Ask the Teacher!

I recently made a post on Facebook asking if anyone had yoga related questions, hoping someone would respond. I was surprised to receive 19 inquiries! I've decided to make a regular post of answers to people's questions. To submit a question, simply email me at: lizdoyle@msn.com... Read on for the first batch of questions and answers...

Ask the Teacher! November 3, 2011

Q: Nobody ever talks about the process of meditating… Tell me about that. Your take.
A: Well, there are many methods for meditating, so much to say, people write books on it. I think the thing to remember is not to get too hung up on the “process” to the degree it interferes with actually practicing. The process can be unelaborate, like observing the qualities of the breath, or even just witnessing what comes up without judging or interfering.
Over time, one hones one’s skills of concentration (dharana), and eventually cultivates eka grata (singe-pointedness), which leads to meditation (dyana). When one becomes so completely attuned to the object of concentration so that one’s entire being is absorbed, becoming one with the object of concentration, this is the nirvana (Samadhi) we are shooting for. From this refinement of concentration, BKS Iyengar says that ultimately the sadhaka (aspirant) “…turns his attention to a progressive exploration of the core of his being, the soul.”
In a nutshell, experiment and find something that works for you. Just know that for most, it’s never easy in the beginning, so pick a method that seems most agreeable and dedicate yourself to the practice of it. Eventually, the body stills, the mind quiets, and something special happens. Or nothing happens. But you have cultivated focus, equanimity and non-attachment in all situations, so it doesn’t matter—it’s all the same.

Q: You know how teachers sometimes say "set an intention for your practice"? I never could get it. If I keep a thought in mind, it prevents me from fully meditating through my movements (to me, the process of seated meditation is different from moving one). But I can see the benefit of practicing with intention. However, I have no idea how...
A: The setting of an intention goes back to the effort to meliorate one’s powers of concentration. All the yogic texts are very clear on this process: concentration and eka grata (single-pointedness) leads to equanimity, and equanimity leads to non-attachment. It’s a constant practice. When your concentration or effort to “hold” your intention, whatever it is, slips-- you just notice and come back.
My preference as a teacher and practitioner is to “dedicate” one’s practice. This is a slightly different practice, more of a devotional (bhakti) perspective. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna that one has the right to the work, but not the fruits of the work. And we don’t need mythology to understand how this works: you can try as hard as you want, but you don’t really have any control over the outcome, so you do your best, and the rest is not up to you. The exercise of dedicating your practice to something/someone/etc. is a straightforward practice in non-attachment. You decide at the beginning, “The fruits of whatever it is I cultivate here are not for me, they are for ___________.” Ironically, the benefits still come to you. Moreover, Krishna informs Arjuna that work done with anxiety for an outcome is virtually useless. So why not offer it up? It takes some of the pressure off, and you can become truly absorbed in the work. And who knows? Knowing you are doing it for someone/something outside of yourself might actually inspire you when times get tough.

Q: how yogasana transforms...
A: What’s interesting is that the asana practice transforms whether we intend it or not. It might take longer if we are not concerned with the subtler aspects of the practice and view it simply as exercise, but it will happen eventually. In my opinion, the shapes we make with our bodies imprint upon our consciousness, helping to reorganize and purify our Being. It follows then, that if we can “perfect” the alignment over time, the impact will be more powerful because the energetics of the poses will be cleaner and more direct. We naturally find ourselves, over time, with better focus and clarity, a calmer disposition, and greater equanimity—and of course, the physical benefits are obvious. Some of the physical benefits are less obvious, but as the body, organs, brain and consciousness are stimulated and refined with practice, the whole Being works better. All of this happens more efficaciously and holistically if there is an effectual methodic that the teacher follows, and the teacher is able to hold an energetic space for the practice that is conducive to this type of progress.

