We use the tradition of a talking circle in honor of our lineage that partially comes from the Lakota people. Talking circles, peacemaking circles, or healing circles, as they are variously called, are deeply rooted in the traditional practices of indigenous people. In North America, they are widely used among the First Nations people of Canada and among the many tribes of Native Americans in the US. Healing circles take a variety of forms, but most basically, members sit in a circle to consider a problem or a question. The circle starts with a prayer, usually by the person convening the circle, or by an elder, when an elder is involved. A talking stick is held by the person who speaks (other sacred objects may also be used, including eagle feathers and fans). When that person is finished speaking, the talking stick is passed to the left (clockwise around the circle). Only the person holding the stick may speak. All others remain quiet. The circle is complete when the stick passes around the circle one complete time without anyone speaking out of turn. The talking circle prevents reactive communication and directly responsive communication, and it fosters deeper listening and reflection in conversation. Healing circles are often called hocokah in the Lakota language, which means a sacred circle and is also the word for altar. The hocokah consists of people who sit together in a talking circle, in prayer, in ceremony, and are committed to helping one another and to each other’s healing.

The talking circle process is a unique instructional approach that can be used to stimulate multicultural awareness while fostering respect for individual differences and facilitating group cohesion. The creation of the talking circle is often credited to the Woodland tribes in the Midwest North America, who used it as a form of parliamentary procedure. “The symbol of the circle holds a place of special importance in Native beliefs. For the North American Indian, whose culture is traditional rather than literate, the significance of the circle has always been expressed in ritual practice and in art. The lives of men and women, as individual expressions of the Power of the World move in and are nourished by an uninterrupted circular/spiral motion. This circle is often referred to as the Medicine Wheel. Human beings live, breathe and move, giving additional impetus to the circular movement, provided they live harmoniously, according to the circle’s vibratory movement. Every seeker has a chance to eventually discover a harmonious way of living with their environment according to these precepts.” Traditionally, many Native American communities have used the talking circle as a way of bringing people of all ages together for the purposes of teaching, listening, and learning. Talking circles were a traditional form of education from early childhood through adulthood and provided a way to pass on knowledge, values, and culture. This method of education instilled respect for another’s viewpoint and encouraged members to be open to other viewpoints by listening with their hearts while another individual speaks. They effectively foster respect, model good listening skills, settle disputes, resolve conflicts, and build self-esteem.

The circle process establishes a very different style of communication. Rather than aggressively debating and challenging each other, which often involves only a few of the more assertive individuals, the circle process establishes a safe nonhierarchical place in which all present have the opportunity to speak without interruptions. It prevents one-to-one debating or attacking. After brief opening comments by the circle keeper about the purpose of the talking circle, a listing of ground rules, and a request for additional contributions to the ground rules.

Project Your Voice - You can project your voice without making it sound harsh or like shouting. Vary your voice to match what you are teaching. Use more softness to teach Savasana and more strength to teach things like Utkatasana or Virabhadrasana I, II

Instruct Direct Action - Keep Students Out of the Thinking Mind. Start each sentence with a verb. Avoid use of metaphor. Avoid use of 1st person plural: "we", "our", "let's".. Avoid use of words ending in -ing . 80% Direct Action, 20% explanation in your speech. Avoid words that instruct students to release muscle support completely, like drop or fall

Observe Your Students - Notice if any student is doing something potentially injury-causing. Be aware if the students are performing your instruction. Watch students’ faces and breath

Demonstrate when necessary and ask students to come out of posture in order to observe

Be Mindful of Your Posture- model what you are asking of your students: calmness, presence, attention. Avoid crossing your arms or fidgeting with your hands. Avoid pacing around the room. Move Around the Room to see each student better. To allow all students to feel they have some attention from you. To keep a student from feeling singled out if you stand near one the whole class

Follow the Road Map - Start at the foundation and move up. Use the language of Placement, Establish, Clarify, Maintain. Teach the internal dynamic (the core, the quality of the breath, and relaxed nervous system) as well as the external dynamic (the arrangement of the body).

After class, be open for feedback. Ask if anyone has questions.

PLACEMENT - Placement consists of directional cues that orient the body in space in preparation for alignment and integration, both in movement and in stillness.

Do not confuse “core actions” and placement! Placement must happen before E-C-M language.

Example:

“Step to the front of your mats with your feet hip-width distance and the arms alongside the body.”

ESTABLISH -

When we establish, we speak in direct cues, verbs, statements. For example: Broaden from the mound of the big toe to the little toe and the inner and outer edges of your heels. Balance the weight equally on the four points.

Core action language

CLARIFY -

Clarification language can be descriptive, but most importantly, it is making clear the effects of right actions. For example, “Broaden your feet and balance your weight equally.” “You’ll know this is right, because your heels will have as much weight as the balls, and your arches will not be collapsed.”

Introduce your “collapsed language”

Unpack how to take action

Reveal the consequence of actions

Use opposition language (forthcoming)

MAINTENENCE -

Maintenance language is basically minimal muscular effort language. “Use only as much effort as necessary without dropping any of the core actions.” This is an invitation to sense deeply and be in relationship with their bodies, which are immediate feedback loops.

Maintenance language also includes time for inquiry. This is a further invitation for deep sensing.

Language that reminds students to keep what has already been established and clarified

Cues for “minimum muscular effort”

Make relationships between the actions in the pose and the goal of the class

Invitation to deep sensingItem description

The Core Actions are the ground work of all posture. They are the basis of what one teaches and practices. Their aim is to stabilize the joints, integrate the body and strengthen healthy structural habits.

FEET - PADA BHANDA

Establish: Spread the toes and broaden from the big toe mound to the little toe mound and from the inner heel to the outer heel. Balance your weight equally across all 4 points.

Clarify: You should feel the arch of the foot and the toes lift. I will call this a broadened foot, or an active foot.

Maintenance: Do so with the minimum muscular effort and keep this going.

LEGS - PADA BANDHA

Establish: Lengthen your legs from the glutes down to the heels and back up from the tops of the feet into the front hip points.

Clarify: See that the muscles of the legs engage and the kneecap lifts. Slightly bend the knee to avoid locking the joint. Collapsed language: I will call this lengthening the legs in two directions.

Maintain: Keep this going with minimum muscular effort.

HANDS - HASTA BANDHA

Establish: Spread the fingers and broaden from index mound to the pinky mound and from the inner heel to the outer heel of the palm. Balance your weight equally across all 4 points.

Clarification: Look for the feeling of the arches of your palms lifting. I will call this a broadened hand or an active hand.

Maintenance: Keep this going with minimum muscular effort.

ARMS - HASTA BANDHA

Establish: Lengthen your arms from the top of shoulder out through the finger tips. Reach back in from the heel of the palm into the armpit.

Clarify: You’ll know this is happening when the muscles of the arms begin to engage and the side body activates. Collapsed language: I will call this lengthening the arms in two directions.

Maintain: Keep this going. Inquire into quality of effort.

PELVIS - MULA BANDHA

Establish: Lift the front hip points to level the pelvis. Tone the low belly in and up and maintain that.

Clarify: See that the natural low back curve is present. Collapsed language: I will call this balancing the pelvis.

Maintain: Keep this going with the minimum muscular effort.

RIB CAGE - UDDIYANA BANDHA

Establish: Lift the rib cage equally on all sides. Breathe in the space between the shoulder blades. Place the back of the head over the tailbone.

Clarify: Don’t lift the sternum, rather pick up the back heart. Collapsed language: I will call this a broadened ribcage

Maintain: Keep this going with the minimum muscular effort.

HEAD - JALANDARHA BANDHA

Establish: Slide the chin straight back and place the back of the head over the tailbone.

Clarify: Don’t lift the chin. Collapsed language: I will call this balancing the head.

Maintain: Keep this going with the minimum muscular effort.

MOUTH - JIVA BANDHA*

Establish: close the mouth but separate the teeth slightly. Place the tongue in the roof of the mount and connect the tongue to the back of the upper teeth. Keep that connection but let the belly of the tongue fall down as thought you were making space for a hard candy in the mouth.

