Over the last 5 years, yoga has infiltrated into popular culture. Big time.
You can barely squeeze onto the train at rush hour without being hit in the face with at least two sweaty Lululemon mats. Yoga pants have become as ubiquitous as skinny jeans and far more sexy, thanks to narcissistic testimonials from ‘body perfect’ celebrities. Want to look like a Victoria Secret’s model? Easy! Just stock up on designer yoga gear, get that mat strapped around your back and your half way there!
I’m not implying that more people doing yoga is a bad thing. What worries me is that the true essence of yoga is being forgotten, swept away in a tide of body insecurity. Pick up the latest yoga magazine, hop onto any yoga website and you’ll be bombarded with pictures of white, twenty something beauties contorting their bodies into a range of impossible poses, fostering feelings of inadequacy for anyone who doesn’t fit the mold.
As a newly qualified teacher, just stepping out into the world I’ve been thinking a lot about my future students, what can I offer them? How do I want to teach? I’ve decided the most important thing is to stay true to the rich history of yoga – Patanjali’s 8 limbs and the Yoga Sutras, from which Hatha yoga has risen, the umbrella for all other forms of yoga around in the west today.
What are the 8 limbs?
1. Yamas – a set of moral guidelines suggesting how we should relate to others
2. Niyamas – guidelines on how we should treat ourselves
3. Asana – physical postures preparing us for meditation
4. Pranayama – controlling the breath
5, Pratyahara – withdrawing the senses
6. Dharana – Intense concentration
7. Dyana – Meditation
8. Samadhi – Bliss, peace, enlightenment
The challenge is how to make these esoteric readings that came from the jungles of India at the beginning of the second century resonate with my city-dwelling students in 2014’s Sydney.
The idea of introducing such a vast topic in a yoga class may seem daunting at first however I believe there are lots of ways to introduce the 8 limbs in an accessible and captivating manner. As yoga teachers it is imperative to have a basic knowledge of the fascinating history and philosophy of yoga so we can appreciate and share this wonderful gift that is being revealed to us.
Many people come to yoga purely for the physical Asana (poses). It is important to be aware that Asana is only one of 8 limbs, the third rung on the ladder. Most people who attend yoga classes are aware of Pranayama and meditation but many people have never heard of the first two limbs, the Yamas and Niyamas which are a set of moral codes settting the foundation for internal and external peace and happiness. I really relate to the Yamas and Niyamas – it makes perfect sense that our fundamental nature is compassionate, generous, honest and peaceful and that by following these guidelines we will our true self.
How you introduce the 8 limbs really depends on the longevity of your relationship with your students
If you are teaching a casual drop in class at a studio then it would be hard to go into any kind of detail without eating into class time. In this scenario I would recommend setting an intention incorporating something from the 8 limbs but not expanding too much on the concept itself. For an 8 week term or similar I would introduce the concept during seated meditation, either at the beginning or end of the first class and expand from there.
I would suggest to the class the intention to be honest with ourselves and others (taking inspiration from Satya, one of the five Yamas). Or I could suggest that the intention is to honour the breath (Pranayama) or honour the internal fire or ‘tapas’ that motivates us to get out of bed early and come to practice.
Throughout the practice I would encourage students to discover a sense of gratitude for the ‘Asana’ practice and all the wonderful effects it is having on their being. Throughout introspective forward bends such as Janu Sirasana and throughout Savasana and meditation I would introduce the idea of sensory withdrawal (Pratyahara), encouraging students to close the eyes and focus on the breath to quiet the mind.
In Trikonasana or Virabhadrasana 2 I would suggest the idea of a drishti which some students would probably be aware of already. I would mention that ties into Dharana, the sixth of the eight limbs.
In meditation I would talk about the benefits of clearing the mind, allowing time for reflection on the true self (Dhyana).
At the end of the class I would mention that Samadhi (bliss or enlightenment) is not an elusive state but something we could experience every day as long as we are in tune with it. It will be different for everyone – it could be the feel of the sun on your skin, the night sky, diving into a crystal clear pool, unconditional love. These things already exist, we just have to slow down and look around.
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| Black Mountains – Wales, September 2013. My Samadhi |
Namaste!
