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Yoga and the Modern Life is an essay in Yoga Rahasya vol.25, no.4; 2018 written by Srineet Sridharan. I hope you enjoy reading it and please share your thoughts.
In this final part of the essay by Lynn Holt, she writes about the Yoga Sutra-s in our practice.
Patanjali wants us to discover this silent space that is possible in samadhi where we discover tranquility. In our practice of asana and pranayama we need to cultivate our brain to obtain the sensitivity and stability to respond to this change.
Not commonly in his teaching did Guruji explain the connection of asana and samadhi that leads to the inner bliss that awaits us all. In “Light on Pranayama” he does explain why in savasana the extension of the cervical neck and the moving of the back of the head away from the trunk is important. The tilt of the head upwards takes the mind into the future and if the head tilts down it broods in the past. If the head leans to one side, this affects the inner ear that in turn affects the mid-brain inducing drowsiness and we lose awareness. If the head is kept in level with the floor in savasana the mind is present, peaceful and at rest and in a type of heaven.
It is this correction of any apparent tilt of the head which is important as it will help balance between the two hemispheres of the brain and the body opening the gateway to samadhi. As previously discussed earlier, a type of bridge is formed between the head and the torso and space is created.
For teachers this is an important point to know. Geetaji reminded us that we need to know why the platform neck curvature is important for students when the cervical spine is affected and why the head has to be straight.
While practicing asana one studies vitarka-vicara. Being the gross part of the intellect, it encourages the subtle energy of the heart to blossom with bliss ananda that is gladness. Similar in all respects to the stages of the blooming of the lotus flower. This process reverses in pranayama as we begin with asmita, then move to ananda then to vicara and vitarka.
What Guruji teaches us in every asana is that you have to learn to keep our brain quiet but alert. How we uphold ourselves in our asana and pranayama practice is important. When we are instructed to open the chest and release the chin away this is to release any tension from the brain.
If we are to become one with our asana we have to observe that our brain has to become quiet; observing in but passively as far as the brain is concerned but actively with awareness, attentively looking within and not looking somewhere outside. Samadhi is a state of experience where the concept of self disappears Guruji has explained to us. It is now up to us to take that journey.
The third part of the essay by Lynn Holt in Yoga Rahasya vol. 25, no. 4, 2018, Lifting the Sternum - Samadhi and the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali is titled - Patanjali and the Yoga Sutra-s.
Lynn writes:
In the Yoga Sutra-s, Patanjali chose to make the workings of mind and consciousness, both in success and in failure the central theme of yoga philosophy and practice. In the second sutra he tells us that Yoga is the process of stilling the movements and fluctuations of mind that disturb our consciousness.
Patanjali was a great scientist in addition to a philosopher and he knew about the hypothalamus, the seat that imprints happiness or pleasure or pain for all of us. He divided the brain into four sections, the analytical (savitarka) at the front, the discriminative (savicara) at the back, blissful elated (ananda) at the base, the hypothalamus, and the auspicious “I” (sattvic ahamkara or asmita) at the pineal gland or head of the brain the brain stem.
Guruji has carefully explained in his Light on the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali that the hypothalamus is the area which always gets tense for everyone. This is also the exact area of the brain that experiences quietness and happiness, and is the state which gives us contentment. The brain stem is the location of asmita which is our individuality. Directly above this is the hypothalamus, which is the neurological nexus of the whole body.
There is physical as well as a neurological basis for this blissful elated state asmita when we finally reach this state. It comes from the reflective process arising from the back of the brain that leads us to the ananda state of pure joy.
The Yoga Sutra-s 1.17, 1.33 and 111.35 opened up Guruji’s thoughts regarding the necessity for balance, harmony and concord between the intellect of the head and the intelligence of the heart. His understanding and through his practice and teaching, he has given us access to the joy in our hearts through our sadhana. The experience of joy ( or bliss) is not easy to describe as it is an inner conscious belief, which fills our very being and warms our heart.
To understand more this quiet state of joy in our yoga, Geetaji gave an expanded explanation of sutra 1.17, vitarka vicara ananda, asmita rupa anugamat samprajnata where Guruji discusses samadhi in depth. This particular Supta tells us that by practice and detachment, four types of awareness develop. These are absorption of the consciousness, achieved through complete attention in learning as in our analytical study, synthesis, consideration, discrimination and the experience of pure being. These constitute samprajnata samadhi.
These four awareness states of samprajnata samadhi - vitarka, vicara , ananda and asmita correspond to the four lobes of the brain which correspond to the four lobes or sections of the heart. Although Patanjali used the word samprajnata samadhi, Guruji instructs that there are various types of awareness. What we have to learn while doing the asana is that vitarka is the biological frontal brain and vicara is the back portion of the brain where we have our storehouse of impressions. There is now a gradual process of deliberate thinking and study, in addition to investigation, reflection and consideration. Then the frontal brain of analysis and the back brain of latent imprints of our past experiences have to unite with each other.
