path and it is useful to recognize and embrace both qualities. Gross is a starting point, pretending otherwise denies the present and weakens the foundations upon which we stand. Subtle is an elusive end, we work towards it and never reach it, it is a reference point for the gross. Hopefully subtle qualities of today’s practice will become tomorrow gross starting point – as we travel onward constantly improving and refining.

Like Granthis, Kundalini is an obstacle/blockage – actually the king of all obstacles. It is located above (and gets it’s name from) the Kanda – the point of origin of all Nadi – (HYP Chapter 3 Sloka 113).   The metaphor used to describe it, is that of a coiled snake – which prevents a merging of energy flowing in Ida & Pingala into and through the center channel – Sushumna. The snake is said to be coiled three and a half times so symbolize “om” – which is actually made of of three sounds a/u/m – a coil for every sound and then a gap of waiting.

HYP Chapter 3 Sloka 2: “… when the sleeping kundalini is awakened by the grace of a guru”
HYP Chapter 3 Sloka 3: “then the cleared path becomes the royal road for prana…”
(translation by Brian Akers)

After careful and intense purifying preparations (assuming you are a young healthy man who is dedicating his life to Yoga and living in a hut)  including asana, pranayama and kriyas (mentioned in the first two chapters), Kundalini is introduced. The tools to awaken Kundalini are intense energetic practices – intended to awaken the serpent and causing it to straighten – and in doing so opening the blockage and allowing the two energies (ha & tha) to merge.

HYP Chapter 3 Sloka 12: “Thus the kundalini will stretch out, like a snake that has been hit by a stick The two nadis die off thereby, because the prana leaves them.”
(translation by Hans Ulrich Reiker)

The posture prescribed for beating Kundalini is an asymmetric  seated posture called Mahamudra – which is very uninteresting externally but can be very energetic inside. I am not going to get into the posture in this article – because (a) it has many subtle points; (b) requires intense, specific and personalized breathing; (c) needs to be incorporated in a practice with proper preparation and counter-postures; (d) should be taught and practiced with a teacher present; (e) all of which means you REALLY shouldn’t play around with it (you can, and people have, suffered injuries from it). I do want to point out that a core seated posture, and not some convoluted circus posture, is at the gateway to the higher-plains of Yoga.

If, like me, you are of a western mind-set then the words “prevent” & “obstacle” are calling out for you to do something. But, before rushing off to awaken your serpent and get your juices flowing, please ask yourself if there maybe a reason it’s there? I invite you to read one story of a person who apparently did manage to awaken the snake: Kundalini: The Evolutionary Energy in Man.

I chose to start this journey with the introduction of Elements & Gunas – the building blocks of existence and the forces that shape them.

Elements: a Static Aspect

I found an inspiring description of the elements in Vaisesika Philosophy. It is a practical approach that claims that the fact that are diverse materials and objects in existence, indicates that there must be different subtle (basic) elements – building blocks. We cannot perceive these subtle elements directly – we can only infer their existence based on how they make themselves known to us.

Let’s take for example – Water. We intuit there is a basic element called water from the different forms it takes – we know that water flowing in a river, wine and apple juice share a common element. But we can never perceive this subtle element directly – we can perceive it only when it comes into being in some gross form.

Then how do we know what elements there are? Vaisesika suggests that all subtle elements have numerous qualities. Some of these qualities are common, and some are special & unique. We can’t tell things apart by their common qualities, but we can identify them uniquely through their special qualities. A special quality is so tightly related to it’s subtle element that you can’t separate them – you can’t take the wetness out of water.  If we could identify such special  qualities – then we could say that each special quality is associated with a unique subtle element.

Vaisesika suggests that an examination of the objective clearly reveals such special qualities – and each quality reveals a subtle element:

• The special quality of Sound points to the existence of subtle element of Ether
  Ether is that which has the special quality of sound
• The special quality of Touch points to the existence of subtle element of Air.
  Air is that which has the special quality of touch.
• The special quality of Form points to the existence of subtle element of Fire.
  Fire is that which has the special quality of form.
• The special quality of Flavor points to the existence of subtle element of Water.
  Water is that which has the special quality of flavor.
• The special quality of Odor points to the existence of subtle element of Earth.
  Earth is that which has the special quality of odor.

Samkhya philosophy suggests that the subtle elements are evolved from one another – each having the special properties of it’s preceding elements in addition to it’s special element:

• Ether – sound
• Air – sound & touch
• Fire – sound & touch & form
• Water – sound & touch & form & flavor
• Earth – sound & touch & form & flavor & odor

And so we have the building blocks that make up everything in existence. Because it seems so obvious, it may be interesting to note that the special qualities relate not only to the subtle elements but also to our knowing senses – BUT they are not the same. Sound is not hearing,touch is not feeling, form is not sight, flavor is not taste and odor is not smell. This is something to meditate on.

