Tag Archives: YOGA

The Kleshas (part 5 – Vijnanamaya kosha)…

The fourth of the five koshas is vijnanamaya kosha – the wisdom sheath. Vijnanamaya encompasses intuition and intellect. It can be thought of as the witness mind, or that aspect of our consciousness that is not entangled in what we are doing or thinking, but rather, acutely aware of what we are doing and thinking.

Vijnanamaya kosha builds on the foundation of the previous, outer sheath, manomaya kosha. Manomaya kosha lays the groundwork for reaching vijnanamaya. We must first navigate the seas of our turbulent and busy minds before we are able to rise above the waves of thoughts that pull us away from our center. With this practice, we develop a steady mind and that allows us to step back from our current situation and view it from a better perspective. This is where insight comes from.

An activated fourth sheath is what distinguishes human beings from animals. Only humans have the ability to direct their own lives, free from the promptings of instinct, and to make moral choices. The sages considered the development of a healthy vijnanamaya kosha so important that they placed the exercises for it at the very beginning of the yoga system. These are the yamas and niyamas, commitments every yoga student is asked to make.

Vijnana means “knowing via the power of judgment or discernment,” and is the sheath responsible for processing all the functions of the higher mind, including conscience and will. It is the level that has the higher wisdom to seek Truth, to go within in search of the eternal center of consciousness (Self).

The Kleshas (part 5 - Vijnanamaya kosha)...

The Vijnanamaya Kosha forms the intellectual (or wisdom) body. The primary way to impact this kosha is through deep, insightful meditation. It is affected by the 5 kleshas as follows:

Avidya (Ignorance): When the Vijnanamaya kosha or intellectual body has failed to evolve from the Manamaya kosha we will likely be constantly reacting to circumstances rather than making decisions and responding proactively. We will have a hard time making up our mind, thinking for ourselves, or being creative. With little willpower we’d continually be the victim of our own poor judgment.
Asmita (Ego): When the ego cannot distinguish this kosha from the previous one, it associates with the entire mind’s turbulence becoming an obstacle to deep meditation, preventing us from advancing through basic meditation to deep conscious meditation.
Raga (Attachment): The Manamaya kosha may support pleasant thoughts that inhibit the deep meditation prompted by the Vijnanamaya kosha and the attachment to these pleasant thoughts (and other enjoyable mental fluctuations) needs to be overcome.
Dvesha (Aversion): Quite the opposite of the Raga klesha, unpleasant thoughts are repulsive and being distracted by them also inhibits the deeper stages of meditation. By encouraging the insights possible when we’ve reached Vijnanamaya these disturbing thoughts are left behind and we are free to pursue our goal of peace through deep meditation.
Abhinivesha (Clinging to Life): This klesha increases our identification of the previous four sheaths, and the fear of losing this identification will make us reluctant to let go or go beyond it. Our thoughts are unable to accept or deal with our mortality or the immortal aspect of the Self. To overcome this, the life of the spirit must be recognized as transcending this bodily life.

Vijnanamaya kosha is mostly about doing the work that removes the blockages in our energy body, our thought body healing and releasing fears from our mental body and we will then find comfort and harmony in our physical body.

As this and the other kleshas are recognized and dissolved (or cleared) from the Vijnanamaya kosha, we move on to the last remaining kosha, enabling it to also be cleansed of these afflictions, then the Atman (or Self), which is indescribable, is gradually recognized and eventually realized by direct experience; this is the ultimate goal of Yoga, meditation, Advaita Vedanta, and certain Tantra practices.

Stay tuned, next: Further exploration of each Klesha and how it colors the final of the five koshas – the Anandamaya kosha.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

The Kleshas (part 4 – Manomaya kosha)…

Mana means mind and Manamaya (or Manomaya) kosha is the sheath responsible for processing thoughts, feelings, mind and emotions. It is in direct control of the operation, through the prana, of the physical body and senses. Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati says of this kosha: “It is like a supervisor in a factory, in that it gives instructions, but is not supposed to be the manager of the factory of life. Because of this, it naturally has doubts, and created illusions. When it receives clear instructions from the deeper level, it functions quite well. However, when it is clouded over by its illusions, the deeper wisdom is clouded over.”

