Ystäväni kysyi eilen vinkkejä hyviin joogakirjoihin joten päätin uudelleen julkaista puolitoista vuotta sitten julkaisemani postauksen aiheesta, mikään kuin ei ole muuttunut.
Joogakirjallisuus ei ole mikään uusi asia. Ensimmäinen koottu teksti joogasta kirjallisessa muodossa, Patanjalin joogasutrat, on koottu noin vuoden 400 jKr aikoihin (ajasta ei ole varmaa tietoa ja sen takia päivänmäärissä voi näkyä eroja.) Bhagavad Gita, toinen teksti jossa viitataan joogaan, epäillään taas olevan ajalta ennen ajanlaskun alkua.
Tässä tekstissä tuon esille kirjoja joista on ollut minulle hyötyä joogaopiskelussani. Osaa kirjoista tutkin melkein joka päivä esimerkiksi tunteja suunnitellessa, osan olen lukenut vain kerran, mutta kaikista olen saanut jotain irti. Lista ei olen kovinkaan raflaava jo joogakirjallisuuteen tutustuneille, ja kaikki alla olevat kirjat löytyvät esim. Amazonin eniten myytyjen joogakirjojen listalta. Koska alan kirjoja on kuitenkin nykyään valtavasti voi tästä listasta olla iloa jollekin.
Moni ihminen saa ensikosketuksensa joogaa fyysisen asana-harjoituksen kautta. Suosittelen kaikille joogasta kiinnostuneille myös tutustumista joogaan muihin osiin asanoiden lisäksi. Hyvä paikka aloittaa on tutustua Patanjalin joogasutriin (”virallisesti” suomeksi käytetään ilmeisesti muotoa Patanjalin jooga-ajatelmat.) Tiivistetysti teos kertoo mitä jooga on, 196 sutran (tai ajatelman) muodossa. Ajatelmat on jaettu neljään eri jaksoon, padaan. Teoksesta on olemassa suoria käännöksiä englanniksi mutta helpompi lähtökohta on lukea teos jossa käännöksen lisäksi on kirjoittajan kommentit ja analyysit sutrista. Näitä tekstikirjoja on olemassa myös useita, omani on Reverend Jaganath Carreran ”Inside The Yoga Sutras” joka aukeni minusta suht’helposti vaikka se ei kovin kevyttä lukemista ole. Joogaliiton ja Adlibriksen pikainen googlailu kertoo sutria tulkanneen ja tutkineen suomeksi ainakin Elvi Saari,Tuomo Suntola ja Uuno Pore. Itse en ole näihin ehtinyt vielä tutustumaan.
Useat joogakirjat tuovat esille joogan eri puolia filosofiasta, hengitysharjoituksista ja meditaatiosta aina asanaharjoituksiin. Yksi maineikkaimmista teoksista on B.S.K. Iyengarin ”Light on Yoga – The Definite Guide to Yoga Practise.” Itselleni parasta antia kirjassa ovat vanhat mustavalkoiset valokuvat eri asanoista. Kuvien lisäksi kirjassa on seikkaperäiset selostukset kuinka asanoihin päästään. Pinnallisesti pidän myös siitä on että kirja on mielestäni todella kaunis päältäpäin mutta paperikantiseksi kirjaksi se on todella painava ja siksi ei parasta matkaluettavaa (kokeiltu on ja kirja on kulmistansa sen näköinen…)
Donna Farhin ”Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit – A Return to Wholeness” on myös kattava mutta ei itselleni tyylillisesti ehkä se mieluisin luettava. Kirjassa on todella selkeät kuvat joissa käytetään paljon eri proppeja, tästä pidin paljon. Omistamassani versiossa on laajat marginaalit joihin voi kirjoittaa omia havaintojaan. Donna Farhin kirjoja on myös suomennettu, en tosin ole varma onko juuri tämä teos.
Suosikkikirjani tästä joukosta on T.K.V. Desikacharin ”The Heart of Yoga – Developing a Personal Practise.” Kirja on erittäin helppolukuinen ja osa kirjasta on haastattelumuodossa. Teos kattaa edellisen kirjan tavoin niin fyysiset kuin hengitysharjoitukset sekä meditaation. Kokonainen kappale kirjassa on myös omistettu Patanjalin jooga-ajatuksien käännökselle ja tulkinnalle. Tätä kirjaa oli helppo lukea esimerkiksi lentokoneessa.
