The Gayatri Mantra in repeating Devangari script

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

Translation:  With loving reverence we bow to the inner Light, the supreme wisdom in all the world.  May this Divine Light guide and illuminate our intelligence.

The Gayatri mantra, the most ancient of the mantras found in the Rig Veda, is considered to be the mother of the Vedas.  The sound “gai” in Sanskrit means sing and “trai” means protect.  Gayatri therefore translates to “she who protects the singer.” The practice of the Gayatri mantra allowed the Rishis, or seers, to receive the revelation of all other mantras.  The first line is comprised of what is known as the Great Utterances.  Bhur indicates earth or matter, Bhuvah indicates sky or energy, and Svah indicates heaven or mind.

The practice of the Gayatri mantra helps us become strong by overcoming our own inner weaknesses. It stills mental chatter and clears away karmic impurities.  It purifies the ego and sharpens the intellect.  Connecting us to the teacher within, we receive inner guidance and inspiration.  As the inner being which flows directly from Source is illuminated, the deep unconscious is purified.  Gradually and with sustained effort and patience, the effect pervades all aspects of our personality.

Gayatri is the mantra for the common man.  Exact pronunciation is less important than intention.  The sages tell us that the practice of the Gayatri mantra allows for immense and everlasting transformation.   No one among us will not benefit.

Maha Mritynjaya in repeating Devangari script

Om Triyambakam yajamahe

Sugandhim pushti vardhanam

Urvarukamiva bandhanan

Mrityor mukshiya mamritat

Translation:   I meditate on, and surrender myself to, the Divine Being who embodies the power of will, the power of knowledge and the power of action.  I pray to the Divine Being who manifests in the form of fragrance in the flower of life and is the eternal nourisher of the plant of life.  Like a skillful gardener, may the Lord of Life disentangle me from the binding forces of my physical, psychological, and spiritual hurdles.  May the Lord of Immortality residing within free me from death, decay and sickness and unite me with immortality.

The Maha Mrityunjaya mantra is the nourishing, healing, and life restoring mantra deriving from the Rig Veda and is considered the heart of the Vedas.  In Sanskrit, “Maha” means great, “Mrityun” means death, and “Jaya” means victory.  Of course, every living thing eventually dies.  Through the practice of reciting this mantra we obtain victory over the fear of death.  We realize that the deathless Divine Being is who we really are.

The practice of the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra sends forth vibrations from body to mind to soul.  It awakens the internal healing forces and Nature’s healing forces together so that we may receive the full nourishment of any discipline undertaken for well-being.  Strengthening the powers of will, knowledge and action, it unblocks the flow of courage and determination.  The scriptures guarantee that, through sincere practice, we clear away obstacles and attain freedom from weaknesses (the fear of death being the greatest) by making the strong part of ourselves even stronger.

This is the mantra of choice or those who struggle with grief, hopelessness, burn-out or illness.  It is most suited for those who need to access their own healing force for spiritual unfoldment.  Japa, the silent repetition of a mantra, is most effective with the use of a mala.  The Rudrasksha mala, made from 108 seeds of an Indian tree, is most traditional.  The practice of the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra can be done for ourselves or for someone else, but the time to learn this mantra is before it is needed.  Then we must execute the practice.

People often wonder what the difference between yoga and meditation is, believing that they are two separate practices. In truth, yoga has a long tradition that is thousands of years old and, originally, its main purpose in practice was to hone and develop meditative techniques. There was no separating the two. The breathing practices used in yoga and later, the physical postures, were tools to strengthen the body so that it would be more comfortable sitting in meditation for extended periods of time. Mediation was, and truly still is, just one aspect of a full yoga practice.

Today, yoga is often seen as a low impact, safe, and effective way to bring movement into our bodies. Meditation is seen as a way to quiet our busy minds. We learn more about the benefits of yoga and meditation every day. Just this month NPR reported on a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that showed how yoga can significantly reduce back pain. Time, NBC News, and Science Daily all reported on a recent study showing how yoga and other MBIs (Mind-Body Interventions) “can suppress the expression of genes and genetic pathways that promote inflammation” and “reverse the molecular signature of the effects of chronic stress.” The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine also published a study whose findings report a significant decline in depressive symptoms in the study’s participants.

Having the research to back up the benefits of yoga and meditation is encouraging. Yet the important thing to keep in mind is that they go hand in hand. As a yoga teacher, I often say in class, “What makes the shape that your body is in right now yoga?” You might find yourself sitting on the floor with a blanket under your hips or in a chair doing a simple spinal twist and hear the teacher’s voice ask this very question. The answer is simple. You are doing yoga because you are focusing and paying attention. In yoga, we are always working toward being in a kind of meditative state, that is we are directing our attention in a specific way to a specific point of focus. This point of focus may be our breath or sensations that are arising in our body or even a visual point of focus—which is especially helpful when practicing balancing poses.