It is when both of these brains are made to function unitedly there is a joy that grows from within and we smile. This smile is from the heart the ananda. When we are encouraged to further search where it comes from our journey towards samadhi begins to find the core of our being the asmita.
The asmita is not ahamkara Geetaji emphasized in our class. This is a pure state of ahamkara and is not associated with the ego. In essence ego is not part of the citta and this is the English translation Geetaji reminded us. Asmita is a pure state of ahamkara. Asmita is the feeling that I am. It is not connected to what I have achieved or what I own. It is that feeling asmi means am . It si not even “I”. In my existence I will say I am here. My existence is here that is what it means. The “I” is gone and here is gone in this meaning and it is just ‘am’. This feeling is connected to the front brain and back brain, and the bottom of the brain.
This unity brings us joy from within but at this stage we are unable to differentiate if the action is physical, mental or spiritual. After this auspicious state of “I” is experienced there is a state of emptiness or a void - (viramapratyaya). This is a spiritual plateau where there is a fear of completion. This is a state of existing and not existing and we will be devoid of our ego and feel lost as if we’re are at a crossroad. The nearest we come to this state in our normal life is that space in time just before we fall asleep, when our mind, intellect and body are silent. We do not have the feeling of “I” at this time. Patanjali calls this a different state of Samadhi it is not deliberate but a natural process.
To move on from this spiritual complacency, the sadhaka has no other means than to pursue his practice with trust, confidence , intense vigor, keen memory and power of absorption. (YS 1.20).
Geetaji emphasized in her class, that we must not get caught up with th glamour and powers that come during the initial stages of our sadhana or we will come crashing down. Ego, consciousness and intelligence are sensitive and subtle. They accumulate experiences of objects perceived through our senses of perception, organs of action and our mind, linking our past, present and future.
In the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras’s Patanjali explains that when we come to the state of samyama a time will come where we are in a dual mind. This is because that citta is able to go to a diseased state where the citta can decide to go to religious samadhi or to the siddhis. The choice is ours. At this time, after the hypothalamus and asmita are reached, a realization of that stage will come and we will be in the medulla. This is the medulla (or brain stem) which is connecting the brain and the brawn/body.
In that state we can get lifted up with the go and go to smriti or we go down ward towards the throat area ansd that is the medulla, the area that connects the bridge between the torso and the brain. The externality of the brain has to be removed, as the brain can easily go to the external world. This externality has to be removed, as after asmita we have come to th heart. We have to be very clear in that sense that there is no desire or afflictions existing. In this state there is no anger, desire or mental diseases existing,. It is a completely clear and pure state. That is how Guruji explains the yoga sutra-s , Geetaji emphasized and this is why he never allowed anybody to drop the chest or stand with a dropped sternum.
Guruji would instruct us to raise the chest to raise the.sternum and extend the cervical neck, and make the head straight to see what freedom comes to our mental state. Laziness and doubt will always be there for everyone. If we raise ourselves up alertness will come in a short time. With his process of teaching the people began to understand that this type of meditation is different, it is not dull. For Guruji meditation is not dull. Meditation is dynamic.
Here is part 2 of the essay written by Lynn Holt from Yoga Rahasya vol. 25, No.4, 2018,
The essay is called: Lifting the Sternum - Samadhi and the Yoga Sutra-s of Patanjali.
Our head and spine:
The human brain is the central organ of the human nervous system, and with the spinal cord makes up the central nervous system. The brain can be divided into three main portions: the cerebral cortex, the hypothalamus and the cerebellum. The cerebral cortex functions in the process of thinking, speech, memory and imagination. The hypothalamus regulates the activities of the internal organs and imprints emotional reactions of pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, contentment and disappointment. The cerebellum is at the base and the back of the brain; and is found just under the cerebrum of the brain. The back brain is regarded as that which functions in meditation; it is the seat of wisdom and clarity.
The cerebrum is connected by the brain stem to the spinal cord. The brain stem consists of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The medulla connects the higher levels of the brain to the spinal cord, and is responsible for several functions of the autonomous nervous system which are very important in meditation practice.
An understanding of the anatomy of the brain is important to understand why in meditation practice the brain has to be well balanced in relation to the spine. Any unevenness in its position disturbs the quietness of meditation. When an imbalance occurs, it is because the energies of the left and right hemisphere of the brain have to be brought to centre, to cease the thinking activity of the brain. When correctly aligned Guruji tells us the flow of energy is diverted from the brain towards the heart and the brain is kept as a passive observer. With the quiet brain then it is only possible to begin the process of going inwards to reach our very being - our core.
The importance of obtaining a quiet mind was observed but Lord Krishna in the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita verses 13 and 14, where he gives directions to sit erect with the spine and head straight to concentrate the mind. Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra-s has comprehensively detailed the functions of the brain and the connections with our practice.
In the 25th anniversary edition of Yoga Rahasya (Vol. 25, no.4, 2018) Lynn Holt wrote an essay titled:
Lifting the sternum - Samadhi and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
This blog will be the first part of the essay, with the remaining following over the next few blogs. I have also attached an audio recording of the first part of the essay.