During meditation, we become aware of Manamaya kosha, we can then explore it, and then go inward, to and through the remaining two koshas. This is what we commonly call the “monkey mind” and it is through the lens of this dimension that we perceive the world and our likes and dislikes (raga and dvesha) through the agency of our five senses.

Patajajali tells us in the yoga sutras: “Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah. Tada drashtuh svarupe avasthanam”. (“Yoga is the mastery of the activities of the mind-field. Then the seer rests in its true nature.”)

The Kleshas (part 4 - Manamaya kosha)...

The Manamaya Kosha forms the mental body. The primary way to impact this kosha is through meditation. It is affected by the 5 kleshas as follows:

Avidya (Ignorance): When the Manamaya kosha or mental body has mistakenly identified the Atman with the thinking mind it is easy to get “stuck” in this sheath feeling like we’re abducted by our mind. In order to break this spell, practices like pranayama (breathing) and pratyahara (mental withdrawing of the senses), are quite efficient and effective.
Asmita (Ego): When the ego becomes aware of the Manamaya kosha and identifies with all the constant mental chatter, this becomes an obstacle to meditation, forbidding us to evolve to the point where we can work on the remaining two koshas.
Raga (Attachment): Thoughts animate the Manamaya kosha and pleasant thoughts inhibit deep meditation. To prevent this we need to go beyond the fluctuations of the mind and master its activities. This is the basis of the Yoga Sutras.
Dvesha (Aversion): Just the opposite of the Raga klesha, unpleasant thoughts are repulsive and being stuck in dealing with them also inhibits the deeper stages of meditation. Regular meditation practice settles these disturbing thoughts and lets us advance toward our goal of a mind at peace.
Abhinivesha (Clinging to Life): This klesha increases our identification with our mental body, and this causes us to fear that if our thought activity stops, so do we. Our thoughts are unable to accept or deal with our mortality or the immortal aspect of the Self. To overcome this, the life of the spirit must be recognized as transcending this bodily life.

As noted in my last posts as these kleshas are recognized and dissolved (or cleared) from the Manamaya kosha, we move on to the remaining koshas enabling them to be cleansed of these afflictions, then the Atman (or Self), which is indescribable, is gradually recognized and eventually realized by direct experience; this is the goal of Yoga, meditation, Advaita Vedanta, and certain Tantra practices.

Stay tuned, next: Further exploration of each Klesha and how it colors the Vijnanamaya kosha.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

The Kleshas (part 3 – Pranamaya kosha)…

Prana means energy, maya in this case means body or vehicle. The Chinese call it Chi, the yogis Prana or life force. Prana moves around the body through channels, called nadis. Some 72,000 reportedly, but who counted them, nobody knows. When we practice asana and pranayama, we are affecting Pranamaya kosha.

Prana enters into the body not only through food and water, but it also comes into the body via of the breath. One of the major benefits of yoga is that we become more and more conscious of our breathing, and eventually we learn to take proper deep breaths. Practicing diaphragmatic breathing, complete yogic breathing, and alternate nostril breathing are specifically designed to enhance the proper functioning of this second sheath. This leads to an increase of prana into our system which literally makes us feel more alive plus it invigorates and powers Pranamaya kosha.

Additionally, getting plenty of fresh air and sunlight is essential for maintaining the health of the vital force. Yoga texts often refer to the sun as the ultimate source of Prana.

The Kleshas (part 3 - Pranamaya kosha)...

