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Moving Towards Peace: The Intrgration of Asana, Pranayama and Niyama By Sarah Tewhey When we think of creating peace the two limbs of Yoga known as yama and niyama, the five restraints and the five observances arise. The yamas give instruction on what should be refrained from, and the niyamas offer advice on five areas that we should strive to observe in daily life. Through these observances can come immense understanding and self-knowledge. By bringing the niyamas into our lives internal peace and acceptance can surface. Individually we begin to radiate balance and harmony. It is said that great individuals such as Gandhi have proven that true mastery of even one or two of the yamas or niyamas can bring great changes in the hearts of humans and can spread like a bright fire of understanding to millions of individuals. The yogic limb of niyama holds five observances that are useful in cultivating peace. Through shaucha which is purity; santosha which is contentment; tapas which is austerity; svadhyaya which is study; and ishvarapranidhana which is surrender, there is a path for miraculous transformation. Each observance unites the seeker not only with the self, but with the whole universe. These observances are a way to nurture the connection between individual energy and the web of energy that is the planet Earth. Remembering and practicing the niyamas creates world peace one person at a time. The path that leads to the mastery of this essential limb of Yoga is one of deep memory within body and spirit. Our bodies are made of materials built to hold experience. Bones speak through alignment and posture. Muscles remember old injuries, or how it feels to hold someone we love. The lines of old age show every smile of a life well lived. Forgotten images and emotions often return through our sense of smell. This connection between mind and body is essential to the pattern of remembering. When the mind and body work together the recollections that come forth are often surprising and insightful. The body can hold the remains of past trauma and tension and can also be trained to remember personal well being, to uphold the niyamas and to carry the wish of peace into each moment. Creating this connection using asana and pranayama is an ideal vehicle for a practice towards peace. During asana practice our bodies come alive. We remember the poses and the sequences. As asana begins to take place the limb of pranayama enters and our breathing merges with our motions. The body and breath know the practice and the movements. They are flowing in a space of grace and awareness. Merging these two limbs creates a clear space in the mind and an opening in the heart. In this space there is room for intention and for observance, there is room to remember the niyamas. By merging the limbs of asana, pranayama and niyama patterns of remembering are created and an exploration of peace begins. The body follows the asana, the mind follows the breath and the spirit can take flight through the observance of the niyamas. By working with three limbs of Yoga our personal practice deepens tremendously and we can begin to see the dynamic elements that come together to create peace. Yoga recognizes the individual process toward achieving balance and harmony. As practitioners of Yoga this process acts as a mirror to the constant shift of tension between harmony and discord in the world. In practice there is a return to the beginning, to the most basic motion of the breath in order to fine tune physical, mental and spiritual awareness within an asana. The different tensions present within body and mind melt away over time. In the interim there is a constant shift within as this deep personal work evolves. The experience and exploration of knowing ourselves through Yoga gives birth to understanding the great task of creating peace internally and throughout the world. The quest for world peace, like the one for internal harmony is a dynamic process full of tensions and complex history. The physical environment of the individual body becomes the entire planet and the activity of the mind the planetary consciousness. Earth is no more or less complex than its inhabitants, so finding peace as an individual becomes intimately connected with the balance of the planet. Understanding the path toward inner peace sheds light upon the road to creating global balance. The cultivation of a personal practice in asana, pranayama and niyama is as difficult and as rewarding as the cultivation of peace. Swami Satyananda Saraswati said so eloquently "...Yoga is far from simply being physical exercise, rather it is an aid to establish a new way of life which embraces both inner and outer realities. However, this way of life is an experience which cannot be understood intellectually and will only become living knowledge through practice and experience." Asana practice with a peaceful intention becomes a tangible path toward remembering those observances that lead us to peace. Practices for Peace Yoga expresses the fine balance point between inner and outer experience. When inner harmony is found through personal practice it begins to radiate outward. This vitality spills over into the way we are as we move through life. The