I remember, my concern a year ago was – as a 50-year-old would I be able to learn a new language at this age? I need not have worried. Samskritam has a way of staying with you

My Samskritam Journey

I had always wondered about those people who know Samskritam and can just read our ancient texts like the way most of us Indians read English books.

About eighteen months ago, by some chance I was introduced to the Hindu University of America. I started some courses here for two quarters. Then they introduced the Certificate program for Samskritam studies, and it felt like a sign. This whole covid era suddenly seemed like a blessing, because there was a lot of time saved which I could use for my coursework, and I could do these courses online from the comfort of my home. Here I was, being given an opportunity to learn Samskritam if I so chose. Earlier somehow, I used to think it was not for me, but suddenly this felt just right. This was a year ago and four quarters in, I am thoroughly enjoying the journey.

Prior to this I only knew some Samskritam chants. My mother tongue is Telugu, which uses a lot of Samskritam words with the original meaning intact. I knew the Hindi script, so that made things slightly easy at the beginning for me, although there are some differences in the way things are written in Samskritam. My reading skills were rusty, having not read much Hindi. I somehow did not have much interest in Hindi growing up, although I tremendously enjoyed learning Telugu and French.

I remember, my concern a year ago was – as a 50-year-old would I be able to learn a new language at this age? I need not have worried. Samskritam has a way of staying with you, reverberating in your mind, even when you are not studying it! I find myself mumbling sentences out in Samskritam sometimes while doing my chores. I find that I am living and breathing it as I am learning it. I start seeing or noticing what I learnt in class in my chants, the vachana, purusha, lakara (plurality, person, tense) of the verbs, the vibhakti (declensions) of the nouns, the avyayani (indeclinable/unchangeable words), and now that we are just beginning to learn sandhis, those too.

It’s not easy, let me tell you right away. One needs to put in some time and effort to learn Samskritam. But having really really good teachers like the ones I have at HUA makes a big difference. My co-students have also made a big difference for me – all of whom have chosen to learn Samskritam and are hence highly motivated. Like a saying in Samskritam

आचार्यात् पादमादत्ते पादं शिष्यः स्वमेधया । पादं सब्रह्मचारिभ्यः पादं कालक्रमेण च ॥

A quarter of the knowledge is acquired from the teacher, a quarter by the student’s own intelligence, a quarter from the co-students, and the last quarter comes with time (with practice and effort over time). These kinds of sayings helped when I was feeling impatient (to get it soon and to get it right) and hence overwhelmed in the quarters when we were beginning to learn vibhaktis – made me feel less stupid, more accepting of myself, and more patient; assuring me that everybody is in the same boat!

One of my favorite things in the Samskritam classes are the subhāṣitam – succinct, eloquent sayings, that are sprinkled all throughout the courses. My favorite are the following:

आकाशात् पतितं तोयं यथा गच्छति सागरम् । सर्वदेवनमस्कारः केशवं प्रति गच्छति ॥

It says that just as all the water that falls from the sky finds its way into the ocean, so also salutations offered to all Gods, find their way to Sriman Narayana. There is a deeper Oneness that I feel and an expansive feeling when I learn these.

अयं निजः परो वेति गणना लघुचेतसाम् । उदार चरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ॥

Meaning: The thought that this is mine and that is somebody else’s, appears only to those with a narrow-minded outlook. For the ‘large hearted’ ones, however, the entire world is One family.

सदयं हृदयं यस्य भाषितं सत्यभूषितम् । कायः परहिते यस्य कलिस्तस्य करोति किम् ॥

Meaning: One whose heart is filled with compassion, speech is adorned with truth, (and) whose constitution (form) is for the benefit of others – what can Kali (puruṣa) do to him?!

We also are being taught some stotras in a way of teaching us about samāsā (compound words). The stotras are very beautiful in general, but more so when the meaning is understood in the right light. Some of the words make me wonder whether the people who wrote these, actually experienced God in the way they describe them, if not they could not have come up with such beautiful eloquent words. तप्तकाञ्चनसन्निभम् – <body, brilliant> like molten gold or अगजाननपद्मार्कम् – <He is like> the Sun that brightens the lotus-face of the daughter of the mountain – who says such things nowadays anymore?