On myös useita kirjoja jotka keskittyvät lähinnä anatomiaan. Tässä joukoissa yksi suosituimmista tuntuu olevan Leslie Kaminoffin ja Amy Matthewsin ”Yoga Anatomy.” Löysin tämän AdLibriksestäkin ja mietin useammankin tovin mistä lähtien anatoomia on suomeksi kirjoitettu kahdella oolla. Jossain vaiheessa tajusin että kyseessä on eestin kielinen käännös kirjasta (Jooganatoomia), suomalaista versiota en löytänyt. Tässä kirjassa on selkeä kuvitus mitä tapahtuu kehossa ”pinnan alla” ja jokaisen asanan kohdalla kerrotaan selkeästi mitä sen aikana tapahtuu nivelissä ja lihaksissa, ja kuinka hengitys toimii asennossa. Tätä kirjaa selailen/luen useamman kerran viikossa kun haluan tarkistaa jonkin yksityiskohdan asanasta jonka haluan sisällyttää seuraavaan joogasarjaan tms.
Omistan myös Dr Ray Longin kaksi kirjaa, ”The Key Muscles of Yoga” ja ”The Key Poses of Yoga.” Myönnettäköön että minua viehätti varsinkin kirjan isot kuvat (koska iso kuva = helppous?) ja selkeitä kirjat ovatkin. Kirjoja on helppo katsoa myös harjoituksen aikana toisin kuin edellä mainittuja jotka ovat enemmänkin ”istu alas ja lue muistiinpanojen kanssa” tyylisiä.
I had a chat about yoga books with a friend yesterday and this old post of mine came to mind. As nothing has changed since I first published this text, here you go again, for those who did not see this the first time around.
Yoga books are nothing new. The first systematic presentation of yoga in a written form, the Yoga Sutras by Patjanhali is said to dated circa 400 CE (I am aware there is debate around this date but I am not going to dwell any deeper into it), whilst another renowned yogic scripture, the Bhagavad Gita dates an estimated 500 BCE.
There is a ton of yoga books around and it can be hard to pick just one or two. Here’s a list of some of my favourites. Some of these I read almost every day, some less so but they have all served a purpose of some sort in my yoga studies. If the list looks familiar it is because each one of the books is on the Amazon’s ”Top 15 or so Yoga books” list and many are teacher trainer reading staples. Hence expect nothing crazy original but if you are newer to yoga literature this might be helpful.
A lot of people approach yoga through the physical practise. I would however encourage any student of yoga to have a look at what lies in the roots on the asana practise. A good place to start is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. These are the basic teachings of yoga are described in short verses called sutras, which are organised in four padas, or chapters. As reading a direct Sanskrit translation might seem a daunting task, there are luckily many textbooks offering an approachable commentary and interpretation of the sutras in a easy-to-digest form. The textbook I have is authored by Reverend Jaganath Carrera and it is called ”Inside The Yoga Sutras.”
Several books combine philosophy, breathing technique and asana practise in one. A classic is B.S.K Iyengar’s ”Light on Yoga – The Definitive Guide to Yoga Practise.” The books have fantastic black and white photo illustration and the descriptions on how to get into each pose are very detailed. On a completely superficial level, the 2015 edition I have is also beautiful to look at. The only minus comes from it being a very heavy for a paperback so it is not the best travel read.
Donna Farhi’s ”Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit – A Return to Wholeness” is another very complete book. In all honestly I found this one a bit hard going. However, the illustrations and photos are very clear and I like that the use of props, such as chairs, blankets and blocks, is incorporated to offer different types of modifications. It also has very wide margins for your own notes which is a plus.
My favourite book on this list is probably T.K.V. Desikachar’s ”The Heart of Yoga – Developing a Personal Practise.” Written in a conversational manner (in fact, part of the book is in an interview Q & A format) the book is a practical approach to various elements of yoga: Asanas, breathing and meditation. It also has a chapter on the Yoga Sutra’s with Desikachar’s own translations and comments.
There are of course plenty of books focusing solely on the anatomy side of yoga. Leslie Kaminoff & Amy Matthews’ ”Yoga Anatomy” (I have the second revised edition) is the one of the most recommended ones. In every page it offers a clear illustration of inside the asana (see the photo to get an idea), a classification, actions for joints and muscles, a word about the respiratory mechanism applicable to that pose and additional notes. A perfect go-to book when you want to check how your body works in a given asana, I use this book several times a week.
