Laughing Lotus College of Yoga Fall 2009 Document

8/14/2019 Laughing Lotus College of Yoga Fall 2009 Document

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Laughing Lotus College of Yoga Personal SubmissionsFall 2009

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Assigned term from the

Yoga SutrasSubmitted by Pages

Aparigraha Roberta Arruga 34

Asana Katrina June Butkas 5

Avidya Georgina Aymerich 6

Bhoga Maria Medina 7

Dharna Holly Ramey 8

Karma Laticha Sotero 9

Parusha Tim Griffin 1012

Partyahara Taryn Matusik 13

Pratipaksha Bhavanam Michael Whiston 1415

Prakriti Lara Dwyer 16

Samadhi Robyn Stein 17

Santosa Alexandra Blatt 18

Saucha Sage Mehta 19


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Aparigraha

Roberta Arruga

Aparigraha, the fifth and last of the yamas, is non-possessiveness (alsoknown as abstinence from greed). It is actually complete freedom fromgreed or covetousness. You should not try to possess more than youminimally need. As Swami Satyananda Saraswati mentions in FourChapters on Freedom, This keeps the mind unoccupied and also he (theaspirant) does not have to worry about anything because there is nothing(no possessions) there to be protected. When we become non-possessive,or non-attached, we become impartial and in that way the conditionedlove, affection, compassion and so on becomes unconditional, and not

merely restricted to family, friends, relations, etc.

One who is not greedy is secure. He has time to think deeply. Hisunderstand of himself is complete Yoga Sutra II.34

The more we have the more we need to take care of it. The time andenergy spent on acquiring more things, protecting them, and worrying


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about them cannot be spent on the most basic questions of life. What isthe limit to what we should posses? For what purpose, for whom and forhow long?

Staying focused in aparigraha helps us to also stay focused on the matters

which are truly the most meaningful to us. We must prioritize how ourtime and energy is spent.

Aparigraha is also can be translated as hands-of, thats for me is thelearning of let it go, let it go our attachment to things, people andthoughts. The more we let it go in all areas of life unfolds itself to us.When we are holding so much that our hands are full, we prohibit thecapacity to hold even one more item. When we set-forth holding pre-determined ideas and beliefs, we inhibit our capacity to discover newideas and experiences. Aparigraha is the practice of give it away. Give it

away!

I also need to mention that aparigraha is also understood as we shouldonly to take what we have earned. Gifts from others affect us and make usgreedier. One consequence is that we start giving gifts because we expectsomething in return, which is bad because we get offended if we do notreceive anything. A sannyasin should therefore avoid gifts. Greed alsoleads to attachment, and anxiety accompanies attachment. These are allobstacles to gaining spiritual knowledge. Swami Sivananda says, . . .freedom from attachment will result in knowledge of the whole course of

our journey. Also, it will be easy to observe asteya, or abstinence fromtheft, if we have mastered aparigraha.


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Asana

KatrinaJButkas

Iwashappytoreceivethewordasana. Idoveintenselyintothepracticeofyogapostures

aboutoneyearagoandsawthisassignmentasagreatopportunitytoreflectuponwhyIam

engaging

this

practice.

WhydoI/wedotheasana?Thefirstanswerthatcametomymindisthattheymakemefeel

good.Thisanswerisacceptablebutcouldbeslightlytroublesome.Perhaps,Iamonlydoingthe

asanabecausetheyreleaseendorphinsandmakemefeelgood;maybeIamlittleaddicted.

However,uponfurtherreflection,IrealizedthatIalsodotheasanabecausetheycalmmymind,

helpmemakeclearerdecisions,andallowmetoapproachlifewithgreatercompassionfor

myselfandothers. TheseanswersaremoreinkeepingwithwhattheYogaSutrastellus.WhatfollowsiswhatcametomeregardingthepurposeoftheasanawhilereadingtheYoga

Sutrasandtalkingtomygurus(myparentsAlandJuneButkas).