Through Samskritam, I am connecting deeper with our culture, samskriti, through the snippets we learn in class, whether it is the sūtras, stotras, subhaśitas, or the stories about historical figures, freedom fighters, Gods, festivals and traditions, stories from the epics, or the way the language itself is structured, it all leads back to the splendid glory that the Hindu culture was.

Did you know that the preferred voice of Samskritam is passive voice? This means that an action is done by me or through me, but I am not the do-er. This is so in line with the Hindu philosophy of simply being a channel of the action, without the ego coming into the picture, letting go of the fruits of the actions, because all action is already performed by the Higher power and the results are not in our hands. In English one might say I read the book “अहं पुस्तकं पठामि” but in Samskritam “मया पुस्तकं पठ्यते” is preferred. Coincidentally, or not, अहम् aham also is the Ego, which is left out in the कर्मणिप्रयोग karmani prayoga or passive voice.

The classes themselves are fun, light, lively and very interactive. In between lessons, we practice reading enjoyable stories from the Panchatantra, or from the SambhashanaSandesha, a Samskritam magazine. Everyone is given a chance to read the lessons or stories, if they so choose. We are encouraged to speak in Samskritam, but it’s a choice. After four quarters, I still find it daunting to speak impromptu in Samskritam. The sentences form in my mind, but when it comes to speak, I hesitate, despite knowing that I will be corrected only very gently. I admire the incredible patience of my teachers. Some mistakes are made over and over again, yet they only patiently repeat the corrections. There are many other students who speak confidently.

In the second quarter itself, we had the exciting opportunity to put together and perform a short Samskritam skit in class. I loved that project. It was optional. I was excited about it and volunteered then and there to go on first – within 4 days of the announcement. Coming up with sentences for me is easy, in the privacy of my own mind and home so confidently I did ok. Yes, there were mistakes, but there we were, like babies taking our first independent steps into the world of Samskritam, we were not chided for falling. I felt a sense of achievement and some confidence that I will be able to make it on this long journey.

We learn a lot in each class and keeping up with the classes means staying on top of things and putting in the hours to read and reread and practice writing and listening and all that good stuff. Which is why I am amazed at all my co-students, as well as my teacher, who after working a full-time job and spending time with families, have time for Samskritam classes! I truly admire all of them for their commitment.

In the third and fourth quarters, we have been introduced to our Shastras in Samskritam – the nectar of Bhagavad-Gita, Bhagavatam, Yoga-Shastras, Ayurveda-parichaya, Mukundamala (by Kulasekhara Alwar) etc. It is so exciting to learn snippets of these great texts; as I sit listening to them, I am immersed in the deepest spirituality offered by India.

Now just four quarters later, we have been prepared enough to write the entrance exam for a Master’s program in Samskritam! It will be challenging, but definitely possible. There are students who are moving in that direction. We listen to the Samskritam news, read Samskritam articles, listen to talks in Samskritam, and more recently we have a teacher who teaches purely in Samskritam, and I am pleasantly surprised that I can actually understand everything that is said. The shastras I mentioned earlier, are taught only in Samskritam.

The explanations are enunciated slowly and clearly so that we can follow them. I appreciate the amount of thought and care that went into the course planning, and the way we are being introduced to the various aspects of the language gradually.

I also learned that a simple non-assuming person called Chamu Krishna Sastry, an Indian educationist, started this new push for revival and popularizing Samskritam. His motivation inspires me. He, along with a few others, started Samskrita Bharati in 1981. He popularized “teaching Samskritam through Samskritam”. He encourages use of simple Samskritam, to gain confidence and interest. He started teaching Samskritam through spoken language rather than through the grammar which could be formidable.