Clarify: Apply a little suction in the mouth in order to hold this position with ease. Collapsed language: I will call this mouth placement

Maintain: Keep this going with the minimum muscular effort.

Of course, each action is completely interconnected to all the others actions through a single matrix of cause and effect. Each one is always activated on the basis of the universal principle of integrity: utilizing the “minimum muscular effort for the maximum comfortable stability”, “sthiram sukham prayatna saithilya”.

The core actions can be distilled down into more succinct and fundamental groups of actions. Thus, each action is not taught individually after it is embodied and understood. The actions are unified via hands, feet, arms, legs, pelvis, ribcage, and head/mouth; eventually no reference to technique in class, at which point self-practice is available.

In terms of practical presentation and languaging, each of the above distillations can be taught in relation to class levels. The six fundamental activations form the basis of the beginning teacher’s language. This means that the teacher’s dialogue is consistent with reference to how these basic activities are verbalized in class, and there is ample demonstration of them.

THE CORE ACTIONS-

Each action is completely interconnected to all the other actions through a single matrix of cause and effect. Each one is always activated on the basis of the universal principle of integrity: utilizing the minimum muscular effort for the maximum comfortable stability.

Once the actions are embodied, students are taught to use this organizational process and apply it to any posture in the Hatha Yoga canon.

All the 7 Core Actions can be distilled into actions of lengthening and broadening.

Feet Broaden: Reach from the big toe mound to the pinky toe and from the inner to the outer heel. Balance your weight equally on your feet front to back and side to side.

Hands Broaden: Reach from the index mound to the pinkie mount and from the inner to the outer heel. Balance your weight equally in all directions.

Legs Lengthen: Reach from the sitting bones down into the heels, then pull up from the tops of the feet into the front hip bones.

Arms Lengthen: Reach from the top of the shoulder into the middle finger and from the palm back into the armpit.

Pelvis Lengthens: Lift the front hip bones to level the pelvis. And tone the low belly to hold it.

Rib Cage Broadens: Lift the ribs on all sides and breathe into the space between the shoulder blades

Head and Mouth Lengthens: Draw the chin straight back and lift the base of the skull slightly. Unhinge the jaw. Press the tongue against the the mouth so the it finds the back of the upper teeth. Then soften the belly of the tongue away from the roof of the mouth as though you are making room for a hard candy. Apply a bit of suction to hold that position while the jaw stays relaxed

As your students learn, you should be able to say “less” in order to get these fundamental activations happening.

Broaden or activate the feet and hands.

Lengthen the arms and legs.

Balance the pelvis, ribcage and head

Eventually, you can use the instruction of “broaden what can be broadened, lengthen what can be lengthened.”

BANDHA-

Bandhas are the arches in the body and the correspond to the 7 core actions.

They create buoyancy (lift and lightness) that supports movement, stillness and spontaneity.

Bandha is one of the 5 techniques of Hatha Yoga. We correspond Bandha to Integration

The 7 core actions activate and integrate the entire body. When these actions are present in the right context (intention and effort), they establish Sarvangabandha (the whole body bandha).

Sarvangabandha- the Whole Body Bandha

Pada Bandha (feet, legs)

Hasta Bandha (hands and arms)

Meru Bandha (spine)

Mula Bandha (pelvis)

Uddiyana Bandha (ribcage)

Jalandhara Bandha (neck)

Jiva Bandha (mouth)

THE ARCHES-

The arch, as encountered in architecture, is a curved structure used to span an opening and support loads from above. The human body is also made of arches that create space and support that which is above. This is true in every structure and every combination of structures within the body. People often look for straight lines in the body, but really, the body tends toward a roundness and openness, both in structure and in action.

Engaging the Core Actions, or Bandhas, integrates the seemingly parts of the body into one stable whole. One of the reasons for this is that the Core Actions lift the arches of the body.

The arches we are concerned with:

Feet and hands

Pelvis and rib cage

Palate

Top of the head

BROADENING AND LENGTHENING-

Teaching the bandhas structurally: If it is the case that the body, the mind, and life as we know it is always already unified, or inherently whole, then the postures that we practice, and the actions that we take to support and inquire into them, should demonstrate this wholeness. More specifically in the case of posture, the actions we take in any posture should be able to manifest the always-already-present relationships between the body’s parts. Beginning instruction in the Circle Yoga Shala training proceeds in concert within the basic binary dynamic of lengthening and broadening, or expanding and extending. This dynamic is in turn enmeshed in the rhythm of inhalation (broadening) and exhalation (lengthening).

ANKLES - MOBILE; plantar flex/dorsi flex, flexion/extension, supinate/pronate

KNEES - STABILE; neutral, flexion

HIPS - MOBILE; flexion/extension, abduction/adduction. internal rotation/external rotation

LOW BACK - STABILE; flexion/extension

UPPER BACK - MOBILE; flexion/extension, lateral flexion/extension, right rotation/left rotation,

WRIST - MOBILE; flexion/extension, supinate/pronate

ELBOW - STABLE; neutral/flexion

SHOULDER - MOBILE; flexion, extension, abduction/adduction, internal rotation/external rotation

SHOULDER BLADE - STABLE; protract/retract

NECK - MOBILE; flexion/extension, lateral flexion/extension, right rotation, left rotation

Simple/Complex

spine in neutral/spine not in neutral

symmetrical standing/asymmetrical standing

broad foundation/narrow foundation

movement/stilness

gross/subtle

low load/high load

supported/unsupported

periphery/center

fewer planes of movement/more planes of movement

joint at end range/joints not at end range

At the heart of both Dynamic Yoga and the Classical systems of Hatha Yoga is the principle of Vinyasa Krama. As T.K.V Desikachar says, “developing a practice according to the ideas expressed in the Yoga Sutra is an action referred to as Vinyasa Krama.” Vinyasa Krama is then the guiding principle that weaves a thread of continuity between modern adaptations of yoga and the classical formats. The prioritization and utilization of the five fundamental techniques of the hatha yoga practice – – -asana, vinyasa, pranayama, bandha, and drushti – – – is directed by the underlying concerns that it emphasizes.

The word vinyasa is composed of the prefix “vi” which translates as “in a special way”, and the verb root “nyasa”, which literally means to “place” or “arrange”. When we practice vinyasa in the context of postures, we “place” or “arrange” the movements of the body in exact coordination with the breath: “the correct linking of breath and movement is the basis for the whole asana practice”. When vinyasa is practiced with care, the movements of the large anatomical body subordinate to, and then harmonize with, the movements of the physiological body – – – specifically the respiratory system. We begin yoga practice in the state where these two apparently distinct structures manifest a deep, conscious union in action, where the expansion and deflation of the lungs begins to dictate when all voluntary movement takes place, how long it lasts, its tempo, and its intensity.

The word “Krama” literally means “step”. Desikachar also translates it as “gradual”. Hence, regardless of whether they are primarily mental/concentrative, or overtly physical, the techniques of yoga are introduced in a series of steps that are directly relative to a particular student – – – or group of student’s – – – physical, emotional, and mental capacities. So, the process of training that constitutes the embodiment of Yogic technique unfolds along a sequenced continuum, arranged in a series of steps that unfold sequentially, and in exact coordination with an inhalation and an exhalation. This continuum includes increasing and decreasing degrees of intensity and complexity, and the steps ensure that the learning process does not create instability as the inevitably challenging situations begin to arise.

The number of steps delineating the sequenced continuum, and the particular order in which they unfold is: always somewhat arbitrary and somewhat determined. This simply means that the content of each step is determined by the situation, but the context within which the steps are practiced remains constant. For instance, any number of things can prioritize the course of a practice, and hence its specific sequence: one may wish to achieve stability and comfort in a particular posture, or work with a particular body part in a therapeutic way, or even discover the connection between certain emotional states and areas of physical restriction. However, regardless of the particular intention, practice is always contextualized first by Ahimsa, taught as an inquiry into the content of the present moment, and second by the classical imperative that Sthiram and Sukham constitute the ideal state of embodiment for the onset of meditative absorption.