The Pranamaya Kosha forms the energy body. The primary way to impact this kosha is through breathing. It is affected by the 5 kleshas as follows:

Avidya (Ignorance): When the Pranamaya kosha or energy body has mistakenly identified the Atman with Prana, mind and/or intellect, it is impossible to discover the Atman’s true nature which is entirely distinct from this and the other four sheaths. This identification must be transcended before the yogi can proceed to discover their true Self.
Asmita (Ego): When the ego becomes aware of the Pranamaya kosha and identifies with it, this prevents the exploration of it and the proceeding inward, to and through it to the remaining three koshas.
Raga (Attachment): As Pranayama energizes the Pranamaya kosha it can become a rapturous experience that we easily become attached to. To explore the deeper aspects of Prana and Pranayama, we will need to achieve a state beyond the fluctuations of the ego, ordinary senses and the mind.
Dvesha (Aversion): Sometimes attempting to going beyond the Pranamaya kosha seems like an epic fail and we may worry that we’re not anywhere near “getting it,” and maybe we still find altering our breathing to be surprisingly stressful. This creates aversion and it can be overcome by persistence and regular practice.
Abhinivesha (Clinging to Life): This klesha will increase our identification with our energy body, resulting in a fear somewhat like suffocating. To overcome this identification we can practice a deep and abiding acceptance of our mortality. Whenever we refuse to cling we prepare ourselves to transcend this and the next three sheaths.

As noted in my last post as these kleshas are recognized and dissolved (or cleared) from the Pranamaya kosha, the next step is taken. As the remaining koshas are cleansed of these afflictions, the Atman (or Self), which is indescribable, is gradually recognized and eventually realized by direct experience; this is the goal of Yoga meditation, Advaita Vedanta, and certain Tantra practices.

Stay tuned, next: Further exploration of each Klesha and how it colors the Manamaya kosha.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

The Kleshas (part 2 – Annamaya kosha)…

Anna means food, maya means appearance (usually illusory). All of the physical aspects of life come and go, and are consumed by another aspect of external reality. Thus, the outermost of the koshas is called the sheath of food, or Annamaya kosha. It lives by food and dies without it.

The Annamaya kosha is our physical body; our muscles and our bones, our ligaments and our tendons. This is the kosha most people are concerned about when they begin a yoga practice. They want increased flexibility, they want to tone up their muscles, they want to learn to relax their bodies, and they’re looking to gain strength, improve their balance and find stress relief.

In Vedanta practice, we train this aspect of ourselves, take care of it, and nurture it, so that we can both enjoy our external lives and go inward without it being an obstacle during meditation time. In meditation, we become aware of Annamaya kosha, explore it, and then go inward, to and through this and the other koshas.

The Kleshas (part 2 - Annamaya kosha)

The Annamaya Kosha forms the gross body. The primary way to impact this kosha is through asana. It is affected by the 5 kleshas as follows:

Avidya (Ignorance): The Annamaya kosha or gross body is mistakenly seen as the self which colors the Atman (the true Self) and in so doing hides or covers it. This ignorance must be removed before the yogi can proceed to discover their real nature and purpose.
Asmita (Ego): This thought form identifies with the gross physical body as the animator of that body, pervading the entire body-mind complex and reinforcing it by becoming attached to it. Recognizing the illusive nature of this klesha causes it to evaporate.
Raga (Attachment): This klesha is supported by our desire nature. All of us have experienced this attachment to the body pleasures, the patterns of acquisition that often follow and how easily this can lead to suffering.
Dvesha (Aversion): This klesha alludes to a physical identification with what we don’t like. Aversions emerge from previous bodily experiences of pain and suffering. It is the hate or fear which follows the experience of physical anguish or extreme discomfort and can lead to a host psychological afflictions.
Abhinivesha (Clinging to Life): This klesha can only increase our identification with our physical/bodily existence, resulting in a fear of bodily death which makes it even harder for us rise above, perceive or identify with our spiritual nature.

As these kleshas are recognized and dissolved (or cleared) from the Annamaya Kosha, the first step is taken. As the other koshas are cleansed of these afflictions, the Atman (or Self), which is indescribable, is gradually recognized and eventually realized by direct experience; this is the goal of Yoga meditation, Advaita Vedanta, and certain Tantra practices.

