The ultimate goal of yoga is the uniting of the individual consciousness to the universal consciousness. What does this mean in lay terms??
For most of us this translates into a healthy mind & body. Its a state of harmony which you feel within your body. Every part of your being feels good. You feel good about who you are, good abt what is happening around you & are excited about your life. Here joy is a constant state.
If eating a peice of chocolate takes you to such a place, well thats yoga! If you can be in such a place most of your day then you live a yogic life.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sattwa, Rajas, tamas – Our mind stuff
There are 6 windows or philiosophy’s in Indian culture. One of these is Samkhya, on which the Yoga Sutra is based. According to samkhya philosophy, there are 3 constituents of the matter. Sattwa (purity, harmony, lucidity), Rajas (energy, passion), Tamas (inertia, darkness). All 3 form the mind. When Tamas predominates we are dull, distracted, obsessive & indulgent. When rajas is higher we are restless. When sattwa predominates one is cheerful, easily concentrated & clear. In such a state of mind one displays positive qualities of dharma or self discipline, jnana or knowledge which is wholesome & fulfilling, leading to wisdom. Vairagya or a relaxed objective view of life & aishwarya or a strong will.
Yoga is a self discipline where one tries to remain in the sattva state. A lot of factors affect the state of our mind. The key remains in our awareness of which state we are in at any moment. The simplest way to monitor our mind state is the way we feel. Our emotions are the signals which guide us. When we feel good feelings we are cheerful, excited, open, understanding, have a great attitude towards life & prone to act wisely. This is the result of sattwa pre dominance. One has a loving feeling for all living things.Take the flip side. When we feel bad its like the entire world is against us. Anger, lethargy, obsession, jealousy, self pity are all result of tamas & rajas being higher.
We can change from one state of mind to another through firm, decisive yet simple acts. Firstly, we need to be aware of how we feel. If any negative feeling is on, try to think of something great like listen to your favorite music, think of something you really love. A pleasant memory can refresh the mind or think of a cherished goal. Try what works for you & keep it handy.
Food affects our mood. Lethargy after a heavy meal indicates tamas dominance. When you have an empty stomach, you tend to snap & feel grouchy. Eating light meals every 3-4 hours are a great way to keep your mind in a happy state. Eat your favourite thing but in moderation. Chocolate is a classic case. A little bit can elevate you to a fantastic mindset yet indulgence can leave you slothy & feeling bad about yourself. Even a healthy meal if over eaten leads to tamasic state.
So, which state are you in right now – tamas, rajas, or sattwa? Cant figure it out – how do you feel now? That will guide you.
Having stated all the above, know that all rajas & tamas are important. Rajas makes us active, tamas makes us sleep – both important activities of our life. As everything in life, every mind state has a place in our life. The thing is to be aware & decide if the current mindset is in your best interest. If not, then its very much in your hands to change that!
Yoga is a self discipline where one tries to remain in the sattva state. A lot of factors affect the state of our mind. The key remains in our awareness of which state we are in at any moment. The simplest way to monitor our mind state is the way we feel. Our emotions are the signals which guide us. When we feel good feelings we are cheerful, excited, open, understanding, have a great attitude towards life & prone to act wisely. This is the result of sattwa pre dominance. One has a loving feeling for all living things.Take the flip side. When we feel bad its like the entire world is against us. Anger, lethargy, obsession, jealousy, self pity are all result of tamas & rajas being higher.
We can change from one state of mind to another through firm, decisive yet simple acts. Firstly, we need to be aware of how we feel. If any negative feeling is on, try to think of something great like listen to your favorite music, think of something you really love. A pleasant memory can refresh the mind or think of a cherished goal. Try what works for you & keep it handy.
Food affects our mood. Lethargy after a heavy meal indicates tamas dominance. When you have an empty stomach, you tend to snap & feel grouchy. Eating light meals every 3-4 hours are a great way to keep your mind in a happy state. Eat your favourite thing but in moderation. Chocolate is a classic case. A little bit can elevate you to a fantastic mindset yet indulgence can leave you slothy & feeling bad about yourself. Even a healthy meal if over eaten leads to tamasic state.