It is the way babies learn to speak language and hence is easier. He encourages interesting and creative ways of teaching Samskritam, develops new vocabulary to keep up with modern science and technology. He experimented with concepts like Samskritam homes, which means that they are encouraged to speak only in Samskritam through the day. He conducts workshops, book fairs, translates books from many other languages into Samskritam, etc. Through his efforts, now Samskrita Bharati is very popular all over India and has centers in thirteen other countries, and thousands of volunteers and teachers.

He says, “Till now Sanskrit has only been seen from a spiritual or religious perspective; it is high time Sanskrit is approached from a scientific point of view as well.” You have got to listen to one of his talks in Samskritam, he is inspiring, and I guarantee if you have an Indian Mother Tongue, you will understand every word of what he says.

It is in collaboration with such an esteemed and noble organization that HUA has acquired the best teachers.

The HUA course textbooks designed by Samskrita Bharati, are in line with Samskrita Bharati’s goals. They are attractive, informative, light and easy to understand while delivering deep concepts of grammar and sentence structure in simple ways. They focus on the way children learn language through daily activities and familiar objects, and progress accordingly. I love the flow of the course material, though stories and exercises and consistency of format.

I am in Yoga in Samskritam class, my body is still, my breath is even, and my mind has no option but to focus on every single word that is being said, not because I have to, but because I want to. This is what I desire.

I am grateful to HUA and Samskrita Bharati, I feel blessed that I have this opportunity to connect with myself in this way. I am so inspired by the teachers as well as by what I am learning that now, I want to pursue a Masters in Samskritam. And if my life permits, if it is my destiny, pursue higher studies in Samskritam.

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Pranayama is about disciplining the breath, so as to simply be able to follow the prāṇā.

Pranayama

What is the relationship between Hanuman, Garuda and Bhima? Why are they specifically mentioned in the verse that is taught to children in many Indian households, while putting them to bed?

रामं स्कन्दं हनुमंत वैनतेयं वृकोदरम्।

शयनेयस्स्मरेनित्यं दुःस्वप्नस्तस्य नश्यति ।।

They are all related through the vayu tattva: Hanuman is Vayu putra; Bhima is born to Kunti through Vayu ‘s blessing; Garuda, an Eagle, the strongest, most powerful bird, which can reach great heights and see long distances, has mastery over its medium of travel – air. All these characters represent immense power and strength; they are forces of nature.

Hanuman single-handedly took on the entire Lanka when he went there to search for Sita, and then proceeded to causally survey Lanka, and eventually burned it down, striking terror in the hearts of the asuras. He represents the conscious mind which is an amazing tool that humans are blessed with, that has the capability of going into the depths of our darkness and coming out unscathed! He was crucial to the victory of Rama’s, the jiva. Even the Sankhya theory indicates a reference to the mind being born out of the breath. Hanūmān is Vāyu’s son.

Bhima was the only one among the Pandavas, who killed all the ‘evil’ aspects – Bakasura, Jarasandha, Kicaka, and the hundred Kaurava brothers – and literally with his bare hands. He is protective of Draupadi, who is representative of the prana sakti within the breath – the vayu carries the prana sakti. It is because he protects her, that he destroys every asura aspect that disrespects her. So does our breath, with all the aspects within us that harm the sakti within us.

Garuḍa represents an evolved state – fighting Iṇḍra (the senses) and all the other obstacles to obtain the Amrita – the nectar of immortality. However, he did not have any desire to partake of the nectar himself, thus practicing astēya. His only goal was to deliver on his promise to deliver the amruta to the snakes, thus displaying immense integrity by his rootedness in satya. He gained admiration of Śriman Nārāyaṇa Himself with his commitment and mastery over the Yamas! Garuḍa is the vehicle that transports Lord Viśnu and His consort (Love and Abundance). Viśnu is called vāyuvāhana. One can access Viṣṇu and becomes His vehicle simply through their breath!

