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Vinyasa:
Vinyasa
means breathing and movement system. For each movement,
there is one breath. For example, in Surya Namskar
there are nine vinyasas. The first vinyasa
is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and
putting your hands together; the second is exhaling while
bending forward, placing your hands next to your feet,
etc. In this way all asanas are assigned a certain
number of vinyasas.
The purpose of vinyasa is for internal cleansing.
Breathing and moving together while performing asanas
makes the blood hot, or as Pattabhi Jois says, boils the
blood. Thick blood is dirty and causes disease in the
body. The heat created from yoga cleans the blood and
makes it thin, so that it may circulate freely. The
combination of the asanas with movement and breath
make the blood circulate freely around all the joints,
taking away body pains. When there is a lack of
circulation, pain occurs. The heated blood also moves
through all the internal organs removing impurities and
disease, which are brought out of the body by the sweat
that occurs during practice.
| Sweat
is an important by product of vinyasa,
because it is only through sweat that disease
leaves the body and purification occurs. In the
same way that gold is melted in a pot to remove
its impurities, by the virtue of the dirt rising
to the surface as the gold boils, and the dirt
then being removed, yoga boils the blood and
brings all our toxins to the surface, which are
removed through sweat. If the method of vinyasa
is followed, the body becomes healthy and strong,
and pure like gold. |
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After
the body is purified, it is possible to purify the nervous
system, and then the sense organs. These first steps are
very difficult and require many years of practice. The
sense organs are always looking outside, and the body is
always giving into laziness. However, through
determination and diligent practice, these can be
controlled. After this is accomplished, mind control comes
automatically. Vinyasa creates the foundation for
this to occur.
Tristhana: This means the three places of attention
or action: posture, breathing system and looking place.
These three are very important for yoga practice, and
cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous
system and mind. They are always performed in conjunction
with each other.
Asanas purify, strengthen and give flexibility to the
body.Breathing
is rechaka and puraka, that means inhale and
exhale. Both
the inhale and exhale should be steady and even, the
length of the inhale should be the same length as the
exhale. Breathing in this manner purifies the
nervous system. Dristhi is the place where you look
while in the asana. There are nine dristhis:
the nose, between the eyebrows, navel, thumb, hands, feet,
up, right side and left side. Dristhi purifies and
stabilizes the functioning of the mind.
For
cleaning the body internally two factors are necessary,
air and fire. The place of fire in our bodies is four
inches below the navel. This is the standing place of our
life force. In
order for fire to burn, air is necessary, hence the
necessity of the breath. If you stoke a fire with a
blower, evenness is required so that the flame is not
smothered out, or blown out of control.
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The
same method stands for the breath. Long even
breaths will strengthen our internal fire,
increasing heat in the body which in turn heats
the blood for physical purification, and burns
away impurities in the nervous system as well.
Long even breathing increases the internal fire
and strengthens the nervous system in a controlled
manner and at an even pace. When this fire is
strengthened, our digestion, health and life span
all increase. Uneven inhalation and exhalation, or
breathing too rapidly, will imbalance the beating
of the heart, throwing off both the physical body
and autonomic nervous system. |
An
important component of the breathing system is mula
and uddiyana bandha. These are the anal and lower
abdominal locks which seal in energy, give lightness,
strength and health to the body, and help to build a
strong internal fire. Without bandhas, breathing
will not be correct, and the asanas will give no
benefit. When mula bandha is perfect, mind
control is automatic.
The six poisons: A vital aspect of internal
purification that Pattabhi Jois teaches relates to the six
poisons that surround the spiritual heart. In the yoga
shastra it is said that God dwells in our heart in
the form of light, but this light is covered by six
poisons; kama, krodha, moha, lobha,
matsarya, and mada. These are desire, anger,
delusion, greed, envy and sloth. When yoga practice is
sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long
period of time, the heat generated from it burns away
these poisons, and the light of our inner nature shines
forth.
This forms the practical and philosophic basis of Ashtanga
Yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
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