What happens then when our attention is drawn away, when we get distracted? Are we still practicing yoga? Of course! As mentioned earlier, meditation is just one aspect of a full yoga practice. In the yoga world, we call this one of the “eight limbs” of yoga. Yoga poses are another limb, so is working with our breath, and quieting our senses. The limb or stage that comes just before meditation is developing concentration. The longer we are able to focus our attention the closer we come to meditation. We might start with just a few seconds, then work slowly to a few minutes. Our yoga posture practice soon becomes a moving meditation. There is no rush, and there is no end goal. This process is a journey, with many benefits along the way: pain and stress relief, flexibility and stability, a slower heart rate, and decrease in blood pressure to mention just a few.

If you are considering beginning a yoga and meditation practice, be sure to talk to a qualified teacher. Let them know what your concerns and expectations are, and ask for guidance as to what level of class you might start with. Yoga is a practice for everybody. And with the correct guidance you’ll not only keep your body safe, you’ll also find that as you learn to pay attention while on the yoga mat, you’ll begin to pay more attention while off the yoga mat.

Originally published in The Charlotte Sun: Feeling Fit, 2017.

Running Along the Beach by Joaquin Sorolla

As our investigation of the Purusharthas continues, we come to the third aim, Kama, which means longing, wish, or desire. Kama pertains to the enjoyment of life and needs to be in balance with Dharma (duty) and Artha (means) if we are to experience the final aim, Moksha or liberation. It should not be the central focus of life. Proper expression of pleasure of the senses occurs when it is in harmony with the mind and spirit. The goal is to satisfy our desires and be freed from them, rather than to become increasingly snarled up in indulgence.

The Noble Truths, however, state that desire is the cause of all suffering. We can evaluate which desires cause pain and why, after which we can attempt to use the strong force of desire productively. With the help of contemplation and skillful action, we watch our desires evolve into something that supports dharma, artha and our spiritual practice in general. As we transform, so do our desires. We become capable of seeing the beauty and joy in everything, even hardship. Eventually we mature and wish to be of service to others.

According to Vedic Astrology, three houses correspond to Kama. The third house of ego and personal interests shows where self-will grows into skillful action. The seventh house of relationships with others demonstrates how codependency evolves into cooperation. Finally, the eleventh house of gains indicates how blind ambition becomes service to others. Influences on these houses in an individual birth chart reveal how much self-created misery we might experience before we bring awareness to it.

Next time we will consider the final aim, Moksha.

Siddhasana, or Accomplished Pose, does not look like much from the outside, but the ability to hold this pose for long periods of time is known to be a marker of meditative excellence. In a sitting position, with the left heel placed against the groin, or perineum, and the right ankle placed over the left, Siddhasana represents the ability to sit upright in a state of perfection, or siddha.

The siddha is one who has “perfected” yoga and achieved mastery over the gunas. There are three gunas: tamas (darkness, destruction, chaos), rajas (excitement, activity, confusion), and sattva (goodness, harmony). One who is sattvic has overcome the pull of tamasic or rajasic behavior, abiding in the peace of his own true nature. In this state, according to the Yoga Sutras, one can attain great mystical powers called siddhis. But these powers are to be used appropriately, as the story of Durvasa teaches.

Durvasa was one such siddha who had achieved such siddhi powers. One day he came upon the court of King Ambarish, who had been fasting for the day. When it came time to break his fast at sundown, Durvasa was nowhere to be found. King Ambarish did not want to be rude and eat before his guest, so he drank some water to help ease his hunger. When Durvasa returned and discovered the king had taken water before him, he was furious. With his siddhi powers he created a demon that he sent to kill King Ambarish.

But King Ambarish was a devotee of Vishnu, the god of preservation, and was not attached to his wealth and kingdom because he knew that it was all temporary. Because of his devotion, he was protected by the chakra of Vishnu, a spinning vortex of energy. As soon as the demon came for the king, the spinning wheel instead killed the demon and chased Durvasa away. Durvasa sought help from Bramha, the god of creation, Shiva, the god of destruction, and Vishnu himself. Only Vishnu offered advice, “Only if my devotee Ambarish is willing to forgive you make the chakra withdraw.” Of course, King Ambarish forgave Durvasa and the spinning chakra retreated.

“In the end, the mystical powers of Durvasa proved to be less powerful than the devotional path of yoga that King Ambarish had been following,” states Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas. “The true power of Siddhasana is its ability to give us the space to meditate on the power and beauty of selfless giving and unconditional love.” The same can be said for the attainment of peace within the yoga practice rather than the attainment of the perfect yoga pose. Yoga is an inner, not an outer practice.