Utilizing the principle of Vinyasa Krama benefits the student in several important ways: the step by step method of presentation teaches her to continually establish a stable space within which she can clearly experience the breadth of physical and psychological effects generated by the practice; it allows her to gradually discover the edge of what she is currently capable of in relation to the work being done; and this in turn supplies her with the pre-requisite experience for eventually assuming responsibility for what is chosen as practice material, and what is left out or discarded. If the student does not begin to learn to modify practice, to make intelligent changes in relation to the permutations of existence, one of Yoga’s richest gems has been covered over in the foray.

SEQUENCING: THE ARC OF VINYASA KRAMA

The guidelines provided by Vinyasa Krama insure that the priority of posture practice is congruent with the Yoga Sutra and its concern for the presence of shthiram (steadiness), and sukham (comfort and ease). In order to cultivate and maintain these two qualities, a well balanced practice is a continuum of preparatory and compensatory steps, which take the body-mind to the edge of what it is currently capable of, and then return it gradually to equilibrium. This continuum can be represented visually as an arc (anga). The arc of a practice is a metaphor representing the “shape” of a balanced sequence. Series of steps for both single postures and whole practices reveal this arc.

The first part of the arc is called the Purva Anga, or the preparatory phase. In beginning classes, this stage is composed of symmetrical postures, and a high proportion of dynamic variations and movement. In the purva anga, movement and postures are chosen in relation to teaching the form of the final goal and the actions that create and support that form. For example, if the aim is to prepare for back bending, basically students must be taught to extend the spine and the thigh bones, while providing opposition to these actions by simultaneously flexing the pelvis and the lumbar area. So the purva anga will give posture and repetition of movement in stages which provide opportunities to do these things in both movement and in stillness.

The middle portion of the Vinyasa Arc is called the Pradhana Anga, or the goal phase. This phase is composed of the postures and techniques most related to the goal. To continue the example of back bending: this section might be comprised of a single back bend, or several, depending on the intention of the practice. The Pradhana Anga occurs roughly in the middle/later middle of the entire time that it takes to complete the practice.

The last portion of the arc is called the Uttara Anga, or the conclusion phase. This phase is composed of compensatory postures and movements. To compensate for back bend we would pick simple forward bends and twists, all of which should require less effort that the goal posture. The Uttara Anga is as crucial to the overall effect of the practice as the previous two phases.

ORGANIZING TOOLS

SIMPLE OR COMPLEX MOVEMENTS OF THE SPINE

Dynamic and Static posture variations; Symmetry and Asymmetry; Foundations

Spinal Movement: If we are to characterize a balanced sequence as proceeding on a continuum that unfolds in sequential steps, each gradually increasing in complexity and the degree of effort required to maintain the core actions of the position, then there must be some basis upon which complexity and relative degree of effort is based, in other words some system of evaluation. The first major organizational category divides the postures into groups based on the movement of the spine relative to the rest of the body. There are six classic divisions:

• Samasthitihi: any position in which the spine remains in the vertical, or neutral, position.

• Pascimatana: any position in which the spine moves toward the legs, as in forward bend.

• Purvatana: any position in which the spine moves away from the legs, as in back bend.

• Parsva: any position that extends the spine to the side.

• Parivitta: any position that twists the spine around its own axis.

• Vishesa (Inverted): any position in which the spine is turned upside down, and this grouping also includes all arm balances.

These characteristics can be used to determine the relative difficulty of any posture, and thus they help the teacher match the level of material to the level of student.

Symmetry and Asymmetry: The second major posture division describes the specific form of the posture, and whether it is Symmetrical or Asymmetrical. A symmetrical posture is one in which each quadrant of the body (e.g., right side/left side, front/back) and its appendages are positioned evenly.

Conversely, an asymmetrical posture is one in which the quadrants of the body and its appendages are arranged differently. An example of an asymmetrical posture is parivritta ardha chandrasana.

Beginning students should spend the majority of their time in any given sequence working in the arena of symmetrical postures in which the spine manifests samasthitihi or neutrality. The uniform arrangement of body parts provides a more stable situation in which to clarify and practice the essential actions (bandhas and spirals) that lend integrity to the postures. For instance, even though the arm spirals are always activated the same way, it is easier to access, reinforce, maintain, and balance their presence in a symmetrical position like Trikonasana (Triangle), as opposed to an asymmetrical situation like the arm position in Gomukhasana (Cow face). It is safe to say that asymmetrical geometry marks an increase in the complexity of the posture, especially when it is coincident with a compound movement in the spine.

Foundations: there are six basic foundations in the posture practice. They are, standing, sitting, facing upwards or supine, facing downwards or prone, inverted, and on the side.

In general, the larger the surface area of the foundation, the more stable it will be and thus the less effort will be required to investigate the position, or remain stable in it. Also, the degree to which weight is arranged symmetrically over the foundation contributes to stability, and therefore lessens effort. For example, in basic standing postures, the entire weight of the body is born by the two feet, which are usually taken wide apart. Even in combination, the surface area of both feet does not come close to equaling the surface area of the body, and when the stance is wide, that surface area is experienced as even less than it actually is. Thus, the standing positions tend to be demanding, requiring large degrees of muscular effort to maintain in stability, and when one foot becomes the foundation, even more so.

Conversely, when the foundation is supine (face up) as in Shavasana, the entirety of the back-body is in contact with the floor, and weight of the body is easily spread across it. This in part is responsible for the small amount of effort takes to remain stable in it. So a broad foundation requires less effort than a smaller one.

Dynamic and static variations: When working dynamically, a particular posture is entered in conjunction with one phase of the breath, and exited on the next phase, and this is repeated a number of times.

In static variations, when the edge of one’s stability and comfort is reached in a posture, one remains there for a time in stillness. It is said that dynamic variations accomplish structural changes more readily than stillness, opening the joints and the tissues more effectively than holding. And it is said that remaining in stillness more readily accomplishes deep inner transformation at the subtle levels of behavioral impulses and mind.

Generally speaking, various durations of specific dynamic work should precede stillness. We see the intuitive utilization of this maxim in the traditional practice sequences that begin with Surya Namaskar (the sun salutation), and then proceed to postures that are held in stillness. Both dynamic and static variations should be used in different proportions, depending on the intention of the practice.

Purva Anga – Preparation: The steps through which postures are both taught and practiced proceed according to specific rules of preparation. When constructing a practice, it is best to establish an intention or a goal, and to then implement a series of steps which progress toward that goal in a particular way: from the most stable situations to the most challenging, from the simplest to the most complex, and from the easiest to the most strenuous. Therefore there are several elements in a practice that are all sequenced: technical complexity and the degree of sheer physical effort are two of the most important.

In the Purva Anga, each posture in a sequence must prepare the body for the posture that immediately follows, and the final goal. The goal of the practice (when a particular posture is the intended destination) is thus embodied, or prefigured, in gradually increasing degrees of completeness until it is reached, or rather until the student reaches the edge of her capabilities, which may or may not include the completed goal. Essentially this means that the student’s body and mind are allowed to gradually experience the essentials of the final posture: both the actions that lend integrity to its geometrical configuration, and the release that maintains the integrity of the core while in it.

Here are a few preparation guidelines for some frequently practiced asanas. In general:

• Prepare for Samasthitihi, or the neutral spine by teaching the actions of the bandhas (basic lengthening and broadening at the beginning level, spiraling at the secondary level). The neutral spine position is of the utmost importance for several reasons: because of its symmetry, it is the easiest place to feel the actions that constitute bandha, and is thus the primary spinal orientation in the initial stages of learning. Attempts to maintain it through transition greatly help to clarify the impacts of actions in the feet, legs, arms, and pelvis on the spine.