Stay tuned, next: Further exploration of each Klesha and how it colors the Pranamaya kosha.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

The Kleshas (afflictions of the mind)

The Kleshas

These 5 Kleshas (afflictions) affect (or color) each of the Koshas (sheaths). Kosha a Sanskrit word usually translated as “sheath”, of which there are also five, each one representing a covering of the Atman (“Self”, according to Vedantic philosophy). They range from gross to subtle and are often visualized like the layers of an onion. These Koshas, lie one within the other as a set of five sheaths.

This series of articles will address how each Kosha is affected (or colored) by these Kleshas. But first, for those who are unfamiliar with these 5 Kleshas, here’s a recap.

From the perspective of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras it is important to understand that emotional pain and all its varied expressions, such as depression, stem from the desire, attachment, fear and certain unconscious universal constructs (Kleshas) that exist in all un-liberated human minds. These constructs (referred to as “colorings”) form a basis on which all other more individualized neuroses are woven and re-woven through a complex association of desires, attachments, fears and other human experiences. Thus these Kleshas are basic motivational forces which underpin our ability to act, think, and feel. It is these Kleshas which are responsible for the fluctuations (modifications or agitations) of consciousness and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are primarily concerned with the elimination or stilling of these fluctuations.

If and when the Kleshas are removed through yoga practices, all of the individual neuroses which they support will crumble and fall away. These Kleshas (afflictions or colorings) are comprised of five basic constructs or crystallized thought-forms and are described by Patanjali at the beginning of Book 2 of the Yoga Sutras (1, 2, 3 & 4).

Once the Kleshas are seen in a clear light and recognized for what they are, they will disappear. The intellectual mind is not enough to bring about this recognition. Patanjali, insists the “8 limbs of yoga” are necessary to lead the mind toward the required purification and these are:

Yama (Sanskrit for "moral discipline")
Niyama (Sanskrit for "moral observance")
Asana (Sanskrit for "body posture")
Pranayama (Sanskrit for "breath control")
Prathyara (Sanskrit for "withdrawal of the senses")
Dharana (Sanskrit for "concentration")
Dhyana (Sanskrit for "meditation")

We all have heard that every journey starts with the first step. So it stands to reason that recognizing the Kleshas is a good way to quench the desire of the intellect. Here is a list of the 5 Kleshas and a brief summary of their attributes:

Avidya (Ignorance): This is the primal ignorance which pervades all of creation. This ignorance is experiential, not conceptual, in nature. This affliction results in our lack of awareness and disconnection from Truth.
Asmita (Ego): As individuals, we also have what is called ahamkara or "I-maker" (ego). It is a single vritti, (thought form), the idea of individualized existence. This single thought of a limited self is enormously convincing because it pervades the entire body-mind complex. It is the nature of this individual "I-am" sense, or ego, to identify with something and become attached to it.
Raga (Attachment): This klesha is all about desire. All of us have experienced this and we are all attached to something. Whether it’s a partner, a friend, a practice, an object, a pet, a food, even an iPhone; it’s okay to need or want things, but you know your desire has become an affliction when it creates suffering. Raga creates in us a pattern of acquisition: we began to pursue human relationships, knowledge, wealth, status, power-anything which might be capable of enlarging and protecting our fragile individualized existence.
Dvesha (Aversion): Patanjali defines aversion as: “Identification with what we don’t like.” Attachments (Raga) arise from our previous experiences of pleasure and happiness. Aversions emerge from previous experiences of pain and suffering. This is the fourth Klesha, "the hate, fear or extreme dislike which follows after experiencing pain."
Abhinivesha (Clinging to Life): Because of raga and dvesha, a tremendous, continual, and habitual outflowing of our energy and attention through our senses to the objects of external world has been created. This outflow of all our attention and energy can only increase our identification with our physical existence, resulting in a fear of death and making it even harder for us to perceive or identify with our spiritual nature.

