Introduction to Yoga Philosophy (Pt. 3)

Oh, snap! I think I must be bipolar, or something like that, even though I've been tested for it before and the tests always came out negetive. Psycologists say that being bipolar is only a hereditary thing anyway, and so, even though both of my biological parents are absolutely crazy in all ways, it's actually very unlikely that I am bipolar. Maybe I just tend to inherit my mom's awful mood swings, my dad's turbulence of mind, my grandmother's seemingly chronic nervousness, and my other grandmother's neurotic-ness (if that's even a true word).

You see, there's just so much I would like to do with my life! But I'm trapped. There are people I have to answer to, and personal obligations...There is something else, a hypothetical thorn in my side, which I won't talk too much about now. What began as a minor discomfort in my childhood, worrying me only on occassion, burrowed far deeper after Kristina died. Sometimes I feel as though it's deadening me from the inside out. I try not to complain or cry, however, because complaining and crying gets you nowhere. I feel rather like those hard-shelled, iridecent June bugs must have certainly felt when I caught them as a little girl under my grandfather's watchful eye, tied them to about a foot of silk thread, and watched as they zipped back and forth directly over my head. I knew even then that the June bugs wanted nothing more than to fly away and never see me again. But I still really enjoyed the act of keeping the poor creatures tethered for ten or fifteen minutes before I'd let them go, silk and all.

Next year I want to apply to the North Carolina School of Holistic Herbalism. I've been studying herbalism for years on end now, but there are just some areas of something as complex as herbalism that I could never cover by myself. I need real teachers who really know what they're doing to guide me in this field. That's one of the things I want to do at some point before I die: I want to become a certified herbalist, damn it, and not just the weird quiet girl in the neighborhood everybody comes to when they want stuff for their alleged glaucoma.

And although I usually don't like to admit it, if only because I don't feel at all qualified for such a job at the moment and people have really laughed behind my back in the past whenever I sought to explain my basic intentions to them, but I want to become a yoga instructor someday as well. They call it tapas in Sanskrit, you know, that burning enthusiasm and glowing commitment that compells me to want to teach yoga in the first place. Sometimes I kind of wonder if teaching yoga is the ultimate act of Karma Yoga, as weird as that probably sounds. I want to make it my personal mission to make a serious difference in people's lives and guide them into the ever-deepening levels of the self-knowledge yoga brings by enabling them to experience some of the truth and joy that I've found in yoga.

But becoming a yoga instructor, especially if I want to be a certified teacher-trainer, isn't easy, to say the least. If I was going to try teaching a beginner's course in yoga, or something like that, to start off with, then I would first have to obviously learn how to plan and teach a yoga class. I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I've finally figured it out that for a beginner's yoga course, I'd have to know how to do at least fifty different "easy" or common asanas, which I would then choose from to show people. I'd have to know how and when to use the asanas, and I'd have to figure out some realistic way to rate their level of difficulty. And besides that, I'd have to know the asanas so well that I could give my students tips on how to modify the poses so no unfortunate injuries should ever occur during classtime. I think the most difficult aspect of becoming a real yoga instructor, however, would be the act of deciding the sequence of asanas to use in day-to-day class. Opening a yoga class would probably be especially hard to master, and making smooth transitions between the various asanas would certainly be even harder than that. I'd also have to be fully able to decide when it is that the exercises are getting too strenuous for the beginners, so that I could shut my mouth and allow everyone to maybe rest in balasana for a few breaths. I'd have to figure out a way to end the yoga class afterwards, not to mention learn how to give very good verbal instructions and physical demonstrations.

