The Body as an Instrument

Mr. Iyengar met Yehudi Menuhin, a famous violin player in 1952.  It was from helping him through yoga that the teachings from Mr. Iyengar grew in the west.  Mr. Menuhin called Mr. Iyengar the best violin teacher.
In an article in Astadala Yogamala Volume 6, Mr. Iyengar writes about the body being like an instrument.  He says the body is like a piano or a violin, or any other instrument and each and every part of it needs to be tuned.

He writes,

"The nerves in our body are like the strings, the brain is the intellectual part which is similar to the sound production from the instrument.  The nose is the bridge of any instrument through which the breath is adjusted at every stage of the asana (posture).  The spinal vertebrae are the knobs of the instrument, so I have to tune the knobs of the spine to such an extent that the nervous system, which starts from the spine, do not over-extend or under-extend.  If there is under-extension the sound does not come, if is is too tight the strings snaps.  So, one has to keep the exact pressure so that the tuning of the body takes place in such a way that one can listen to the inner vibration of the sound of the body.   As far as I am concerned, I hear the sound, the vibration, and adjust to get equilibrium in body, mind and self while in asana, pranayama and dhyana."

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/

More on Perceptions from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

In the last blog I wrote on perceptions, I noted how easy it can be for humans to misinterpret things. 
Our state of mind, the fluctuations of the mind, plays a large part in how correct we are in our perceptions or how far off we are in them.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra discusses the importance of stilling the fluctuations of the mind to help gain right perception.  The translation of the sutra is from B.K.S. Iyengar's book, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.


Y.S. 1.5 vrttayah pancatayyah klista aklistah
The movements of consciousness are fivefold.  They may be cognizable, non-cognizable, painful or non-painful.

Mr.Iyengar explains that pain can sometimes be hidden in the non-painful state and the non-painful may be hidden in the painful state.


Y.S. 1.6 pramana viparyaya vikalpa nidra smrtayah

They are caused by correct knowledge, illusion, delusion, sleep and memory.

So, the fivefold modifications of consciousness are based either on real perception, or correct knowledge that is based on fact and proof; or on unreal or perverse perception; or illusion, which can be fanciful or imaginary knowledge; knowledge based on sleep, and memory.
These five fluctuating states can either disturb or help a sadhaka (yoga practitioner) to attain emancipation.

This will depend on right or wrong perceptions.

According to Mr.Iyengar in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali he says,

 "wrong perceptions (viparyaya) are gathered by the senses of perception and influence the mind to accept what is felt by them.  Fanciful knowledge (vikalpa) causes the mind to live in an imaginary state without consideration of the facts.  Memory (smrti) helps one to recollect experiences for right understanding and sleep (nidra) exists in space without a place, and is filled with dormancy."

Correct knowledge (pramana) though is direct knowledge from the core of the being. Direct knowledge leads one beyond the conscious state.

Y.S. 1.7 pratyaksa anumana agamah pramanani
Correct knowledge is direct, inferred or proven as factual.

Mr. Iyengar writes that correct knowledge is based on three kinds of proof: direct perception, correct inference or deduction, and testimony from authoritative sacred scriptures or experienced persons.

At first, we need to check our logic and reasoning to ensure that it is correct.  To do this we need to awaken our intelligence. 
According to B.K.S. Iyengar,

"The practice of asana brings intelligence to the surface of the cellular body through stretching and to the physiological body by maintaining the pose.  Once awakened, intelligence can reveal its dynamic aspect, its ability to discriminate.  When what is wrong is discarded, what is left must be correct."

Y.S. 1.8 viparyayah mithyajnanam atadrupa pratistham
Illusory or erroneous knowledge is based on non-fact or the non-real.

Y.S. 1.9 sabdajnana anupati vastusunyah vikalpah
Verbal knowledge devoid of substance is fancy or imagination.

Y.S. 1.10 abhava pratyaya alambana vrttih nidra
Sleep is the non-deliberate absence of thought-waves or knowledge.

Y.S. 1.11 anubhuta visaya asampramosah smrtih
Memory is the unmodified recollection of words and experiences.


