ASANAS By Savitri Devi, Gitananda Yoga, Czech Republic

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ASANAS By Savitri Devi, Gitananda Yoga, Czech Republic Asanas are mostly the first thing we meet and practice in field of yoga. For most of people, asanas actually tally with yoga. When somebody hears I am doing yoga, his or her first question is Are you able to stand on your head? It has not happen to me yet that anybody would ask Are you able to be aware of your breathing continually for ten minutes? Also boards on streets offering participation in various yoga courses are full of photos, on which are some yoga asanas. From all these reasons, when somebody comes first to a yoga course, he or she goes to take some physical exercise. They have some suitable dress for it, they have a mat and they go to some gymnasium. Mostly people (at least in this country) come to yoga courses from some healthy reasons. Pains in back, bad body posture, obesity, digestive problems, states after some body accident (not enabling further sporting activity), small mobility, inability to concentrate oneself, need to do something with own body and distaste to common sports (or idea that I am too old to do aerobic etc. ), recommendation of a girl-friend, that she feels herself so well with yoga, or simple feeling that there is time to change life, to do something different than up to now these are the most often reasons I can hear from new coming people. Certainly, near all of them expect some physical activity. Their idea of what yoga is, is very near to asanas. And I must admit that in the beginning, their expectations will certainly be filled. Only after some time, they begin to anticipate and to find out that yoga is more than asanas and that yoga can offer them more than a physical activity. When we look at yoga as traditional spiritual path how to become master of oneself (rajayoga), then we see that asanas are only the third part of it according to Patanjali and his work Yoga sutra. There are still the first and the second parts, called yama and niyama, or if we can stay with English terms, we could say ethics and morality. There is certainly reason, why just these parts are on the first place and on the second one. This has its importance. However, it is very difficult for yoga new comers really to start with these parts nowadays. People are willing to be taught body activity, but not morality. They feel to be adult, actually they are adult, so in their eyes there is nobody (maybe accept of God) who has right to tell them what they do ethically bad. In the West, there is different type of relation to teacher. Teacher is somebody who knows something better and is able to teach it. But there is no such respect and devotion to the teacher like we know it from Orient. People are coming to my courses with intention to do some exercises and not to listen some sermon. This is another reason why I can speak about these things even after some time of yoga practice with my students. Yet in traditional yoga teachings, adept really started with yama and niyama. These were the years, when student were spending with his Master, serving him, working according to his commands. In this way Master prepared adept to be ready for being taught further yoga. From outside it could look like anything else as yoga teaching, but it was teaching of yama and niyama in practice. Student was put in situation where he or she had to prove that rules of yama and niyama were natural part of his/her attitude, thinking and acting in harmony with them. Even after that teacher was willing to start teach him/her asanas and other parts of yoga. Each Master had different method and some could start with some other parts of yoga. But always the solely being with Master was a hard school of yama and niyama, and through any part of yoga they were able to reach the other parts, since yoga is unity, oneness. No part of it can be practiced without touching the others. In the west, sometimes we say physical exercise instead of sanskrit word asana. Of course, it is understandable effort to omit foreign term, but it also shows us how narrowly we understand asana, how incomplete we see it. But asana is always very complete process and state, because even if it really is some activity of our physical body, its effect is not

limited only on physical level. Old Indian wise men (rishis) saw and described human personality very completely. They spoke about material, and thus mortal part, created by five areas, levels or bodies (literary pancha koshas) and one immaterial, i.e. immortal part that they called in different times with different names: purusha, jiva, atman. And they knew quite well that asanas influenced more then our physical body, actually all these bodies. The first level, the roughest one, is our physical body, called in sanskrit annamayakosha. This is what we can touch, our skeletal system covered by muscles and stimulated by nerves, blood and lymphatic systems with inner organs. Besides this body, yoga speaks about other four fine (sukshma) bodies, that we are not able to reach by our senses, and these begin with the second level called in sanskrit pranamayakosha. This is area we call living energies that are hidden in