Stay tuned, next: Further exploration of each Klesha and how it colors each Kosha (Sheath), beginning with Annamaya kosha.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Compassion in the Bhagavad Gita…

The energy of Divine love is a specific insight found throughout the Bhagavad Gita. The Divine Self (atma) vibrating throughout the universe is the Divine Master who loves us all equally. Every human person has the ability to hear from within the Divine depth of his/her being: "You are dear to me, I long for you, you are my beloved and my friend" (Gita 18:64, 65 – 4:3). This is not a God speaking from outside, but from within the very heart of reality. The relation with this “inside” God is not just at the mental level of I-thou structure, but within a mystical consciousness of mutual indwelling: "I am in you, you are in me" (9:29)…The true bhakta experiences the Lord as the inner subject (10:8), the true jnani perceives the Divine as one's deeper self (7:18).

With these perceptions then, human life may become a direct response to the Divine love permeating the entire universe and filling one's heart. Every bit of reality communicates the vibration of the contagious power of Divine kama (7:11). One finds themselves and all beings on this eternal journey of Divine love. One feels called to a life of compassion towards all beings, human and cosmic, animate and inanimate. "My true devotee does not feel hatred for any being, but is friendly and compassionate towards all, without the thoughts of I-and-mine" (12:13). Thus the basic trait of a liberated person is compassion.

Compassion takes inner freedom for granted: freedom from any possessive feelings of I-and-mine. Inner freedom makes a person remain calm through all changes encountered in life: in success and failure, in gain and loss, in honor and disgrace, towards friend and enemy, saints and sinners, relatives and strangers (2:38 – 6:9 – 12:18 – 13:10). A person of inner peace is not easily thrown off-balance by conflicting emotions of fear and fascination, anger and attachment, joy and suffering (2:56 – 5:20).

A compassionate person is not a dispassionate being. Sharing one's life (and possessions) with those in need is the basis of compassion. "The one who cooks food only for oneself, eats poison." (3:13). A passionate concern (rati, 5:25) to bring about welfare to all beings characterizes the life of liberated person. Intense attraction (chikeershu, 3:25) to assisting in the integration of the world is the motivation of his/her commitment. Compassion is the total surrender of a person to the “cause of the other” within the environment of Divine creativity.

Compassion demands an effective appraisal of the dehumanizing behavioral patterns and the oppressive structures of society. The Gita raises an uncompromising protest against discriminative social traditions, exploitative economic systems, aggressive political structures and dehumanizing religious practices (5:18 – 16:13-19 – 2:42-44). A compassionate person is a courageous person because his being is firmly established in the consciousness of the Divine (2:56 – 6:14).

Compassion in the Bhagavad Gita…

Compassion enables a person realize their creativity. The one who acts from the motivation of the ego (ahamkara) has to compete with others in a compulsive way, because their actions are controlled by greed, anger, lust and hate (2:62-63 – 3:25). The one who acts, rooted in the Divine ground of being realizes that the Divine Master is the real subject of one's actions (13:3). "Ascribing all works to the Divine, one acts with inner freedom." (5:10). With this spiritual realization one naturally becomes more creative, more courageous and more compassionate.

Compassion is not simply a virtue to practice, but a holistic attitude that binds every person to everything with the bond of Divine love. One sees “reflections of the Self everywhere” (6:32) because one realizes that one's Self is the Self of all (sarvabhutatma bhutatma, 5:7). All things are bound together on the Divine chord of life and love (7:7). No being can be alien and no one a stranger to a truly realized person. With all the “things” of nature, we humans all live in the one family of the Divine. There is no room for competition, but only the capacity for compassion. "Mutually nourishing one another we all attain real prosperity" (3:11). Such an integral world-view can be very healthy today, when humanity cuts itself apart through competitiveness, threatening to destroy the cosmic matrix of life.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Compassion and Yoga Are One

True compassion manifests as the sacred energy that flows through the heart chakra (Anahata chakra) to each and every living thing in the universe. Whenever it is accessed it enables us to feel a sense of oneness or unity with all. This is the goal and the essence of yoga.

Yoga students and teachers encourage compassion to blossom, becoming their inner guidance. This way it will constantly reminds them that it is not the perfection of a technique (or asana) that gives them the experience of Yoga, but the ability to access their own sacred energy.