I also have two books of Dr. Ray Long, ”The Key Muscles of Yoga” and ”The Key Poses of Yoga.” I must admit that I first got excited by these books due to the big illustrations that take up most of the pages. Anatomy can be difficult and the pictures make it more approachable! I find these books (unlike the ones listed before) are also usable during actual practise due to simple layout.
What are the yoga related books you have read and would recommend?
Last Monday I attended a teacher’s symposium on the topic “The Diversity Problem in Yoga” at TriYoga’s Camden studio. The premises of the talk was to find out (as much as possible) why yoga in the Western world, today being more popular and mainstream than ever, seems to practiced by a very homogenous set of people, often identified as a white, able-bodied, middle-class women. Why is it that whilst the population in general is getting more and more overweight and aging and the racial and religious diversities present around us, the yoga community as a whole does not necessary reflect these realities?
“Are we as yoga schools, teachers and students reinforcing existing barriers and divisions, and how can we actively dissolve them? How can we create a more inclusive space for everyone no matter their size, their ethnicity, their income and their gender?”
The panellists of the evening included Jonathan Sattin who founded the first TriYoga studio in 2000, Dana Falsetti, a body positive yoga teacher, Corrie Ananda Preece and Isa-Welly Locoh-Donou who teach Mysore and Pilates & Barre respectively at TriYoga and Frederique Sardais who was the first UK teacher to specialise in Adaptive Yoga, a type of specialist classes for people living with disability and limited movement.
From left to right: Jonathan Sattin, Dana Falsetti, Corrie Ananda Preece, Isa-Welly Locoh-Donou and Frederique Sardais
Kindly note that this post is not a transliteration of the 90 minute symposium. My aim is to bring forwards some of the many questions, challenges, various points of views and suggestions for improvement that came up during the discussion. I offer my take on these where I see I have something to add. The discussion was recorded and to hear it full you can head to TriYoga’s Facebook page. The photo credit of the two pictures of the panellists goes to TriYoga who kindly gave me the permission to use their photos.
I want to also highlight before going any further that we all have very different experiences so what is said below is obviously not the universal truth about yoga studios and communities. You do not need to agree with all/anything what follows below – for instance during my over 10 years of regular practise I have more often than not seen people of all ages, from six year old kids to the veterans for WW2, being represented in yoga classes. However this is not the experience many share and I accept age, as an example, can be seen an issue associated with the conversation about diversity in yoga.
For me when something is presented as an issue that needs correction of sorts there are few fundamental questions that needs to be asked right at the beginning, in order to not get lost in the conversation.
What makes us say there is a diversity problem?
What do we believe (or know) are the reasons for this problem?
What does the ideal (or at least improved) situation look like?
Is there something being already done to improve the situation and how is that working (or not and why not?)
In no particular order, here are some of the reasons why we can say there is a diversity problem in yoga:
There seems to be considerably less of yoga teachers and yoga practitioners of colour than there are white practitioners.
There seems to be a lot more women in your average yoga class than there are men. The same goes for yoga teachers.
There seems to be are lot more people who are of “normal” weight if not “slim” practising yoga than people who are overweight.
Most people we see in a regular yoga class are fairly able bodied, although naturally not all disabilities – starting from the mental ones – are visible to others.
Yoga also seems to be very much associated with youth, and more specifically with females in their 20s and 30s, despite the fact the Western population keeps on aging.
In the birth country of yoga, India, yoga transcends all classes and casts. Where does this diversity problem in the West come from then?
A big part of modern yoga’s diversity issue can be traced (or, at least we like to trace it) to the popular imagery: From the covers and features in Yoga Journal to lululemon and Sweaty Betty look books, the white skinny (often very flexible) female is ever present in the photos. Most gyms and yoga studios, whether consciously or not, perpetuate the same imagery. You can talk as much as you want about the welcoming and open atmosphere of a studio in marketing materials but if everybody working there looks more or less that same (and you do not not look like that), this IS part of the reason yoga can be seen as homogenous, or even elitist, activity.
Now is this because of the image some studios want to portray, or is it due to a form of unconscious bias? I am sure there is an element of the both. However, at this day and age, especially when we are talking about an activity that is all about inclusiveness and openness, it feels appropriate to remind us all that the word “yoga” itself means “union.” Feel free to see the irony…
If there is a genuine will to improve things from what is seen as not the ideal situation, the only way forward for all of those involved in the community, as businesses and practitioners, is to fairly and squarely realise the current state and take concrete actions to move forward. As an example of this, TriYoga stated on their Facebook page few days ago ”We recognise (…) that some of our marketing material in the past may not have reflected our intention to be inclusive and we are working to change that.”