Q: yoga and bacon
A: Pigs are friends, not food! On a more serious note, the thing we really need to ask ourselves is “What was the process for this delicious bacon to end up on my plate?” and “Do I want to participate in that?” If we know the hows, the whys and the whats about the animals’ lives, the way they are treated, its impact on the environment and global hunger, and we are okay with that, it’s a personal decision. I never begrudge anyone’s food choices; I only hope that we make an effort to truly understand what is being supported when we pick up the fork, and it’s entirely up to the individual whether they are okay with that. It’s easy to insulate ourselves from the truthful impact of our actions through intentional ignorance, but the effect is the same. Well said by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“You have just dined, and however scrupulously the slaughterhouse is concealed in the graceful distance of miles, there is complicity.”

Q: I'd love to hear stories taken from your hidden meanings workshop and how they relate to asana. Such as the story of hanuman and thinking of leaping (rather than gymnastics splits!) when in the posture.
A: This is such a fun and illuminating part of the practice for me. It’s my contention that the names of the poses tell us something and are a key to unlocking the mysteries of the poses and what they have to offer us.
The Ramayana is an epic poem, and Hanuman one of the main characters, so there are many stories to tell about him and the pose that shares his moniker: Hanumanasana (the splits). You alluded to one of the hints for the physical execution of this pose from the story of Hanuman:
Lord Rama’s wife, Sita, was kidnapped and he enlisted the help of Hanuman and his monkey army to find her. They had searched the land of India for her and when they reached the shore Hanuman LEAPT, in the splits, from the tip of India to Sri Lanka to find her. The lesson for us physically is that Hanumanasana is not an extreme stretching pose, but an extreme LEAPING pose, and for that reason I think it should be quite active.

Another beautiful lesson from this part of the story is that Hanuman had earned a boon of being invincible and powerful. As a child Hanuman was always into mischief, hiding the things of the sages and they placed a mild curse on him so that he could only remember how powerful he was when reminded by another. When he was standing on the shore, lamenting his inability to cross the sea between where he was standing and the land where he could rescue Sita, his friends and colleagues began encouraging him and reminding him of his greatness. At this, he remembered his capabilities and leapt across the water. This is a good reminder to all of us to encourage others and also to know that we are usually totally unaware of how amazing and capable we are. Next time you think you cannot do something- remember Hanuman!

If you enjoy these types of stories, I encourage you to attend my Hidden Meanings in Yoga Asana workshop at Yoga Bliss November 5, 2011.
See: http://www.lizdoyleyoga.com/schedule.html for more info!

Q: Balancing ease and challenge. Especially in a new difficult pose. How far is too far? When are you not being honest and moving beyond challenge to aggression. Just find that a constant conflict.

A: This is a question about the balance between sukha (delight) and sthira (steadiness). According to Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras:
II.46 Sthira sukham asanam: Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit.
Interestingly, this is the only aphorism in the yoga sutras that refers to asana. The answer to your question is quite uncomplicated: enough effort to achieve steadiness and firmness in the pose, but not so much as to create negativity and anxiety. BKS says “Performance of the asana should be nourishing and illuminative.”
The following sutra coaxes us towards steadiness, and even intimates how to get it:
I.31 Dukha daurmanasya angamejayatva svasaprasvasah viksepa sahabhuvah: Sorrow, despair, unsteadiness of the body and irregular breathing further distract the citta (mind/intellect/ego).
I know this must seem so repetitive, but we’re back to the “concentration leads to equanimity which leads to non-attachment” theme. One hint from this sutra for me is that we should establish a regular breathing pattern and be faithful to it-- “follow the breath”. For example, if it’s an inhale to enter the pose, when the inhale has stopped, you’re done. Now you stay and continue breathing, perhaps going farther or deeper with the next breath. You know when you’re grasping or coveting (graha) the pose, and in yoga we are trying to cultivate aparigraha (without greed) in all our actions.
Everyone gets frustrated at times, especially if you’re really working towards something. Constantly we cultivate equanimity in the process so that we remain undisturbed and consider all experience in our svadyaya (self-study).

To submit your own “ask the teacher” question, just email me! LizDoyle@msn.com