Compassion is cultivated by observing our personal experience as we go through physical, mental or emotional hardships with an open heart and/or by perceiving the suffering of others with an open heart.

Whenever we experience a slight injury or pain, focus on allowing the awareness of that discomfort to expand, thus embracing and understanding those who live with chronic suffering or pain on a permanent basis. This expanded consciousness will aid tremendously in the development of compassion.

All the rules and structures that we have amassed will dissolve when we embrace another in their deepest suffering. This compassion then becomes the catalyst that allows the great yogic teachings to guide us in realizing that the physical body is simply a temple housing the Divine Self.

According to yoga philosophy and science, disease manifests not so much from physical forces, but from a disconnection with our source or spirit. Whenever we are able to recognize and realize who we really are, healing is accelerated.

When we study Patanjalis yoga sutras we see the reasons for this separation are defined in the Kleshas Sutra II-3; Avidya (ignorance of our true nature), is the prime cause of forgetting. Avidya is the individual cosmic hypnosis or illusion imposed on all forms that makes them express, perceive, and interact with one another as though each has its own separate reality. When we strive to become compassionate beings we realize our ability to help others is directly affected by our own belief in this most basic of concepts.

Compassion and Yoga Are One

By constantly refining and rediscovering the many yogic practices each person is able to gain the benefits of healing. Many times the actual healing was not solely a physical cure, but a rebalancing of the energies that flow through the body, the mind and the emotions, touching the spirit. This rebalancing enables everyone to gain a sense of peace and clarity, especially when making decisions and changes based on the highest level of healing.

Yoga is the creation of this balance of energies and it grants the natural intelligence of the body and mind to correct itself. It is for this reason that most of the gentle and compassionate practices can positively affect any disease or imbalance. By facilitating the alchemy of connecting hearts and souls with spirit, we remember that inherently, we are all one!

Ordinarily much of humankind is dumbfounded by the alluring participation of illusory sense experiences, and clings to various delusive material forms as though they were the reality, the cause and even the security of his or her existence. The yogi however, is ever conscious inwardly of the sole reality and spirit, and sees maya and avidya (universal and individual delusion) as merely a flimsy web holding together the atomic, magnetic, and spiritual forces that give him a body and a mind with which to play a part in the cosmic drama of the Divine’s creation.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Sympathy, Empathy & Compassion – Do You Know the Difference?

Those who practice yoga naturally aspire to living a life of unity. Samadhi (enlightenment) is a common goal, along with “finding” their true self and realizing that Self to be non-separate from all they might ordinarily see as “other.” Acting unselfishly for the good of others is the cornerstone of an enlightened life. There are many ways to describe one’s individual actions as they relate to other’s needs and/or sufferings. To clarify: here we will explore the difference between sympathy, empathy and compassion and how each of them might relate to your life choices…

Sympathy – feelings of pity or sorrow for someone else's misfortune.

Sympathy is basically feeling sorry for another’s hurt or pain. Generally there is some emotional separation with sympathy, in other words, you are not directly experiencing the pain yourself, but sometimes sympathy can assume the form of pity, and that is where some caution should be exercised. Pity is a negative emotion that can tend to dehumanize and belittle. Most people who are in difficulty, suffering or facing other challenges will despise being “pitied.” For a deeper understanding, empathy is needed.

Empathy – “Feeling into” (walking in another’s shoes)

The feeling of empathy takes things a bit deeper; it’s the capacity to experience for yourself some of the pain that another person is experiencing. Empathy acknowledges our shared human experience and the recognition that we all have the ability to feel grief, loss, pain, fear, etc. Empathy is a vicarious experience; it’s allowing yourself to become tuned into another person’s actual emotional experience. This takes courage, and if you’ve ever experienced real empathy from another when you’ve been suffering, you know what a precious gift it can be.

Compassion – love takes action (empathy + a strong desire to alleviate the suffering)

If we agree that empathy is the capacity to truly experience the feelings of pain that another person is feeling; then compassion is to translate and convert that feeling into helpful action. True compassion doesn’t discriminate, it reaches out to all people, regardless of whether they are friends or not, and furthermore, it extends to all living creatures.