all processes of our lower material body; in sanskrit we call these energies prana. In fact, it is not only one energy, but group of energies that vary by their functions and manifestations. Manomayakosha is second fine body that represents lower aspect of our mind. These are our rational thinking, reason, intellect, brains, contents of our mind (in sanskrit called manas) i.e. this part of our mind that is able to collect information, to sort them, to analyze. In comparison, vijnanamayakosha, the next level, represents higher aspect of our mind. This mind (in sanskrit called buddhi) is tool characterized by synthesis and perception of unity, integrity and mutual connections. Here we involve perception, emotions, intuition, so everything we generally call unreasonable, that is why we sometimes speak about emotional body in comparison with the previous one, called thought body. The last level is anandamayakosha, level of consciousness, joy and awareness of unity, cause and consequence. That is why we call it sometimes causal body. Asanas influence all these levels we work naturally with our physical system, by proper breathing and awareness we work also with energies so with energetic body; with our mind or generally with our psychic we involve our thought and emotional bodies; and through awareness of oneness and connections we can reach also the last level, anandamayakosha. This is also figure that proves my previous claim that each part of yoga is able to lead us to other parts, or in other words, that in each part of yoga there are hidden also the other ones: yama, niyama, working with energy pranayama, working with your senses pratyahara, working with mind dharana, awareness of consciousness dhyana. In this sense of meaning we can afford to start with people in courses with asanas, since we know that sooner or later we will come to all the rules of yama and niyama and that they will probably be able better to understand most of these rules through their body and their experience of conscious activity with it. So what is actually asana? Generally, we understand (here in West) that it is some special type of physical activity. Activity that is quite different from common sportive physical activity. In old Indian text there are several definitions of asana. In Patanjali s Yoga sutra we can find in several verses following characteristics of yoga asana, creating its definition: static body posture, that is enough stable, but also pleasant and relaxed (to be able to stay in it longer time); conscious posture with controlled breathing. It may seem that this is very broad definition. It is obvious that such definition is filled not only by a limited group of classical yoga asanas (however big one it is), but principally any body posture that will match all terms of this definition can be called asana (even if we don t find it in any old scripture and it has no sanskrit name). On the other side with all these conditions, this definition is very strict and strongly limiting. It narrows the selection by all these conditions that must be matched and we must admit that sometimes something that looks like yoga asana, not yet need to be it at all since some condition does not match and that cannot be seen from outside (example young and sportive people have enough flexible bodies and thus are able to do nearly any asana, but it will hardly be conscious body posture with controlled breathing etc. i.e. asana). Concurrently the definition prompts us the former mentioned connection with other parts of yoga. It is said controlled breathing and enough relaxed posture the connection with

pranayama and relaxation (extrapolated up to whole pratyahara) can already be seen quite clearly here from the very definition. It may seem to our reason that two further demands go against: posture should be stable and it should be also relaxed. How to understand this? Of course, every posture will lead to a certain level of tension in muscles (to be able to keep body for example in standing or sitting position). But important is to limit this tension only on these muscles that really keep the body in such a posture. Sometimes we transmit muscle tension also in other muscles that are not at all necessary for holding body in position (for example gritting of teeth or tension in face in any asana). So these two demands are no counter-demands, they complete each other. We must understand them well. The demand of relaxed asana is here to guarantee, that asana will be comfortable and thus we will be able to stay in it long enough. Why long enough? Since we need time for working in asana, we must give opportunity to asana to influence us. And this is not well possible in several short seconds. Let us stop with rules of yama and niyama and their connections with practicing asanas. They are connected also with this part of yoga and as I mentioned above, asanas, kriyas and other physical exercises are one possibility how to insert these rules into practice of our students; how to let them understand well these rules in practice and later, still later we can expand them on the whole living. The first rule of yama - ahimsa (nonviolence) - is the most important one. It is something what teacher must repeat, especially