Isvara Pranidhana: Surrender

White Tara

Over the last 4 weeks I have discussed the niyamas, the second limb of Patanjali's ashtanga yoga. The 5th Niyama, ईश्वर प्रणिधान: Isvara Pranidhana, which means surrendering to a power greater than yourself. 

Some students struggle with the term God. I remind them that it can be nature (look at the power of the ocean, lightening, wind), it can be the class or a group of people (any number greater than one is greater than our ego flying solo), or you can think about being the best that you can be (greater than who we might be on a stressful day).

According to TKV Desikachar, isvara pranidhana means, "Reverence to [a Higher Power] promotes the ability to completely understand any object." By giving ourselves or surrendering to something greater than ourselves, we are able to understand ourselves, others and situations that we might have struggled with in the past.

We develop focus and faith. Sometimes it seems that we do not reap the benefits of a practice as quickly as we'd like. Yoga is a gradual practice. As we cultivate our practice, our lifestyle and our lives, change is many times subtle. 

Yoga is not a band-aid, at least not for very long. Continued practice brings us to a deeper, subtler place. We must also be diligent. If I let a practice go, my old ways eventually show up. I am not suggesting that our practices don't change over time because they certainly do and should.

How can you begin to connect to your Higher Power and let go of your ego?

• If you have a spiritual practice, you might begin there.

  

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• Sitting 5-10 minutes per day and focusing on your breath. If you're not sure of how to sit and you live in the SLC, UT area, join me for an introduction to meditation, June 3rd, 6-8 pm, Bliss and Baklava.
• Reading spiritual or inspiring literature first thing in the morning or right before bed.
• Recite the mantra ॐ OM (according to TKV, OM means isvara). The more you recite OM, the closer you will come to your Higher Power.
• Focus on a picture, statue or image of your Higher Power or something that has the qualities of your higher power (moon, ocean, mountain).
• Use a word or sound, a mantra, from your religious or spiritual upbringing that has meaning to you. Repeat it aloud or silently.
• Dedicate your asana practice to your Higher Power.
• Let go of judgement and criticism in your life and in your practice.

Thank you for reading about Surrender. For many of us, surrendering makes us vulnerable. A dear friend told me many years ago that to be vulnerable, makes us stronger. It has taken decades for me to understand and feel her words.

I would enjoy reading about your practices and experiences with surrender and with a Higher Power.

How to Use Your Mala

What is a mala?
A traditional mala मल  is made of 108 beads, usually natural materials, stone, bone, wood or seed. There is an additional larger bead, called a guru or meru bead. This bead holds space for you when you are chanting. It is also gathers your energy when you chant. 

Many religions use some sort of beads for prayer, recitation of verse or chanting, including Christians, Buddhists, Islam and Hindus. Using a mala does not have to be a religious practice.

How do you use a mala? 
A mala is generally used with a mantra मन्त्र, a sound or group of sounds. The beads are run through the thumb and middle finger. Why not the index finger? The index finger is correlated to the individual soul or ego. The Middle finger represent peace or satva सत्व . When you reach 108, you turn around and go the other way if you want to continue. This way the energy builds in the guru bead. The mala allows the chanter to focus on their mantra and not keeping count of how many times they say the mantra.

Japa जप  is the sanskrit word for the recitation of mantra. Most traditions believe that mantras should be given to the student from their teacher. Repeating a mantra can be a spiritual practice, it can be a meditation, it can soothe, heal and change the way you feel, think and are.

It is recommended not to share your malas with other because the more you use them, the more they are charged with your energy. I do have some that I share with students, yet these are not the mala that I use for personal practice.

Why 108 beads?
There are many reasons that the number 108 is considered sacred. SwamiJ has a substantial list if you are interested.

Desire Mapping Mala

I have heard criticism of people, yogis (someone who practices yoga) in particular, using malas in ways that take away their sacred standing in spiritual practice. My personal feeling is that people can use a mala is any way that is appropriate for them. 

How can you use a mala?
1. To keep track of chanting a mantra; practicing japa mantra. 
2. To identify and place yourself within a particular group. Some religious people where their beads, mala, rosary, etc. around their neck to identify themselves with their religion or spiritual practice.
3. As a lovely piece of jewelry. Malas are beautiful works of art, simple or intricate. They can be worn around the wrist or neck. My favorite new mala is pictured here.