Balasana, or Child’s Pose, is one of the most-loved yoga postures for the simple reason that it feels so good. The fact that it’s often taken after a difficult pose may even increase its appeal. Balasana is like a refuge. A breath of fresh air. A release. It’s where we can let go of all the stress and just be. Perhaps that’s why it’s called Child Pose after all. The innocence of childhood is graced with a feeling of ease.

In fact, many say that children are closer to divinity because they have not yet forgotten where they come from. The myth of Balasana touches on this very idea. Krishna, who is Vishnu incarnate (Vishnu being the god of preservation, one of three main Hindu gods), during childhood displayed the behavior of a child who did not know his own divinity, a playful forgetfulness known as lila. Not to be confused with maya, or the illusion that tells us our mortal experiences are real, lila is experienced when one is fully grounded in his or her own divinity, but can then forget it in a way that brings about lightness.

According to Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, “This is one of the paradoxes of yoga philosophy: First we need to remember our divine nature, and when we are established in it we need to forget it again in order to stay engaged in the world.” In other words, we must be in the world, but not of the world. Child’s Pose represents this balance.

We can use children as our teachers. Witness the full attention a child gives to each moment. They are not burdened by their past or worried about the future. They live in the moment, just as yoga teaches us adults to do. Taking the time to find our own childlike—yet godlike—nature is a worthwhile endeavor. “Balasana invites us to cultivate this childlike quality,” says Kaivalya. Keep this in mind next time you come into Child’s Pose.

Vasisthasana, or Side Plank Pose, is named after the great Indian sage Vasistha. The story begins with King Ram, who was an incarnation of Vishnu, one of three main Hindu gods responsible for the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. Vishnu is the maintainer.

King Ram appeared on earth to restore dharma, or righteousness. But after his travels throughout the world, where he witnessed many devastating events, he fell into a deep state of depression. Vasistha saw this state of mind as a great opportunity, however. According to Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, “One must first see cracks in the ceiling before one can start to see the light shining through it.” King Ram was actually on the verge of a spiritual breakthrough, he just didn’t know it.

King Ram was skeptical. His lack of vision clouded his perception, but Vasistha showed him that it was this clouded vision that would help him to find clarity. Thus began a dialogue between King Ram and Vasistha that became the Yoga Vasistha, one of the main yoga philosophy and mythology texts.

The Yoga Vasistha teaches about jivanmukta, the state of the soul who is liberated while living. Jiva is the individual soul, expressed through the different aspects of human life; and mukti means liberation. “The magic occurs, explained Vasistha, when the individual soul merges with absolute freedom, so we can be, as the saying goes, in this world, but not of this world,” states Kaivalya.

Ram became one of the most well revered kings in Indian history. He even appears as the main character in India’s epic, the Ramayana. Vasistha’s teachings are thought to be responsible for Ram’s great achievements and success in life.

The symbolism of Vasisthasana is evident in the pose itself. A careful balance on one hand, the pose requires focus on what’s important. Clouded vision often arises at first, but clear focus is required to truly maintain the posture. With the body facing one direction, only part of the whole truth is seen. One must turn to complete the pose on the other side to view another perspective. This aspect of the pose reflects the challenge King Ram faced when he met Vasistha.

Hanuman’s story begins much before this famous tale. He was actually born Anjaneya, son of Anjana, a mortal woman, and Vaju, the god of wind, so he was half human, half god. He was a troublesome youngster, however, and one day was fatally struck down by the sun god, Surya because of his mischievousness. Vayu’s fury at Surya’s actions caused him to take in a deep breath, threatening all of humanity. To appease Vayu, the gods compromised, and Anjaneya was returned as Hanuman, but was unable to fully remember his own divinity.

Hanuman was removed from his mother and put into the care of Sugriva, the monkey king. Hanuman took the shape of a monkey to better get along with his family. One day he met King Ram, who immediately took to liking him. It was shortly thereafter that Ravana plotted to take over Ram’s kingdom and kidnap Sita. When he did, Ram could not rescue Sita because he had to defend his kingdom, so he sent his trusted friend Hanuman to save her.

It was then that Hanuman took the great leap to Sri Lanka. He was unsure how he would make the great journey, but his faith kept him going despite not knowing what he was truly capable of. “Many of us shrink before impossible tasks, or even tasks that are just a bit hard, because we are just like Hanuman. We easily forget that there is a part of us that is also divine and can accomplish the impossible,” says Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas. His faith and dedication brought him to Sita, where he promised to later return with King Ram to save her and fight off Ravana’s army. And they did just that, winning back their kingdom.

The same faith and dedication can be applied in the pose Hanumanasana itself. A challenging pose, it can take much time to take the full expression of the pose. Faith and dedication are essential to finding steadiness and ease in the pose.