Pranayama is about disciplining the breath, so as to simply be able to follow the prana. The yoga sutras define pranayama as

तस्मिन् सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोः गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ।।

Having achieved harmony in āsana, prāṇāyama is that which interrupts the erratic/disturbed flow of breath. It brings discipline to the breathing. After having achieved स्थिरम् sthiram and सुखम् sukham in āsana, the yoga practitioner automatically turns towards the breath. They harmonize the breath in the āsana practice and feel it flow with the body movements, with the mind simply observing both the body and the breath. The mind is still being trained to be dependent on both these tangible aspects. When they pause, it pauses. As the practitioner progresses, the mind is trained to become independent of, first, the body – through staying/holding still in the postures while focusing on the inflow and outward flow of the breath. Then the mind is trained to become independent of the breath – through holding of the breath itself, kumbhaka, in various still postures. But since the mind has been initially conditioned to move with the body and breath and stop when they do, it is now able to hold still without the support of the body or the breath. At this point the निरालम्ब nirālaṃba mind is ready for ध्यान dhyāna.

Pranayama, working with the breath, is considered to be the most powerful of the बहिरङ्ग bahiraṅga practices – namely, yama, niyama, āsana, Pranayama and to some extent pratyāhāra, where the senses lose interest in the external attractions and are drawn inward. In reality, all of these practices can become meditative and hence अन्तरङ्ग antaraṅga practices.

The breath is naturally involuntary to begin with. It is part of the parasympathetic system of the human body which controls all the involuntary functions like respiration, digestion, circulation, etc. We have no control over the parasympathetic system, unlike the motor muscles, for example, that we can exercise control over voluntarily. The breath is the only involuntary aspect that we can access, thereby giving us a path into our involuntary inner world. When the breath is rapid, all the systems are in high gear, and just as in a fast race car, systems tend to get worn down easily. When the breath is slowed down, all the systems relax, and ample time is available for exchange of gases, food, waste, rest and repair, and the body works more efficiently. By consciously controlling the breath and slowing it down, we allow the body to work in its most efficient zone.

At a deeper level, prāṇāyama is said to burn up the impurities in the body. That includes the saṃskāras we are born with. When one starts paying attention to the body and breath in their practice, they start observing their own habit patterns of their mind manifest on the body as various imbalances, blocks, tendencies, compulsions, etc. The moment one becomes aware of a pattern, it starts transforming in some way.

When one does the deep breathing in the recommended way, involving the diaphragm to draw the breath in as well as to expel the breath, it is said that the जठराग्नि jaṭharāgni gets involved in the whole process. During the inhalation, the fire is blown by the downward flowing air, towards the मूलाधारचक्र mūlādhāracakra at the base of the spine, and during the exhalation, as the diaphragm pushes upward to expel the air, it pulls the mūlādhāracakra closer to the flame. This process causes three things to happen. First, the breath slows down considerably and reaches deeper. Second, the jaṭharāgni is stoked, which means metabolism, circulation and energy levels improve. The third is something deeper. The mūlādhāracakra is said to contain all the aspects of what makes us who we are. It is the root of the spinal column, along which all our imbalances manifest, and that attracts the imbalanced situations and experiences that we go through – situations that are tailor-made for each one of us because of our make-up. Imagine, situations tailor-made to torture us or to please us, if we allow them to! When we perform yogic practices in the right way, all our tendencies start to become dormant. Yet, there is a possibility that they can arise at any time. Through practice of prāṇāyama, when the seeds of क्लेशाः kleśās in the mūlādhāra are burnt though, those dormant tendencies are vanquished. This takes lifetimes to achieve! (And as a side note, it truly offends me when people who casually practice yoga call themselves yogis!!)

When we achieve that level of mastery over our breath, our asuras (the nocturnal creatures that show up in our bad dreams and nightmares) are vanquished (दुस्स्वप्नस्तस्य नश्यति dussvapnastasya naśyati – bad dreams are destroyed). These are nothing but our own shortcomings, sprouting from the seeds of impurities in our mūlādhāracakra. Thereafter, we are able to breathe in pure Love and Abundance (Lord Viṣṇu and Lakṣmī Devi) carried through us by our breath (our वायु अंश Vāyu amśa – Garuḍa).