• Prepare for Pascimatana, or forward bend, with actions that stretch the back of the body and open the hips. Teach students to connect the power of an extending leg to the forward tilt (extension) in the pelvis. For most students, it is expedient to emphasize the internal spiral and its impact on the pelvic floor, sitting bones, and the back of the pelvis. This tends to begin the desired movement in the pelvis. When the edge of its forward tilt is reached, the back begins to bend, a point in the motion that needs to be clear in the students’ experience so that support for the spine can be negotiated from there on out. Precede toward the intended position with a series of forward bends that progress gradually in terms of technical complexity, range of motion, and strenuousness. [see sequence 1 and commentary]

• Prepare for Purvatana, or back bend, with actions that progressively stretch and open the front of the body, especially the chest, shoulders, and the front hips (quadriceps). Pay special attention to teaching the actions in the legs and the pelvis that stabilize the lower back: balance the simultaneous presence of strong leg extension with pelvic flexion, so that the force and movement generated by bending backward can be channeled into the thoracic spine. Soften the upper back with twists, and practice using the arms in various situations to clarify their role in helping to lengthen it. Use a series of back bends which progress toward the goal pose by gradually increasing the challenge in terms of technical complexity, range of motion, and sheer physical effort.

• Prepare for Parsva, or lateral extension with actions that open the sides of the body. Lateral extension is a challenge to most beginning students’ balance. Introduce parsva in positions that progress incrementally. For example, when teaching Utthita Trikonasana (extended triangle), make sure to allow the students to experience the side bend in various foundations that are more stable than the final position. For example: parsva balasana, to standing side bend with feet together, to parsvasana where the feet are wide apart, to the final position.

• Prepare for Parivritta, or twisting, with actions that awaken and enliven the musculature of the torso and sensitize the students awareness to the lower, mid, and upper regions of the spine. According to David Coulter, author of The Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, the lower back is constructed so that it does not twist very much. Most of the twisting that takes place in the spine is in the middle and upper regions (Coulter, 2001, 223). The sequence of actions leading toward Parivritta should be arranged in a way that emphasizes the energy of Uddiyana bandha and its upward rising extension as the primary action within the context of a revolving spine, so that students remain concerned with creating space between the vertebrae as they twist. They must be taught to extend through the rotation. Also, introduce twisting postures carefully so that students get a clear sense of how much rotation can be accomplished with just the muscles around the spine itself, before they begin to use the arms for assisting the twist.

A note on inversions and arm balances: Arm balances and inversions are unique in the Yoga training method. They are strenuous and challenging. With careful repetition, they integrate the somatic structure of the body to a very high degree. They also accomplish a deep and acute sharpening of attention and present a real challenge to our ability to remain sensitive to the soft core in highly charged situations.

Prepare for inversions with actions that gradually warm the whole body: especially actions that focus on the neck, upper back, chest, and shoulders. Increase work in these areas gradually, finding ways to introduce weight bearing to them as slowly as possible, so that students learn to maintain the integrity of correct alignment before the weight of the entire body is born inverted.

Prepare for arm balances by loosening wrists, shoulders, and neck before weight bearing. After these areas are warmed, find ways to introduce weight bearing in stages. Core strengthening exercises are good because they reinforce the role of the abdomen in maintaining integrity between the upper and lower body, which is definitely challenged in balance positions.

Developing the ability to see these kinds of relationships simplifies preparation strategies for what can often seem to be an exotic and unattainable class of postures. Simply use the same preparatory steps that you would use to prepare for the posture which the arm balance most resembles: if it includes a deep twist , prepare with a series of postures which incorporates twists in gradually increasing degrees of difficulty, with the twisting arm balance as the pinnacle of the challenge.

Uttara Anga – Compensation: After the goal of the practice is reached, the body will have accumulated various stresses and patterns of movement that need to be neutralized by counter movements. As T.K.V. Desikachar says: “Yoga teaches us that every action has at least two effects, one positive, and one negative.” Yoga is then a meditation on action, its origin, and its consequences, so that we can make adjustments to emphasize the things that either do not produce undesirable effects, or quickly balance their presence.

The science of compensation is called “pratikriya”, which means something like “counteraction” Each action we perform must be balanced, relative to the degree of its frequency, intensity, and complexity, with its opposite. Whenever we notice the effects of the specific actions we have performed, especially those that have resulted in tension, we should compensate by performing the simplest posture, or series of postures, which alleviate the accumulated effects. When compensating, both dynamic and static variations should be used, with dynamic variations preceding stillness.

The compensatory stage of a sequence begins to unfold immediately after reaching the goal posture. Thus compensation is the inverse of preparation, unfolding from complex to simple, from strenuous to easy, and from the least stable to the most. Compensation thus outlines the progression from challenge to equilibrium. Here are some general guidelines:

1. Compensate for deep forward bends with gentle twists and simple, strengthening back bends, whose range of motion is less than the deepest forward bend of the preceding series. Do not include extreme opposing actions in the same class: do not move from a full forward bend into a deep back bend. From forward bend, bring the spine back to neutral, strengthen it there, and then move into easy back bends like Locust.

2. Compensate for back bends with simple twists that soften the back, and then gentle forward bends whose range of motion is less than the deepest back bend of the preceding series. Again: from deep back bend, to simple twist and then to easy forward bend.

3. Compensate for inversions with small, simple, fluid, neck, and shoulder movements to search out the condition of the neck after the inverted posture: accumulated tension, or involuntary contraction is best relieved with gentle movement rather than stasis. In most traditions, shoulder stand follows headstand, and is considered compensatory for the compression the neck receives in headstand. Also, the effects of shoulder stand on the body resemble those of forward bend. Thus gentle back bends and twists often follow inversion. Keep in mind however, that compensation, like preparation, is a gradual affair.

4. Compensate for arm balances with gentle, fluid, neck and shoulder movements to alleviate accumulated tensions produced by holding the body in the balance position. Then proceed to bring the rest of the body back to neutral by compensating for the cumulative effects of the rest of the posture: for example, if the balance involved forward bend, then proceed to gentle back bend, and vice versa.

Begin anywhere in the cycle, it is a circle-

on hands and knees, begin with your hips back on your heels, forehead on the ground, arms over head.

on Inhale, rise up to hands and knees

on exhale, lower forward and down on to the belly

on inhale, lift the head and chest, keep gaze at the floor, don’t use the arms

on exhale, lower down

on inhale, tuck the toes, press them into the floor, lengthen down the back of the leg to lift the knees and thighs from the floor, keep the hips down

on exhale, set the legs down and untuck the toes

on inhale, press up to hands and knees

on exhale, step one foot between the hands and then the other coming into a high squat

on inhale, keep the knees deeply bent and come up to standing

exhale and parallel the feet

on inhale, take the arms up over head

on exhale, lower the arms to shoulder height in the “T” position and bend one elbow so that hand is in front of the chest

on inhale, take the arms up over head

on exhale, lower the arms to shoulder height in the “T” position and bend the other elbow so that hand is in front of the chest

on inhale, take the arms up over head

on exhale draw the hands together, lower them down in front of the heart, bend the knees and fold forward

inhale, step one foot back and lower the knee down, and then the other, into hands and knees

on exhale take the hips back towards the heels and lower the forehead to the ground.

repeat

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Asana as a Technique and the Practice of Hatha Yoga

It is important for students to note and understand the distinction between the quality of posture and the externality of its shape: it is indeed possible to master many of the complex geometrical arrangements that have come to be known as Asanas, without regard to the basic disposition of the body, breath, or the mind “within” those shapes. If a student’s training is characterized by struggle, even though there may appear to be mastery of the body and its possibilities, no Yoga is present. The following section is an excerpt from a transcribed talk given by Godfredev. It addresses the relationship between the practice of posture and the transformation of consciousness that characterizes Asana.

“I’d like to begin to contextualize the practice of yoga postures within the concept of Form. Of the five elements of yoga practice, form is the earth aspect. The five different aspects of the yoga method, and the five techniques expressing the five elements of the yoga method, are inherently not separate. So when we practice posture, what we’re trying to find out – – in action, in the body – – is the true nature of the form aspect of doing yoga, and through that, what the true nature of form is within the whole manifestation of existence itself.