So the next time you see a yogi with beads wrapped around their wrist or hanging around their neck, you will know what they are.
#mala #108 #desiremapping

Does Being Grateful Save You Money?

Two years ago around Thanksgiving, I decided to be thankful for something each day. What I thought would be a challenge, turned out to be a new way of life. I posted to FB each day what I was grateful for. I did this for 30 days. The posting stopped yet I continued with the practice for a year.

I'm not sure why I stopped consciously being grateful especially when the practice was so fruitful. I became aware of the gifts associated with my practice--driving more slowly than I'd like because of a slow driver only to pass a police officer up ahead, getting angry at my teenagers for being teenagers and then realizing how blessed I was for the lessons they've taught me (patience, unconditional love, generosity, etc.) And the list goes on.

Recently, I joined Erin Geesaman-Rabke's, "Embodied Gratitude Project," a practice of cultivating gratitude over a 5-week period. Read more. I am having an opportunity to feel and be my gratefulness on various levels--body, mind and spirit. I have again begun to write down what I am grateful for although now I am not posting it. I am also focused on finding something to be grateful for when I am not feeling very grateful. Thank you Erin.

According to Dr. Jeremy Dean and his article, The Emotion That Boosts Self-Control and Saves You Money, a recent study suggests that when we cultivate a state of gratitude, we are better able to control our spending urges and therefore save money. Read more. We also become more conscious of what we are buying. 

Being grateful can also boost your health. Many studies report how being grateful increases our level of happiness and therefore our wellness. Read more.

So the point, let's be grateful for what we have. If we're not, let's change what we have. There are so many way to express our gratitude. I'd love to hear about practices that you do to be grateful.

Happy Spring Things

Like many of us, I like to hibernate in the winter. I dress warmly, eat and drink warm things, and love to find places that have hot water or lots of warm blankets and fire. I have to make an extra effort to do other activities that will keeping my inside fire (agni) burning, which don't require me to be on my bottom.  

Now that Spring is here, even though it did snow this morning, it's time to cleanse the body and the house, get things, all things, moving again and check in with the immune system.   

• Cleanse the body, mind, and home--done
• Get things moving-I've upped my daily practice, lightened my diet, started to walk the dogs regularly, and have been getting my hands dirty in the garden
• Finally, check and build the immune system up

The secret to healthier immune function lies in a happy digestive system.

BY Carrie Demers 
According to ayurveda, good health originates in the gastrointestinal tract. Naturally we assume that means good nutrition and a smooth-working digestive system, but if that’s all we focus on, we’ll miss half of the equation: The alimentary canal—that inside-out tube that runs from the mouth to the anus—is also our first line of defense against the disease pathogens that surround us.  Read more:

For me some of the other things that help my immune system are to avoid cow milk and cheese (boo hoo), eat a colorful, balanced diet, exercise regularly, continue my daily routines and sleep well.
What is it that you do to build your immune system? Please let me know if I've missed something or if you have some wisdom that will help us.
Happy Spring!

Move Your Energy: A Practice

We've all had a time when our energy was low and we did something to change that-sleep, take a deep breathe, walk, shower, go outside, or have a coffee or other "energy" drink.

Those of us who've been around yoga, dance or other type of movement based practice know that moving your body also changes your energy. How much movement is good? What kind of movement will give me the energy I need? I've included a favorite asana practice that I use for helping my body remove toxins and renew energy. It has a lot of twists so pay close attention if you have issues in your spine. It is meant to be done in the morning or mid-day. It is definitely not an evening practice. I adapted this practice from one I found in Yoga Journal a while back. The Practice

What about me, I can't move? Is there a way for me to move my energy? Yes, you can move your energy with breath work (pranayama). Again, we look at what you need and then decide on the appropriate practice for you. When I find myself getting frustrated with my teenagers or driving, I take a few deep breathes in through my nose and out through your mouth making as much noise as the scene allows. It's usually all I need to help calm me down and stop me from saying or doing something I'll regret. 

My other favorite is consciously breathing in through the nose to the chest and then belly and out from the belly to chest and nose. Just focusing on your breathe will change your energy. There are other more detailed breathing processes you can do that I won't get into right now.

If  you live in Salt Lake City and are interested in learning more about practices that change and move energy, check out my Energy Workshop.