Here's something that would most likely be a good piece of information for me to memorize: There are an infinite number of yogic asanas, but only about six hundred and eight (608) poses that practictioners of Hatha Yoga normally do. That sure is a lot! Before I begin trying in earnest to become a yoga instructor, I guess I definitely need to go through more hard-core Hatha Yoga practice, whether it be home alone or in an actual class with other people who are as serious about yoga as I am. I need to study constantly and take a lot of notes on Hatha Yoga, so that I can at least remember, pronounce and spell most of the Sanskrit names for the poses. This is a list of different Hatha Yoga asanas that I'm already more or less familiar with. I think it would probably be really handy if I could have some of the alphabetical Wikipedia notes I've already taken on Hatha Yoga posted online, in case anything weird should ever happen to the ones I have here at the house.

Adho Mukha Svanasana: Downward-Facing Dog
Anjali Mudra: Salutation Seal
Ardha Chandrasana: Half Moon
Ardha Matsyendrasana: Half Spinal Twist
Baddha Konasana: Bound Angle
Bakasana: Crane
Balasana: Child's Pose (Relaxation)
Bhadrasana: Auspicious Pose
Bharadvajasana: Bharadvaja's Twist
Bhujanasana: Cobra
Chakrasana: Wheel
Chaturanga Dandasana: Four-Limbed Staff
Dandasana: Staff Pose
Dhanurasana: Bow
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana: One-Legged King Pigeon
Garudasana: Eagle
Gomukhasana: Cow Face
Gomukhasana: Cow Head
Halasana: Plow
Hanumanasana: Monkey (Hanuman)
Janu Sirasana: Head-to-Knee Foward Bend
Kakasana: Crow
Krounchasana: Heron
Kurmasana: Tortoise
Makarasana: Crocodile (Relaxation)
Padmasana: Lotus
Paripurna Navasana: Full Boat
Parivratta Parsvakonasana: Revolving Side Angle
Parivrtta Trikonasana: Revolved Triangle

That's not too many, now, that I can think of at the moment! But I think that it's at least a start.

Coming Soon: An essay on the subject of pranayama. Namaste, kids.

Introduction to Yoga Philosophy (Pt. 2)

This is what someone named B.K.S. Iyengar said when he was writing a book called the Astadala Yogamala: "Yoga, an ancient and perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization." Yoga means union, as well as yoke. Yoga is the union of the body with conciousness and the union of conciousness with the soul. Yoga cultivates the ways of maintaining a balanced attitude in day-to-day life and endows skills in the performance of one's actions.

Tonight I'm going to tell you about the ten traditional niyamas as I was taught them. Just for the record, I was actually supposed to have attended a house party of some sort on Merriman Avenue earlier this evening, but I've decided not to go. I feel that the act of further explaining my yoga philosophy is infinitely more important than any weird house party, as few and far between as those happen to be. House parties, I mean. These essays are a testimony of what the yoga of the universe means to me, and my place in the dangerously turbulent center of it: Like Sharon Gannon was saying, I know that I cannot do yoga. Yoga is my natural state. What I can do are yoga exercises, which may in time reveal to me where I'm resisting my natural state.

Here is a list of the ten traditional niyamas, as not explained in the Yoga Sutras of Pananjali, which claimed a grand total of only five sacred niyamas. I'll get to those right after this.

