Mudras

It's okay.  It's Jnana mudra!

I have been doing a lot of yoga lately.  I haven't been practicing asana everyday, but pretty darn close.  As you regular readers know, I have to be a student in 52 yoga classes and an observer in 8 yoga classes by the end of my teacher training (it ends in APRIL, people.  4 short months away!  Oh I have so much to do before then...) and I have crammed in about 8 classes since December 17th...and I have big plans to do "Hangover Yoga" tomorrow.  Should be interesting...
I have also been caught practicing a Yama or two lately (ha ha....I'm observing one per week), in between learning about the chakras, some anatomy, and thinking about creating class outlines.  My brain has been scattered all over the Yoga "Map", as it seems, and I don't think my asana has been as "spot-on" as it usually is.  Perhaps studying the proper alignment for postures has made my foundation a little less confident, perhaps I've just been too tired to focus on my poses, perhaps I've had a bit too much wine this holiday season (ahem.  maybe I should just go with the last one and call it a day).  Whatever the reason, I've felt the need to find something to help me ground my practice and get the poses bit more on target.  I've found that Mudras can help!
Mudra is a Sanskrit word that means "seal", and mudras are simple hand gestures that convey messages or a focus within your practice (no, I'm not talking about THOSE types of hand gestures!).  As part of our teacher training, we are expected to know ONE mudra.  I know that "one" doesn't seem like a whole lot, but there's a lot of other stuff we need to know, including entire phrases in Sanskrit, so cut us some slack.  Mudras are often visible in Hindu statues and icons, and the position of the statue's hands convey great meaning.
Anjali mudra (hands held in prayer with thumbs resting together on the sternum/breastbone) is commonly used during practice, so I already "know" a mudra, but me being me, I'd like to know more than one.  Some mudras are quite challenging to form with the fingers.  I personally have a hard time with Vishnu mudra, where the first and middle fingers bend forward, while the ring and pinkie fingers remain flexed and the thumb rests alongside the fist.  Basically, I can't straighten my ring finger in this position; it's really uncomfortable for me.  One mudra that I have come to appreciate, however, is Jnana mudra, or as people in the western hemisphere might say, "the OK sign!".  This is a simple and comfortable mudra, but it also has a wonderful meaning for your yoga practice.
The Jnana mudra is often seen when a figure is sitting in a comfortable cross-legged position, and the hands are making the "OK sign" with the backs of the hands resting easily on the knees.  Each finger has a meaning, and the position of the fingers has a great deal of symbolism for this mudra (and your yoga practice).  The thumb represents the energy of the universe, and the index finger represents your true "Self".  By bringing your thumb and index finger to touch, you are bringing together your self with the universe, effectively uniting them (the ultimate expression of Raja yoga).  The remaining three fingers represent the "Ego" (middle finger - rather telling, don't you think, when flipping someone the bird?), the "Mind" (ring finger), and "Worldly goods" (the pinkie).  By opening these fingers and resting the hands on the knees, we allow these aspects of ourselves to drip away from our practice, to drip away from our true selves and the energy of the universe.  No one needs an ego on the mat, you can forget about the mind because your body will guide you - you just have to listen to it!, and worldly goods are of no use to you when you're practicing asana.
So, as 2013 approaches, with it's first 4 months filled with "yoga everything" for me, Jnana mudra will be a wonderful symbol to come back to.  I can allow it to guide my teacher training - I'll find the energy to finish, I'll let my ego get out of the way, I'll try to forget about worldly goods (I really DO have plenty), and I've already lost my mind, so I won't miss it!

Happy New Year!  May 2013 find you joyfully on your mat!  Thanks for reading! - Megan

Satya

 Satya.  Truth.  A common interpretation of Satya is "The Truth that equals Love."  In his Yoga Sutras, Patanjali says "When one is firmly established in speaking the truth, the fruits of action become subservient to him." (Sutra 2.36).  This week, as I contemplate the second of Patanjali's Yamas, I find myself somewhat confused.  Not because I don't know what truth is...it's not-lying, right?  I perceive myself as an honest person...I'm not generally in the habit of lying, which is not to say that I have never lied...it's just that I don't do it often, and when I do happen to lie, I think it is with good reason.  But what is "with good reason" for me, is not always "with good reason" for someone else.

Perhaps an example will clarify.  Last week, I was practicing Ahimsa, or non-harming, which sort of means following a vegan diet (you know, non-harming the animals and all).  I wasn't strict about the veganism (hey, I'm being truthful!), but I did observe a vegetarian diet for the week.  In fact, until Christmas eve's Feast of the Seven Fishes, I was doing okay, but, I was technically on to Satya by that time, so eating a bit of meat wasn't the end of the world.  At said Feast, my friend's mother in law mentioned that they "don't ever eat meat on Christmas eve" as she tucked into the very, very delicious seafood salad. I did my very best to bite my tongue and not mention that, "Uhm, that seafood salad you're heaping on your plate is loaded with meat..."  I wasn't being untruthful - she knew what she was doing...I just didn't want to mince words over her definition of "meat" versus mine (and the rest of the known universe).  Earlier in the week, I made vegetarian chili using "Quorn" (a mushroom-based meat substitute, and quite delicious), and I urged my children to eat their "meat".  I also made a "BLT" using smoky-maple flavored tempeh.  I gave half to my husband and told him it was a BLT.  He wasn't fooled, and even enjoyed it, but I didn't give up the gig until after he'd had a bite and inquired, "Uhm, where's the bacon?"
So what is truth?  Is it conditional?  Are there degrees of truthfulness?  Are there times when it's appropriate to be untruthful?  I'm going to propose "Yes" to all three, even if I may be betraying the intent of Patanjali.  If I never experience Samadhi, I'll know it could be because of my lack of truth.

