Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodhah - Yoga Sutra #2

Yoga is "the control of thought waves of the mind" - as one translation of the Second Yoga Sutra states. Mr. Iyengar puts it another way, "Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness." Sri Swami Satchitananda says it this way, that Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodhah translates as "the restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga."

Stopping Your Thoughts

So . . . What now? What do I have to do? It sounds like your thoughts are like horses and all you have to do is build a fence around them and they'll stay corralled and under control. Or they're like a swarm of mosquitos; unlikable, pesky things that you shoo away with all get-out with some kind of fly swatter or bug repellent (the soy kind). Or perhaps more like a barking dog tied to a post and hopefully you can find the muzzle. Hmmm - I don't know how to do that with my thoughts. Do you? Do I deal with each thought separately or do I lump them all together?

When this is taught in most yoga or meditation classes, sometimes the translation of the sutra gets lost and teachers and students tend to talk about stopping a thought or a number of them. I suppose it's a Christian thing - you know, your thoughts are the sin or . . . it's not about what you think but rather what you do with the thought, or it is what you think and what you do with the thought, etc. Confusing, isn't it? It occurs to me that that must have been misquoted for centuries probably as well. Stopping thoughts always catches people up. After talking to a lot of people, it is the one thing that most fixate on.

The Thought About the Thought

What I've been taught and what I've experienced though, is that it is the movement of thought rather than the individual thought itself. But how do you stop movement? And is that what we're supposed to do? The movement of thoughts to me is like the movement of air like wind. Sometimes it's gusty, and sometimes it's gale force strength. And other times, it's a welcomed breeze. Thoughts flow constantly. Sometimes you take notice. Sometimes you don't. So when do you take notice of thoughts? When they bother you of course. When someone says something that just gets under your skin, or when something happens and you have a strong reaction to it - like you feel embarrassed, or when you have to get or do something because your life depended on it. All worthy thoughts. How many times have you reiterated a conversation in your head hours, days after the conversation - or before the conversation has even happened . . . even if you didn't want to think about it, yet there it is? What makes thought waves so powerful? Pema Chödron said that her teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche would say - it is not the negative, but it is the negative about the negative. In other words, it is not the thought, but the thought about the thought which turns into another thought about that thought and so on, that gets us into trouble.

My First Meditation Retreat

I remember my first meditation retreat some years ago. I am a self-declared 'idea' person; Give me a problem and I will give you a number of solutions that are pretty creative and sometimes even original. Anyway, I was at this meditation retreat for the first time, sitting Zazen. I was determined to do a good job. I went with a friend who is a seasoned sitter, and so I mimicked him the first day. I sat for 4 hours straight without moving. OMG - I was so sore for the rest of the time. In order to get through this, I made sure I sat a lot (it was a very relaxed atmosphere about your schedule to sit - still very strict about eye contact and silence.) I battled the whole way through. I sat and sat, and still my thoughts came, ideas about: how to fix the roof; what gifts I can make each and every person there because they are so great; how much I wished I could eat (I was fasting as well); how much I wished I could wash my hair (little facility to do that at this place), and how I was right about being eaten alive by mosquitos (it was a hot week in August). Afterward, I told my teacher I found out how I wasn't as still and silent as I thought I was; I had always thought that I was a pretty laid back, quiet person. But I wasn't. Maybe that's why some of you don't want to do the meditation that asks you to be still. It can be a pretty shocking, and an eye opening experience, and some of you may not want to know. Through my years of practice, I learned that thoughts will always come and go, but it is most certainly about how your organism responds to those thoughts.

The Paradox of Still Mind

"Yoga is the suppression of the transformation of the thinking principle", as someone else puts it. Suppression? Hmm. I am not a fan of our potential interpretation of the word suppression. In psycho-talk, it can be interpreted as 'swallowing' or 'eating' your thoughts or words and that never ends well. How I have experienced this, "suppression of the transformation of the thinking principle" has taken a number of years of hard work to understand my reactive responses to external stimuli. Most of us react because we feel threatened by something/someone, or, we are anxious to prove something, and so on. What needs to happen is simultaneous to developing a Still Mind. Once you develop the Buddha Mind, you will realize that you are not separate and there is no threat (really) because there is no you. Before you develop Buddha Mind, you struggle with all the thoughts which anchor you into an identity that is separate. In other words, you need to develop Buddha Mind before you can transcend your reactionary self and you need to transcend your reactionary self before you can realize Buddha Mind. It is a paradox. Like peeling the onion, or chipping away at a stone. The only way through is to open your heart and risk the death that all of us are so afraid of - ego-death.