Gunas: a Dynamic Aspect

Gunas describe the dynamics of matter – they are the forces that “pick up the pieces” of subtle elements, shuffle them around cause them to take the different forms of matter and objects we perceive. Gunas are foundations of existence, but unlike the foundations of a building, they are constantly shifting and changing. Gunas are also the roof of all change – nothing can manifest beyond the limitations they impose.

There are three Gunas – Rajas, Tamas & Sattva.

• Rajas is a perky Guna – it is activating and exciting, always leaning into change, destabilizing.
• Tamas is an inhibiting Guna – it slows and prevents movement, it allows things to settle.
• Sattva is a content Guna – it is where it needs to be and has no need or motivation to change.

Connected & Ever-changing

According to Samkhya the Gunas were in perfect balance before the objective world manifested – and then there was a disturbance. Which of the three Gunas do you think moved first? Sattva is just fine with the way things are, Tamas does not initiate -so  it can only be Rajas. Then Tamas kicked in opposing movement initiated by Rajas. Sattva is a state of balance & harmony of Tamas & Rajas. The Gunas are always affecting one another, leading into and through change.

Dominance & Continuity

At any given time one of the Gunas is dominant:

• Do you ever get the feeling that the world around you is busy or hectic? That would be dominant Rajas.
• Do you ever get the feeling that the world is heavy and depressing? That would be dominant Tamas.
• When you feel that everything is sweet, simple and peaceful, nothing needs to be changed? That would be dominant  Sattva.

It would be great if it were that clear and obvious all the time, and though it’s not too far from that, it’s not always so straightforward. When a Guna becomes dominant it tends to stay that way for a period of time. This is most obvious with Tamas – since it is in it’s nature to persist: if you’ve ever been depressed or gone through a phase of heaviness and low motivation then you have experienced Tamas – it is very difficult to escape it.

Rajas is required to move away from Tamas. Rajas is by definition a less continuous Guna – it is prone to change. A continued state of Rajas is likely to pass through Tamas and Sattva. If you’ve ever experienced a period of hyper-activity then you may have noticed that eventually you will probably end up in either sleep (Tamas) or a special kind of stillness, often just gazing at something in a kind of meditative trance (Sattva).

Depression (Tamas) can last days, weeks, months and years. Hyper-activity (Rajas) usually lasts minutes, or hours, very rarely more then that. It if does last longer it will go through periods of rest which can be Tamasic or Sattvic. Still, Rajas can be a dominant quality in people through out life – and for many people it is.

There is no tool for measuring Gunas. They can be observed on subtle and gross levels. We may say that sleep is dominated by Tamas, yet who has not experienced a Rajasic night of sleeplessness and agitation? Gunas also need to be observed in context: for an athlete, running a race may be a Rajasic experience; for a person who is ill, getting out of bed may be a Rajasic experience.

Gunas are not Good or Bad

There is a tendency to fall into a trap of simplifying and judging the Gunas: Tamas is bad, Rajas is good, Sattva is the best. This is a common mistake and a source of much misapprehension. Tamas cannot be good bad any more then ether can be good or bad. Gunas are qualities and life is an ever changing balance of their relationship.

Gunas can be functional or dysfunctional. Sattva is a meditative quality but if it was always dominant and unaffected by Rajas & Tamas there wouldn’t be life. Rajas is a functional quality in our waking ours, but if it were not for Tamas we would not be able to sleep at night. Tamas can be a burden when it prevents us from moving, but it can be a lifesaver when we need to stop.

The Gunas & I

One of the most useful realizations I had in observing Gunas in my life is that they are bigger then me – I am playing in their playground and everything I perceive, feel an do is under their influence. It’s useless and hopeless to pretend to be meditative when a storm is upon you.

I recall a story about a person who went kayaking. He got caught in a stormy current and fought to get free. He drowned, died and was shortly afterward released from the current further down the stream. An experienced person would have known that your best chance of surviving is to surrender to the current and let it carry you through.

There are times when I sit down to meditate (Sattva) and immediately notice that my mind is all over the place (Rajas). At times like this it is almost useless for me to choose a focus for meditation, as I am not likely to stay with it for a long time. The best meditation practice for me at times like this is to ride out the storm in my mind. When I do this there is chance I may end up in a peaceful place.

The Gunas & You & I

The Gunas connect us all. We may experience the Gunas differently as individuals but we are all swimming in the same ocean, we are all lifted up and dropped down by it’s currents and waves.  We are in this together you & I.

The process of meditations is a gradual movement from distraction toward containment. You can experience this on a gross level in a short meditation and you can experience this on a more subtle level over years of meditation.

When you start off meditating (assuming you are not in a monastery or a retreat) the mind is occupied with everything and anything, this is the nature of mind.

Then gradually ( = waiting patiently & softly, without expectation, without judgment) the mind settles a bit and releases some of its preoccupations. The first thoughts to go are the “easier” ones, those that stay are more immanent and can take a bit more waiting.

When the mind is settled it is able to start focusing on one object. At first the mind may still dance around and the relationship with the object comes and goes.