Obviously each yoga posture has its own shape, its own form. Even though some of the postures have similar forms, nevertheless, for them to be the unique postures that they are, they have to have different shapes. Shape making is an important aspect of yoga, an important part of the power of the practice. Its importance and power rest to a great extent on the integrity of the forms we assume. It’s not enough to make a rough approximation of the shape. You may get a bit of exercise, stretch this muscle, or contract and tighten that muscle. You may get stiffness here and tension there, but this is not yoga. You may feel like you’ve had a bit of a workout, but this is still not yoga.

Within the context set forth by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, the pragmatic purpose of posture practice is to free the body from tension (II-47), and establish it in joyful steadiness, or tranquil stability – – sthira sukam (II-46). Tranquil stability and joyful steadiness obviously mean no tension. So, in order to arrive in sthira sukam, the body must be free from tension relative to the shape of the posture, relative to its particular form. Each one of those hundreds of yoga posture addresses itself to the potentiality of tension in the body in a unique and different way. So each one of those forms is a unique opportunity to release tension from the body.

However, most of the postures are to one degree or another unnatural. This does not mean impossible to execute: they are not outside the capacity of the human body. Many are simply uncommon or unusual, not used by most people in their lives. Gymnasts, athletes, dancers, and acrobats may know them, but even so, there’s a huge range of forms or shapes amongst the postures that bear very little relationship to the way you normally live. Therefore, they can be a direct and successful invitation for tension to enter the body if they’re not approached with care, integrity and understanding.

Take for example a posture like Virabhadrasana, in which you turn the trunk forward, bend the front leg, stretch the arms up and look up. If this is not done with care and understanding, it will develop tension in the inter-vertebral spaces in the lower back, the neck, and the shoulders. Rather than being good for you, the posture becomes dangerous: even if it’s developing your stamina and your concentration. Even if it’s developing your determination, it’s still damaging your back and your neck. So precision in the expression of form – – – in the articulation of the body into various positions – – – becomes the fundamental way of not only securing the effectiveness of the yoga postures, but also ensuring your safety.

You could look at the form of the body in a posture and consider angles, relationships between planes, and relationships between lines, as if the body was a geometrical arrangement. But this is not very helpful: every person’s body has a unique pattern of tension, or limitation, and a unique pattern of potential or capability. Even though any given posture has its inherently perfect line, that line exists only for a body free from tension relative to that shape. If your body is not free from tension, then the perfect line is not available, and trying to impose the perfect line or the perfect shape is an invitation to tension. So looking for the line, or establishing the form of a posture, has to be a process of self-enquiry: svadhyaya, a sensitive, honest, and open investigation of what your potentiality is, what your capability is – – – right now. This enquiry is undertaken without regard to what your capability was yesterday, and without regard to what you would like your capability to be.

Everyone lines themselves up slightly differently. But even so, in order for Virabhadrasana to be Virabhadrasana, the basics of its shape must be present. For instance, nobody should bend the back leg, even if that means the front leg only bends one degree. The bending of the front leg is not the point of Virabhadrasana: the point is what’s happening in the whole body, and if the back leg is bending, the lower back is accumulating stress: it is compromised and probably being damaged. Damage to the lower back may not become obvious until years later, and even then it’s not obvious it has arisen from Virabhadrasana – – – it was because somebody pushed you over, or you fell off your bicycle – – – or whatever. But perhaps you fell over because you damaged your back in Virabhadrasana, and the integrity of the spinal muscles was lost. So even though the description given of the movements to be taken refers to a specific shape – – – you could say a geometrical pattern – – – how you express that shape, where you go, how you accommodate your limitations,

depends on you.

Patanjali has given a compass to guide you. That compass is sthira sukam, joyful steadiness: a disposition of being grounded that facilitates comfort and release. Sthira Sukham applies to the body as a whole, to its shape as a whole, to its form as a whole – – – to every single part of it. So if one part is not stable the whole cannot be comfortable. If one part is not comfortable the whole cannot be stable: shtiram sukam has to be applied throughout awareness of the whole body as it expresses the form of the posture. And even though the postures are many, addressing yourself to the form of the body in each one of the postures is always exactly the same. You always have two legs, two arms, two hands, et cetera. This remains the same, no matter what the shape is.

The unique similarity within the variety of forms is the articulation of awareness in action. This articulation is always exactly the same: a spirallic extension of the trunk, radiating into the limbs equally. So you’re looking for a similar internal action and awareness in each externally different posture: within diversity, unity. For example, how far apart should your feet be in Virabhadrasana? This is not determined by any geometrical criteria. It is determined in your own practice by the presence or absence of shtira sukam: your stability is always that upon which your comfort depends. In a standing posture stability always depends entirely on grounding your foundation. Any builder will tell you this is obvious. There is no point in bothering yourself with the roof: if the foundations have not been correctly laid, the roof will be off. There is no way out. And this is the same in a yoga posture.

The active grounding of the foundation in the yoga posture happens breath by breath, second by second, moment by moment. It is not like building a house, where once you’ve laid the foundation you can forget about it. That means you ground the parts of the body in contact with the floor as fully, evenly, and actively as possible – – – while recognizing that this contact, this grounding, is by necessity constantly fluctuating. All you’re trying to do is minimize and stabilize that fluctuation. It’s not about being aggressive, not about imposing stillness or forcing stability. Again, it’s an inquiry: is it possible to keep both the front and back foot as grounded as possible? And as the answer starts to become, no, then the question has to be asked, “Have I not gone far enough – – -have I gone too far“? If the answer is yes, then you adjust.

What that means for many people in Virabhadrasana is that the bending of the front leg, the forward movement of both the body and the attention – – – which are the most obvious results of the actions in the pose – – – must rest upon and originate in grounding the back foot: attention must be kept to the back. Grounding the back foot, especially the heel, but also of the inner edge of the foot, always depends upon the activity of the leg. If the back leg is not working, it is going to bend; and even if the back heel does not come up, it loses full contact with the floor, in which case the spine is no longer supported. Going deeper into the posture without regard for the back heel punishes the spine. You can’t feel it because you are probably thinking about something else, maybe how difficult it all is – – – how hard you are working. But how difficult it is, is something else entirely. Bending the leg doesn’t require any thought. If thought is required, it is best expressed as enquiry: “am I grounding my foundation?” But thought isn’t really necessary. Feeling is enough. Feeling is what tells you if your foot is grounded properly – – – not thought. Thought might ask the question, but thought cannot answer the question.

If the back foot becomes ungrounded, stability is compromised and lost. Sthira is not present and therefore sukam cannot be present – – – no matter how easy you are taking it, no matter how much you are giving yourself a break from effort. Effort is not the point, and ease does not mean no effort: ease means no tension – – – there is a difference. Sukam refers to that difference. It doesn’t refer to doing the posture in the most lackadaisical way. This is not yoga: this is stretching to relax without regard to damage being done to the body. So you could say that your effort is directed primarily to sthira, to stability. Effort is directed primarily to stabilizing, grounding, and securing your foundation. And then to actions that may be going on elsewhere to create freedom and ease.

So, in all postures in which you turn the pelvis along with the front foot – – – the double plane postures – – – how much you turn the back foot depends on the capacity of your body, specifically the restrictions in your pelvis. Likewise, your current capacity determines whether or not you move the front foot to its side, or not. You can move the front foot a lot to its side in order to become more stable, but if you go too far, the ability to release is lost: the posture becomes stagnant; you drop downwards and there is no lift. Likewise, if you don’t move your front foot enough, you can’t turn, and there is no release. So the foot is not moved according to a geometrical measurement; it is moved according to the compass of sthira sukam. And this is always the case, with every adjustment, in every posture. You thereby refine the shape of the posture into its true form, which is the unique combination of line, plane, and effort in which your body is most deeply released.