I always liked the word Transformation. Here it is talking about the transformation of the thinking principle. Transformation? Is a thought a thought if you don't react to it? Like the falling tree in the forest thing - it is a conundrum. Is the mind-stuff just like scattered dust particles in the air and only when you start to collect them do they become annoying dust-bunnies? Is that what "transforms" thought particles into real thoughts, whether you organize them, collect them or corral them?

Steps to Yoga

Movement of thoughts is the undulation of the mind when it is reactive. Now we're getting somewhere. It is not the thought that needs work, but the reactive mind. A lot of yogis/yoginis, swamis, etc. say that any kind of therapy is not necessary when you do yoga. But the key here is that you do "YOGA", not little 'y' yoga (mostly asana practice) or what it has now turned into because it is mostly a hedonistic practice to most - bhoga (meaning, doing yoga for its own sake for the appeasement of your own ego - i.e. look at what I can do). To do YOGA is to delve into the workings of your mind and how it effects your Being. Awareness is key, and to affect awareness, there needs to be some sort of dialogue (with a teacher who knows, a therapist who knows, etc.). But this is still not Wakefulness. Almost every yogi/yogini I know equates being aware of the present moment, of what you do or say in that moment, of how your organism reacts and so on, to and in line with Enligthenment. But this is not so. In awareness, there is still the "I" - You are aware.

The Heart Path

This is really only the beginning. The process that is the Heart Path will take you Home. The Heart Path really to me is about the final step toward Enlightenment and that is "Acceptance". You have seen who you are and you accept it. You don't try to hide, mask or manipulate it. You have seen the world as it is - truly, and you don't run from it, or hide. And you don't try to manipulate it. You have seen what other people are like and you don't do anything to change them. You just accept them. You have seen the truth of the wild, untamed world of animals, vegetable, mineral and you see them for what they are. Without greed or fear in your Heart. There is only Love.

My friend says this - Yoga (Union) is just that. You need nothing else. We're already there. Yoga IS the Cessation of the Thought Waves. That is Yoga. Yes, yes, yes I say. It is that simple.

. . . Yoga is the Stillness Within. Let It Be.

Walk with Grace.

Namaste

, 

Happy Happy Joy Joy

It is difficult these days to teach and discuss 'traditional' yoga - like Ashtanga, Iyengar, etc...because of this notion that only if you feel happy, elated, and bolstered, empowered during your yoga class are you doing something worthwhile. The whole idea that if you're not feeling that way, then you are somehow still "burdened by the pressures of everyday life" as one yoga (Anusara) teacher put it; that by virtue of the style of yoga that is perhaps more difficult during class somehow does not let you "rediscover that belief in infinite possibility" (as another teacher put it). I say - Bullshit.

I have always said that Anusara and the like have usurped the heart out of the other practices, and as a heart-felt, sincere, mindful practitioner and teacher, I do not appreciate it.

The Heart is in ALL Traditions of Yoga Practice (including Asana, Meditation, Satsang, etc.)

I am so tired of how Anusara and all its clones take away the joy that is inherent in the practice of yoga postures in all its traditions - even if it is not "playtime" in an Ashtanga class. It is so apparent that these teachers have abandoned the traditional yogas for the sake of appeasing their own egos. Truly, we are not kids any more and that notion that we must somehow get back to that, is a fallacy. It's steering those people who want to deepen and give birth to their true selves in the wrong direction. As 'adults' we know too much to become children again. And yes, we have a lot more responsibilities to actually be able to act like one and get away with it. But through the difficulties of life, we have a choice to make - either we hide behind the tricks of the ego acting like we are spirit which only accepts 'goofing off' as a way to be 'happy'. Or we can accept ourselves and others in cultivating a no-nonsense, present centered consciousness which sees things for what they are and in that find the burden of the pressures of everyday life lifting in the face of the truth. That is freedom. In becoming unburdened this way, we find true freedom, with that we are 'happy'.

The Way to Happiness

Unburdening yourself of the constraints of an ego that can't face 'ordinary', sometimes boring moments is the work of true yoga and is made accessible by embracing all aspects of yoga not only asana. Meditation, reading thoughtful spiritual books (not only the Power of Now. C'mon!), going to a really good therapist that recognizes Spirit as a part of our worldly experience, etc., all help to open you up to those 'infinite possibilities' beyond the pacification and gratification of our ego-ic nature.