That is a big and very noble statement. Being inclusive is hard work, and maybe creating a studio space where nobody, EVER, would feel excluded is not even possible. Yet, by bringing awareness and mindfulness to our thoughts and actions in regards to the words we use, to the assumptions we make (or try not to make) and even to our body language, can take us a long way.
Finally, the financial barriers to yoga are also very real. Ten pounds (or euros) a yoga class can be a lot to pay for a single mother with three kids, for a student, or just for anybody living in an expensive city on a low salary. Many studios charge even more than a ten pounds for a drop-in class at peak-hours. It is true that many places have community classes that are priced on a lower level. However, as one of the audience members on Monday pointed out, if these community classes take place in the middle of the day when most people are working, their impact does not go very far, despite the beautiful intentions. On the other side of the coin, yoga teachers need a make a living too, to provide for the family, pay for the bills and maybe even put something towards the pension fund.
Where does the balance lie with between the yoga studios running as a business, the teachers sharing their passion and the people who can and could benefit from the practise we want to share and offer?
What do we want then and whatever it is, do we know if it already exists somewhere?
Any of the above said does not mean that all the white slim-ish middleclass women should hang their head in shame. None of us chose the body we were born in and nobody can be spared of illnesses and misfortunes of life just because of a socio-economic status. But a lot can be done just through education, having an awareness of the many realities that exist in the communities and checking if our assumptions of the realities are actually founded in the truth.
What came up few times in the discussion on Monday was the feeling of being an outsider, or not belonging to “yoga.” This can come from various factors: One can feel like his/her body shape is not represented and therefore accepted in a class, or have a teacher who does not know how to teach different body shapes and conditions through offering props and modifications. Yoga can feel very “white” activity, or a particular studio can just have a vibe that does not attract. The first time stepping into a yoga class can be a very intimating situation for anybody, so all of us can imagine how this is easily made worse by not feeling welcomed or fitting in for whatever reason.
It is also healthy to remember that yoga is much more than the asana practise. Meditation, breathing practises and studying the philosophy are also yoga. The Sutra 1.2 reminds us that yoga is about controlling the fluctuations of the mind. Reducing yoga to represent just asana is also an assumption to be challenged. It is important for all of us as practitioners and teachers to be open to all sorts of questions and show by example how yoga works for everybody, and in every day life. Just the other day I heard a friend saying in all seriousness (in my own kitchen of all places) how “I’d be too scared to go to a yoga class because apparently all those movements make you fart.” I did my best to reassure that more often than not, farting does NOT happen, and even if it does, it is ok (but really, it is rare! I swear!) Yoga is actually very simple physically – it is our minds that play on us to think otherwise. And that mind stuff – well, lets refer back to Sutra 1.2.
Like I said in the beginning, of course there are plenty of people who have never seen or viewed yoga as something alienating, “not for them” or lacking diversity. Yoga is lived and practised in variety of places, outside the traditional shala or the modern studio. Yoga exists in community halls and in the clubrooms owned by various religions. Yoga is featured as an integral part of weekly training for athletes ranging from rugby to ice hockey to martial arts. Yoga classes are offered in ballet schools and physiotherapy clinics, for children at schools and for elderly people in the form of chair yoga. Of course there is progress to be made but there is equally a lot of evidence to demonstrate that yoga truly can work for all, regardless age, race, religion and gender.
The way I see it, the conversation about the lack of diversity in yoga teaches us about the opportunities there are out there to reach out and connect with the community. Think about it and share your thoughts. What is yoga to you and would you like to see more diversity in yoga? What does that diversity would look like to you? Join the conversation in the comments below!
Few months ago a fellow yoga teacher posted on Facebook an article about whether or not yoga should be considered as a sport that triggered my interest. For most of us the mere idea of talking yoga and sport, let alone yoga as a competitive sport, seems outrageous. The steady breath, the journey for emotional and maybe even spiritual wellbeing and inner peace that we associate with yoga (or at least, our yoga teacher would like us to associate with the practise) just seem almost completely at odds with what we may think of as (competitive) sports.
But how do we classify what is a sport in a first place?
In dictionaries “sports” is defined both as “An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” and as ”a physical activity (such as hunting, fishing, running, swimming, etc.) that is done for enjoyment.”
