“Energy (Prana) is not air, but it is carried by the air”. – Patanjali
– Patanjali
“The 8 Limbs of Yoga are… Concentration, Meditation, Enlightenment… and also Poses (Asanas)“
Today we covered a lot of ground regarding the way the body moves and can move;
muscle functions, joint types, compression and so on. It was another interesting
day, the first of our third week. I am glad that my initial fire of enthusiasm is actually growing, not shrinking… the most interesting part of the day was towards the end when it took a mystical turn.
The first thing we did was cover two of the three Variations of the Sun Salutation “Surya Namaskar” which is a sequence of poses, designed to greet, the internal and external sun, whilst awakening and appreciating its qualities (warmth, activation, light, energy & so on).
We studied each individual pose of the classical sequence and then learned that the two modern variations of the sequence are significantly simpler.
I think of them as the basic steps of a dance sequence, to which you can add more poses, such as this one; Tree Pose. Although almost all Yoga Teachers will advise precisely against placing your foot on your knee, as seen in this (otherwise beautiful) picture.
I really like how almost every classical Yoga pose has a story attached to it, sometimes they are simple, such as “downward facing dog”; symbolizing the humility, love and loyalty of a dog, whilst others, such as Shiva’s dancing pose, are complex myths about the creation of the universe, and how everything in the cosmos is a dance of energy between male and female polarities. The more layers of meaning a pose or story has, the easier i find it to remember. I found myself thinking, for instance, while in boat pose, “may i become like a boat for myself and all people, strong, carrying them from one place to another, so their journey may continue”, since then that pose has become both more enjoyable and profound to me.
After practicing the classical Solar Greeting for a few repetitions and being guided step by step, our class of 4 was told to breathe and simply follow the movements with our eyes closed in our own rhythm, without instruction. I think we all enjoyed it, it is a great way to tune into one’s body and let go of one’s thoughts, as well as activate the latent internal energies a significant amount. I started becoming more aware of my body’s many systems; blood flow, oxygen levels, pulse rate, muscle tension, as well as a subtle sense of pure energy.
It was good to learn the technical terms for how the body moves, and that there are 6 distinct ways in which the Torso moves and in which the arms & legs move:
Forward Bend, 1
Backward Bend, 2
Side to Side; left and right 3, 4
Diagonal Turns; left and right 5, 6
We also learned about terms like atrophy, hypertrophy, agonist, antagonist, Synergist, Supination, Pronation, Intra vs. Inter-Muscular. All a bit technical, but important nonetheless.
The arms and legs can move through
Abduction (pushing away) and Adduction (pulling in),
Through rotating outwards & inwards.
In addition to this, we learned about the way hands and feet move uniquely; plantar and dorsal flexion, and the type of joints they are. What is unique about the spine, is that it can rotate on its own axis.
We started analyzing which poses use which joints and muscles in which way, surprisingly fun.
To me, however, the most important part of the day and the highlight was beginning to learn about the subtle energy body in a structured way. I had a little bit of knowledge and quite a few experiences of this “other” body, that is made of energy, but i was happy to see we have a lot more to learn about it and there’s a lot of literature available on the topic.
The basic terms such as sun, moon and central channel were familiar to me, but more than “root lock” and a few breathing techniques were beyond the scope that i had learned, and i certainly wasn’t combining them on a regular basis in a daily practice (which i am now starting to do).
…I was happy to learn a few years ago about the similarity between the staff of Mercury/ Hermes, which has two snakes intertwined, with a winged central channel, and the 3 energy channels of ancient India. Anytime such concepts cross cultures, it is a sign that it is more than just a coincidental quirk.
To me, the great news is that these are not things i can learn within days or weeks, but certain things i must learn over the course of months or even years, because it means there’s so much further to go on this path (not that i really had serious doubts, but now we’re getting into the subjects i appreciate most).
Hermes has become somewhat of a Favourite figure for me, in mythology, due to his Wit, Humor and being the patron Divinity of Travelers and Alchemists. A book which helped me stay positive during the worldwide Lock-down was “Alchemy for Personal Transformation”, Hermes plays a leading role.
We spoke briefly about the blocks that can stop the energy body from working properly, and what energy itself is. I suggested that beliefs can also block or enable this flow of energy in different body parts. We briefly discussed the trap of seeking external validation due to losing touch with one’s inner world & one’s own being. Our teacher also mentioned how much Chi Gong releases energy blocks (even if you don’t know you have them).
We covered Alternate Nostril Breathing once more, “Nadi Sodhana” which activates & balances the Sun and Moon channels, whilst also cleansing and activating the central spinal channel. The great Yogi who changed the world to become more peaceful and loving, said
“God is in your spine”!
Sometimes, such simple statements seem threatening for our conditioned western minds, which love complexity and endless quests for more knowledge, but the 14th Century Poet and mystic J. Rumi also said “You have the power of the sun coiled at the base of your spine”.
To me, the great news is that these are not things i can learn within days or weeks, but certain things i must learn over the course of months or even years, because it means there’s so much further to go on this path! 🙂