What is really scary and really exciting about it all is that it takes years! Not months. Really, the work to unravel you; what you've built up over the years to protect you: your defenses, your opinions, your preferences all must dissolve to make all of this work and it's quite a journey. You don't entirely get rid of the ego (see my other writings). You need your ego to survive. So the first real step is to cultivate awareness. How you do that by convincing yourself that there is nothing you need to work on, is beyond me. Somehow though, it is thought that if you admit you have things to work on, you are admitting to being irreversibly flawed. That there is something 'wrong' with you. That you are unworthy of love and attention because you are not perfect. That, my friends, is the first thing to work on. It is not awful to admit to yourself that "I can be a real bitch/bastard sometimes". It is actually pretty freeing. And it's scary at the same time. Still, just because you grow to accept that about yourself doesn't mean you go around being one. Go toward the fear, the dislikes, the repulsions. See what they can teach you.

We Are All Perfect In Our Imperfection

There are many aspects of ourselves we don't know and won't know if the idea of admitting to our flaws repulses us. So the next step is acceptance of yourself. Can you accept that you are not perfect? And that Perfection IS in the acceptance of all that is you! When you accept that can you accept that people aren't perfect. That means everyone. If you can open your heart to that then you are well on your way.

Surround yourself with those who know that it is not readily accessible in just a few months. When you are with others who know, then when your ego flares up because it is fighting for its life, those around will show you the way to go deeper. Trust them even if what they say 'hurts' you or 'insults' you - that's a good way to tell your ego has a hold of you.

The Playground That Is Yoga

There's nothing wrong with being playful. In fact, all of this is play in one way or another. The key is to pair your asana practice with counseling, reading and meditation. Ask questions and accept guidance. Be wary of those who tell you to ignore or forget about the dark and move only into the light. Be wary of classes which only stress to appease your tendency to look for distractions and your ego-ic nature's incessant whining. And as well, be wary of those who say yoga is about being stern. Even the most disciplined class of Ashtanga, practiced with an open heart can be light-hearted and very loving.

The wonder of it all is that when you do this then there is joy. When you can stay focussed and present in the most difficult, challenging posture (for you) or situation, there is elation. When you can accept guidance and assistance without expressing arrogance, there is love. When you can look at yourself without criticism, there is peace. Let YOGA teach you this. Then life will be so much fun!

This was inspired by this blog post: http://yogaspy.com/2011/07/22/hooping-and-the-hybridization-of-yoga-in-america/#comment-4309

I'm talking about ANTM sure but it's so much more than that!

I know this is an unusual thing to talk about for me...but I came across this article about the America's Next Top Model (ANTM) contestant, who was and is a meth addict (maybe Dr. Phil did something), and I really couldn't help responding. As I wrote, it became clear to me what the big picture was: the moral (ethical) and social responsibility of those who are much more fortunate (the 1%) than the rest of us. I realized a long time ago that all these newly rich individuals and corporations creating the big divide in our society, a very few of them, have any ethical social conscience. It used to be that the barons of industry were actively involved in their communities building things and donating to causes which in their day were about societal betterment for all. If the idea that promoting institutions such as: Education or the Arts were important to that betterment, then that is where they put their money. Now, the newly rich put their money constantly into themselves. We live in a very narcissistic and fatalistic age. It seems that everyone just takes care of themselves. They make sure they have much more than what they need, and maybe if they step out to donate to a cause, they do what is "trending"! Which is still all about them.

I wrote what you will find below in response to what people were saying about Tyra and the ANTM franchise. So this is how it went:

In this day and age, when corporations are being asked to take stock and responsibility of what effect their actions have on an individual and the whole of society (financially (banks/investment companies), emotionally (tabloids), health-wise (cig/pharma companies) and are sometimes being jailed for it or sued, the excuse that this is just a (reality) show and after the show, well, you're on your own; that there is no responsibility of the show to be mindful of those that have borderline personalities, is just a bunch of hogwash.

But Hollywood is full of that, isn't it.

I'm only interpreting and responding to, the responses people are giving defending Tyra. But she's the exec producer. She can change the way the show is conducted if she really wanted to. To have a marginally stable personality on a show because it's good for ratings (that's why they choose some people), well, the show is just as bad as a Springer show, or whatever the other shows are called!

She's convinced herself that she's doing a good thing, that she is contributing somehow (as they all do). We all know, she's making a shit load of money off you guys through the show. The cult-like following of her or any other celebrity (for that matter) can only add to the blindness that drives Tyra as a producer and those like her. We all contribute (yes, I've watched the show...duh), but that still doesn't mean she and her producers should continue to conduct themselves and the show in such a way that when someone really needs their help they are not there.

Tyra thinks she's a mentor to all the models, but really she only has herself in mind. Which is not a bad thing entirely if you divulge that in the beginning and let people make decisions on the whole truth of the show. Nothing wrong with having a successful show.