So, which state are you in right now – tamas, rajas, or sattwa? Cant figure it out – how do you feel now? That will guide you.
Having stated all the above, know that all rajas & tamas are important. Rajas makes us active, tamas makes us sleep – both important activities of our life. As everything in life, every mind state has a place in our life. The thing is to be aware & decide if the current mindset is in your best interest. If not, then its very much in your hands to change that!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Emotions, the hidden link
According to Zhuang Zi, one of the greatest Taoist philosophers from the 4th century BC, "We need emotions and feelings because how could we exist as individuals without them?"
It is important to say that, under normal circumstances, emotions are not causes of disease. Like rivers, emotions are forms of energy that need to flow, to circulate and to express themselves. They are intrinsic parts of us; they are our identity and the manifestation of our humanness. The typical serene image of Buddhist monks totally exempt of emotions does not correspond to reality. They do experience emotions; they are vibrant and jovial, like Soggyal Rimpoche, a famous Tibetan Lama known as "The Laughing Tibetan". Serenity does not mean lack of emotions, but the control of them. When someone is serene, he is not disturbed by emotion, or if he is disturbed he is easily able to find his balance again.
It is normal to experience a variety of emotions during the day: anger while driving to work; fear in the dentist's waiting room; worry about a school test; sadness at the news that someone in the family has died; joy at the birth of the first child, etc. It is basically impossible to live and to be part of this world without experiencing emotions, which, provided that they are transitory, have little significance to a Chinese medicine therapist. However, whenever there is a predominance of one or more emotions, they could become pathogenic factors and deserve close attention.
According to ancient Chinese texts: "Anger injures the liver; joy (excessive) injures the heart; grief and sadness injure the lungs; worry injures the spleen; and fear injures the kidneys." This statement is based on the theory of the Five Elements. However, the Chinese also consider pensiveness, shock, hatred and guilt as disease-causing agents as well. In addition, certain emotions can affect more that one organ, such as sadness affecting the lungs and the heart. As a matter of fact, all the emotions manifest themselves indirectly through the heart, which is the "Seat of the Mind", according to Chinese medicine.
Excerpted from Anger Goes Up, Fear Goes Down: Emotions and the Hidden Link
It is important to say that, under normal circumstances, emotions are not causes of disease. Like rivers, emotions are forms of energy that need to flow, to circulate and to express themselves. They are intrinsic parts of us; they are our identity and the manifestation of our humanness. The typical serene image of Buddhist monks totally exempt of emotions does not correspond to reality. They do experience emotions; they are vibrant and jovial, like Soggyal Rimpoche, a famous Tibetan Lama known as "The Laughing Tibetan". Serenity does not mean lack of emotions, but the control of them. When someone is serene, he is not disturbed by emotion, or if he is disturbed he is easily able to find his balance again.
It is normal to experience a variety of emotions during the day: anger while driving to work; fear in the dentist's waiting room; worry about a school test; sadness at the news that someone in the family has died; joy at the birth of the first child, etc. It is basically impossible to live and to be part of this world without experiencing emotions, which, provided that they are transitory, have little significance to a Chinese medicine therapist. However, whenever there is a predominance of one or more emotions, they could become pathogenic factors and deserve close attention.
According to ancient Chinese texts: "Anger injures the liver; joy (excessive) injures the heart; grief and sadness injure the lungs; worry injures the spleen; and fear injures the kidneys." This statement is based on the theory of the Five Elements. However, the Chinese also consider pensiveness, shock, hatred and guilt as disease-causing agents as well. In addition, certain emotions can affect more that one organ, such as sadness affecting the lungs and the heart. As a matter of fact, all the emotions manifest themselves indirectly through the heart, which is the "Seat of the Mind", according to Chinese medicine.
Excerpted from Anger Goes Up, Fear Goes Down: Emotions and the Hidden Link
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Peanuts
"My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet im happy. I cant figure it out.
What am i doing right?" - Charles Schulz
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