Staying with our breath gives us strength, power, commitment and mastery over the Yamas that these Vāyu aspects stand for.

Cover Pic Credit: Tim Goedhart – Unsplash

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Svādhyāya is ‘self-study’, recommended by the Yoga Sūtras, and is an integral part of Kriyā Yoga defined in its second chapter. 

Svādhyāya: Self-Study

Svādhyāya is ‘self-study’, recommended by the Yoga Sūtras. The second chapter of Yoga Sūtras defines Kriyā yoga as “तपः-स्वाध्याय-ईश्वरप्रणिधानानि क्रियायोगः”. Svādhyāya is an integral part of Kriyā Yoga Svādhyāya is ‘self-study’, recommended by the Yoga Sūtras. – because one is not in yoga if they are not observing themselves and learning from it. Svādhyāya is also the 4^th Niyama (rule) recommended by the Yoga Sūtras. In addition, Svādhyāya is mentioned in various other chants in our tradition.

Svādhyāya may include: (i) simple self-observation during āsana-prānāyama practice; (ii) observing one’s interactions with others; (iii) observing oneself with respect to studying the śāśtras, itihāsas and purāṇas; or (iv) viewing oneself in the light of authoritative texts. Through interactions with self, others, as well as the śāśtras, one is able to improve themselves and evolve spiritually. Although Svādhyāya means simply observing objectively, the act of observing itself changes one’s behaviors. Svādhyāya is always an objective observation. It is the training that the mind undergoes everyday to get to the state of Upekśa or Sākṣi bhāvana – a state of equanimity where the mind is not tossed about helplessly by the vicissitudes of life.

The yoga sūtras talk of Upekśa being one of the subtle states recommended to be practiced in order to help calm the mind, along with Maitri, Karuna and Mudita. The sūtra says to practice these for चित्तप्रसादनम्, soothing of the mind, from the various emotions (negative as well as positive) that arise…

मैत्री करुणा मुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःख पुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातः चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥ (YS – 1.33)

Upekśa is the attitude to be practiced during svādhyāya. When one is able to simply observe without judgment, the other three attitudes come into play automatically – one starts to understand, appreciate and love oneself. Obviously, it is difficult to be in this state all the time in this modern world, but it all can start on the mat. If we can train consistently, every day, and be in this state starting with ourselves first, even for that short time, then at the very least, the amplitude of the mind’s swings is tempered.

Observer or being objective in the Western sense is very different. It means not bringing emotions into the picture or keeping one’s emotions out of the picture.  

In Indian culture, getting to the state of an objective observer, or sākṣi, is so much deeper, and a longer process too– one evolves to a state where those emotions/reactions do not even arise within. This means that something happening on the outside has absolutely no effect on the state of mind.

समः शत्रौ च मित्रे च तथा मानापमानयोः ।

शीतोष्ण-सुख-दुःखेषु समः सङ्ग-विवर्जितः ॥ (BG – 12.18)

Being equally unaffected by whether someone cares for you or does you harm, in honor or dishonor, cold or heat, etc. This and many other verses from the Bhagavad Gita, especially in Chapter 2, talk of the importance of being in a state of equanimity. This is in the true sense of “sākṣi” or loosely, a witness. A lot of chants other than the Bhagavad Gīta and the Yoga Sūtras, also mention sākṣi as the highest state to be in, because when the mind is undisturbed, and cannot be pulled outward by external triggers, it rests within, at the Source of all Creation.

How then do we go about training?

• During your yoga practice observe, observe, observe! Objectively watch your breath and body movements alone. Take their support to help the mind stay inward. Look at yourself in wonder; this machinery we have been blessed with is so intricate, so complex, yet so simple. The processes that happen within, in themselves are not magic, they are simple processes like diffusion, ion transfers, and catalyzed chemical reactions; yet they all happen so beautifully, so well-choreographed, like a perfect symphony – and that is what makes it so complex. While we may not see all the intricate processes, the results of those processes are evident on our bodies – in terms of the urge to take an inhalation or exhalation, the heat generated during āsana practice, the sensation of thirst, the extension/flexion of muscles as we will ourselves to do an āsana, etc.
  