But... caring about the people during and after the show would only make a little dent in the bottom line and would probably catapult them into the realms of philanthropy and good works which is about legacy. Not something anyone with money, lots of it, think about these days. It probably doesn't occur to her as producer (a business person), to think about what she's leaving behind. There's a great opportunity here to do real good in your own community, to really make a difference, to finish what you've started, and not only Tyra but a lot of Hollywood...and the rich 1% are missing out. That's sad...tragic really. Can you imagine if they actually cared about the well-being of those that have gone through, (opened a counseling center, had (real) therapists on staff, were pro-actice in identifying troubled individuals and guided them to seek help, donated to America's (and all the countries' you find ANTM) foundations for good mental health, drug abuse, etc..) how great their legacy would be!

If Tyra thinks she's a mentor, then be a mentor. Mentor's stay for the long haul. (But are wise to those who just want to suck them dry or wise to when they can't help any longer). That's what mentors do. Business people and corporations are the ones who suck you dry for their own gain and then toss you.

Yes - some survive this treatment and that's because of their own strength and conviction, not because ANTM did you any favors ("agencies don't know what to do with you because you're so famous and still a rookie".)

So remember that ANTM is like any other show in Hollywood and is there strictly for ratings and revenue. And that means your idol Tyra... she is executive producer after all. She (the show) has enough money to change the foundations and mandate of the show and the 'schooling' of the contestants. But as exec prodr, she hasn't yet.

This is a call out to anyone who has the money and the power; will you take up the challenge of real mentoring and philanthropy? To have a social conscience and put some of your energy into caring deeply about your effect on those around you and who come to you for guidance? Do you care enough to follow through with what you've started given your resources, and make a difference in your community?

I'd like to hear from you.

http://gawker.com/5942348/americas-next-top-model-alum-is-now-the-face-of-meth?tag=television-without-pretty

Ashtanga and Vinyasa Classes in Oakville Ontario, Canada

Ashtanga and Vinyasa Yoga Classes Oakville ON.

Starts week of September 25th 12-week programs. Sign up today!

PLZ call: 905.845.2332 - Leave a message. (name, number and which class you'd like to join)

Tuesday 10:30am - 1pm A-Z of The Astanga Primary Series (12 wk program) All Levels

Tuesdays 7pm - 8:30pm Rockin' Vinyasa - Vinyasa class with great contemporary music! Level 2

Wednesdays 8:30pm - 9:30pm - Vinyasa Core - Vinyasa class with focus on Core work! Not to be missed. Level 1/2

Thursdays 11:30am - 12:45pm Vinyasa Core - Vinyasa class with focus on Core work! All Levels or an Ashtanga class (we'll see which class everyone wants) All Levels

All classes held at the IGITA studio on Lakeshore in Oakville Ontario.

Christine U at the Shama-Bhakti Yoga Centre

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore (well I'm mildly perturbed...haha)

Most of the time when I search for yoga sites for someone to follow because there is a resonance with their approach to the yoga practice: that, it is true and unencumbered, I can't find any. Pages upon pages are full of people doing 'stunt' yoga like that's where it's at or all about.

I'm getting really tired of it. You're just a bunch of showoffs. Really. Big deal, you can bend over backward and kiss your own ass. Big deal that you can put your leg behind your head. Big deal that you can do a handstand! Any circus freak can do what you are constantly bombarding us with on your websites and your blogs. And I don't think they're (the circus freaks) doing "yoga". They're creating a spectacle that is the circus.

Yes, I can do most of it. There are still things I struggle with daily. But that's what teaches me.

Yes - it looks pretty. BIG DEAL. Do you even know what yoga is? I don't think you get it. Yeah yeah, you're so impressive, that you can do that. Whoop! But that's what it's really all about for you isn't it? You crave for attention. For people out in the world to look at you and say, oh, I want to follow you. You're gorgeous or remarkable (because they are saying to themselves, I can't do that - so you must be great.) And stop blogging the perfect beautiful photo of yoga. Take a picture of yourself doing a pose. Yeah! That's part of the teaching. Would you dare to show yourself in a not so perfect pretty pose? Would you? The real learning of yoga is to get over that...as a individual, as a business, and as a culture.

Show me you're not perfect. If you want to keep showing those pristine shots on your website, then that's fine just don't call it YOGA! It's not yoga.  For crying out loud. Enough already! It's fouling around with what looks like yoga postures. And please don't write me about how a yogini wouldn't get mad. I am channeling 'Kali". You know Kali - the hindu goddess of creation and destruction! Sometimes things must be destroyed to create something new. And it's about time!

Please send me your not-so-perfect-yoga-asana-pic, I'd love to see it!