As I ponder my willingness to say it's conditional, it comes in degrees, and there are times when it's appropriate to be untruthful, it begs me to ask:  Is it okay to be untruthful as long as "no one gets hurt"?
On Christmas eve, I think it was appropriate to bite my tongue about the seafood not being "meat. The mood was merry and bright, and if I brought up the fact that my friend's MIL was wrong, it would have made her feel defensive, put a cloud over her meal (and probably everyone else's), and after all, it isn't the end of the world that she thought seafood wasn't meat.  This way, everyone stayed happy, unharmed.  If I had brought up the truth, not only would I have been perceived as being obnoxious (which I'd like to think is NOT my true nature!), I am sure that more than a few people would have been unhappy.

Now, I'm not going to go around, living my life, wondering if in each situation it's okay to get away with a lie or being untruthful.  Like I said before, I'm not in the habit of lying for lying's sake.  What I am saying is that in certain situations, a lie may not be the worst thing.  Am I "lying, with love"?  I think we have all experienced that.  When an acquaintance asks your opinion, sometimes it's easier to be complimentary rather than truthful.  When you're trying to get your kids (and husband!) to eat healthier, a little untruthfulness may not be the worst thing.  I can justify this as a version of the truth that equals love.  Can't I?


This above all; to thine own self be true.
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man  - W.Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 1, scene 3

Ahimsa (part deux)

So here it is, my week on "Ahimsa".  The week where I am charged with practicing non-violence.  I suppose that means I should get this damned tune out of my head:

Kiss with a Fist

So Florence claims that the tune is not about domestic violence...but rather about people in love who push one another to psychological extremes.  Well, Ahimsa actually speaks more to that than actual kicking, slapping, stomping, smashing violence, I think.

Either way, it's a great song.  Too bad I shouldn't be aurally indulging myself with it for a week.

Ahimsa pratisthayam tat samnidhau vaira tyagah (in the presence of one firmly established in non-violence, all hostilities cease.) - Patanjali's Yoga Sutras 2.35

Facing the Octopus

Patanjali "wrote the book on Yoga".  Let me clarify: Patanjali was not the first guy to write about Yoga - he certainly was not the last - he writes that he is merely "continuing the teachings of yoga", teachings that have been around for centuries millenia. In fact, most yogic scholars aren't even sure that Patanjali was one person; they believe Patanjali is the nom de plume of a collection of authors on the subject of what yoga is.  Nonetheless, "Patanjali's" Yoga Sutras are the go-to texts for serious students of yoga, and it features heavily on our reading list for teacher training.

Patanjali was a proponent of Raja (or Royal) Yoga - and developed "Ashtanga", or an 8-limbed path one must follow in order to practice Raja Yoga.  *I particularly like the image I found for Patanjali - a many-snake-headed figure...perhaps alluding to the many authors contributing to the Sutras?  Perhaps symbolizing the main idea of the Sutras - the 8-limbed path known as Ashtanga. In reality, he is associated with being lord of serpents (the many heads mean "omnipresence"...you can read more about Patanjali here). Either way, this path is something to be reckoned with, and we need to "reckon" with it for the next 2 months.

The 8 paths are as follows:  Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, & Samadhi.  The first 5 limbs are to be practiced and worked-on simultaneously as you approach the last 3 limbs, which are attained sequentially.  One must first practice Dharana (concentration) to reach Dhyana (meditations) and ultimately achieve Samadhi (union with the universe, complete understanding of peace, love, truth, etc).

Most people are familiar with Asana (the yoga postures) and Pranayama (mindful breathing, control of the life force) from their time in a yoga class.  Instructors of some classes even discuss Pratyahara (turning inward), when they encourage you to focus your attention on your own mat, your own practice.  The Yamas and Niyamas - there are 5 of each - are relatively novel, which is surprising considering they are rather significant to the 8-limbed path!
In our teacher training, we will spend the next 10 weeks focusing on the Yamas and Niyamas, practicing them with intent. We will be demonstrating Dharana - concentrating - on one Yama or Niyama each week.  The first 5 weeks will be spent on the Yamas.  The next 5 weeks will be the Niyamas.  By the end of the 10 weeks, we will for sure know the names and meanings of all the Yamas and Niyamas, but we will ultimately learn a lot more about ourselves in the process.
First up?  the first Yama - Ahimsa, which I've written about before.  It is attributed to "Non-violence".  Considering we are in the throes of holiday season fever, this will be an apropos time to study some "non-violence."  I'll keep you posted...

"Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time" - Patanjali's Yoga Sutras I.14