• Know that the patterns of the mind manifest on the body. Observe how you are performing your āsanas. See if you are compensating for weaker body parts, by buckling other parts, not stretching as much as your body will allow, or trying to practice more difficult āsanas before mastering simpler ones. All of these indicate the patterns of your mind. Maybe you rush in to compensate where others fall short? Maybe you take on burdens that are not yours? Maybe you use too many shortcuts? Do not analyze, because then the mind is not present. Allow the insights to come by themselves.
  
• Never push your body beyond its limits. Always respect your body and breath, always listen to your body tell you that enough is enough. If that is difficult, then listen to your breath, which gets tighter when you are pushing. Practice the āsana in the prescribed way, ensuring you are not pushing beyond your body limits. A lot of people “hear” things that are unsaid – when the instruction “forward bend” is given, they hear “touch your toes”. Listen to the instructions carefully. A succinct verse in the Haṭhayogapradīpikā says in no uncertain terms, “यथा सिंहो गजो व्याघ्रो भवेद् वश्यः शनैः शनैः। तथैव सेवितो वायुः अन्यथा हन्ति साधकम् ।।”, Just as lions, elephants and tigers get tamed slowly…slowly, so also the same goes for the breath. If the animals are agitated/pushed in any way when they are not fully ready, they will kill the trainer, so also when the breath is pushed, it will kill the sādhaka. I have experienced that similarly, the body also does not like being pushed.
  
• The mind operates in different modes – assessment, analysis, memory, imagination, identification, sleep and observation. Only when it is the observation mode is it truly present in the here and now.
  
• Observe that the inhale and exhale, each operate on different parts of the body in the same āsana.
  
• Both the inhalation and exhalation enhance and deepen the āsana – if this is not happening, then the āsana is not being done properly.
  
• When the mind is active, observe the breath as it flows in, and you will notice a lot of disturbance in the breath, a lot of flutter – you can feel this on your upper lip. Just continue to observe this and notice that the flutter slowly passes, and the mind follows the breath and becomes calmer.
  
• Observe that in asymmetric āsanas, we feel differently on each side. We might not be able to bend as much on one side as on the other or rotate to one side the same way as the other. This is by design. Simply observe it all. It’s like when we travel in a fast-moving vehicle that hits a curve, we have to tilt sideways, yet we are balanced. Hence, do not try to make both sides equal or “balanced” as they do in some new-fangled gyms. We have our unique patterns that make us who we are; we are designed for a specific purpose, and I believe our so-called imbalances help us achieve that in unique and creative ways.
  
• Balancing postures are always challenging. Especially on the days we are flustered. Just focus on your breath as you move into the posture though and notice how beautifully you can balance. When the mind is focused inward, it is balanced because it is not pulled in different directions by duality.
  
• When the mind is active or agitated, you need an active practice, and when the mind is calm you need a calm practice. Sounds strange or counterintuitive? Think about it – when mothers have to deal with hyperactive children, do you think they send them to meditation, or soccer practice/kickboxing? We have to go along with the mind, not against it. An active āsana practice helps to channel out the excess mental energy, and thereafter it can settle down for a calm meditation.
  
• In an āsana, just hold the posture in complete stillness as much as possible, with absolutely no body movement, and I mean not even the upward movement that we tend to make during inhalation and the downward movement during exhalation to allow for belly expansion/contraction; just stay with the breath, allow the breath to flow as it pleases into the various parts of the body that the āsana guides it to go to. Don’t allow the mind to control this process. An approximate analogy that might help here is that of a balloon, filled with air, not too full though. When you squeeze the balloon with your hands, with no place else to go, the balloon starts pushing itself out between your fingers. So also, allow the āsana to move the prana rather than compensate by raising and dropping. 
  
• When you start observing yourself more deeply in your āsana practice, observe that your mind settles down.
  