1.) Hri: This is the first and formost niyama, which refers solely to the primal sensations of remorse, modesty, and shame for misdeeds. I've always found that I can remember this niyama a little more easily than the rest, if only because the word itself consists of only a single, sad-sounding syllable.
2.) Santosha: The second niyama, meaning, quite literally, "contentment". This niyama refers mostly to the discipline of being entirely content with the resources at hand, however meager they may seem, for this is what your karma has granted you. Santosha is supposed to function in reminding you that to attain eventual enlightment, it's important to live aesthetically, forsaking natural desires directed towards anything "more". Santosha could easily be described as the hardest discipline to master, as far as American culture and normal standards of living go.
3.) Dana: This is the third niyama, rooted in the practice of Karma Yoga. This rules of this discipline are based strongly on giving generously and performing good deeds without thought of reward.
4.) Astikya: The discipline of simple, unconditional faith. Astikya is the discpline of believeing firmly in your guru, his/her teachings, and the existence of the path to enlightenment.
5.) Ishvarapujana: The discipline centering around the worship of the dieties, the cultivation of devotion through daily puja and meditation. Ishwarapujana is the Sanskrit term for "returning to the source".
6.) Siddhanta Shravana: The niyama of scriptual listening and the studying of one's dieties and lineage.
7.) Mati: The niyama of cognition. This seventh niyama is the discipline of developing an unshakable spiritual will and intellect, perferably with a guru's gentle guidance.
8.) Vrata: This is the discipline of learning or taking of sacred vows, which can be personal vows or vows shared with another person or even a group of other people. This niyama also explores the fulfilling of such religious vows and continuing to observe the vows faithfully.
9.) Japa: The discipline of being able to recite the sacred mantras and holy passages of religious texts such as the Bhagavad Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana and Vedic scriptures in general. This niyama is far more difficult to master than it might seem at first glance, primarily in that a great number of passages from ancient Hindu religious manuscripts boast greater complexity and deeper meaning than other ancient religous manuscripts, such as, let's say, the Christian Bible. I feel a little bad saying that, I think. I bet I sound very closed-minded.
10.) Tapas: The tenth and final niyama, set to master the endurance of opposites, such as hunger and thirst, heat and cold, standing and sitting, ect.

In Pananjali's Yoga Sutras, the niyamas are actually considered to be the second out of eight limbs belonging to the practive of Raja Yoga. You can see them for yourself in the thirty-second verse of the Sadhana Pada, as these:

1.) Shaucha: Purity
2.) Santosha: Contentment
3.) Tapas: Austerity
4.) Svadhyaya: Self-study; the study of religous scriptures
5.) Ishvarapranidhana: Self-surrender

Coming Soon: The third in my series of essays concerning yoga philosophy, meant to explain the concept of physical postures in yoga, known as asanas. Rock on!

Introduction to Yoga Philosophy (Pt. 1)

Okay, so while there are obviously many different types of yoga practices out there in the world, this is supposed to be an overview of the Ashtanga Yoga, or the yoga of acheiving perfection through the formation of good habits of the body, heart and mind. In the future I plan to elaborate a lot more on this subject, but for right now and for the next few moments before I head off to class, I just want to give my readers something to catch their attention.

1.) Yamas: Five Restraints
2.) Niyamas: Five Disciplines
3.) Asanas: Physical Postures
4.) Pranayama: Regulation of the Vital Force (As in breathing)
5.) Pratyahara: Sense Organ Withdrawal (As in meditation)
6.) Dharana: Concentration
7.) Dhyana: Meditation
8.) Samadhi: Absorption

One hour later: Man, I feel like such an insufferable idiot! For a while there I'd been sitting in the hallway outside my General Psycology class, reading quietly, waiting for the class to get out so the one that I normally attend could begin. But it never did begin for me, because the class that I'd been waiting on all that time turned out to be my class, and...Well, my God! They need to start making sure that every single clock in this college tells the correct time, so I don't get utterly confused and think that it's an entire hour earlier than it really is. Ah, I feel so horrible, now...I think I must probably have about three absences in Psycology. I can't afford to have any greater number of absences than that. I need to start being more responsible in bringing my cell phone along to school with me every day, so that if other ways of telling time fail me, I'll at least have my own personal timepiece to check up on every now and then. How could I have possibly let this happen? Now I'm very sure of the time. It's nearly one o' clock in the afternoon, exactly, which means that I've got another three hours until my next class starts up. What can I possibly do with all that extra time, then? I'm caught up on all of my homework at the moment. I've eaten something and partially spread my cool yogic "phillia sophia" with Nanette, John, Anna, Nick and Wes. In other words I have absolutely nothing to do at the moment. But I feel kind of inspired, so what better thing to do than to continue writing on the subject of yoga?