In short, sports may or may not be competitive in nature. All it requires is that there is some sort of physical effort. We know that the physical aspect of yoga, asana or posture, is only one of the 8 limbs of yoga as defined by Patanjali. But isn’t fair to say that is the physical practise that many people see as synonymous to “yoga”? To push further, asana practise can be very physically challenging, and the words “effort and ease” are mentioned in the Yoga Sutras: Sthira sukham asanam, yoga posture is an expression between effort and ease.
Mari Dickey at the 2010 Bishnu Ghosh Cup. Photo by Mike McInnis.
“There is no way that sutra can be interpreted that it is ok to have yoga as a competitive sport!” you might be thinking at this point. But even the officials in India, the homeland of yoga, have not been sure where (or how) to place yoga. In September 2015 yoga was recognised as a sport in the Country, only to be derecognised 14 months later, in the late 2016 with the Indian Sports ministry stating, “…Yoga has various dimensions/arms in which competitions are not possible.”
Definitions aside, it is also interesting to ask…
…Who would consider yoga as a sport?
Quite a few people actually, I discovered when doing research for this piece. The International Federation of Yoga Sports website tells that yoga competitions have existed in India for some 2000 years, and competitions with a focus on asana have existed since up to 200 years. The current form of yoga asana competitions on an local, national and international level have existed since 1989, when The First World Yoga Cup and World Yoga Championship was held in 1989 in Uruguay and The First International Yoga Asanas Championship in India.
Especially in the USA the popularity of these competitions has grown over the years but “yoga as a sport” is a rising phenomenon with several organisations holding national and international competitions and regulating their rules. The biggest one of these entities, The International Federation of Yoga Sports, acts as a governing body for subdivisions in 32 countries.
Sarah Wells, International Yoga Asana Championship in 2012. Still from a YouTube video.
“Yoga is about catching the stillness, even in competition”
Joseph Encinia, the president of USA Yoga, said these words during an interview for the US online magazine Racked last year. In most yoga competitions the participants have to perform a certain number of pre-defined asana and hold them for a certain period of time (in USA Yoga competitions at least 3 seconds.) The postures are of often some sort of variation on a forward bend, a backbend, a stretch, and a twist, either chosen from a list of options or a yogi’s choice. Some organisations also test their competitors on the history of yoga, but the execution of asana to a certain pre-set standards is always present. In the Racked interview Encinia explained how “If a yogi’s alignment is off, we’ll hold it against them, but we’re also watching for balance and control of the breath.”
Joseph Encinia, Demonstration at the 2012 USA Yoga Asana Championship
Balance and breath are mentioned, that makes these competitions a bit more “yogic”, right?
Well, maybe not so much. For starters, whose definition of alignment are we talking about? There are dozens of schools of yoga out there these days, some emphasising the anatomical alignment as the paramount of any asana, some much less so and some that barely even mention alignment in their classes. Furthermore, even if you go to two different classes of the same school of yoga, you still might hear things that not 100% identical. And lets not forget that we all have different bodies with different proportions, and I for one think that to get the most out of yoga, it is best taught in a small, if not 1 to 1 setting, where you can pay attention to everybody individually.
This, together with the perceived lack of spirituality, emotional benefits and relaxation associated with yoga, are among the biggest critical comments against yoga as a competitive sport. Of course yoga teachers and studio owners need to make a living, and for that we need students to come to class. Yet, the absence of the “need to perform” feeling, and lack of comparison to others is something that many of us hold sacred and at the heart of yoga. There are also many other ways that can inspire and motivate us with our practise, and as to catching people’s interest in yoga, are these competitions really representative in any way of the science and art of yoga, thousands of years old?
Each to their own and as yoga continues to grow in popularity, it is always interesting to hear what attracted people to come to class in a first place and what image of the practise they might have before they step on the mat for the first time. I am going to continue my exploration on all things under the umbrella of yoga this Friday in a form of a documentary screening at a friend’s new yoga studio. I might write more around this topic in the future but in the mean time, let me know what you think about the following:
Is yoga a sport, and would you like to see (or participate) in an asana competition?
The pictures are in this post are not mine. The 3 YISF pictures are stills from competition videos available on YouTube.
Juan Manuel Martin Busutil Demonstration at the 2013 International Yoga Asana Championship
Julkaisin version tästä tekstistä vanhassa blogissani viime vuoden puolella. Joogan suosion kasvaessa on kuitenkin tärkeää ymmärtää mitä eroa eri joogilla on ja sen takia päätin julkaista joogaterapiasta hieman päivitetyn version. On kaunis ajatus että kaikki jooga on terapeuttista, mutta jos vaikeasta reumasta kärsivän vie astangasta inspiraation saaneelle vinyasa-flow tunnille, tällaiselle ihmiselle päällimmäisenä tunteena tulee varmasti olemaan turhautuminen autuuden sijasta. Mitä siis on joogaterapia?
