Ashtanga yoga is the yoga of Patanjali. As a scientific method of self discovery we resolve to quiet the fluctuations of the mind in order for consciousness to reflect pure awareness back at itself and we can discover our original state, pure, eternal and without attributes. The skillful means by which Patanjali articulated a path, or sadhana, is comprised of eight limbs in order to give structure to guide us on our journey into the source, or the origin of all things. They are yama (ethical principles), niyama (introspective practices to heighten awareness), asana (the physical postures), pranayama (control of the life force through the breath), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi, which is when we are again integrated into the whole and yoked to the eternal energy which dwells within us all. In the lineage of yoga that has become closely associated with Ashtanga Yoga, asanas are taught to the aspirant as a means by which the initial stages of a shift in consciousness can be experienced. As we practice the asanas our outlook on life starts to change and much of the confusion and lack of clarity that had hitherto been the predominant patterns of our lives, start changing as we start to see that all phenomena are in fact constantly changing, impermanent, and ultimately unsatisfactory. It is for this reason that the confusion that we live in results in suffering as we try constantly to grasp and cling to something that cannot stay the way it is, and this includes our ideas about who and what we are. It becomes clear to us that our bodies are subject to change, which we can see through increased strength and flexibility, or conversely in growing older or ill. We also start to see that mood swings can alter our experience of being in our bodies and in this way a connection between the body and the mind is established. It is at this stage that we can start to ask ourselves what the mind, or consciousness, really is. Our inability to grasp who we are, and what it is that we need in order to live a life without suffering, is predicated upon the ignorance (avidya) that draws a veil over the natural order of things. Consciousness, through which we experience all there is to experience (through the sense organs), can be seen to fluctuate just like simple things in nature does all around us, and we realize that that which ultimately observes all of these shifts is constant, eternal, available every moment and ever present. Deep within this understanding, which comes from within the stillness of a peaceful and quite mind where the fluctuations of consciousness becomes settled, there is the realization that consciousness is separate from pure awareness, and that with which we had always identified is in fact not who we truly are. Our thoughts and emotions do not actually constitute who we truly are. It is not the thinking of a thought or the experiencing of an emotional state which contribute to the feeling of being here in the present moment. In fact upon closer investigation one discovers that thoughts and emotions are ever changing and often actually distract us from being truly present in the moment. So there must be something deeper down below the surface of these ever changing attributes where the source of consciousness itself resides. This abode is pure awareness iteslf, the discovery of which brings us back to ourselves and our purpose in living life becomes fulfilled. In our asana practice (which is the third limb) we start with the sun salutation out of which all the subsequent asanas flow. They are beautifully strung together like a mala (thread), woven on the breath which is the life force (prana) of all creation. To deepen our understanding we use gaze points (drishtis) to keep the mind from wandering and in this way we get our first taste of concentration, which can lead us to the meditative state of pure awareness. The asana practice builds heat (tapas) which facilitates the experience of purification (sauca); a necessary component in clearing away the patterns of our consciousness in which we have become established (samskaras). These patterns can form something like a groove in which we end up living, repeating our same thoughts, obsessions, desires and fears, ultimately keeping ourselves from reaching our highest potential. This form of "habit energy" is what we become aware of, allowing us to get closer to the experience of seeing things the way they truly are. Out of the asana practice our understanding is deepened of the yamas and the niyamas, the first two limbs. The yamas are as follows: ahimsa - not harming satya - truthfulness asteya - not stealing brahmacarya - right action aparigraha - not grabbing The niyamas are as follows: sauca - purification santosha - contentment tapas - intense practice/discipline/heat svadhyaya - self study isvara-pranidhana - surrendering to the ideal of pure awareness Pranayama practice follows when the aspirant has shown proficiency in the asanas. The groundwork has then been prepared for entering upon the path of the higher limbs, where we draw deeper into the introspective qualities that arise out of looking into the heart and opening the door to the world of spiritual mysticism. LESS       Check out the 2008 schedule.

© 2005 | photos by georgia carr | created by henrique penha + dee blake