There is a Healing power in the conscious integration of mind and body.
BKS Iyengar writes, “In the first instance, yoga is not a therapeutic science at all. Yoga is a science for liberating the soul by bringing the consciousness, the mind and the body to a stage of integration.”
Though this may be the original aim, many, if not most of us practice yoga for many other benefits.
Healing, health, peace and equanimity are by – products of our yoga practice.
The word Therapy means:
- the treatment of disease or disorders, as by some remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process.
- a healing power or quality.
- any act, hobby, task, program, etc., that relieves tension.
I see through these definitions, that by its very nature, Yoga is therapeutic, but I have found that how effective its healing and relieving power is, depends on my intention.
Applying these thoughts to my own yoga practice over the years I can see how it has changed and affected by my intention. I was about 14 years old when I was drawn to yoga and began practicing, guided by a book I had gotten from the library. At that age I was awkward physically having grown tall very quickly. I was also not very confident socially and so this being an activity I could do on my own, it resonated with me. I focused on the asanas simply as physical exercises. If there was anything else in that book from the library, at the time I did not see it. I could feel the asanas were good for me physically and gave my mind something to focus on. I didn’t think much more about it.
16 years later I begin my first teacher training in Calgary. I am now married and a mother of two boys ages 5 and 7. I think it is important to note here that through the passing years I have worked through a bookcase of non- fiction, books on eastern religions, Christian mysticism, relationships etc. I had not been able to read a novel for years. I focused on reading as a source of support and growth as I wanted to be a good parent. To do that, I felt I needed to be the best person I could be and overcome my fears. The source of these fears at the time was unclear to me.
So, when I began my teacher training there was an “A-HA” moment, I realized there was so much more to this practice. When I began to study the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, I could see connections to all the books that I had been reading. It seemed to me like the wisdom in these ancient texts was woven into all the books that I had been reading whether those authors knew it or not. It became so clear to me how my yoga practice could support my mental and emotional health. I began to see my rajasic nature of mind and body and how hard it was on my nervous system. The phrase mind, body, spirit which is so overused that its meaning is often shrugged off or ignored, took on a deeper significance for me.
Through the study of the Yoga sutras I began to see more clearly where I was at, what my obstacles were and are. I began to be guided by the yamas and the Niyamas as a way of working through my life and my practice. Being aware of the sheaths and investigating them as a way of purification.
A specific thought expressed in the Yoga Sutras that has been a huge help was the idea that “ignorance” is the source of all my suffering.
One quote from Light on the Yoga Sutra by BKS Iyengar Chapter II verse 3. “The five afflictions which disturb the equilibrium of consciousness are: – ignorance or lack of wisdom, egoism, pride of the ego or sense of “I”, attachment to pleasure, aversion to pain, fear of death and clinging to life.” In commentaries on this yoga sutra, it is suggested that Ignorance is really the source of the other four and that this fivefold tie binds us.
I did not leave this idea in the category of theory, rather, I have been studying myself and the world around me through this lens for many years. I began to see that my feeling separate, alone and ungrounded was a result of my ignorance of the reality of the world and how I fit into it. If I begin to be disturbed by fears or desires, I pause and wonder, what am I thinking about this situation? What am I pushing away? Attached to? Why? If I can Re- member how things are all connected, I can feel grounded and connected to the whole and the fears and desires subside.
My practice seems to be constantly changing as my life unfolds. Though all the yamas have been helpful, the most significant one for me for last decade has been Isvara Pranidhana, surrender to God, the source of all. In the past I have often found that I needed a clear goal to guide my practice. Now the intention is simply, to do the work, to practice all the time, everywhere, without attachment to any results and by trust and faith to be led in the right direction.
I am having to apply this daily as there is a change occurring in our household as my youngest son moved to Poland this month to study for a year. This is the first time he as been away. As happy and excited I am for him, I can also sense from time to time some apprehension within myself. He is so far away, so many unknowns, I have no control. So, there it is again, the need to practice letting go, surrender, Isvara Pranidhana. The essence of savasana that I have practiced countless time. I practice it at odd times during the day, standing, sitting. I can sense my nervous system being affected and I soften the forehead, let the brain recede, soften sides of the neck, the jaw, the shoulders, the throat and feel the breath and the ground under my feet. I have done the work, the best I could and I have to trust and have faith that he will be led in the right direction.
Upon reflection it seems like my practice of my youth to what it is today has always been therapeutic, that is healing and relieving. The practice changed as life changed and I was able to take in more. Today my intention for practicing resonates with Mr. Iyengar’s quote from above, “Yoga is a science for liberating the soul by bringing the consciousness, the mind and the body to a stage of integration”
This journey is far from over. I am only 63 years old and so much still to learn. Yoga has been my therapy. The practice is paying attention to what is inside and outside, on the mat and off. Even though I am older and there are signs of the body aging, I feel stronger as a whole now, than I did when I was younger. I am grateful every moment of everyday for the practice of yoga, the teachers and students that have guided me along the way.