Joogan eduista on tehty viime vuosina useita tutkimuksia jotka ovat selvästi osoittaneet kuinka joogasta voi olla apua mm. erilaisiin kiputiloihin, ahdistukseen, unettomuuteen ja sydäntauteihin. Viime vuosina lääkärit useissa länsimaissa ovatkin alkaneet yhtä useammin suosittelemaan potilaille joogaterapiaa. Koska joogaterapia on hyvin holistista, kokonaisvaltaista, sillä on myös usein positiivisia “sivuvaikutuksia”: se voi lievittää stressiä ja auttaa erilaisissa lihasten jännitystiloissa.
Joogaterapian ja “normaalin” joogantunnin isoin ero on siinä, että terapia lähtee yksilön tarpeesta. Vaikka ryhmätunti joogaa tekee hyvää perusterveelle ihmiselle jolla ei ole mitään erityisiä vaivoja, se ei välttämättä ole se paras vaihtoehto esimerkiksi olkapääleikkauksesta toipuvalle tai polvivaivaiselle. Joogaterapia tapahtuukin yksityisohjauksessa tai pienryhmissä. Ei ole harvinaista että täsmälleen sama diagnoosi esiintyy ja oireilee hieman eritavalla jokaisessa ihmisessä. Tämän takia paras apu näihin vaivoihin on yleensä yksilöity harjoitus.
Joogaterapian on hyvä olla myös säännöllistä: ohjatulla tunnilla voidaan käydä vain muutama asana/harjoitus kerrallaan sillä on tärkeää että nämä pystyy suorittamaan kotonakin “puhtaasti.” Tässä mielessä joogaterapia on hieman muistuttaa fysioterapiaa. Joogasta kun on kyse kuuluu harjoitteisiin myös hengitysharjoitukset ja/tai meditaatiota. Joogaterapioita löytyy useita erilaisia koulukuntia, mm. jotkut raskausajan joogatunnit voidaan laskea kuuluvan joukkoon, kuten myös tuolijoogan tms. Kaiken joogan ja joogaterapian perustana on kuitenkin Patanjalin joogasutrissa mainittu ahimsa, ei-väkivaltaisuuden periaate.
Joogaterapeuteille ei ole tällä hetkellä yhtenäistä koulutusta (aivan kuin ei ole joogaopettajillakaan) mutta esimerkiksi USAsta ja Iso-Britaniasta löytyvät järjestöt jotka ylläpitävät standardeja, järjestävät koulutuksia tms. Itselle sopivan ohjaajan etsimiseen kannattaa käyttää siis aikaa saadakseen hyvän kuvan heidän taustoistaan ja persoonallisuudestaan. On myös hyvä puhua aina oman lääkärin kanssa jos joogaharjoituksen sopivuus mietityttää. Näin varmistetaan turvallinen ja kaikille mielekäs harjoittelu joka myös tuottaa tuloksia.
Aiheesta voi lukea lisää alussa mainitsemastani artikkelista englanniksi täältä.
Practise and non-attachment can seem to be very contradictory terms as we usually associate practise with the expectation of some sort of results. Yet together these two form the principles that the whole yoga system as we know it today rests. You might have heard your yoga teacher to say the words ”just let everything go that does not serve you”. Maybe you even liked that phrase because it almost felt like a permission to let go and relax in a world that seems to be full of demands. Yet when we hear those words in a yoga class most of us do not think that they mean we are going to let our asana practise fall apart. If anything, in this context “letting go” can easily be understood as an invitation to focus only on the practise taking place and give it all our attention.
Check out the focus on this Bhujapidasana…
And that is the moment when the meaning of abhyasa and vairagya – practise and non-commitment – reveals its logic to us.
To describe things as concisely as possible, abhyasa, as Patanjali explained them in his Yoga Sutras (Sutras 1.12 to 1.16), means to make consistent effort (i.e. practise), over time and even when do not feel like it (especially when we do not feel like it, some might say) to observe and follow thoughts, actions and general lifestyle choices that lead us towards a state of tranquillity. Why? Because this practise and the stilling of the mind it brings with it will help to reveal our true, “original” self, free from fears, stress, upsets and pain, all those things we so often feel our lives are filled with.
