Training the Mind Through Asana Practice: 1<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n In this day and age, we are surrounded by endless sources of stimulation, and our minds and senses are constantly being exposed to and engaging with fast-moving external stimuli that keep changing forms. Our minds continuously chase after these stimuli, remaining perpetually full, or perhaps, by now, the mind may even be afraid of not turning its attention outward\u2014frightened at the thought of getting bored and not knowing what else to do.<\/p>\n When we step into our Asana and Meditation class, our minds are immediately enveloped in the quietness. And when the practice begins, most of the practitioners practice the same asana<\/em> in sequence in this quietness, each pose being held for a long while in this silence.<\/p>\n When we are just starting the practice of asana<\/em>, forming the body into certain positions can be challenging, as can following the instruction of breathing. Or, perhaps it may be that forming the body into a certain position may not necessarily be that challenging, however, where the real challenge may lie, more than anywhere else, is in holding the same position for a long time\u2014the mind is not used to being in a situation where there isn\u2019t any extra external stimulation around to engage it, and in place of that, what is heard in this silence is the voice of our own mind, not faintly, but rather loudly. Indeed, what\u2019s moving is not any stimulation from the outside, but our own minds. Training\u2014this is actually where the aspect of and need for \u201ctraining\u201d comes in in the practice of asana<\/em>.<\/p>\n Nowadays, asana<\/em> practice may be treated as an exercise, but rather, in a way, it is training\u2014training of the body, the breath and the mind\u2014it is training for us to be able to sit steadily and comfortably in meditation, fully focused on the object of meditation with calmed breath and with silence in the mind; and in the end, it is a training through which the body, the vessel, \u201ccomes to be reborn or transformed into a yogic body or diamond body, which refers to the condition in which the ten workings of prana<\/em> are controlled and stilled\u201d (Shri Mahayogi\u2019s words during Satsangha<\/em>, Pranavadipa Vol. 118<\/em>)<\/a>. Perhaps, it may be commonly thought that by gaining flexibility or strength we can cultivate the body and bring it to a steady and comfortable state, however, being able to sit steadily and comfortably does not depend on the condition of the physical body alone, it goes hand in hand with a mind that is steady and at ease.<\/p>\n It is good to remember that asana<\/em> was originally intended for meditation, and the reason why we practice is for that purpose. Even if you may not practice asana<\/em> for meditation, perhaps you have felt the peace within that practicing asana<\/em> brings, and that that is a great gift that can reset our minds instantaneously no matter what we go through during the day. That itself is already a great benefit, indeed, yet, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that that peace in the mind will last; \u201cSit steadily and comfortably in meditation\u201d\u2014even if we are able to sit and be steady and comfortable, physically speaking, it doesn\u2019t mean that our minds are not still loud and restless. That\u2019s why in asana<\/em>, it\u2019s important to focus on the breath, because that is where there is a key for the mind. In life, we experience that when the mind is going up and down, as if it were on a roller coaster, our breath is irregular, however when the mind is calm and steady, our breath is similarly calm. Yogi<\/em> discovered the link between the mind and the breath\u2014the breath follows the state of the mind\u2014so if we work from the reverse direction, we can calm the breath, and then the mind will follow accordingly. Still, even so, it doesn\u2019t automatically mean that we will achieve peace within or quietness of the mind. In order to gain that stability and quietness of the mind, something more must be integrated into the practice\u2014the aspect of training itself\u2014and it\u2019s important to remember that asana<\/em> practice is a training.<\/p>\n When training, you do the same things over and over\u2014this is a basic step for when we learn or practice to master any skill. In this digital age, it feels as if our minds have lost being patient, craving only quick results and mistakenly thinking that we\u2019ve truly learned, all the while leaving behind the importance of the process that goes into it. But again, it is good to keep in mind that when learning to play the piano, you play the same part again and again until you master it. When you go to piano lessons, the teacher may correct you or show you how to play, and then you practice that at home. Then when you go to the next lesson, you play the same piece of music, which should now reflect what you were corrected on and what you learned from the piano teacher the last time. In the same way, when we come to the Asana and Meditation class, we practice the same asana<\/em>, and our practice in each class should reflect what was learned during the last class. In between classes, that is where daily practice comes in in order to master what we are being taught; to master means to have it become our natural state without needing to make any intention about it.<\/p>\n Doing the same thing over and over\u2014there are different benefits that this can bring to us, one of which is psychological. Every day the condition of our minds and bodies are changing, they don\u2019t stay the same. Naturally, life brings many events and happenings. Affected by these outside conditions, some days the mind feels heavier or the body feels stiffer than other days. But by patient repetition of the same training, we can develop inner strength and stability of mind no matter what the conditions may be. And today, as we are living in this digital age where there is frequent discussion about how the internet has shortened our attention spans, this way of practice\u2014training\u2014may be more important than ever before. Sometimes, we need to swim against the current. And that current is not only what\u2019s happening in the outer world, but it can also be what\u2019s happening in our inner world too, where perhaps it is even more strong than the outer world. The voice that says, \u201cI\u2019m bored of doing the same thing again and again,\u201d or the voice that says, \u201cI\u2019m too tired today, so I better not do it,\u201d or, \u201cI feel this or that way, so I better take it easy\u201d\u2014these are the voices that reflect that current within our inner world. Indeed, that kind of habit has practically become second nature.