Themindcanbethoughtofasmanythreads.Eachthought,feeling,andideaisaseparate

thread.Thesethreadsextendallthroughoutthebodyand,ifleftuntended,move,tangle,knot,

andfray.Duetoourexperiences,thesethreadscanbecomesoknottedandthickthatthey

restrictandblockwhatliesbehindthemind.Whatliesbehindthemindisasteady,pure,true

creation.Iliketothinkofthisthingaslight(e.g.,InnerLight).Whenlighttravelsthrougha

vacuum(e.g.,outerspace)itremainsunchanged.Itisonlywhenlightinteractswithmatterthat

itchanges. OurInnerLighttriestoshinethroughourphysicalbeingtodogooddeedsinthe

worldbuthasahardtimedoingsowhenthethreadsofourmindbecomerestrictive.Howdowereweavethethreadsofthemindintosomethingmoreorderlyandloosesothatthe

lightcanshinethrough?Yogaisjustoneofmanyways.OneofthedefinitionsofYogaisto

weavetogether

the

strands

of

the

mind.

All

eight

limbs

of

Astanga

Yoga

help

us

reweave

the

strandsofthemindbutmeditationmaybethemainactivityduringwhichthetransformation

actuallyoccurs.TheotherpartsofYogamostlyservetopreparetheyogiformeditation. The

Sutrasseemtoimplythatfirstcometheculturalasana(theposeswedoinourVinyasaFlow),

thencomesmeditationinasingleasana(oftenaseatedposture),thencomespranayama,then

comesthereweavingofthemind.However,Ithinkwecanalsofindmeditationandreworkour

mindswhiledoingtheVinyasaFlowpractice(asanastrungtogetherinapurposefulmannerwith

thebreath).Laughing Lotus College of Yoga Personal SubmissionsFall 2009

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Georgina Aymerich

AVIDYA

Here I ga ve a n examp le o f my ow n situation a few w eeks ago when I

moved to a sma ller ap t and I c ould no t see beyond the things I left in my

other ap t, and how I wa s not a ble to enjoy myself at the ne w a pt

bec ause of the ob session of wa nting these ma teria ls thingsfina lly

rea lizing that w ere just things and I d id not nee d them to b e ha pp y.

Yog a philosop hy c la ims tha t the wa y to eliminate suffering, p a in,

depression, g rief, is by eliminat ing its c ause which refe rs to this

igno ranc e of no t see ing our true Brahma, our true self, this lac k of

In the yoga sutras Pa tanjali ta lks about Avidya as the o bsc uration of the

nature of Brahma n. We a ll have a Brahma n inside of us, we are our own

God and we a ll have the a nswe rs, but is Avidia tha t limit us in a wa y

that w e p erc eived things as they are not a nd not p erceive things as

they a re, we don t rec og nize the things a round us and in us c lea r

enough.

Avid ia is ca lled ignoranc e, not as stup id o r uned uc a ted but more us

having a veil in front o f us tha t c loud s our pe rc ep tion LACK OF

CONSCIOUS AWARENESS.

Avidia is express in four different wa ys: Ego, fea r of dea th, (of let g o),

refusa l and the d esire to have som ething whether we need it or not.

Avidia is the forge tting of our true Self and a ttac hme nt to the ma teria l

world a round us. consc ious awarene ss.

One o f the rea sons why we do Yog a is to reduc e Avidya to ge t rea d of

this ve il that is in front o f us so the true und erstand ing c om es to surfac e.

As we grow we eliminate ignoranc e b y ed uc a ting o urselves, the same

wa y by stud ying yog a we c an elimina te this veil tha t is in front o f us so

we c an see who we rea lly are and Just like ed uc a tion p resents

op portunities and inc rea sed pote ntia l. Yog a philosop hy p rom ises anunlimited inc rea se in po tential and op portunities by the remova l of

Avidya . .

Avidya is not som ething one has to live with, is only a state o f the m ind

and it does not have to be p ermanent because it can be c hanged .

NAMASTE.


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BHOGA

Maria Medina-

Fun, adventure, enjoyment of the senses, consumptionThe root word is derived from the root word Bhug, which

means to partake ofBhoga is making either pain or pleasure evident to the senses.

In the yoga sutras Patanjali translated bhoga as partaking ofexperience, especially those which result from ones karma (and

ego)

Ex: I am pained, I suffer, I am enjoying, I am pleased.

