Reading Reflection Week Four

The Kleshas and the Karmas II.10-II.17

II.11 The states of mind produced by these klesas are eliminated by meditation

I was looking online for more information about klesas and I found that klesas are defined as “mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions.” I immediately could picture in my mind emotions that clouded my mind and my judgement such as anger, jealousy, and fear. Thinking about these “clouds,” I pictured meditation clearing the mind and the fog of klesas dissipating. I have seen meditation in class bring me to a point where my mind is clear. I think that is why I am enjoying yoga so much this second time around at Baylor. The meditation part of yoga is so important to the entire experience. Without the meditation, the yoga practice is incomplete.

II.12 The stock of karma has klesas at its root. It is experienced in present or future lives.

This sutra reminds me that thoughts lead to actions which lead to consequences. It is so important to control and regulate my states of mind as they inform my actions. This summer, I was able to see firsthand how this idea is becoming part of educational reform in various parts of America. I worked with an after-school and summer-school program that served male youth in the underserved wards of Southeast D.C. This program used meditation throughout the day to prepare the students for the beginning of day, lunch, as well leaving the program at the end of the day to return to their homes. It was the first time I had seen that used in a school, but I could immediately see the results of that meditation. The boys were able to clear their minds of those cloudy states of mind and clearly see what is the correct behavior and actions. 

Reading Reflection Week Three

1.12 the vrtti [changing] states of mind are stilled by practice and dispassion [renunciation] 

1.13 From these, practice is the effort to be fixed in concentrating the mind

1.14 Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time

1.15 Dispassion is the controlled consciousness of one who is without craving for sense objects, whether these are actually perceived or described in scripture

1.16 Higher than renunciation is indifference to the gunas [themselves]. This stems from perception of the purusa, soul.

In the thirteenth sutra, I enjoyed the definition of the word practice. Practice is defined as an effort and concentrating the mind. Now I knew that any type of practice is an effort, but I like the focus of practice in concentrating the mind or “stilling the vrtti states of mind” to use the yoga lexicon. Right now, I am trying to get in the practice of doing the poses, but I also hope along with that I can get into the practice of concentrating my mind. It will be hard take a chunk of time out of my day where I am not multitasking but focusing on one practice. I don’t think that this will come as easy as doing the physical poses throughout the day, but hopefully I will begin to appreciate the practice in concentration.

I think the hardest part of practice will be not multitasking and focusing on the practice. This is what made the Rest & Relaxation class at Baylor so difficult for me. I kept thinking about other things I needed to be doing and tests I needed to be studying for. I didn’t give myself a chance to enjoy the meditative side of practice which is just as important as the physical poses. I am having an easier time focusing in this class, I’m not sure if my concentration is getting better or if the atmosphere is more conducive to concentrating. I do know that is a large part of enjoying the yoga practice this time around.

Asana Practice Week Three

Today was a hard day for me in practice. I was slightly anemic (thanks to my Crohn’s disease diet) and was feeling pretty exhausted at the beginning of class. I honestly did not want to put too much effort into doing the poses in class. I was counting down the minutes until savasana but I am glad that I did not give up on at least attempting each pose. Even though I was tired throughout the whole practice, I still felt like I was able to get some benefit out of it. I actually saw that I had improved in some of the poses! There are a few poses that I feel like I am seeing progress in: downward dog and the Sage’s pose (I think that is what the sitting twist was called). On downward dog, I feel like I am getting my back a little straighter each time I practice and I am getting better at putting the weight into my legs. It is still not really a comfortable resting pose for me, but I hope that someday it will be. I also felt myself twist a lot farther in the Sage’s pose. Seeing this progress has encouraged me to keep up with the practice, even when I am not feeling energized enough to do it. 

Reading Reflection Week Two: How Yoga Works 9-16

The first thought that came to mind when I started reading this book was surprise. I did not expect to be able to relate to any of the characters as I expected them to be discussing “Eastern philosophy” in terms I could not understand. However, I find myself relating to the Captain and admiring the narrator. I was definitely impatient like the Captain (and have been every time I have tried to take yoga back up again) in wanting to do the poses quickly and without attention to technique. For that reason, I am particularly interested in how he learned patience and became less lazy. I was intrigued by the motivation of compassion to make him practice his yoga everyday, and I am searching in my own mind someone that can serve as my own motivator. I also liked the idea of being able to use breath to send energy flows to parts of the body that are hurting in a pose. I am going to try to remember this when I am working through some of the harder poses in class. I also really enjoy listening to the inner monologue of the narrator. I loved the moment in the “Breath and a Smile” chapter where she reminded herself that her happiness did not depend on where she was. I admire that contentedness and suspect she was able to make that realization through meditating. And that’s not to say that meditating is happiness, but meditation can give you the time to find and realize what happiness is to you.

Asana Practice Reflection Week One

Day One!

The first day of class and my first day back doing yoga practice in over a year! I would be lying if I said it was not difficult for me. I could not believe how inflexible I was nor how weak my back was. After a few seconds in the "upward hands" pose, I felt like I was the Tin Man with no oil. My joints were creaky! I never realized how little I actually fully stretch out my body. I thought since I am an avid runner, I would not be so inflexible and weak but I was wrong. Even though it felt a little strange, I felt better after doing it. Sitting down on the mat, I also noticed how hard it was for me to sit up straight. It should not be that hard to sit on the ground, but I have a very weak back. When I sit up straight, I feel the pressure of every back bone on top of each other. I hope that after a semester of practice, I will build up the muscles to make sitting easier and to relieve that pressure. Honestly, the best part of the practice was the pose where we laid down on the mat to do the supported corpse pose. I don’t often bend my back backward so it felt amazing to bend it another way and to relieve the pressure.

Overall, while I am embarrassed to say that some of the practice today was difficult, I am excited to keep practicing and to improve my flexibility and strength. I also think once I can feel more comfortable in the poses and not strained, I will be able to focus and relax more. Right now, I am a little distracted by how inflexible I am!

Welcome BIC Yoga and Philosophy class! 

I am excited to start off this school year with this class! I took the HP Yoga classes (or as they call them at Baylor, Rest & Relaxation) but I don't remember much. Honestly, I think I was too stressed those semesters to truly enjoy them which in itself seems like a contradiction. In high school, I was really into yoga and actually lead sessions for my cross country team as a part of our warm up and cool down. From that, I really appreciate what yoga can do for athletes. Now, I am excited to relearn that aspect as well as the philosophy behind the practice. 

See you in class! And here's a yoga joke:

Q. What did the yogi say to the sandwich vendor at the ball game?
A. Make me one with everything!