to new, students again and again from the very beginning. People coming to yoga courses are naturally oriented on external effect. Now they are faced with quite different type of physical activity then they are used to. They come and they are curious (How will my neighbor able to do it?), they have need of comparison (Am I better then the person lying next door to me?) and of competitiveness (I must be better than my neighbor!). It is teacher who must tell them that they cannot practice yoga at all in this way. It is necessary to speak about nonviolence to own body (and to distinguish well between violence on one side and chaos on the other side). It is very difficult especially for people who were sportsmen ( women), since they are used that they cannot reach anything for nothing, that they cannot have something without body pain, sweat and grind. Yes, they have one advantage compared with others strong will; but they must learn to use it differently than they are used to do it in sportive activities. Even here in yoga is true that nothing is for nothing. But not pain, not sweat, not grind, but endurance, fine effort, full awareness, controlled breathing, presence in NOW, departure from external side of things these are qualities with which they pay for progress; these qualities they must grow with help of the strong will. Departure of external side of things what does it mean? It means that the important happens inside and we cannot see, touch, smell it we cannot capture it by our senses. Saint Exupery in his Small Prince says: The important things cannot be seen by eyes, but they can be seen by your heart. This first rule can show us the way, how to impose yama and niyama upon daily practise of our students. Since, if they want really correctly to practice asanas, they must be quite honest to themselves in this activity (satyam), they cannot grab anything in it (asteya), they must follow moderation, for example of hard effort on one side and quite no effort on the other side (brahmacharya) and they must not assume themselves merits, since things more happen than are done (aparigraha). We can see clearly that practicing asanas is some type of inner (and very hard) discipline (tapas), it is certain way how to understand to own body and its functioning (svadhyaya); we can see that one needs to cultivate certain contentment and harmony between demands and possibilities of own body (santosha), that the body (and the whole organism) is purified by these physical activities (saucha) and, finally, that the experience of real asana may lead an adept to learn of his/her genuine essence, to his/her humble bowing to the will of it, of God (Ishvara pranidhana). From these rules of yama and niyama, and especially of the most important one: ahimsa, we got to one important fact in the whole yoga, not only asanas: We should go from outside to inside. We should not stay with form and miss its content. Of course we must start with form i.e. with asanas we must pay attention to external form of our body in posture (where we have arms, how our spine is stretched or relaxed, if some muscles are stretched

and other ones relaxed etc.), but all the time we should have in our mind that the form is the mean how to reach content, how to reach some inner state of being, called bhava. This is goal, not only stretching of shorted muscles, strengthening of atrophied ones and making joints more flexible and movable. The goal is bhava or inner asana or inner nature of asana. There are many ways how to call it. To get to this bottom, this real essence of asana means again to be true to oneself, to follow restraint, to purge from obstacles on level of body, breathing, mind, emotions, to get to know oneself, to be able to follow some order and to be able to sacrifice something to it etc. Again, all the rules of yama and niyama are hidden here. To experience and to witness this bhava, one must give up separation, feeling of duality (dvaita). There is no more asana and body that is practicing it; it is here only asana and we open ourselves to it, we merge with it and we become one with it, with its inner nature, we are the bhava, we are unity, not duality (advaita). In this process practice of asanas must be high level of concentration; and even then, in any moment, experience of an asana may become even meditation and as experience of unity with it even samadhi. In this way we can really find in asanas also the higher parts of eight-limbed yoga. And this is goal to practice all these parts to be able to live the whole path. To go deeper and deeper and not only flatly in distance. Let us look now on concrete process of practicing asana. We will be able to see on it the differences between yogic activity and common sportive activity. Of course, there are very various asanas, so not for all types of asana you will be able to go trough all the described stages; but generally we can establish some sequence of stages. Knowledge of these stages can help us understand well that even if asana is static body posture, it has its own development and we should be all the time aware of it. These stages can help us also better understand the role of form and its content - both have their important place, both have to be