Meditation in Movement

Every morning I step on my mat with no expectation except to be there for myself. To show up; to try; to move; to breathe; to listen. I feel that this is my daily meditation, my own way of finding a deeper sense of connection with myself and the world around me.

I am often asked by friends who know I practice yoga: “do you also meditate”? Most people think of meditation only as something that happens when sitting in lotus, with eyes closed and an expression of great focus. But does that have to be the only way to meditate? What is meditation if not a mindful observation of the self, and being truly present in this moment? When you spend quality time with yourself in solitude it can become your meditation. For me, my daily ashtanga yoga practice is my own meditation in movement. A steady flow of breath connects with the way I move into asanas with awareness and focus. But how do we go from just making shapes into something more, something deeper? Today I wanted to take a look at the most important aspects of asana practice that elevate it into something more meaningful.

BREATH

When I teach students new to yoga I teach them to breathe, first and foremost. The breath needs to be steady, flowing, calm, without restrictions. My teacher, Manju Jois, always said, that if you breathe correctly everything else is going to happen by itself. In ashtanga yoga we breathe deeply through the nose, with sound. Upon hearing your breath you become more aware of it. You are in control of your breath, keeping the inhale and exhale flowing, without pause. If we keep the mind focused on breath alone there is no space for the mind to wander. When the breath is calm, the mind is calm; here we find stillness.

In the traditional yogic text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the first sutra “atha-yoga-anushasanam” tells us that yoga is happening now. Yoga is always happening in this very moment, in the now. It was not yesterday, nor will it be tomorrow, but in the present. As you step on your mat and take that first breath, that is where yoga is. Tuning into the breath is a tool that anchors us in the present moment. We just keep returning our focus to the breath.

The second sutra gives us a great understanding of what constitues yoga: “Yogas-citta-vritti-nirodhah” - Yoga is stilling the fluctuations of the mind. It is calming the constant flow of thought, finding a sense of quietude in the mind. This is easier said than done, but it is what we work towards when we practice yoga. We learn to notice our thoughts. By taking a step back, we become the observer of this process. As we grow more aware of the constant turnings of our mind, we slowly learn to be more in control.

The “monkey mind” will always keep thinking and analysing, but as we grow more conscious we learn to notice a thought forming and can allow it to pass. We shouldn’t try too hard to control our thoughts, as trying to stop thoughts can become a thought in itself. The thought that we want to control is already gone, and a new one is forming. The only thing we can do is learn to be the observer, watching thoughts come and go, without any judgment, without interfering. We don’t approve nor disapprove of what happens in the mind, we stay neutral, only watching. My philosophy teacher explained that we watch the river of our thoughts from the bank, and the moment we start judging the nature of our thoughts, then we’re already lost in the river. All we can do is keep practicing, being the witness of our mind. Breathe, and all is coming.

ASANA

The asana practice, according to Patanjali, should be steady and comfortable “sthira-sukham-asanam”. The ashtanga sequence starts with simple postures, teaching the student how to remain steady in them, with the breath flowing. When the mind and body are ready, slowly we add on new asanas . We are learning to find this steadiness and ease of postures even in the more difficult ones. We need to stay tuned into the breath, keeping it unrestricted, even when it’s begins to feel hard. If you can keep the flow of breath steady, you will learn to approach the difficult asanas in this same way. Not becoming too overwhelmed by them, by always returning to the breath. If this doesn’t come easily - don’t worry. It is not meant to be easy, it’s called practice after all. It becomes a practice of staying calm in all circumstances, even in the postures that are out of our comfort zones. We train our body and mind to stay calm, steady and balanced, whatever happens.

In order for the posture to be controlled from within we need to keep a strong core, a steady centre, that will keep us balanced. In traditional ashtanga practice we hold the bandhas - internal locks in the body. One of my teachers once said that engaging the bandhas keeps us from being like a sack of potatoes. It helps us stay in control of the posture and feel the energy of our body.

VINYASA

The ashtanga yoga practice is a counted practice. Each asana has a certain number of vinyasas - connection of movement with breath. Traditionally it is counted in sanskrit. Learning this count and using it in in my own practice has been a breakthrough. When we move into asanas with the count in the mind, it helps us return to the awareness of breath and movement. We feel centered in the present moment. As we learn to draw the awareness inwards, focusing on the vinyasa count, we can find the rythm and flow of the practice. What we do on our mat changes from making shapes with the body, into something whole - a practice of body and mind together.

As we delve deeper into our understanding of yoga the asana practice can become a meditation. K Pattabhi Jois, in the Yoga Mala, refers to the practice as a “mala”, a garland of postures. If we think this way, then each of the vinyasas is like a bead on the mala. When we count each vinyasa internally - it can become our mantra.

“The Vinyasa are all like beads, choreographed breath/body movements, all to be counted and meditated on, and it is the students requirement to learn this counted method as a mantra for their own personal practice” - John Scott

DRISHTI

During a sitting meditation the eyes are usually closed to keep the attention gazing inwards. It is similar in the ashtanga practice; we keep our gaze on one spot, not looking around the room, so we don’t get too distracted. Each asana has a specific drishti - gazing point. It is the place where we rest our eyes, not focusing too much, just keeping the gaze in this general area. You usually won’t find mirrors in a traditional yoga studio, as we don’t want to get distracted by looking at ourselves. Also, it is much more important how an asana feels to us, than how it looks. The drishti helps us to find a kind of mastery over the senses, and our awareness goes inwards. It is also a reminder that whatever we’re looking for during this practice, is not outside, but within us.

My yoga philosophy teacher from India, Arvind Pare, explains, that in order for meditation to work, we need to see value in it. When you understand the value of meditation, you will find time for it, doing it of your own free will. Yoga can only work if it is done willingly, otherwise it is not yoga.