So bhoga = experience.But experience does not equal consciousness.


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The 6th limb of yoga-

concentration"Dhr"- to hold- to

hold the concentrationor focus in one

direction

Example- A farmer'sresevior is used towater his crops. If

he digs the channelsall the same the

water is dispersedequally, but if onechannel is deeperthan the others-

most of the water

will go to thatchannel. This is

what we want to dowith the mind, focuson one point so that

all other activity fallsaway.

Dharana Holly Rame

Tree of Yoga:Yama (roots)- the foundationNiyama-(trunk)- the core principlesAsasanas- (branches)- we extend our limbs as the branches extend for nourishment

Pranayama- (leaves)- the leaves take in oxygen as our breath provides the vital life forceDharana- (sap)- the juice that flows in one direction just as we focus our attention in onedirection

Dhyana (flower)- meditation allows our mind to open up and blossomSamdhi (fruit)- sweetness, bliss

Just as the water in a lake touches all the banks equally, we allow our consciousness to extend outand touch every frontier of the body so there is no room for thoughts.This is full concentration and awareness, which preps our minds for dhyana.



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In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali refers to the notion of Karma as that which has a cause and effect. Simply put,

Karma is that which is action or deeds that will have an ultimate reaction. This idea is often referred to by themodern world as the universal principle of cause and effect which is believed to govern all life. Further, it ishe idea that everything that we put into the universe will come back to us, sometimes referred to as the law oft

attraction.

To that end, one might ask how does one overcome the idea of Karma. Patanjali suggests separating the selffrom the outcome. The yoga practitioner must become aware of his or her actions and realize that every action

that is completed by the practitioner will result in a reaction coming back to them. Once the practitionernderstands this notion, it is suggested that one begin to live their life without connection or attachment tou

the outcome of action.

This seems rather challenging. However, when the practitioner begins to examine the monkey brainthoughts of his/her head, they begin to calm the thoughts of the mind and live in the moment. Patanjalisuggests that by living in the moment and forgetting about the outcome to ones actions, one will be elevated

from Karma and released of all suffering and pain. My answer to that is taking the time to ground the self andlive now. Once the practitioner is able to do that, Karma becomes easier avoid.

Meditationofthehereandnow:Eckhart Tolle writes in The Power of Now, that he does not remember any events before his 29 th birthday and yet he

ecalls that year the most due to his realization of the present. It wasnt until he was able to recognize that his

his thinking and detachment to outcomes.

r

attachments caused him ultimate suffering, that he began to shift

(Read the following meditation first and then try it on your own)

Close your eyes and begin simply witnessing your breath. How are you feeling at this moment? Are you beginning to

hink about what you want to do later on or what you did before you came to this moment? If your mind is drifting,trecognized the thought, let it go, and gently bring yourself back to the present moment.

Imagine yourself is a field or park. Youre sitting on the ground in a comfortable seat. The grass is the greenest you have

ever seen. Then you begin to look up and at the sky. The sky is the darkest sky you have ever seen. Its so dark that itappears to be a velvet black. As you continue to look up, you cant help but notice this bright shinning star. As you look

up at this star, it feels as though you are ascending to it. You get closer and closer to this star and before you pass

through the light, you realize that this light is the light of your soul. You pass through this light and all of a sudden youare in your favorite place. Everyone you love is there. People who have passed on and people who are still with you on

this earth. They smile at you and motion you to come closer to them. And you feel like you are home. You then realize

that they are all here to support you, to love you and protect you. You walk around for a while and you notice thateveryone is wearing their best outfits. Each person has a distinct outfit that fits their personality. You continue to walk

around and everyone seems to be so happy to see you. Before you know it, it seems like its time to go. Everyone smiles,they hug you and kiss you. As you take the last step, you look down and it appears as if you are floating back towards the

ight. Remember this is the light of your soul. Its looking to bring you back to yourself. You wave goodbye and everyonel

smiles and waves back to you.

You float until your back, sitting in the park or field looking up at the velvet sky, at that beautiful star. You then realize

that you are here now and that nothing will happen to you. You are protected always. On the count of 3, come back to

yourself feeling absolutely marvelous, better than youve ever felt before123.