To summarize: Sympathy (or pity) may cause you to get pulled into a ditch where some unfortunate one has fallen, empathy will allow you to feel what the fallen one is feeling without getting stuck in the same dilemma, and compassion will enable you to bring action to empathy by offering a helping hand and lifting that one up.

Living in a compassionate way can be learned and with practice it will become second-nature. Changing any habit takes persistence and practice but it is achievable through the right methods. Many of the wisest people in this world have testified that the giving of one’s self to help others is the source of great peace and satisfaction, and there are many other benefits to be gained as well.

Learning and regularly practicing meditation can greatly help develop qualities of compassion. Meditation is a great way to access your own inner wise being, which is inherent in your subconscious, allowing you to move from living a self-based life to living a life where others are not separate from you. Meditation will help you become a person of true compassion, and lead to life that is deeply fulfilling in ways you may never have imagined.

Sympathy, Empathy & Compassion – Do You Know the Difference?

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

How the Benefits of Yoga Transcend Conventional Exercise Regimes

Yoga starts by learning how to develop self-awareness and feel good about the physical body. It shapes and tones the body, helps with flexibility and the development of balance and strength, but it doesn’t end there. Additionally, it helps you become more focused in life and discover your inherent happiness. It slows down your thoughts, and quieting the mind helps the mind and body relax and be at peace.

But, for yoga to be more than a physical work out, you’ll need to skip the trendy yoga classes that are almost entirely focused on weight loss, or looking hot, and commit to a high-quality practice that encompasses more of yoga’s original teachings.

Conventional exercise trends such as Zumba, Tae Bo, Jazzercise, P90X and Insanity may come and go. And sadly, many styles of yoga (especially in the West) fall into this category. They promise a “quick fix” and eliminate the details and the depth of a thorough yoga practice. This “workout” style of yoga can be a popular entry point for students, however, it often leaves them unsatisfied (sometimes injured) and seeking more. Instead of seeking instant gratification and a hasty means to a temporary state of health, try a quality, “full spectrum” yoga for a full, meaningful and safe experience.

“Full-Spectrum” Yoga Practice:

Most serious students, at some point, need depth in their yoga practice to achieve optimal health and wellness along with long-lasting results. If your practice is purely physical, you’ll probably get bored and burn out quickly. Yoga that provides both insight and fitness is a great way to maintain a balanced practice with profound depth. This way you get fit and continuously learn and evolve while having an enjoyable experience. A properly taught and guided yoga practice is designed to provide deep insights on alignment along with techniques that bring your attention to the simplicity of the breath. After such a practice session you feel more grounded in both your body and your mind. It’s this experience of a mind-body connection that often produces those endorphins that makes you feel blissed-out and provide a real depth and richness in your practice.

A good yoga practice accompanied by proper guidance and instruction from an experienced, registered yoga teacher (ERYT) will help you to find (and apply) the value of its teachings in everyday life. Unlike a simple work-out program, yoga classes often have a specific focus or theme (intention) that is interwoven throughout an asana sequence. Themes can take a variety of purposes, such as balance/centering, calming/relaxing, breathing/meditation, healing/therapeutic, etc. When you practice with a vision and intention, it gives you insights and a purpose that goes well beyond the physical poses.

How the Benefits of Yoga Transcend Conventional Exercise Regimes

Remember that your physical body will go through many different evolutions over time as you grow with your yoga practice. Some asanas and techniques you will achieve with relative ease, others you won’t. Keep it fun, and they’ll be a great way to keep your vitality. A strong yoga practice teaches you to cherish life and the things that matter most to you.

There is no limit to the ways you can approach most asanas. The subtle nuances that you can observe will work to advance your practice. Through mindfulness and awareness, you’ll find revelations in your body that are fascinating and keep you longing for more. When you intellectualize the physical postures and your approach to them, you can rethink and rework them, attaining a healthy alignment.