<\/p>\n And right there, with habit itself, is where another benefit of doing the same thing over and over comes in. We learn that our mind is habitual, it has a habitual nature, and thus that means that the tendencies of the mind, which arise from the habits we continue over a long period of time, actually can be changed. That being said, however, probably we all have experienced that the mind is prone to simply following its own habits or easily slips into old habits and tendencies even when we try to fight against them. When that happens as we go about our daily life activities, it might not be that easy to catch. Interestingly though, this aspect of how the mind follows or slips back into its own habits is something that also appears symbolically within the asana<\/em> practice of each individual, thus the aspect of doing the same thing again and again becomes ever more important and relevant, because the practice of asana<\/em> can become the ground for training in new habits and gaining strength in repeatedly facing and going against those old habits and tendencies so that they can be changed once and for all. Though, it goes without saying that this all depends on the clearness of our aim and the strength of will we have to transform our own selves.<\/p>\n The other day, all of the class attendees were regular attendees and gurubai<\/em>, so at the end of the class, Sadhya, who was leading the class, asked them to reflect on the feedback they had each received during the class. Rather than allowing the mind to take the feedback as a momentary suggestion, remembering it so that it could be solidified and clarified in order to apply it not only in daily asana<\/em> practice at home and before the next week\u2019s class, but also in working to improve oneself in daily life, would make that feedback meaningful. By everyone having the opportunity to hear the feedback, each one could take it into consideration for their own situation, even if they were not the one receiving it directly.<\/p>\n Mr. D began to excitedly speak about how he had been introduced to a new asana<\/em> called chakrasana<\/em> (the wheel) and that he really enjoyed practicing it, expressing his intention to try it at home. In that moment, Anandamali, a senior disciple who was observing each participant\u2019s practice during the class, knowing that Mr. D does not necessarily practice asana<\/em> at home, mentioned to him that chakrasana<\/em> is a very intense pose and not one that can easily be practiced in isolation, especially when one first begins to practice it, as it needs the preparation of the asana<\/em> that come before it to ready the body and mind, therefore he should make sure to practice all the other poses before that and not the new, exciting asana<\/em> alone. By saying that, she gently directed him back toward daily practice, and Mr. D smiled in response.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an important message for all of us, isn\u2019t it? Especially for the time in which we are living, where the \u201cnew and exciting\u201d is always given priority over whatever is regular, repeated, disciplined, a mixture of things we may like or not like, and in the category of what we think we \u201calready know.\u201d It is the same current mentioned before that is happening just as much in our internal world as in the world around us.<\/p>\n After hearing it, Sadhya reminded Mr. D of another important piece of feedback he received from Anandamali during the class. It came during bhujangasana<\/em> (the cobra), when he was asked by Anandamali to come down and try again, this time without rushing and consciously raising vertebra by vertebra. This slowing ourselves down and making time and space to be conscious of what we are doing, and that we are doing it according to how it is being taught, is certainly an important training in the practice of asana<\/em> and is something quite practical that we can apply at any moment in our daily lives. How often are we rushing around in this fast-paced world where the expectation of everything being instant is dominating? To slow down and be conscious of what we are doing, what we are saying, and why; in taking time to think, to notice subtle differences and how that affects what we are doing and the outcome, rather than just producing a haphazard result for the sake of producing a result\u2014there is a lot of space there where our minds can learn and open up to new things, observe things about ourselves and keep seeing things that we can improve.<\/p>\n Another practitioner, Ms. K, began to say that during the class, while working on practicing poorna<\/em> dhanurasana<\/em> (the complete bow pose), as she was trying to enter the pose starting from the opposite side of the body than what she was accustomed to, she expressed to Anandamali, who was observing her practice in that moment, that because it was so out of the norm, it felt as if she didn\u2019t know how to move her body, which made her mind become blank, and she just couldn\u2019t seem to do it. In that moment, Anandamali mentioned to her that she already knows how to move the body when starting from the other side, so rather than not knowing how to move, it\u2019s simply that this side is a little less flexible than the other side, which is normal; and also, knowing some of the struggles Ms. K has faced, said that it is actually symbolic of how Ms. K\u2019s mind goes blank when faced with something that is challenging for her in daily life\u2014the mind becomes blank and then uses that state to avoid having to face and do something it\u2019s not used to doing or doesn\u2019t know how to do. By mentioning it, Anandamali helped her recognize that the mechanism of the mind that sets itself into motion when facing challenges in daily life, is exactly the same mechanism that was appearing when facing this challenge in asana<\/em>, albeit in a smaller, more simplified version. After starting to see it and after calming her mind, she was able to do the pose starting from that side\u2014perhaps not as deeply, but she was able to do it.