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Yamas and Niyamas - Week 4 - Brahmacarya

Brahmacarya - continence, chastity, religious studentship

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra II.38
brahmacaryapratisthayam viryalabhah

When the sadhaka (yoga practitioner) is firmly established in continence, knowledge, vigour, valour and energy flow to him.

From my readings on brahmacarya I have found it to mean self-restraint and control of one-self.  It does not have to mean complete celibacy to be spiritual or the cycle of human life would end, but by channeling our energy in a respectful way we are able to follow all the Yamas and Niyamas.

For more reading on this Yama you can check out BKS Iyengar's translation of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra - Light on the Yoga Sutra's of Patanjali or Light on Life.

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

Yamas and Niyamas - Week 3 - Asteya

Asteya means non-stealing, non-misappropriation, desirelessness and non-covetousness.  Not having any desire to have something that is not yours by untruthful ways of obtaining it.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra II.37 says: asteyapratisthayam sarvaratnopasthanam
When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.

Mr. Iyengar writes in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,that upon the man who does not take what does not belong to him, all riches are showered. Being without desire, he effortlessly attracts what is precious, materially and figuratively, including the gem of all jewels, virtue.

Asteya does not just mean the literal sense of not stealing from others, it is also not taking more then you need or require. Often when we feel there is not enough of something to go around there is a sense of greed and we want to hoard it. When we sit back and look at what we would truly need to survive and prosper we would realize it is very little and that there is an abundance to go around for everyone.

I will end with a quote I often read to myself.  I'm sorry I don't know where I found it but it says:

Live Simply....

So others can simply live.

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

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

January - Pose of the Month - Utthita Parsvakonasana - Extended Side Angle Pose

Utthita Parsvakonasana - Extended Side Angle Pose

Begin in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) with feet together or slightly apart and parallel to each other if you have back, hip or knee issues. 

Inhale and then jump or step your feet approximately 4-41/2 feet apart into Utthita Hasta Padasana.  The feet are parallel to each other and the arms are parallel to the floor.  Keep the shoulders rolling back and down away from the ears and the chest lifting.  Press evenly into both feet, centering the torso between the two legs.

Parsva Hasta Padasana - cut the back foot in about 15-30 degrees and rotate the right leg out 90 degrees.  The front heel is in line with the instep of the back foot.

Variation 1- On the exhalation bend the front knee to 90 degrees, angling the knee towards the pinkie toe.  Keep pressing into both feet and draw the front thigh bone deep into the hip socket.  Bring the front forearm onto the top of the front thigh, keeping the side body lengthening evenly.  Keep the chest open and roll the bottom ribs up towards the top ribs.  Raise the back arm up and over the ear, pointing the hand to where the ceiling and wall meet.  Look up past the top arm if you can.  Stay for a few breaths, then press into both feet and inhale to come up. Turn the feet back to the front and repeat on the other side.  Come back to Tadasana.

Variation 2 - Back foot at wall - Back view

Back foot at the wall - Front View - Bracing the back foot at the wall helps keep the back leg active and avoid overstretching or straining the abdominal organs.

Place the short edge of your mat at a wall.  Bring the outer edge of your left foot into the wall and step the right foot out about 4-41/2 feet.  Feet are parallel.  Then turn the right leg out 90 degrees, aligning the front heel to the back arch. Exhale, bending your front knee to 90 degrees.  Keep the front outer ankle, knee and outer hip in line.  Fully stretch the back leg, and press the back thigh back.  You can either rest the front forearm on the thigh or place the front hand on a block or the floor, outside the front foot.

Inhale, pressing the feet into the floor to come up.  Turn the feet back parallel. Come to Tadasana and repeat on other side.

When you feel ready you can take the pose away from the wall.

 

Benefits:  This pose builds strength in the legs and the arms and helps to increase flexibility in the hips, shoulders and spine.  This pose helps reduce fat around the waistline and hips and is great for the digestive and excretory systems.  The internal organs are toned and massaged.

Cautions:  High blood pressure - look at the floor
Avoid if have migraines, osteoarthritis of the knees, varicose veins, insomnia, depression.
Avoid during menstruation and if have cervical spondylosis look up only briefly in the final pose.

Namaste.

Pamela Nelson

www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

 

Yamas and Niyamas: Week 2 - Satya

The Yamas are the first limb in Patanjali's Astanga (eight-limbed) yoga.  Yama means moral or ethical injunctions.  The second yama is satya or truthfulness.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutra II.36 says, satyapratisthayam kriyaphalasrayatvam. 

When the sadhaka (practitioner) is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization.

Just like we need to practice ahimsa, or non-harming in words, thoughts and deeds, the practice of truthfulness needs to extend to every cell in the body.


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com

Twin Pillars of Yoga - abhyasa and vairagya

The Twin pillars of yoga are described as abhyasa (practice) and vairagya (detachment).

Patajali's Yoga Sutra's state:

Y.S. I.12 abhyasa vairagyabhyam tannirodhah
Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness.

Y.S. I.13 tatra sthitau yatnah abhyasah
Practice is the steadfast effort of still these fluctuations.

Y.S. I.14 sa tu dirghakala nairantarya satkara asevitah drdhabhumih
Long, uninterrupted, alert practice is the firm foundation for restraining the fluctuations.

Y.S. II.16  Heyam duhkham anagatam
The pains/sorrows which are yet to come can be and are to be avoided.

Pains, sorrows and afflictions are a part of life due to our desires.  The external world has many desires that pull us, which creates more desires.  When our desires can not be fulfilled we experience pain and suffering.

Geeta Iyengar says in her book, Yoga: A Gem for Women that,

"Without rigorous practice nothing is gained.  Without practice, purity of the body and the mind cannot be achieved, fluctuations of the mind cannot be controlled.  The fruits of the material world cannot be obtained without sustained effort; this sustained effort has to be multiplied a thousand times to gain Self-knowledge.  This rigorous practice is fourfold: moral, physical, mental and spiritual."

 She also says,

"The key to success is effort.  Vairagya or absence of worldly desires can be achieved by controlling the senses, by carrying out one's duties without thought of reward and by acting with goodness and purity."

The same idea is described in B.K.S. Iyengar's book Light on Astanga Yoga.  He says abhyasa means practice and vairagya means desire less practice.  Our practice needs to be done with detachment so that there is no expectation from the fruits of our actions.  This does not mean we do not have an aim to our actions for universal good, but to let go of our ambition to remove the selfish motives and desires.

Another way this is written that I find helps explain the twin pillars is in B.K.S. Iyengar's translation of Patajali's Yoga Sutras.  He says that,

"The twin paths to this goal are practice (abhyasa), the path of evolution, of going forward; and detachment or renunciation (vairagya), the path of involution, abstaining from the fruits of action and from worldly concerns and engagements."

They are described as twin pillars because to do yoga you cannot do one and not the other.  If either one is missing your foundation will crumble and the cycle of suffering will continue.


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.blogspot.com
email: plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Any mistakes in trying to explain the twin pillars are my own.