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Tim GriffinTo me the idea of Purusha, also referred to as the seer, the true self, and thewitness, was a very new and foreign idea of the soul. As I understand it, it is our littlepiece of the infinite. It is always there, watching what is happenings, but not part of theactually experience. If we can tap into it, it can help us better understand everythingaround us (Prakrti) and navigate the human experience with love. To tap into it, themind must quiet, and the mind quiets when we work through obstacles like the ego.

I struggled with concept quite a bit. The crux of my challenge grasping the concept wasin no small part due to my own religious upbringing as a Catholic, where the soul wasvery much an active participant in the human experience. In fact, I was taught that thesoul is directly impacted by our choices.


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I have a particularly powerful memory of when the concept of the soul was explained tome by my 6th grade religion teacher. And as many of you have probably haveexperienced, it is not uncommon for religious teachers when explaining canon to the

young to take the doctrine and grind it into an easy-to-eat can of spiritual DOGma foodso that kids can understand. And trust me, there is a lot lost in translation.

Just to give you a little context, the Catholic faith believes in an afterlife, one that isexperienced in one of two ways: that being, 1) eternal happiness and joy in union withGod (heaven) and 2) eternal damnation with the creature that embodies the nucleus ofall that is evil (the devil). Your after-life destiny is determined by the number andseverity of sins (or acts against God) you had in your life.

The most serious sins are called mortal sins (e.g., murder, adultery) you will notenter the pearly gates with mortal sins. Lesser sins are called venialsins (e.g., talkingback to your religious teacher), and depending on your portfolio of venial sins you can gostraight to heaven or take some time in purgatory to repent for your sins before you joinGod in his Kingdom. Purgatory is a sort-of divine truck-stop on the road to paradise, nota final destination.

When Mrs. Gill explained the soul, she said to imagine it as a windshield. Venial sinswere like small splotches on the window, while mortal sins were dark and large splotches.And of course, just spend ten minutes in confession and the souls windshield wipers comeon and clean off the windshield. It represents a very different idea of the soul, onewhere the soul is active and even responsible for our human shortcomings.

This idea of the Purusha as a witness or seer is quite different. What is alsointeresting is how Patanjali (Sutra II-20) explains the Purusha in each of as the same and that it is our mind and body (also part of Prakrti) that create the differencesbetween us. He used the metaphor of colored lightbulbs, where the color they emit isdifferent but the light inside is exactly the same, white. All of us have the potential to


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tap into this piece of the infinite, which when engaged in our life breathes understandingand love into our mind and actions.

So how does one come to know Purusha? Through the experience of everything elsearound us, or Prakrti. In the state of samyoga (union of the Purusha and Prakrti), thePurusha is revealed through the experience of Prakrti, and we then see and understandthere is Purusha in all Prakrti.

The part of the Sutra that explained this union also spoke of the union as something thatcould not happen in a deliberate way. It could not be forced or reasoned. Throughbreathing the spirit of yoga into your mind and actions, you will reach that moment of

understanding, and in fact you will be ignorant of it when it happens.

I thought that was beautiful concept, and the first thing that it reminded me off wasriding a bike. When learning to ride a bike, you are trying to find the dance betweenbalance and momentum. When you go slow, finding balance becomes very difficult and youfall. When you begin to increase in speed, it becomes easier to balance, but it is hard toget going if you can not find your balance. And then it happens you find your balance

and momentum and you are riding your bike. You are no longer trying to balance. You areno longer trying to get momentum. You are simply riding your bike.