followed. The first stage we could call mental prototype. Here we create perfect picture of body shape in given asana in our mind. It is something like sankalpa, this time devoted to our physical body. By it we insert our intention into mind. This prototype should be always perfect, even if we know that our body has some limitations and we will not be able to practice the asana so perfectly. That does not mind. Important is intention, goal, and that is perfection. This mental prototype is something that already has its own effect it is really part of practicing asana. That is why it is valid to practice yoga at least mentally, when from some reason we are not able to practice it so well or at all (in case of accident, illness etc.). Already mental practicing is worth. The second stage is setting out on asana. This is movement with which we are able to take up asana. Here we must encompass different type of movement in comparison with sports. It is yoga movement. This movement should be always conscious, controlled movement made in harmony with breathing. From this it follows that it will be very slow movement, we will be aware of it and in any moment we will be able to stop it, to change it, to make it still slower etc. Some people do not yet feel this stage of process as part of asana. Asana starts for them in the moment, when their body has shape of asana and they are without any motion. But it is important how we are able to get into asana. First, it is test (and exercise) of our muscle condition; second, by slow movement we are really able to take up asana correctly and what is important consciously. Many women for example have problem to get their buttocks in halasana, so they help themselves with some swing to lift body from the floor. But in such a case, they have no more control over this movement, since such a movement is quite different type of movement then the controlled one. In this way they can even injure themselves, since they cannot control the body position and their feelings. The movement is rapid and suddenly they are in position that need not to be suitable in such extent for them. Already here, we should have in mind the goal bhava, inner state. The whole process of asana should be done in calm and balanced way. The first stage, mental prototype, commences with it and any quick and not controlled movement will disturb this inner state

of calmness and balance. (That is why, all the movements done during yoga lesson should be controlled ones. Even if they are such movements like scratching, pulling out handkerchief, blowing one s nose etc.) Naturally it is good to connect movement with breathing. If we lift arms, legs or the whole body, so do it during in breath (important is really during in breath and not after in breath, actually during hold in, like many do it); and if we lean downwards, it is reasonable to do it during out breath. The next stage is working in asana. Now our body has really shape of an asana; we have finally reached it. From outside, no activity can be seen. Body is without visible movement. But it does not mean that nothing happens. Exactly the opposite. It is stage when we consciously are working and trying change body posture in real asana. When we take up some yoga asana, it is important to stay aware of our feelings that are coming from body. These feelings (especially the negative ones) are signs, where to concentrate, where to lead our awareness, our breath and what to try to relax. Our efforts should also be devoted to reaching of fluent flow of breathing. This is also the moment when we are looking for some compromise between total relaxation (but then will body probably fall from the asana) and total firmness of asana (when muscles of the body are tensioned). Finding of this compromise guarantees ability to stay in asana with some comfort, to feel stability of body in it and to have to some extent balance in body feelings. These all are conditions for being able to stay in asana for longer time and that is part of definition of asana and that is also a must, if we want to reach next stage. During this working in asana we have several helpers. Number one is our breath this was already mentioned. Out breath helps us relax what need not to be stretched. In breath helps us energize single parts of body. And hold breath, these calm moments of our breathing activity, help as to go deeper in asana. The second helper is our awareness similarly with breath, this follows already from definition of asana. Only then, body posture may become asana, if we are aware of our body, its shape, its feelings etc. Besides these two known helpers, there are still another two. Two helpers that are present all the time, and that is why we forget them. They are: power of gravity and time itself. We are living in field of gravity and we are not able to imagine being it otherwise. But power of gravity is all the time acting power and we can make use it in asanas. For example in halasana, one does not need to pull feet down to the bottom, it is enough to realize power of gravity and submit to it. It always works in cooperation with time, because it works in time. That is why the time itself is another our helper. When occupying an asana we need time