Yoga Calm

I have renewed my yoga practice after a long time away from it. I find that the postures are so flexible -- pun intended -- because they can be meditation, strength training, a cardiovascular workout, or physical therapy, depending on how you do them. Right now, as I get stronger, I find myself very sore after a long (1.5 hr) session, but I hope that as I start practicing at home more regularly, it will be a source of comfort as well. I am currently doing Iyengar yoga, which is a very anatomically precise form of Hatha yoga in which postures are held for minutes at a time and props are used so that people whose bodies haven't adjusted or simply aren't as flexible can do the postures with good alignment and form. When I go to classes, I prefer Iyengar because the certification process for teaching is more rigorous than in some of the other branches, so I trust that my instructors have a good knowledge of anatomy, safety, and theory. Ashtanga is a more vigorous form of yoga that I have tried and enjoyed as well -- I do that at home when I feel energetic and want to sweat.

(And below): Indian Stamp series released in 1991

These different types of yoga are just variations on a central theme, which teaches that learning to move and shape your body in certain strict forms strengthens body, mind, and spirit. If you are tired, you can do restorative poses. If you are stressed, balancing ones. If angered over something, challenging twists or intensive flows can help you release the emotion. In traditional Vedic thought, yoga is also a physical prayer and way to union with the universal spirit which dwells in each person. I really do feel that it is a moving mediation, a workout, and a discipline. I suppose that is why they call it a yoga practice. 

It is strange to be an Indian-American woman learning yoga in the US. I sometimes am concerned about how others perceive me, as though I ought to have a better knowledge of yoga because of my ancestry! I realize that is silly, though. I do notice that the Sanskrit pronunciation of words does feel natural to me, likely because it is close to Hindi, which I heard often around our household (although I can only say a few words). Learning yoga here feels as though I am coming full circle in many ways, to be taught the American interpretation of an Indian practice. It helps me think about the parts of me that are Indian and the parts that are American, and how my family has moved from the old culture to a new culture as first-generation immigrants to this wonderful nation.

I have started a yoga journal -- a small, cloth-bound book I found at a bookstore closing sale (the closing of bookstores is another topic, too poignant to combine with this one). In it, I take note of which poses I did that day, any thoughts I had, and whether I sat for meditation. Sitting for meditation is a lovely, peaceful thing to do in one's day, but it can be challenging -- to sit comfortably, to still the mind into that deep, quiet place, and also to find time! But even ten minutes of intent meditation can feel as refreshing as an hour of other activity. I have not yet come up with a meditation routine or method. I have been told that when you are beginning, you should choose a method that is innately appealing, that engages your mind.

Although most meditation includes awareness of the breath, there are a few main schools of thought. There is mantra, or chant. This is the repetition of a certain phrase that carries significance and which acts as a vessel for your mind to calm itself, whether it is "Om mani padme hum," or the Hail Mary. Another type is lovingkindness, where you move from inward to others to the entire world as you project loving emotion. Still another is introspective, using the question "Who am 'I'?" to move inward and look down on your thoughts from above, so to speak. There is also imagery, such as gazing at an imagined flame with your mind's eye, drawing the details of it as a way to focus on something other than your thoughts. Finally, there is mindfulness, which is awareness of self, others, or the surroundings -- this uses the senses to move beyond the fleeting thoughts.

While I am very far from being able to practice all of this with any degree of consistency or reproducibility, and certainly have not achieved the daily practice I aspire to, yoga is a source of hope and calm that I am very glad to have rediscovered.