Check out Nischala Joy Devi's The Secret Power of Yoga for a woman-centered interpretation of the Yoga Sutras. Here are my thoughts on a couple of them.
Sutra 1.1: With humility (an open heart and mind), we embrace the sacred study of Yoga.
In the structure of the Sutras, Patanjali gives us the most important teaching first, and I think that you can get everything that you need to know if you unpack this sutra. First, we have to step onto our mats (or sit on our cushions) without the preconceived notions that we have about ourselves and what we think Yoga is. What's more, we have to let go of the emotional baggage attached to those thoughts. It is then, in this vulnerable place, that we can hug Yoga, and more importantly, allow Yoga to hug us back. In this process, we learn who really are and can begin to see othes as they truly are. Everything gets opened up! And that is DEFINITELY sacred!
Sutra 1.3: United in the heart, consciousness is steadied,then we abide in our true nature--joy.
This one has puzzled me. Being "united in the heart" seems to indicate the presence of at least two parties. Who, or what, are we uniting with? Here's my idea. Maybe we are uniting with ourselves in the deepest sense. All the disparate pieces of the little 's' self come together to become the big 's' Self. And what do we feel when we feel integrated and whole? Steadiness and joy. It's a beautiful thing. Nischala calls it "identification with the Divine Self." Steady, joyful, and divine? Why would anyone not want to practice Yoga?!?!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Carlos Pomeda rocks my world!
So here are the truths that I took from Carlos' teaching on the Upanishads. Number one: Attaining liberation is merely a process of apprehending a truth that is already in us. This is huge!!! We are already everything we dreamed of being. How revolutionary!!! Only the Self knows itself. I know that sounds circular and solypsistic, but in reality, it just means that we don't have to go anywhere to achieve transcendence.
Number two: even though all you need is the Self, having a good teacher is key for reflecting the truth within you. Upanishad translates as "sit down near," and Carlos speaks at length regarding the transmission of this wisdom from teacher to student. What's more, the Upanishads tell you how to learn from a teacher by employing sravana (listening), manana (contemplating), and niddidhyasana (meditation). We are to listen in the way that "a deer listens to music." We are to contemplate in the way that "a cow chews." We are to meditate in the way that "a swan separates milk from the water." That last one is a little confusing for me, but it seems that the phrase refers to the process of discerning what is best from a teaching and internalizing that.
So those are the main things. If you want to check out Carlos' DVD series titled The Wisdom of Yoga, visit http://www.pomeda.com/products.htm. Carlos' teaching is imbued with the kind of wisdom that only comes with practice, and he gives us the chance to practice the meditation of the time period under discussion at the end of each session. If you have an opportunity to hear one of his talks in person, don't miss it!
Number two: even though all you need is the Self, having a good teacher is key for reflecting the truth within you. Upanishad translates as "sit down near," and Carlos speaks at length regarding the transmission of this wisdom from teacher to student. What's more, the Upanishads tell you how to learn from a teacher by employing sravana (listening), manana (contemplating), and niddidhyasana (meditation). We are to listen in the way that "a deer listens to music." We are to contemplate in the way that "a cow chews." We are to meditate in the way that "a swan separates milk from the water." That last one is a little confusing for me, but it seems that the phrase refers to the process of discerning what is best from a teaching and internalizing that.
So those are the main things. If you want to check out Carlos' DVD series titled The Wisdom of Yoga, visit http://www.pomeda.com/products.htm. Carlos' teaching is imbued with the kind of wisdom that only comes with practice, and he gives us the chance to practice the meditation of the time period under discussion at the end of each session. If you have an opportunity to hear one of his talks in person, don't miss it!
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