By using the word ”effort”, this sutra reminds us that Yoga is not for the lazy. Nothing great was ever achieved without effort.
– Reverend Jaganath Carrera
Vairagya on the other hand can be understood as study or process of actively recognising, exploring and letting go of everything that stands in the way of finding inner peace and tranquillity. Put in other words, vairagya encourages us not to attach any significance on material wealth (clothes, cars, our latest phone…), non-material issues (situations that makes us agitated or angry, certain exam or career results, fancy yoga poses to be posted on Instagram) or anything else that may think of as important to us. Whilst we may fool ourselves to believe that obtaining more of wealth, recognition or whatever it is we crave for, it really just diverts us from finding inner peace and at the end is more likely to contribute to further unhappiness.
Non-attachment is the cultivation of realistic, healthy relationships with objects and attainments based on understanding what the world can and cannot offer.
– Reverend Jaganath Carrera
It is of course hard to be conscious of the fact that we should not grow too attached of the outcome of our results, as after all this is very human. We might do well at work or with other projects, extremely well even and our efforts may even bring us material wealth or acknowledgement and we think we have the right to be proud of our hard work. And of course there is nothing wrong in those feelings. What we must be vary though is how we allow those attachments we have on desired results affect our mind and how we view ourselves in relation to our surroundings. Because equally, our efforts may not bring the success we wished for. How do we feel then? Do we get upset, do we feel our self-worth evaporating, do we feel we should have achieved more tangible results, feel more proud of our efforts?
…which, regardless of the focus, can end up like this. 10 times in a row.
In summary, abhyasa and vairagya remind us of the importance of consistent, daily and joyful practise, with a lifestyle and environment that support this, and how we must remain aware of our underlying motivations and expectations of this practise and aim to use it as a tool to experience peace that transcends external circumstance.
And that requires constant, conscious effort. That’s why we call our yoga practise a practise in a first place.
Harjoittelu ja irtipäästäminen voivat vaikuttaa varsin ristiriitaisilta termeiltä, ymmärrämmehän usein harjoitteluun kuuluvan myös tulosten odottamisen. Yhdessä ne kuitenkin muodostavat koko joogasysteemin perustan. Joogatunnilla opettaja kehottaa luopumaan suorittamisen tunteesta, tai vapauttamaan ajatukset jotka eivät auta harjoittelua ja sen sijaan keskittymään kehon kuunteluun. Ajatuksena päässä pyörivien miljoonien ajatusten unohtaminen on kuulostaa hyvältä mutta me kaikki tiedämme että tähän tilaan pääseminen ja yhteen asiaan keskittyminen kerrallaan on helpommin sanottu kuin tehty. Irtipäästäminen(kin) vaatii siis jatkuvaa harjoittelua.
Abhyasa ja vairagya (harjoittelu ja irtipäästäminen, kirjaimellisesti “värittömyys”) konsepti on kirjattu Patanajalin joogasutriin luvuissa 1.12 – 1.16. Lyhyesti selitettynä abhyasa tarkoittaa jatkuvaa vaivannäköä jokapäiväisen harjoituksen eteen. Abhyasa korostaa harjoituksen säännöllisyyden tärkeyttä silloinkin (ja juuri silloin!) kun asia ei voisi vähempää kiinnostaa. ”Harjoitus” ei tarkoita vain asanaharjoitusta vaan myös ajatuksiamme ja valintojamme esimerkiksi ruuan, ystävien ja koko elämäntapamme suhteen. Vain jatkuvan ja keskittyneen harjoituksen avulla voimme pyrkiä kohti mielenrauhaa. Patanjali kuvaa tämän mielenrauhan tilana jossa olemme vapaa peloista, pettymyksistä, stressistä ja kaikenlaisesta “elämäntuskasta.”
Ankara keskittyminen
Vairagya, irtipäästäminen, puolestaan tarkoittaa kykyämme tarkkailla ja tarkistella asioita jotka aiheuttavat meille mielipahaa ja siten estävät mielenrauhan syntymistä. Irtipäästäminen voi esimerkiksi tarkoittaa sitä että emme tavoittele ja pidä tärkeänä omistaa uusinta puhelinmallia, uusia vaatteita, lomamatkoja tai mitä tahansa tavaraa. Irtipäästäminen liittyy myös “ei materiaalisiin” asioihin: voimme esimerkiksi harjoitella joogaa aktiivisesti koska haluamme oppia asanan joka on mielestämme hieno ja josta haluamme kuvan Instagram-fiidiin koska vasta silloin olemme mielestämme saavuttaneet jotain. Irtipäästämisen konseptia voi soveltaa myös opiskelu- tai työelämään. Kun teemme paljon töitä jonkun asian eteen odotamme myös hyviä tuloksia, palkankorotusta, kiitosta ja kunniaa ja kuvittelemme että nämä asiat lisäävät onnen tunnetta ja elämän laatua. Pahimmassa tapauksessa ajatuksemme voivat kääntyä muotoon ”sitten kun X tapahtuu, kaikki on hyvin”, joka taas estää meitä keskittymään ja arvostamaan tätä hetkeä.