cultivation of a practice toward personal peace is the cultivation of world peace. The components of personal harmony and world peace are one and the same. Both require understanding, time, patience, forgiveness and the acceptance of limitations. Bringing these components into asana practice and into life supports the memory of the niyamas and brings a gentle quality to the way we see ourselves and others. Practicing for peace fosters not only a deep connection with Yoga, but with every other living being on Earth. These practices are steps toward understanding our world and ourselves. By engaging the body, mind and the spirit using three separate limbs of Yoga the practice deepens and the doors of memory and understanding open. Integrating these limbs in the individual consciousness allows us to bring them together seamlessly so that we may remember their important role in the path of peace. Intention and Shaucha Bringing an intention for practice represents shaucha. Shaucha is the niyama of internal and external purity. In the mind shaucha is purity in action and intention. Each individual is intimately connected to the web of life on this planet. When bringing an intention for peace remember shaucha and make an effort to offer the fruits of practice to that web. Take a moment to sit quietly in any position that is comfortable. Begin Ujjayi pranayama. Ujjayi means literally "she who is victorious". Listen to the sound of the breath blowing gently through the body. Remember that true victory in global peace will come only when purity of intention is mastered. Breathe deeply into the belly, allowing the breath to move freely. Breath awarenss should first focus along the spine and then slowly move outward to the limbs. Begin to feel peace in the heart. Sink into this feeling and nurture a deep internal experience of harmony. Gently begin to bring this experience breath. The breath will give the internal experience of peace a life of its own. Allow the intention of peace to fully flower within the heart. Imagine it spreading and radiating like a shining beacon of light. Expand this light until it is no longer an individual light, but the bright energy of the entire planet. Each individual is one small light among billions. Ardha Matsyendrasana and Ishvarapranidhana Spinal Twists are valuable in the practice for peace because they invite ishvarapranidhana. This niyama is the surrender of the personal consciousness to the cosmic consciousness. It is the union of the individual with the universe. One who has mastered this surrender sees the common relationship that they have to all other beings. The spinal twist helps us to connect the individual to this universal or planetary self by providing a physical manifestation of their common core with the body. In the spinal twist it is essential to recognize the two distinct and yet connected movements of the spiral. In any twist the spinal column is stimulated at every vertebrae. Spinal twists signal an internal awakening. With the body activated in this way it becomes evident that the spiral moves in two distinct directions. Imagining the spine as an axis notice the motion of the spiral in toward the core of the body. Move breath into this center. Imagine it slowly spiraling into the body and wrapping around the spine. On the inhalation the lungs fill with air and prana is brought into the body. The sensation of the inhalation brings awareness to the axis of the spinal column. The breath is the internal movement of the spiral. Notice the motion of the spiral out away from the spine. The entire spine wishes to lengthen on the inhalation. As the body expands this lengthening is the easiest way to access the outward movement of the spiral. The body moves outward while the breath moves inward. Now exhale and feel the breath slowly unraveling around the core and spinning outward into space. With this awareness the body moves more deeply into the twist with each exhalation. Exhalation provides an experience of both a deepening in the core and a joyful sense of offering. As the breath moves out on the exhalation the body moves inward Peace requires the deep integration that the spiral holds. In each breath there is a simultaneous internal and external movement that focuses attention into the body and out towards space. With each complete breath one movement begins and one movement ends at the spinal column. Peace on the inside touches peace in the world at the short pause in each breath. As seekers of peace it is essential to nurture the action of the spiral. The movements of the spiral begin and end at a common core. To surrender to the planet or to the universe requires seeing and remembering the center of the spiral in both asana practice and daily life. Making this vital connection internally brings peace consciousness into the heart. Any asana you feel resistant to and Tapas When the body feels warmed up and open, then it is time to choose one asana that you tend to resist. Based on the patterns of our lives we each have our own blocks and our own limitations. At one point or another everyone has entered into an asana and been resistant mentally. Usually this occurs because the body is struggling physically in a position that feels outside of the usual pattern. In our personal