Truly, it was very hard, finding words that would make a decent beginning to all of my previous yogic essays--none of which happen to be published on this website, by the way. Maybe someday in the near future they will be, but until then all I have is this, which thrives as I become inspired and more articulate as the days go by. But because I chose to begin this post with the yamas of yoga, I don't think there's any way I can get around explaining this part of my yogic philosophy without touching down with the yamas first.

Yama is a Sanskrit word that literally means "restraint". The yamas can be possibly best described as rules or codes of conduct for living virtuously. There are ten yamas, which are spoken of in Hindu religious scriptures such as the Shandilya and Varaha Upanishads, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, and the Tirumantiram of Tirumular.

Patanjali, however, listed only five yamas in the volumes of ancient manuscripts known as the Yoga Sutras. I have yet to figure out why, because ten yamas break up the concept far more evenly for me to comprehend.

These are the ten traditional yamas, as most people know them today:

1.) Ahimsa: This yama seems to refer mainly to abstinence from injury; the unwillingness to cause harm to any living creature through action, word or thought at any time. This is the first and possibly most important yama, meaning that the other nine are simply there in support of this one's accomplishment.
2.) Satya: This yama refers to truthfulness in word and conformity to "the facts".
3.) Asteya: Literally, "non-stealing", "non-coveting", and "non-entering into debt".
4.) Brahmacharya: Refers to divine conduct, continence, celibacy when single and complete fidelity when married. I hate to admit it, but in my mentality this yama seems as though it would almost function quite well as the tenth, and least, one.
5.) Kshama: Infinite patience. Releasing time. Living solely in the present.
6.) Dhriti: Refers to such virtues as steadfastedness, overcoming procrastination, fear and indecision; pursuing each task to completion.
7.) Daya: Refers to compassion, being compassionate and having compassion towards all living creatures.
8.) Arjava: Honesty and straightfowardness.
9.) Mitahara: Refers to having a moderate appetite, meaning that one should not eat too much, nor too little. Fasting is all right, I think. I've fasted for nearly three days before, but it's definitely not a good thing if you try to do it all the time, for many different reasons. It makes your conciousness feel all ghetto.
10.) Shaucha: Refers to purity, and the avoidance of impurity in body, mind and speech. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali actually defines this yama as the absolute most important.

Coming Soon: A discussion on the ten traditional niyamas, including the five basic ones I believe I mentioned earlier. Don't miss it, readers! The niyamas are especially cool and interesting...And our knowledge of them is imperative.

Promotion

I can never quite remember when I started working at Ingles. Was it October of 2006, or November? Either way, when I first applied for the job, I explicitly told Mike, Debi and Nathan that I wanted to begin working behind the counter at the deli as soon as they had an opening for me there. I had absolutely no idea that such a job would be so difficult...Truly, I'd believed that almost nothing in the world could be more difficult than working at the cash registers, where the customers are insane and mean to you beyond all reason, and the other employees are hardly any better. Now, however, as I've been very belatedly promoted to the deli area, I'm really kind of scared. Vicky and Loretta seem to have such high expectations of me, and...I suppose that I'm mostly just scared that I won't be able to live up to them. I will try to, of course, but I learned a long time ago that trying isn't always doing.

This afternoon I've got to be at the deli by one o' clock, and I leave at about nine o' clock tonight. That's eight hours I'll be working then, with only one twenty-five or thirty-minute break which will occur at whatever time they can spare me. But I shouldn't be complaining, right...? I think I'd like to work as a bartender sometime in the near future, and I know from Jaqueline in my yoga class that a bartender can be made to work for a shift of as many as fifteen or sixteen hours a day. Eight hours is nothing at all compared to that.

I just hope that I'm able to learn the rules and regulations of the deli as quickly and well as possible, so that the other women who work there won't get to thinking that I was a bad bargain, even when compared with the idiotic girl they told to leave while she still could.