<\/p>\n Our mind follows along no matter where we go or what we are doing, and that means so do all of its habits and tendencies. Sometimes what we can\u2019t see or recognize is happening within us during daily life appears in a simpler, more recognizable version during the asana<\/em> practice, when there\u2019s less going on around us to conceal it from our view. Right there, when those habits of our mind appear, we have the chance to see that appearance as an opportunity to overcome whatever story the mind is presenting to us as if it were in some sense \u201cthe facts,\u201d and repeatedly put it to the test. The habits in our minds must certainly be wrapped around certain beliefs that the mind is clinging onto\u2014in a way, those beliefs that are intertwined with our habits are what our minds often present to us as \u201cfact.\u201d<\/p>\n Beliefs are not commonly something that the mind will easily let go of, because, in a way, by clinging to beliefs it\u2019s as if the mind feels it has some steady ground to stand on, and through the repetition of habits, those beliefs seem to become more and more solidified, and what are merely our habits come to seem as if they are our very way of being\u2014unchangeable and a matter of fact when looked at from the mind\u2019s view. Because our minds, in one way or another, always seek something to rely on, we easily become dependent and then rely on our habits with the various beliefs intertwined underneath. Yet, because the belief, which often is not based on the Truth, but rather the incorrect or limited thinking of our minds, has to be constantly sustained and reinforced through our habits, an endless stream of thoughts, concerns and activities of the mind sprout up one after another to serve that purpose, filling the mind with constant activity. For this reason, the habits of our mind rarely change for good quickly, and that\u2019s exactly why continuous and repeated training is so important. Through taking the opportunity of facing the same asana<\/em> again and again, the mind gradually can come to learn through experiencing the repetition of going against that simplified version of our habit that appears in asana<\/em> that the habit it has relied on is actually unnecessary, and as a result, the mind\u2019s grip on the belief intertwined with it will loosen and eventually let go, sometimes without even necessarily being conscious of it.<\/p>\n Another practitioner in attendance was Ms. P. Ms. P has been having very shallow, loud and rapid inhalation immediately upon releasing some asana<\/em>, while resting in savasana<\/em>. Ms. P said that, during the class, Anandamali mentioned to her that it seemed that she was focusing on inhalation in asana<\/em> instead of concentrating on exhalation, so her focus needed to shift to the opposite, to exhalation. Ms. P expressed that she was surprised to hear it, since she had thought she was following the instruction for breathing, but she felt that \u201cshift\u201d is a key for something she has been struggling to figure out, which is how she can work on her way of approaching things in daily life. Though not quite clear on what that should look like yet, she wanted to keep thinking about it and trying to recognize for herself what that shift to the opposite would look like for her, practically speaking.<\/p>\n To shift\u2014it\u2019s an act that is quite symbolic. In our asana <\/em>practice, while holding the poses we practice making each exhalation long and complete and letting the inhalation be natural. When just starting to practice asana<\/em>, focusing on the exhalation may feel rather new because this is almost the opposite of what we normally do and are taught in life\u2014for example, \u201ctake deep breaths,\u201d or \u201cit\u2019s important to breathe in more.\u201d When just beginning to practice, because various poses might be physically challenging, breathing in savasana<\/em> might become more rapid or heavier after releasing, but after years of practice, the long and complete exhalation from the abdomen becomes the more natural way of breathing during asana<\/em>, and even though we may continue to work on extending the exhalation and making it more complete, whether intentional or not, it can also be said that it is as if the base of breathing changes from inhalation to exhalation, meaning that, for the mind and body, the inhalation comes to be a natural reaction to exhalation, serving the purpose of aiding the exhalation in being long and complete. Then it can be said that the state of quietness of the mind and breath that arises from that continues in savasana<\/em>, in meditation, and also in daily life.<\/p>\n In a way it seems that all of this focus on exhalation, including many things that can be said to relate to that, evokes the great metaphor expressed in one of the verses of the Bhagavad Gita (2:69): \u201cWhere it is dark night for the [sense-bound] world, the self-controlled [man] is awake. It is daylight for him. \u2026 And where the world is awake, the sage sleeps.\u201d[1]<\/a> As it indicates in this verse, shifting does not necessarily mean a shift of the surface action alone, but it is rather a shift that ultimately needs to take root in the very fundamental ways of our being, including our way of viewing, thinking and subsequently acting\u2014and that means that there is even a reversal or turning upside down of the subtle aspects or subconscious workings of the mind that are at the base of our way of viewing, thinking and acting within this world.<\/p>\n
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