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Pratyahara

TarynMatusik

Pratyaharatranslatesasaturningawayfromthatwhichistakeninandisoftenunderstoodtomeanawithdrawalfromonessenses.Engaginginpratyaharainvolvesshiftingthemirrorofperceptioninward,changingthefocusfromtheoutsideworldtotheworldofwhatlieswithinus.PratyaharaisthefifthlimbinPantanjalisdescriptionofastanga,theeightlimbsofyoga.Itisthefirstfullyinwardstepfollowingpranayama,thelimbthatisstillphysical,butstartsthejourneyin.Throughpratyahara,onereleasesattachmenttotheoutsideworldbyclosingoffthesenses,

the

gateways

ofinput,

perhaps

byconcentrating

on

the

breath,thethirdeye,intenseconcentrationononesenseuntilitisreleasedbythemindsgrasp,amudra,mantra,avisualizationoranotherpointofinternalfocus.Toexperiencethissteppingwithin,thereisamudrainwhichthethumbscloseofftheears,theindexandmiddlefingerscloseofftheeyes,theformerfromabovetheeyelid,justbelowthebrowandthelatter,beneaththelidatoptheeyelashes,theringfingerspressgentlyagainstthesidesofthenostrils,narrowing,butnotfullyclosingthemandthepinkyfingersrestatthesidesoftheclosedlips.Tobreathe,inhalegentlyandreleasetheexhalewithahumthroughthenose.Inhalewentneeded,exhalehum.Somealsoregardpratyaharaasrelatingtoaninwardobservationofonesreactionstoourperceptionsoftheoutsideworld.Forexample,insteadofblamingorattributingonesfeelingsorresponsestopeople,places,events,objectoutsideourselves,acceptingthateverythingweexperienceisofourowncreationandseekingtounderstandourselvesmoredeeplythroughaninwardfocusonthesourceofourreactions.Laughing Lotus College of Yoga Personal SubmissionsFall 2009

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Pratipaksha BhavanamMichael Whiston

Dana gave a definition yesterday of Pratipaksha Bhavanam that I liked. She said it was the

practice of teachings ones thoughts how to dance. The mind like the body is capable of

dance. Sometimes the dance can be steady and balanced and other times it can be frantic or

one sided. Through sadhana or practice we can learn to bring balance to both the fluxuations

of the mind and the body.

In Pantanjalis Yoga Sutras, Sadhana Pada 2.33 and 34 he addresses Pratipaksha Bavanam. TheSatchidanda translation of the sutras translates this as When disturbed by negative thoughts

opposite or positive thoughts should be thought of.

The 33rd Sutra is: Vitarka Badhane Pratipaksha Bhavanam

Vitarka negative or dubious thoughts

Badhane to be disturbed by or caused pain by

Pratipaksha opposite thoughts a contrary viewpoint

Paksa is to take a side in an argument and thus Pratipaksha is to take a counter or opposite

position.

Bhavanam - should be thought of manifesting, feeling

If one thinks of hatred then one should think of love. He gives the example of a married

couple fighting. He says that in the heat of an argument one should think of your child. If we

run to childs room we will remember the love we have for the child and this will overshadow

the argument.


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Another way to control negative thoughts is to think of the after effect. Think of how your

anger will affect both you and others. You may loose your friends and you will surely cause

your own nerves and senses to be agitated and upset.

Iyengars translation is interesting to look at for comparison. I think he takes it a bit further. Hetranslates Pratipaksha Bavanam as principles that run contrary to yama and niyama should be

countered with discrimination. Or that the practice of Pratipaksha Bhvanam is one of fostering

a temperament that can resist the current of violence, falsehood, stealing and non-chastity

and go with the current of cleanliness, contentment self study and surrender.

In asana practice Patipaksha Bhavanam plays a key role. The asana must be balanced between

dual lines of energy upwards and downwards, to the front of the body and the back, to the

right and to the left. We must find the Sthira Sukham or steady and comfortable seat in our

sadhana.

Today we are filled with news of a world out of balance. Of over pollution, over consumption,global warming etc this is because we are out of balance on the inside. The student of yoga

who learns this balanced dance between praksha and pratipaksha can free themselves from

struggles of the mind and body and live in harmony both with themselves and the outside

world.

While I see the practice of Pratipaksha Bavanam as having value and merit, I do see it as more

of an initial stage in yogic practice. For the idea of using counter views or positive thoughts to

counter act negative still put one in a mindset of attachment and delusion.

Iyengar contends and I agree that we need to do more than just think of opposite thoughts

but we need to go deep into the self to find the cause of our anger or violence. Ultimately theyogi moves beyond the positive and negative, good or bad. We move beyond dualities.