practice often we tend to avoid these postures. In actuality they are often the ones that are needed the most. Here the niyama of tapas or austerity comes into practice. Engaging in an austerity brings discipline to the mind and gives an outlet to face our human desires. In practicing one pose that is less enjoyable the desire will most likely arise to move into a different asana. Remaining present with desires gives the opportunity to truly know them. Desires take many forms and often we can tell the difference between a wish for something that is truly beneficial or a want for something that is not in our best interest. Make this asana into tapas, and allow it to 'burn' those desires that are not in the best interest for yourself or others. Struggles in asana are the same as the struggles for peace through out the world. By experiencing poses that we find unpleasant and finding balance within them we are better able to cope when situations in life become unpleasant. Our deepest parts remember the practice of that one uncomfortable asana and know immediately how to handle the present situation. When breathing in this posture remember to be gentle with yourself and with others. Remember that as individuals we each have different circumstances and limitations. Remember that each individual on the planet is simply doing the best they can in the path they were given. Find acceptance for yourself and willingly give this acceptance as an offering to the light of peace The Roll of Bliss and Santosha Rolling makes almost everyone smile and its place in the niyamas is santosha or contentment. Contentment is not a stagnant state of being, but is passion for living. Finding contentment leads one away from the superficial 'ups and downs' of living and into a place that is beyond the drama of daily life. In order for internal and external peace to be possible the experience of happiness that is not tied up with events or people, but springs completely from the river of harmony that flows within is essential. The roll moves like this river and helps one to remember the pure joy of being. Joy and laugher are two tremendous tools for cultivating everyday peace. Anyone who has ever smiled at a stranger and had that smile returned knows the simple feeling of love and human connection that enters when one opens to joy. Rolling helps to cultivate santosha. Squatting on the floor feels like the most humble position of devotion. Suddenly a movement begins deep within. Rolling backwards, the feet whiz by the head and for a moment everything is forgotten as the momentum carries the mind out of its usual cycle. Arriving for an instant again on the feet there is only a moment to feel the exuberance of this movement until the rolling wave begins again. Five of six rolls later the worries no longer seem so dire and something wonderful has shifted within. This shift is santosha. True contentment has movement and action and breath. It adapts and changes and does not rely on conditions to exist. Because santosha has this movement it is also capable of spreading from one person to the next without constrictions. True contentment can carry the hope of peace immeasurable distances and across lines of conflict. Only that rolling motion within is required. Chanting and Svadhyaya At the end of practice it feels natural to chant to OM or to recite any mantra, or affirmation that comes into the heart. The practice of svadhyaya is scriptural and self-study and often includes chanting. This study is a deep inquiry into the nature of the true spirit as an individual. It is also a study of the nature of life and purpose in the universe. No matter what sounds are chosen for svadhyaya they must inspire the vast and wonderful mysteries of the planet and reaffirm the commitment to the study of this path for peace. When there is true wonder and curiosity about the world each individual becomes a divine manifestation of the universe and a natural state of harmony is achieved. The body is a container waiting to be filled. We can choose to pile it high with the endless concerns of day-to-day life, or a different sort of contemplation can be chosen. As these poses are incorporated into practice feel the connection to the niyamas. Make new connections. Find ways to link the physical routines of daily living to global themes that benefit all beings. Your heart will soon connect with these new patterns and the light of the Niyamas will flood each individual life and the life of the planet. copyright 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------ Sarah Tewhey is a student and teacher of Yoga, Ayurveda and the healing arts. She completed two years of study with Dr. Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute and a B.S. at Lesley University in Mind/Body Studies with a specialization in the female healing process and its relationship to modern medicine. Sarah is currently a student in the Masters program at Southwest Acupuncture College in Albuquerque. This particular essay was a finalist in the 2003 Yoga Research and Education Center Essay contest on Yoga and World Peace. You can visit YREC at http://www.yrec.org Sarah can be contacted at: sarah@ayurlight.com |
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Copyright © 2002 Ayurlight.com |