Overall, everyone wants to be healthy, fit and at their best. Working out using conventional methods like those typically found in a gym or fitness center is not a bad thing if done intelligently. In fact, yoga can be a great workout in itself or can be used to supplement and amplify other physical forms of exercise. So, it would be fine to say that fitness is an important part of most modern yoga systems, but it is only one part of a very dynamic process. Yoga practice can become an awesome way to align all the facets of your life so that you feel healthy and whole, while simultaneously exploring and exercising self-awareness and self-control. Yoga enables us to transcend our lower instincts and harness the true power of transformation.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Yogis, Gurus & Spiritual Teachers – Spot the False Ones…

Because of the outrageous abuses and exploitation by some yogis, gurus, and self-proclaimed masters, many students (especially here in the west) don’t know who to trust.

If more than a few of the following descriptions describe your spiritual teacher, then unfortunately they may not be as enlightened or good for your progress as you would like to believe:

They proclaim their own enlightenment: The wisest masters tend to be reluctant to state their own enlightenment because they know that it is both unhelpful to their own spiritual evolution as well as their students’.
They’re unable to take criticism: False teachers have a strong resistance and dislike for either personal criticism or any criticism of their teaching. On the other hand a true teacher will continue to learn and oftentimes from their own students.
They often act as if they’re omnipotent with unlimited powers but show little to no accountability. Some may go so far as to use Gestapo like tactics.
They may focus on their own self-proclaimed enlightenment itself rather than teaching or demonstrating the path leading to it. The true teacher focuses mainly on the path and generally avoids any talk about enlightenment.
They don’t practice what they preach. For instance, if they demand their devotees adapt a plant-based diet, they should provide them with a living example.
They take credit for a certain asana or a particular meditative or healing technique, trying to “own” any major benefits from the practice. They often do this solely to attract new followers.
They choose to live in total opulence. Money is collected from followers most commonly in the form of donations, and those donations should be used to lessen the suffering in this world, not to provide a luxurious lifestyle.
They encourage (or even permit) adoration from their followers. Worshipping the teacher will draw the student outside of themselves and will be a hindrance to their own self-realization.
They demand love and absolute devotion from their students. Real love and devotion is earned by recognizing their ability to teach and relate spiritual truths, not their public image.
They run expensive workshops and courses promising spiritual development. Authentic teachers are rarely interested in selling anything or proselytizing people.
They take sexual advantage of their followers. This happens much more often than many students realize. This can be, and often is, psychological scarring to the victim.
They try to get you to feel special to “hook” you; and although each student is unique, making people feel exclusively special and part of a particular teacher’s “important,” “universal” mission is one of the best sales pitches ever. Once they get people on board, they can quite literally, sell them anything. A real master will allow the student to make their own decision whether to accept his or her teachings by simply presenting them without trying to influence the process.
They may give themselves an outrageous title. Some going as far as to claim they are literally God-Incarnate, or the “chosen one.” Others may continuously change their names in order to keep pace with their burgeoning egos.
They are not interested in you personally. If a teacher, yogi or guru does not have time to interact with you personally, then you may as well read about their teaching in a book; you may model some of their outward spiritual characteristics, but oftentimes that only places you deeper in illusion.
They allow “special” followers to set up a hierarchy of access. A true teacher must be accessible, if they are not, then they are playing the role of a king and not a true spiritual guide. With a false guide, more often than not, the more you donate the greater your access to them will be.
They make false claims of a lineage, or the latest in a line of self-realized masters. Another pseudo form of "lineage" is to recount a miracle that may have once happened to them, which infers that they are "the chosen one" and therefore have the authority to set themselves up as a master.
They generate a large number of angry ex-followers. This is an indication that something is seriously wrong. If they have used kindness and love in their interactions with students, then it is possible that some might drift away and feel they have wasted their time, but it is highly unlikely that they would exhibit great anger.

In closing: The above descriptions are a good overview of what makes up the difference between self-important narcissists in love with (and trying to boost) their self image, and those who simply see the truth and want to share it or teach it to others without any dire need for superstar status. A good reputation and nobleness of character are much more important than fame and celebrity.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500