I don’t take you into the classical postures because you are not ready: you don’t have the body awareness or the training in the muscles to safely do them. If you continue to do them as you have, you will be hurting yourself. But if you go step by step, you will know when you are ready for any action. Executing actions in a state of unreadiness, especially within the strangeness of a yoga posture, is bound to be harmful – – – no matter how much it may develop your strength, or your pride. So little by little, step by step – – – yoga unfolds like that. Life also …

Patanjali’s definition of asana is simple: “sthira-sukham-asanam”, joyful steadiness in the body free from tension. Sthira sukam, joyful steadiness. Sthiram is steadiness, stability, security, effort, or stillness. Sukam is ease, comfort, openness, and joy. So this is what you’re looking for – – – not flexibility, not strength, not stamina – – – yoga practice is not physical exercise You’re looking to release the body from tension on the basis of establishing it in sthira sukam. Yoga practice is an invitation to awareness of that which is actually happening, so that you can live your life as it is, instead of pretending to be something or someone that you’re not, instead of living your life as something it isn’t. Because, despite the popular belief otherwise, you only live once, and when you’re dead, you’re dead. The genetic code that is currently expressing your existence is unique, and it will never ever exist again. You have one chance to live your life, and it’s now. It’s not tomorrow – – – it’s right now. Yoga is simply an invitation to honor the life that you’ve been given, by living it according to the capacity that it has, not by trying to make your body be like John Scott or Richard Freeman. This is an invitation to despair and dissatisfaction. Subtle perhaps, not admitted probably – – – but dissatisfaction nevertheless.

The form or shape of a yoga posture is fundamentally a lens- – – an aperture – – – which Patanjali has opened. We look through it to find out what is actually happening in our lives. This lens is comprised of ten facets called yama and niyama. So within the form of the postures you are being invited to recognize the presence or absence of sensitivity, honesty, openness, focus, generosity, commitment, contentment, passion, self-awareness, and selflessness.

When your body is challenged, when it has less capacity to articulate a given shape, Yama and Niyama will be compromised more than when your body has the capacity to make the shape. The degree to which you must compromise Yama and Niyama in assuming any shape is an indication of how far you should be going. So the application of the principle compass of stiram sukam is within the context of yama niyama: all enquiry is undertaken with sensitivity, openness, honesty, focus, generosity, commitment, contentment, passion, self-awareness and selflessness. With these ten factors, or you could say twelve – – – sthira, sukam, ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya, aparigraha, suaca, santosa, tapas, svadhyaya and isvarapranidhana, you are being invited to become aware of

what is actually happening, in order to become aware of what is actually possible.

In other words, yama and niyama are the tools of your enquiry. You are not an engineer. Life is your engineer. Life has determined what you can do. All you can do is see what you can do, and how you are doing it. Your physical capacity in the moment, right now, any moment, is predetermined: it is what it is. And the purpose of yoga is to just find out what it is: to just use it – – -to let the shape of the posture be an invitation to your capacity to express itself.

So the result, the form, or the appearance, of what you are doing is not the point. The point is what’s happening inside: Shtira or not, Sukam or not, Ahimsa or not, Satya or not. Are you actually awakening to your capacity? Are you actually alive to your life? Or are you trying to pretend to be something, or someone else? Trying to be somebody else does not work: even identical twins do not have two identical bodies, two identical forms. Each one is unique. Likewise, each one of the postures is unique, and each one of our bodies is unique. Nevertheless, each posture and each body is guided and articulated in the same way. And only one aspect of it has so far been talked about: the twelve principles, including Yama niyama, sthira sukam. Just bear in mind when you’re practicing that you are never likely to be as stable, or as relaxed as you would like, and that’s fine. Simply enquire into how stable and relaxed you can be, and as that becomes ok, you will relax more. As you relax more, you’ll become more stable – – – if you are able to accept your restrictions. And if you are able to honor your capacity as it is, only then will that capacity increase.

Utilization of the postures and the cultivation of the freedom of sthira sukam within them is directed towards one single and very simple end, which is simply to free the body from tension. All kinds of things have been said about yoga since Patanjali, most of which lead only to a dead end if they’re pursued: you may well develop superhuman strength, you may well develop the ability to hold your breath for five minutes, you may well develop the ability to read people’s minds, but these things tend to make you less relaxed due to anxiety about losing them, or pride about having them. So there’s a huge magical element that has been imposed on Patanjali by the hatha yogis of the middle ages. Of course if you’re interested in magic then fair enough. But if you’re interested in living in harmony with yourself, with others, the world, and with life itself, then beware of all of these temptations that are presented in yoga books about power, about shakti, about siddhis, about the ability to control your life and the lives of others. It can be done. You can exert control over your life up to a point. You can control other people somewhat, but not while being relaxed and at peace with yourself, and not with any understanding of what control really means – – – what power really is, and where it really comes from.

Again, within the context set forth by Patanjali, the yoga method is directed at freeing the body from tension. His description of what the body feels like when it is free from tension is what the word asana means. Asana is not a shape: asana is the state or experience that is being invited – – – perhaps – – – within the process of articulating the shape. Take Pascimottanasana for example, which means to intensely stretch the back of the body – – – that’s the shape. Within that shape, the experience of

asana may or may not come.

Patanjali defines asana completely as “joyful steadiness in the body free from tension and manifesting the infinite beyond duality”. The dualities or “opposites” (dvandva) that he is talking about are primarily structural. Most directly they are experiences of front-back, left-right, topbottom, inside-outside, and centre-periphery. Asana is freedom from the experience of these dualities – – – which Patanjali assumes is an inherent impediment to meditation. As such, asana is freedom from the experience of the body as an object, as something “other” than you.

This does not mean that objectification never happens again. It means that asana is another possible disposition or perspective from which to experience the body and within that disposition there is an incredible spaciousness and lightness and ease. The potentiality of this experience is developed in yoga posture by cultivating sthira sukham in the midst of intense and often incredibly complicated action – – – using each part of the body in a very specific way, a way that allows you to no longer feel

those parts and the actions they express as separate. So you could say that as a technique, asana is paradoxical: its aim is to free you from the experience of the body as a separate form, to free you from the objectification of yourself as a body, but it accomplishes this through the articulation and investigating of the nature of form itself.

The pragmatic significance of the words “manifesting the infinite beyond duality” is then really simple: established in asana, you don’t feel your body anymore; you don’t feel the usual sensations that tell you there is a left side of something, a front of the something – – – of the knee, of the arm, or of the head. Within asana these kinds of sensations do not arise, or let’s say you don’t perceive them in a way that can detract from your sense of stability. So relative to left right, front back, top bottom,

inside outside, centre periphery – – – what’s happening in the nervous system is not the theme of your conscious mind.

By the phrase “manifesting the infinite beyond duality”, Patanjali doesn’t mean anything weird, esoteric, or beyond your capability: you all know what it means to be free from the perception of your body as an object – – – which is how it is experienced for instance when something’s wrong with it. If you are doing something that really interests or satisfies you – – – watching the sunset, or listening to Mozart – – – the body, as a body, disappears from your awareness, even the parts that you are using: your ears are not present as objects when you are listening to Mozart, or at least when you’re hearing Mozart. And when you lie down in a shaded hammock, or on the beach in the sun, for a moment your backache doesn’t bother you; tightness in your left hip doesn’t talk to you; the lack of mobility in your right shoulder does not impinge itself on your attention. During these times, even though the body is present as an object in space, particularly to someone else who might see you, it is not the theme of your awareness. We are all familiar with this. We all know what asana is without necessarily recognizing it as anything special, or something hard to get. Its uniqueness becomes apparent when you recognize it’s happening, and you recognize that happening relative to

the experience of the body as an object.