to let it influence us. In the first moment after occupying it, our body probably is not source of blissful feelings. Body must settle in. The muscles must prolong, joints must relax, changed pressure and blood system conditions must consolidate etc. And all this needs time. It is enough to stay and be aware and we will feel how time helps us really to enter in asana and further in next stage of asana. This stage of asana we could call simple state. It is perseverance, staying in reached state of comfort and stability of body and certain balance of feelings (this is very important, since it enables us to feel body in asana as a whole, not as legs and trunk and head and arms.). This stage represents really the meaning of the word asana. Here we finally can go from the form towards the contents. Here we can experience inner asana, its inner nature or if we use the classical term bhava. This is goal of asana, its genuine essence. However, even this state is not stationary, it has its own development in time. What is important, that here, in this stage, we must after some moment remove any effort (even effort to be aware), since actually here we enter from concentration (even in this way we could characterize the previous stage) up to meditation (that characterizes this stage). That does not mean that we are no more aware. In opposite, we are highly aware of anything what happens, but this level of awareness is no more kept by our effort, it is natural flow of awareness. This has also its impact on breathing. Also breath is naturally flowing without any violent or rapid changes, without any irregularities. That is why we had to work also with breathing in previous stage. Experience of this state, this bhava, is characterized also by something what we could call synthesis of senses. Senses are by

previous stages turned inside (pratyahara) and calmed. Now, they start to merge. Our perceiving of this state cannot be described like seeing or hearing or touching, it is everything this all together. This type of uniting of senses help us our merging with asana. It is shift from duality (me and asana practiced by me) towards unity (only asana), then from dvaita to advaita, oneness. As I mentioned above, even this state has its own development, in other words it is changing in time and naturally it will once reach its end. We fall again from advaita to dvaita, and our unified feeling of body will split again in feelings of single parts of body, where one is felt more than other etc. This is moment for change to the next stage. This stage we could call return from asana. Here is valid everything that was said in paragraph devoted to setting out on asana, because it is again yoga movement, this time from asana back to starting position, that itself is a relaxation one, or from which we lie down for relaxation. This return should be again slow, conscious and all the time controlled, done in harmony with breathing. This time, the reason for it, is the effort not to disturb processes of body and mind (and any other part of our personality) that was started by the previous stage. Such type of movement helps us to keep awareness, too. Finally, the last, but not least important stage is fading away or relaxation. But the term relaxation leads us more to see the situation only from point of view physical body. Let us stay better with term fading away. The asana induced some processes on all these five levels (koshas), so not only on level of physical body. And these processes have some persistence. They do not end immediately after change of position of our body. If we do not disturb or cancel them by some quick and not controlled movement (of body, but also of mind), they can slowly fade away. And in case we are able to stay aware even in this stage (pleasantly positioned in some relaxation position with feeling of relief), we can experience it (and by our awareness to make these processes still deeper and more effective). We can and should stay still present in NOW. To stay present in this moment, in now is something we can find in whole process of asana, actually in whole yoga. But, asana as the third level of Patanjali s rajayoga, teaches us this being in now through awareness of body. And even if body is only one of five parts of our personality, most people feel to be their body; this part of their personality is the closest one and that is why to be aware of it is easier for them then to be aware of their emotions, for example. Awareness of body and breathing (so of two parts of these five ones) is basement of asanas and in this way asanas are very good mean how to teach us to live really in this moment. Our mind has mostly tendency to be in the past (our memories) or in the future (our plans, worries and hopes). But if we are able to be aware of our body and breathing, we force also our mind (and our senses) to be in present. In this way we prepare it for next parts of yoga: for pratyahara and the whole samyama yoga. Well, we are back in knowledge, mentioned in the beginning of my contribution: yoga is union and even if it has eight parts according to Patanjali s Yoga sutra, any of these parts leads us to other ones to be able to create wholeness and holiness of yoga as unity, oneness.