• Even emotions that come up can be observed in how they play out on the body. When they are observed, there is a possibility of having clarity about what that emotion is trying to communicate. Emotions are the body’s mode of communication and they manifest as feelings or sensations on the body which we can observe and listen to. When this happens, the emotion passes away and the mind settles down.
  
• The mind needs to be trained every single day. This is also recommended by the yoga sūtras, where the word नैरन्तर्य nairantarya “uninterrupted” is used in the definition of अभ्यास abhyasa.

Keeping track of all the aforementioned points feels overwhelming. Yet, even in trying to do so, even if one does not remember the observations, the mind is still in observation mode and in the present moment – and that is Yoga! The amazing tool that the mind is, it will be able to make all the connections you need, without any effort on your part! Just stay with the breath… 

Cover Picture Credit : Pixabay

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When you start experiencing your breath viscerally, it is easier to move deeper into the asana and experience स्थिरम् sthiram and सुखम् sukham in the posture, as mentioned in the Yoga Sutras.

Allow Your Breath to Take you Deeper

At some point or the other in our respective yoga practices, we all have felt restricted in forward bending पश्चिमोत्तान asanas or arching पूर्वोत्तान asanas or inversion विपरीत asanas or rotating परिवृत्ति asanas by our…let’s say… adipose “tissue” – to put it euphemistically.

When you focus on your breathing – and I do not mean the air as you imagine it just before it enters your nostrils, because that’s not within your space, I mean the process happening in the body, the sensations in the body caused by the flow of air (the coolness, warmth, movement as felt on/in the body, etc) , the movement of organs/muscles etc that you actually feel in your body – then it takes you deeper into the asana.

The diaphragm moves down to create space to draw air in and moves up to push air out of the body. There is some intelligence beyond logic that knows when to start this movement of the diaphragm at the time of birth and when to stop the movement, at the moment of death. But between the two events, this is the process.

In modern times, we think in logical terms of “we breathe in air, it goes into the lungs, and from there it is taken by the blood into various parts of the body, then the air rich in CO2 is exchanged back into the lungs and expelled through the exhalation”. Yes, tangibly and technically, that is the process. Yet, each time I sit for my asana or pranayama, there is also something deeper that I experience.

When I do my forward bends, or back arches or rotations or inversions etc., there is one part of the body that is contracting and another part that is expanding. The self-limiting thoughts in my western-educated mind cause me to feel restricted in my breath. “If I bend forward, I cannot take a full breath” – of course, because I am restricting my thoracic space, “If I rotate, it hurts to breathe fully” – of course, because my body is in a twist, “If I arch, I cannot exhale fully” – of course, because the thoracic area is expanded fully, etc!! Very logical, right?

Yet, as I breathe, if I simply follow the movement of ‘something’ that I feel in my abdomen, I can actually feel it drop as I inhale and rise as I exhale, as the space in the abdomen shifts around to allow for this movement. This drop and rise is somehow never restricted by asana. And it is not just a simple drop or rise anymore either – it is as if the asana guides the ‘space’ into the area that can allow for that expansion – in fact, that is exactly the function of that asana. To direct the ‘prana’ (I can no longer call it the breath because we are not talking of lungs and air here anymore) into specific parts of the body.

When the mind is able to let go of the idea of a fixed space, then the fluidity or mobility of the space enhances the forward bends, supports the back arches, and deepens the rotations, etc. When the lungs and breath are not restricted, when you start experiencing your breath viscerally, it is easier to move deeper into the asana and experience स्थिरम् sthiram and सुखम् sukham in the posture, as mentioned in the Yoga Sutras. In that state, you are able to go beyond the body and connect with that space or the शून्य or the prana or whatever else you want to call it, that moves with the asana and brings in healing. The function of the asanas is therefore, to move that space or that शून्य around – to bring stillness to various parts of the body, that are plagued everyday by the vrittis of my hyperactive mind, which constantly tries to apply logic to things that cannot be explained logically.

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