This is just a very quick look at how our own perceptions can be tainted and turned into mis-perceptions.
To change this - yoga helps us to live in the present moment.  The more present we truly are, the more correct our perceptions will be.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Perceptions

This morning I was going to write a blog about the poem by Robert Frost called, The Road Not Taken. 
It has been a favorite of my mothers and I think it is the last few lines that catches most people.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by."

Here is the full poem:

The Road Not Taken

by: Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

 It is a great poem, getting us to think about how we make the choices we do in life and how difficult they can be.  Once down one path it is very hard to go back to the beginning and start all over.  Even if you do go back and change a decision it is with the imprint of the experiences you had on your first path, which will then change how things will be on your second path.  So, really you are just coming to another fork in the road.

 

In looking up a bit of an analysis about this poem I found a few references saying that some believe that this poem, according to Frost was intended as a gentle jab at his great friend and fellow poet Edward Thomas, with whom he used to take walks through the forest and that Thomas would complained at the end that they should have taken a different path and that Frost was amused at the interpretation of the poem as inspirational.

So, whether true or not I went from thinking about the paths we take, why we choose the ones we do, to thinking about perceptions and that often we are making decisions based on how we perceive something.  

Often we think we are correct about how we are perceiving something, to find out that we were wrong.

In Patanjali's yoga sutras these perceptions are written about as fluctuations of consciousness and over the next few days I will try to write a bit about these sutras.

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/

If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter......

If the Earth
were only a few feet in diameter,
floating a few feet above a field somewhere,
people would come from everywhere to marvel
at it. People would walk around it marveling at its
big pools of water, its little pools and the water flowing
between. People would marvel at the bumps on it and the
holes in it. They would marvel at the very thin layer of gas
surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people
would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of
the ball and at the creatures in the water. The people would
declare it as sacred because it was the only one, and they would
protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the
greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to
it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and
to wonder how it could be. People would love it, and
defend it with their lives because they would
somehow know that their lives could be
nothing without it. If the Earth were
only a few feet in
diameter.

Joe Miller ~ Moab, Utah 1975

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson
Www.plnyoga.blogspot.com

June 21st - Summer Solstice - First Day of Summer!

I can't believe I almost forgot to write about Summer Solstice today!  It must be because of all the rainy weather.  Doesn't exactly feel like summer..yet!

But although we can't see the sun today where I am, I know it is there and is significant because it is marking the “longest day of the year”.

Summer solstice is a time to celebrate life.  In Canada, Aboriginal Day coinsides with the summer solstice.  It was selected in 1996 after the Assembly of First Nations called for a day to unite and celebrate native cultures.

Solstice is derived from two Latin words: “sol” meaning sun, and “sistere”, to cause to stand still.   This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day.  On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before.  In this sense, it stands still. 

Summer Solstice is the time of year in which the sun is closest to the earth and the high energy rays are most abundant.  The efforts and intentions which we put forth today are said to have a much greater effect on our bodies, minds, lives and the world.

From one reading, it mentioned spending time recognizing the sun for completing its cyclical journey around the earth and use is time to reflect on our own lives through yoga and meditation.  The sun can be worshiped in its terrestrial form – as a source of heat, light, and life – or in its celestial form – as a symbol of spiritual illumination.  It is a time for personal growth and a time to nurture our potential and express our creative energy.

We often feel higher energy levels in summer, but we must find balance so not to wear ourselves out.  Balance mobility with stability.

So maybe take this time today to do an energizing class or some Sun Salutations for stamina and strength, followed by inversions and restorative poses to help balance your body, breath and mind.

Happy Solstice!

Pamela Nelson

http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/

Ten Things to Make Besides Money

This is from a Hallmark card.  Although I think cards are highly priced and do use a lot of paper, I am a sap for a good card.  This one was given to me from my mother-in-law many years ago.  It is a nice reminder of the more important things in life.

Ten Things to Make Besides Money

1. Merry

2. Do

3. Sense

4. Amends

5. Peace

6. Waves

7. Room

8. Time

9. Love

10. Believe

And often it seems that when we focus on the truly important things the rest takes care of itself. 

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/