Now I want to speak about how the structural dualities of the body are pragmatically transcended in the yoga postures. Most effectively, this transcendence comes from the practice of the bandhas. The human nervous system has an infinite potentiality for object perception. Mr Iyengar has made objects in the body that he didn’t even know existed, and he’s seen and felt actions in other’s bodies that they themselves couldn’t feel. This sort of thing can go on forever. You can carry on making objects and actions as long as you refine your awareness, and just like the physicist, who never gets to the fundamental particle, you never get to the fundamental part of the body. Perspective is the law of experience and perception: no matter how much you refine your perception, you still only experience an aspect of that which is- – – get a more powerful instrument and you only see something smaller, a different facet of what has always been there. The beauty of the bandhas is that you don’t have to go in that direction. You can do what yoga implies: you can unify instead of fragment by allowing the dynamic of the bandhas to radiate from the core of your equally into the rest of the body – – – the left upper, right lower, going into the left arm left hand, right leg right foot, and etcetera.

The bandhas are expressed most freely – – – let’s say in the right arm – – – if the right is free of tension. But you don’t actually have to address yourself to the tension itself: you don’t have to say, “Is there tension in my shoulder?” You just try and express the bandhas within the context of Yama and Niyama, and you let the left hand’s expression of the bandhas speak to the right hand, and the left foot to the left leg, and etcetera. The bandhas allow the apparently separate parts of the body to communicate. Each part recognizes itself as unified with the other parts because of the

comprehensive continuity of the spiraling dynamic and its structural expression – – – which is liftingbroadening- lengthening-opening and etc. Each part can thus encourage the others: the left can say, “look, I’ve got it – – – it feels like this, now you do it”. So, when you recognize the spiraling dynamic and its structural expression in one particular place, you just look for it everywhere. And you are looking for the same thing everywhere: a lifting-broadening- lengthening-opening that creates space, lightness, and ease in action. Eventually, the actions that could be analyzed into separate things by an anatomist spontaneously generate one another: you don’t think about individual actions, you just think about opening, releasing, and relaxing.

Opening and relaxing is sukham, and it cannot happen without stability, which is sthira. Mulabandha establishes sthira, and uddiyanabandha establishes opening. Take for instance uttanasana – – – forward bend. In uttanasana, you stand with the feet apart and activate the internal feet spirals as you tip the pelvis forward and fold toward the legs. The internal feet spirals release the pelvic floor as the inner thighs move back and the buttock bones come apart, and this is the opening of sukham. However, if you carry on too much with the internal spiral, you start to fall

forwards. Opening must therefore be balanced with stability – – – sthira – – -which arises from the activation of the external spiral: broadening from the mound of the big toe to the mound of the little toe, and extending back along the outer edge of the foot to the outer heel, limits the opening of the buttock bones, by slowing the forward tilt of the pelvis and compressing the outer hips inwards. Combined with the initial opening, that inward compression pushes the spine out like toothpaste from a tube, and it releases, relaxes, and descends effortlessly.

Thus, the bandhas constitute the process of freeing the body from tension, so that it manifests the infinite beyond duality is. Normally, our attempts to establish freedom focus in the area of our immediate intent – – – into the hamstrings in forward bends, or the shoulders in backbends – – – whatever. With a partial approach only a relative freedom is established, and that usually comes at the price of restriction or tension somewhere else. But if you work with the bandhas this can’t happen: the spiraling dynamic establishes an equivalent freedom, which radiates from the core of the body into the left and right, front and back, top and bottom, inside and outside, and etc.

As you activate the bandhas, you can feel very clearly what’s happening in the lungs: the lifting, broadening, and opening. As you activate the feet spirals, you can feel very clearly their impact on the pelvis: the opening and the stabilizing. As you activate the arm spirals, you can feel very clearly their impact on the front and back of the upper torso. When you combine what’s happening in the pelvis with what’s happening in the lungs, and then what’s happening in lungs because of the arms, you are deeply enmeshed in a process that eschews conceptualization – – – though conceptualizing before it has matured can be helpful. You no longer are operating as if each part of the body is separate. And you are no longer operating as if the actions being performed are separate. You can feel that what done to the ball of the big toe manifests clearly in the lungs. What this means is the usual distinction between the different parts of the body – – – here’s the finger, here’s the hand, here’s the forearm, here’s the upper arm, here’s the shoulder – – – is recognized as a function of the mind; and if you say to yourself, “extend the little finger”, you can feel it in the lung, because you have actually done something to the lung, the shoulder, the arm, the elbow, the forearm, the wrist, and the hand – – – simply by applying intent to the finger.

So the bandhas foster the realization that the apparently separate parts of the body turn out to be connected in a very specific way: they are absolutely and totally interconnected, which means that their connection is primordial – – – prior to any conceptual recognition of it as a fact. If you are sensitive enough while moving any part of the body, that movement and its structural effects can be felt in any other part – – – any part. You can become somatically, functionally, comfortable with the interconnectivity of the apparently separable parts of the body.

When you start to realize that the apparently separable parts of the body are not actually and inherently separate, the significance of the word yoga is being manifest in your experience. You haven’t unified lung and finger – – – you have rather discovered that lung and finger are not separate. Yoga does not create union. Union is there. Unity is there. Non-separateness is always already there, and that non-separateness can be recognized in any moment, at any time – – – and you don’t have to have done yoga to realize it. Yoga is not about making things happen. The process of yoga is about seeing what happens by itself. That recognition can free you from false assumptions about yourself and about life.

When the experience of interconnectivity ripens into a clear, pragmatically functional realization of inherent non-separateness in an instant – – – the infinite is manifest: the body as a whole is no longer an object, because the usual cacophony between its apparently separate parts is silenced. The bandhas invite this very rapidly. It doesn’t matter how strong you are. It doesn’t matter how flexible you are. It doesn’t really matter if you carry tension. To a great extent, tension in the body is maintained by the mind and its habit of perceiving objects. Objectness” describes the state of everyday perception, in which the mind’s habitual tendency is to relate to form as somethingseparate and autonomous. The bandhas invite you to drop below that level of perception, to experience more deeply what’s actually happening. In that release of your perception to a deeper level, relaxation naturally happens … If I stick a needle into you with an anesthetic, you go to sleep and this kind of perception goes away. You relax, because the mind has gone, and with that its habit of objectifying the body ceases. Simultaneously, the body becomes soft – – – it no longer manifests parts; it no longer has restrictions. Likewise, when the bandhas internalize attention, coarse perception of separateness drops away, because you are looking for subtle things – – – connections between things – – – the inherent dynamic through the body continually relates. Then the body as a body and its corresponding habitual tensions dissolve. This doesn’t mean that they won’t come back immediately – – – they will when you come back to consciousness of objects. But momentarily everything can be suspended.

So ultimately the practice of the bandhas demonstrates the significance of form – – – that it is a function or a product of perception. You can see this quite easily in people’s physical self-image. I read an article in some magazine the other day that gave four or five examples of this: the article

showed roughly ten photographs of four or five women, one of which was original, nine of which were re-touched. The re-touches made various parts of their bodies look bigger or smaller – – – and the women could not identify themselves. They always thought they were bigger than they actually were. Their boyfriends tended to get it right. This misidentification is true of all of us to one degree or another: we can’t see ourselves clearly because of our preferences, because of what we would like. This blindness is not restricted to the physical aspects of our lives either – – – it can be psychological. I know people who are incredibly intelligent who would never, ever dare to admit it, because they hadn’t read any books. So ostensibly they are not well educated, which means they tend to believe that they are not intelligent, and therefore, they tend to defer to the judgment of the more educated – – – who themselves may well be less intelligent people. They wonder why things keep going wrong – – – they could have seen it all better themselves. But they have got this image of themselves as not being intelligent.

Form itself is actually just perception: perception makes form. The bandhas take you out of apparent form: they change your perception by undermining its divisive tendencies, which orients it toward inherent unity. They take the things closest to you – – – the parts of the body, and show you that the apparent separateness of those things is merely a function of perception. So what the bandhas are doing is freeing you from objectness.