With some practice the mind is able to hold an object steadily and for a longer period of time.

Eventually subject-object duality ceases to cloud perception.

Practice tips:

• asana and pranayama practice shorten the time it takes to make this journey.
• a simple and supportive object to place your attention is on your seated position.
• a caring teacher can give you a supportive meditation focus, choosing a focus for yourself indulges your mind (like a kid will go for candy).
• one effective meditation practice will carry you through years of practice, don’t change it like you change socks.

1. CIKITSA: recovery. This mode of practice is associated with dispersed energy. Dispersed energy can be felt as low or unstable energy. Yoga practice in this mode is a relatively soft practice – one that can be gracefully executed by a person with dispersed energy. Yoga in this mode can facilitate a process of recovery – collecting the energy. In practice this is a therapeutic mode. Chronic back problems, asthma, depression are examples of situations in which a Cikitsa practice can be useful. The dominant tool in this mode is Asana.
2. RAKSANA: health preservation. This mode of practice is associated with collected energy. Yoga practice in this mode is intended to preserve and sustain a stable state of energy. The intensity of the practice should be adjusted accordingly. A practice that is too low in intensity will have little to no effect on the system. A practice that is too intense can cause and disturbance and potentially lead to illness (which would require a Cikitsa practice for recovery). The dominant tool in this mode of practice is Pranayama.
3. SIKSANA: intensifying. This mode of practice is associated with condensed energy. This is the classical mode of practice in Yoga. It assumes that energy is readily available – collected and condensed and that the system can be pushed into more intense modes of practice. This is literally playing with fire. The dominant tool in this mode of practice is Mudra & Bandha.

Weekly Yoga Classes

Yoga practiced by common people like you and I is usually integrated into a hectic and busy life. It is not practiced in monastic conditions with an entire system of support dedicated to the practice. It is injected into a tight corner of a crowded life alongside a career, family, friends, hobbies, etc.

This means that most people meet Yoga in a dispersed mode of energy. The relevant practice for most people is therefor Cikitsa – recovery. Indeed, many people come to weekly Yoga classes with an expectation to recover from a hectic week. In some cases, when the practice is effective, they will experience a sense of recovery, a rejuvenation of their system. When this happens people leave a practice with a collected energy. If they were to start a practice now, when the practice has ended, they may be able to contain a more intense Raksana practice. But alas they are not going into a practice, but going back into a hectic life and back into a dispersed energy. So a weekly Yoga practice, for most people, will be a movement back and forth between recovery and health preservation. People can practice Yoga for 20 years in this way without a substantial change in the system. Their are preserving a baseline of health, preventing, slowing a process of degeneration.

Daily Yoga Practice

I know of only one way to move beyond this basic loop of preservation. Practice more. My teachers have described Yoga practice as a savings account, the more you put into the more you have. My experience as a practitioner supports this. A more frequent practice can eventually leads to a more sustainable mode of health. If you practice 3 or 4 times a week you are altering the balance between disturbed energy and collected energy. You are no longer facing a week’s worth of dispersed energy but only a day or two. This may lead to improved health and in time open a crack into more intense Yoga practices.

SIKSANA

For most people this is an irrelevant mode of practice. Unfortunately some of the most popular brands of Yoga in the western world preach and teach intensifying forms of practice. It is a matter of personal responsibility and conscious effort in choosing a proper yoga practice and teacher. Learn to walk, then learn to run and then train carefully for a marathon.

“Living in this hut, free of all anxieties, one should earnestly practice Yoga as taught by one’s guru”

(translation by Brian Akers)

Applying Yoga is a similar process. People are born with a quality of clarity that cannot be taken out. Clarity can be dormant and hidden behind a murky mind but it is always there. Therefor in yoga we tried to teach the mind stillness. When the mind it still enough, clarity can once again shine through.

As a seeking individual this reminds me that mind has a nature and quality of it’s own and it get’s murky – this is not a problem, it should not be criticized nor solved. I have also found that a great place to start to quiet the mind is to surrender to it and embrace it for what it is. Clarity is with me all the time, though sometimes it is not available to me because of state-of-mind… and in the spirit of embracing… maybe there is a reason for that as well (when I am driving, I prefer a nice and murky mind taking in information, making decisions and responding).

As a yoga therapist this reminds me to appreciate and embrace an endless potential embodied in people I teach. It is not up to me nor in my hands to “make them better” in any way (physically, mentally, energetically or spiritually). I have at my disposal tools that when introduced properly and practiced with care can involve a stillness of mind. The rest is in the hands of a higher force.

CONFESSION: When I created the images above I waited to see what would happen to the murky water. The first time I did this I left the glass out for too long and half the water evaporated leaving a dirty glass surface. The second time I tried things remained afloat in the water and clung to the sides. I was a little disappointed because I really wanted to go demonstrate the idea of clarity shining through again. But it’s never that simple, and indeed yoga practices are about an active purification of body & mind and not just waiting around for it to happen. So there you have it : )