Yoga invites an exploration of positions and movements you don’t always do. This opportunity to experience something different allows you to embrace the discomfort of change. You learn to notice when your mental imprints, known as samskaras, shape your perceptions, reactions, and understanding of the world. Exploring new thoughts, habits or routines cultivates mental resilience and openness.
The Inner Stages of Yoga, Meditation’s Continuum of Practice
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras outline 8 stages for the practice of Yoga, the Eight Limbs of Yoga. The later stages describe how to cultivate a practice of meditation. Meditation offers an opportunity to integrate your experience and notice what is in your Awareness. It is a journey of training the mind to stay present and focused. Identifying where you are in the meditation continuum of practice (Dharna, Dhyana or Samadhi) allows you to find greater awareness.
The Kosha System: Our Layers of Being
The Panchamaya Kosha system consists of five interconnected layers of our being from the density of the physical body, to the expansive spiritual or bliss body. The koshas share a dynamic relationship and influence each other. As we deepen our awareness and understanding of each kosha, we move towards greater health and wellbeing through integration and alignment with our true nature.
The Profound Practice of Āsana
For many people, their first exposure to yoga is the physical practice, referred to as yoga āsana. Everyone’s body is different so their physical practice will be different. No matter how you practice yoga āsana, you are integrating the physical, energetic and spiritual body. Yoga āsana offers a tangible tool to cultivate stillness through movement.
Celebrating Pride is Dharma
Dharma is sometimes simplified as meaning duty. It is the ability to choose to do what is to be done and avoid what should not be done. Dharma is choosing what is proper over what is not proper so that you uphold the natural order of life. Dharma is not a mandate. Dharma is that which supports others. It is the pleasure due to harmony when you help another person or you alleviate their discomfort. This is the meaning of dharma to make the world a better place.