Objectness manifests in daily life when we say or think things like “she is a bitch”, or “she is really sweet”; or, “I know she is a bitch because she said something bad about me behind my back and I know that she is sweet because she said something good about me.” That’s how we objectify people, and that’s how we make objects: we define, we fix an object on the basis of a few actions that we have normally heard about second or third hand – – – rumor. And this is where we get caught. Nice person, not nice person. Good person, bad person. Right, wrong, blame. We have made objects where there are not necessarily any – – – the necessarily word being said deliberately, because sometimes we need to make objects. For instance, when you are learning to cook, you have to make an object of the knife or you might cut your finger. You have to make an object of the finger. But you don’t have to make an object of the cook if you don’t like the meal. You can just say, “I didn’t like the meal”. That’s the only thing you can really truly say – – – “I didn’t like the meal”. You can’t truly and honestly say the cook is bad just because you didn’t like the food.

Objectness is where we are all caught: we tend to relate to form as separate and autonomous. And at the root of this tendency is what is at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching – – – who was perhaps the most lucid spiritual teacher that there has ever been. The essence of his teaching is simple: that very special object – – – the self – – – does not exist. That doesn’t mean that there is nothing there in exactly the same way as if I am saying that the finger doesn’t exist as something separate from the lung – – – not that there is nothing there. Of course there is something there. If you think I mean nothing then come and try to take my finger off with the knife and see what I do. There is something there, but it is not the object. It is not what we think.

In the yoga postures we are also investigating the nature of objects – – – simply because they are not separate. An object is that which does a perceived action, or is affected by a certain kind of action – – – that’s how you define an object. So they are not separate: actions and objects always happen together. But if you can come away from the perspective that generates object perception, and move into the disposition that perceives “actionness”, then what happens to the actions? They arise and take place more freely because they are no longer associated with specifically defined objects. So Tom has in his life done many, many, many, many things – – – many of which likely pleased people, some of which did not. There are probably some people whose experience of Tom is focused mainly around the actions that did not please them, and they don’t really like you. I mean, they’re dead stupid, I agree. But that’s likely to happen. So that’s all I’m talking about. Nothing weird. But happening all the time. We make a mistake when we define a person’s being by the characteristics of the actions which we’ve experienced relative to them.

And the bandhas are the key, an invitation to really come to grips with the nature of our tendency toward objectness: they help you see what objectness is – – – a function of action, a function of perception; or a function of the perceptions required of action. You need to make an object occasionally. But when you’re lying on a beach, really relaxed, and there’s nobody there – – – you know there’s nobody there because you are in your own compound and you’ve got guards all around, and there’re nets to stop the sharks – – – you know there’s no way anything can get in – – – so you relax, and you don’t make an object out of anything. That is what all of your money is for! It is – – – that’s what all of everybody’s money is for – – – to relax … feel safe … let go ….

But it doesn’t work for any length of time – – – only a moment. Then you sober up: “oh my god!” Objects and actions come back, but especially objects – – – like – – – I don’t know – – – the other corporation might steal my contract, or whatever. So when you can see that everywhere, that all of these objects are functions of perception, functions of a mind that’s gripped with anxiety, when there’s nothing you can do about them, you just leave them alone. But if there’s something that you want to do about them, something that you can do – – – then you create the necessary objects for your endeavour, and you go and smash that corporation – – – or whatever it is. Fine, but not while you’re lying on the beach. While you’re lying on the beach you relax. But we don’t …

We have this habit: you’re lying on the beach and you think, “person over there, person over there talking, person over there talking about football!” This can happen very easily in Ibiza. You think it’s a dead cool spiritual place and you go to the beach and they’re arguing about football or tit size or something. And then you get really pissed off. But you don’t have to. Honestly, that sort of thing can be happening right next to you, without you’re even noticing – – – if you are relaxed.

There is a difference between perceiving and perception: if I say there is no perception, it doesn’t mean no perceiving. If I say no perception, it doesn’t mean unconscious. Perception is an orientation towards what is that is saddled with our projections, fears, anxieties, ideas, concepts and etc. It is the perspective that generates objectness. Perceiving is the disposition in which attention embodies an unobstructed flow, in which and the separateness of apparent objects is not the underlying theme of awareness. So no-perception actually means highly conscious – – – but not conscious-of anything in particular.

There is a very common delusion about spiritual practice, about yoga, and about meditation. It manifests as the belief that these practices make you more conscious. But this statement can only be made if it’s understood. Spiritual practice does not make you more conscious-of … if you become more conscious-of, you are caught in the realm of perceptions, and you become overloaded: a universe of separate objects floods the mind, all begging for your undivided attention – – – and the only thing you can do is relax and go with the flow by stopping the compulsive urge to identify everything. So becoming more conscious in way that can be considered helpful to our overall sense of well being is not being conscious-of anything in particular.

Being conscious-of is not relaxing; it’s actually a very tiring thing: imagine if you were conscious of everybody’s thoughts right now – – – how exhausting that would be. And there are a lot of people who do yoga trying to get that, people who actually judge themselves by the fact that it either is, or is not happening. Sometimes it does happen: sometimes, when doing yoga, you become conscious of somebody’s thoughts, but only because they’re pertinent to action. You feel something coming and you turn around and go, “fuck off!” It happens – – – but only because it’s pertinent to action, not because you’re just picking up this, that, and the other. Likewise, when you’re meditating you do pick things up off each other. And these things are pertinent to your action, meaning they’re pertinent to your current thought process – – – there’s a resonance. So you can ask a question …Lilly can ask me a question, and she can be speaking for five people, all of whom are supposedly separate from separate from her. This happens, especially with people who have been here a long time. They know the answer to the question. They’re not interested in the question. But they hear the question not being asked by people who are shy. So they ask it – – – it just comes out of their mouth – – – because we are not truly separate.

This is what the bandhas teach us: that which appears separate in perception is not inherently separate, and that means this body is not inherently separate from that body. How can you say it is if I can hear you? There is something making a connection. If I can see you we are connected – – -however you want to look at it. You can see the stars. This is not an expression of separation, it’s an expression of union. In Zen there is a saying, a Tantric saying: this very body, not just mine but each one – – – is the entire universe. And it means just that: this very body is the entire universe if your awareness penetrates its true nature. So if you experience it in its fullness, you must experience the entire universe. This is a Tantric-Zen saying, but it’s also stated very clearly in a book called Wholeness and the Implicate Order, by a quantum physicist named David Bohm.

Bohm demonstrates that in order to understand and define any object, you must first investigate it thoroughly. Investigation reveals that the attempt to define any object exhaustively must itself explain the whole universe. Why? Because separateness is a function of perception and we live in that realm of perception – – – there is the appearance of separateness there. But that separateness is like the cloud that passes through the blue sky: just as the appearance of the cloud does not completely obscure the sky, objects do not corrupt the underlying non-separateness out of which they themselves arise.

So from the conceptual perspective – – – the disposition supported by a mind overloaded with objects of perception – – – my left little finger is separate from my right little finger. But from the perspective of their activity, their functioning in daily life as an expression of me, they are not separate – – – so nobody but me is going to feel this. And nobody but me is going to benefit from it. Separateness and non-separateness are always already functioning together: left and right are functioning together; sky and clouds are functioning together, and front and back are functioning together.

But we tend to function only in objectness, from the perspective that assumes separateness. We forget the non-separateness, the fact that – – – depending on how you look at it all – – – there really are no separate things. All things are inherently one – – – they are particular, localized, manifestations of the totality of what is. So the purpose of yoga, the bandhas in particular, is to show us the context within which separateness arises – – – to give us a clear experience of the underlying ground from which objectness arises. Eventually, we just stop forgetting the ground. That’s all.

The whole purpose of meditation really is to let go of objectness and relax. If you are trying to control your mind, you are enmeshed in objectness: there are two apparently separate things present, you the controller, and the activity of the mind. So then you are just where you normally are, doing the stuff that you always do – – – you’re manipulating objects, and it may well be that doing that develops your concentration, your power to control, but it doesn’t help you to relax. And your power to control, if you experience it like that, if you experience the holding of the mind still on an object of perception, as an expression of your power, your skill, then you become a slave to fear. Your power is making you a slave to fear. And you are a slave to anxiety.