I would like to dedicate the first entry of Be Yoga to a simple definition: what does the word “yoga” mean? Where does it come from? And how is the meaning of the word expressed in our practice? “Yoga” is originally a Sanskrit word used and developed in India. There is no way to tell precisely when the word was coined, but we know that it was used in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (a wonderful text that breaks down the philosophical elements of yoga.) The first English translation of yoga I heard was to the verb “to yoke”. Although this is a good definition, I have a hard time disassociating the word “yoke” from the wooden crossbar that can be used to couple animals so that they can pull a cart or a plow (i.e. a yoke of oxen). I know that one’s physical yoga practice may sometimes be likened in effort to that of plowing an entire field, but I would rather emphasize other aspects of this discipline!
Alternatively, then, we can translate “yoga” into “union” or “to join”. These translations have a stronger affiliation with a positive notion of integration and may be more readily understood in the context of one’s yoga practice.
In particular, when thinking of our physical yoga practice, the idea of union refers to the integration of mind, breath and body. There are times when our mind, breath and body are naturally integrated. You can see this particularly well in most children, who take full deep breaths when they run to catch a ball, completely concentrated on the task at hand. Similarly, children’s bodies have the ability to fully relax as they are dozing off to sleep, the breath softening as the muscles let go and the mind quieting down as it takes a rest from the day’s activities.
As we grow older, however, mind, body and breath can easily become disjointed as our thoughts and expectations, as well as our physical habits, redefine the relationship of these three elements. For instance, we might learn to move without using our breath, running from one task to the next with our thoughts on a future project or expectation and unaware that we are only breathing very superficially: our chest heaving up and down quickly in an effort to take in enough nutrients for the body to run by. In another scenario, we are likely to sit for hours in front of a computer without taking a break to stretch and move around, denying our body a chance to “feed itself” through the mobilization of nutrients around the body. If our mind begins to wonder, we might get a little frustrated but we are not necessarily aware that for the past three or four hours we have been taking in relatively low quantities of oxygen while expecting a top performance from our mind.
Indeed, the breath plays a central role in our practice to unite body and mind, as it becomes a guide and a reference point for our learning and development. In other words: you can learn so much from your breathing! In your yoga practice, for instance, you might find yourself in a challenging asana (pose), working hard to control the shaking of your muscles or to keep your balance. When we become so focused on controlling our body, we sometimes begin to hold our breath as well. Pretty quickly our mind becomes agitated, maybe even a little anxious, and only when we finally come out of the asana do we realize that we were holding our breath thanks to the loud sound of our inhalation or exhalation! Sometimes we might not even realize it at all, until our teacher mentions to make our breathing long and smooth, pointing our attention to the loud panting in the room.
The next time you find yourself holding your breath, or panting heavily, gently encourage your inhalations and exhalations to soften and extend. During your yoga practice, fuller and smoother breathing will make it easier to notice whether or not your toes are still extended, or if your shoulders are still moving down along your back instead of slowly creeping up to your ears. Quieter breathing allows you to connect more clearly to your body and mind, increasing your awareness of what is happening in a particular pose and advancing your practice. In fact, your yoga practice can take on a whole new meaning as you carry these same principles with you through out the day, focusing on joining your mind, body and breath when you are feeling overcrowded in the tube or as you loose your patience over an external circumstance.
To recap: yoga is a discipline of integration, focusing on the union of mind, body and breath. You can practice joining these different elements at anytime, while developing an awareness of your self that is both centering and strengthening. Give it a try and let me know about your discoveries!
Namaste,
Beatrice
Do you have any thoughts or examples of “union”?
What does yoga mean to you?
Are there any questions you would like to ask?
Post a COMMENT!