Through balance we can steady the mind in order to clear and empty the mind. With this

sense of spaciousness we may find that we are no longer affected by ideas of positive and

negative are content in the moment with the reality of what is.


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PrakritiLara Dwyer-

There is only one, the whole material world grew from one seed.It is one common universe for us all, Prakriti. Our individualrelationship with Prakriti is different but the surroundings ofnature and the creation of the universe is one. Everything in theexternal world influences us, the elements (Earth, Light, Water,Wind, Space) effect our senses. Have gratitude for the beautifulcreation of Mother Nature around us. Remember the beach (thesurfing example) scenario, live, witness and respect theelements, heighten your senses to remain a strong connectedrelationship with Prakriti, paying attention to what influences

you.


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SamadhiRobynStein

Samadhiisthelastofthe8limbsofyoga.

TheliteralmeaningofSamadhiis'tobringtogether,tomerge'anditdescribesthehigheststateofpureconsciousnessandinnerblisswherethedivineinsideofyou

merges100%withtheuniverse.

Inthestateofsamadhithebodyandsensesareatrest,asifasleep,yetthefacultyof

mindandreasonarealert,asifawake;

Onegoesbeyondconsciousness.ThereisnodifferencebetweenIandmine itis

thestateofTrueYoga.

PatanjalisaysthatWhenallmentaldistractionsdisappearandthemindbecomes

onepointed,itentersthestatecalledSamadhi."

Itisadifficultstatetoattain,andevendifficulttoexplain. Doctorshavetriedtoanalyze

itfromamedicalandphysicalpointofview,andhavefailed.Ithasbeendescribedas"a

stateofspiritualecstasyinwhichconsciousnessleavesthebody,"andinSamadhi,there

isno

time

or

space.

Itsabigconceptandonethatcouldtakemonths,yearsorevenalifelongpracticeto

get.

So,whatdoesitmeanforusasstudentsandhowcanweapplyitnow?Itisnotdifficulttolearnhowtomeditate.Inthebeginning,onewillhavetheproblem

ofrestlessnessofthemind,butafterregularandgradualdailypractices,Samadhiwillbe

developed.Themindwillbemoreandmoretranquil.Peacewillariseandsufferingin

one'smindwillbeeliminatedwithoutanydifficulty.

TogettoSamadhi,wemustpracticeDharama,theartofconcentration.Asweall

demonstrated,apersoncannotjustsimplysitdownandsaythatheorsheisgoingtodo

aSamadhi.

Allwecandoiscreatetherightconditionstohelpbringaboutthestateofmeditation.

ItslikethemovieFIELDOFDREAMS: Ifwebuildittheywillcome.


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SantosaAlexandra Blatt

Santosa means Contentment and is Niyama #2

Sutra 42 of the second book talks about how real contentment will lead us to true joy.Contentment being different from satisfaction; coming purely from being completely inthe present moment and not because you are feeling the attachment of pleasure or notfeeling the aversion to pain etc. I think satisfaction means you got what you wanted

and have temporarily satisfied your attachment to something or other. Santosa is beingtotally at peace right now, wherever you are and no matter what is happening. Herewas the part where I spoke about the cliche-ness of saying that I seem to onlyconsistently find santosa on the mat (Beth said that isn't cliche, and she is right - we allcame to study yoga for a reason) but more and more with the quieting of my mindand crazy miserable ego I find it comes more and more frequently. And I guess this istrue for all of us.


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Sage Mehta

Sauchameans purity. The most literal interpretation iscleanliness. Brush your teeth! Taking care of your body--

washing, is a simple part of taking care of yourself.

I spoke on something more metaphorical in class. The ideaof the purity to be found in aligning your intentions andactions. I used an example of a character fromHemingway's book The Sun Also Rises:

"Romero's bull-fighting gave real emotion, because he keptthe absolute purity of line in his movements adn always

quietly and calmly let the horns pass him close each time.He did not have to emphasize their closeness. Brett sawhow somethign that was beautiful done close to the bullwas ridiculous if it were done a little way off..Romero hadthe old thing, The holding of his purity of line through themaximum of exposure. (172)

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Laughing Lotus College of Yoga Fall 2009 Document

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