Reflection of the History of Yogas
Exploring yoga tradition has not only taught me about the subtle body but how to witness it. It helps me go past what emotion I’m feeling and connect it to an energy source.
The tanmatras help us realize our senses and what’s going on around us. They can help us ground to the present moment. The Bhutas are some of these energies that I feel and put their elements into what I teach. When I’m teaching a power class I try to focus the class on Tejas energy. I instruct them through twists and core strengthening poses to activate the manipura to detox and build heat. When teaching a restorative class I bring in a lot of Prithvi energy. I want them close to the ground and secured with lots of props. I also use these different elements to help balance what each individual’s personal make up is. It also helps convey that what the person may be feeling isn’t something that needs to be “fixed” or changed but that each of these energies are gifts and we need each of them. The Indriya, to me, is how I perceive each of these elements.
The vedas originated in the Vedic period. They brought teachings of the Atman, our soul, which links Hridaya—my favorite type of meditation. Next came the post-Vedic period, which gave us the Upanishas, where they found that our reality and our heart are one. Samkhya philosophy brought us Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is our soul. I think of it almost like space, not that it specifically carries that energy, but in the way that it is boundless yet unchanging and eternal. Prakriti is energy in all forms. It is our mind, body, emotions, everything in our material world. Prakriti is made up of the three gunas or qualities (which I find each of in a balanced yoga practice.) When something is Sattvic, it’s aligned. It is joy and clarity. Sattva for me brings me to Savasana. Everything is peaceful and nourished. Rajas is our fire, our effort. Like a warrior III or a vinyasa. It is movement. Tamas is our child’s pose. The energy is low. The feeling is heavy. We obviously want to feel Sattvic all the time but we can’t have Sattva without the Rajas or the Tamas. Next, Patanjali brought us the yoga sutras. On my first weekend of teacher training we went over the eight limbs of yoga. I have read the yamas and niyamas each year following. It gives me a direction of who I want to be and how I want to live each day. I have, without noticing until recently, structured my classes like the eight limbs. First we slow down and build our foundation—maybe even talk about one of the namas or niyamas. Then we start to move, we do some breath exercises—which lead to pulling away from our physical senses and start to concentrate on only one thing—I end my classes with meditation followed by Savasana. I structure my own practice this way unintentionally as well but I feel like these eight limbs give myself a well rounded practice where I’m able to feel full and complete by the time I end with Om. Next came Tantra (my favorite) the truth that every single thing and thought is energy. We are to embrace and feel and enjoy each moment and feeling because we are here on earth, lucky enough to be witnessing. Lucky enough to have a body that can feel—whether it is heart break or joy. Everything is alive and deserves to be honored. The science of Ayurveda harmonizes us. It makes us more aware of what we like and what we actually need to feel our best. Just because I want to eat mac and cheese for every meal and only practice restorative yoga every day doesn’t mean that it’s good for me. It is only after you start making better choices that you realize how much better you feel. I like that I can feel each of the doshas inside and know when one is getting a bit out of hand by observing myself.
I keep coming back to my own practice, but I also feel that I move through the koshas as well. The asana—annamaya. The pranayama—the breathwork. The inner layers are my meditation or sitting practice. Moving through my thoughts and more into my heart, where I can just be.
All of these elements and teachings have helped soften how I feel about Duhkha. I allow it, honor it, and even feel gratitude towards the suffering. I try not to avoid the discomfort too much (or at least remind myself not to) because yoga has taught me the value of impermanence. The tantrist in me wants to thank my suffering because I am able to feel it! I also feel so strongly that without every single thing that has happened in my life up to this point has brought me to exactly where I am today which is exactly where I am supposed to be. I know there is still so much growth to come but the foundations provided have made me excited to see what comes and also just happy and excited to be in the moment.