Jos et ole tyytyväinen siihen mitä sinulla jo on, kuinka kuvittelet olevasi tyytyväinen sitten kun olet saanut kaiken haluamasi?
…joskus sitä kaatuu persuuksilleen. Noin 10 kertaa putkeen.
On totta kai normaalia että haluamme olla ylpeitä saavutuksistamme ja odotuksista irtipäästäminen voi jopa tuntua hölmöltä. Vairagya ei kuitenkaan tarkoita että minkään ei pitäisi tuntua miltään. Ajatuksen ydin on olla antamatta asioille liikaa merkitystä. Ajatellaan esimerkiksi työprojektia: Olemme raataneet projektin parissa kuukausia, istuen toimistolla myöhään illalla. Projektin myötä emme ole nähneet perhettä tai ystäviä kunnolla pitkään aikaan ja päätä on särkenyt jatkuvasti. Projektin valmistuttua odotamme pomon lähettävän vähintäänkin ison, kiittelevän sähköpostin koko firmalle, ymmärrystä kumppanilta ja ystäviltä poissaoloistamme ja ehkä vielä sitä palkankorotustakin.
Projektin esityspäivä saapuu mutta kiitosten ja ymmärryksen sijaan saamme lyhyen nyökkäyksen. Ketään ei tunnu kiinnostavan ja kokouksessa siirrytään suoraan eteenpäin. Kumppani kotona toteaa että toivottavasti nyt aikaa piisaa enemmän kotitöihin, lisäten että toista kertaa tällaistä menoa ei sitten hyvällä katsella. Toisin sanoen, todellisuus on hyvin kaukana odotuksistamme, negatiivisella tavalla. Mikä on olomme nyt? Pettynyt? Vihainen? Romahtaako itsetunto ainakin hetkeksi kun projektia ei kiitelläkään? Tuleeko ajatus että olemmeko edes oikealla alalla? Lihottuakin tuli viisi kiloa kun ei ollut aikaa syödä kunnolla. Kaikki menee aina pieleen!
Näistä ajatuksista on mielenrauha ja tyyneys kaukana. Vairagya siis kehottaa olemaan tarkkana ponnistelujemme motivaation suhteen ja päästämään irti (liian suurista) odotuksista joilla voi olla negatiivinen vaikutus ajatuksiimme. Sen sijaan meidän pitää keskittyä jatkuvaan ja jokapäiväiseen abhyasaan, harjoitteluun, joka johtaa meitä kohti mielenrauhaa ja sisäisen totuuden löytämistä.
Tämä on tietenkin vaikeaa ja vaatii ponnisteluja. Sen takia joogaharjoitusta kutsutaankin joogaharjoitteluksi.
Patanjalin Joogasutrissa esitellyn kahdeksanhaaraisen polun (“systeemin”) ensimmäinen askel, yamat, kuvailee kuinka saavuttaa harmoninen ja rauhanomainen asenne ulkomaailman kanssa. Toinen askele näissä kahdeksassa eettisessä neuvossa, niyamat, keskittyy puolestaan suhteeseen oman itsemme kanssa. Niyamoja voi kuvailla eräänlaisiksi mielen, kehon ja aistien treenaamiseksi matkalla kohti korkeampaa tietoisuutta ja täydellistä vapautta.
Jos tämä kuulostaa hieman liian haastavalta tavoitteelta tähän hetkeen mikään ei kuitenkaan estä pohtimasta niyamoja kevyemmällä tavalla, tutustumalla niiden ideaan ja miettimällä kuinka ne istuvat (tai eivät) omaan elämään tällä hetkellä.
Saucha
Saucha viittaa sekä ruumiin ja mielen puhdistukseen ja puhtauteen. Ideana on että tarvitsemme kirkkaan ja selkeän mielen saavuttaaksemme tyyneyden tilan. Tämä tila on välttämätön jos haluamme päästä korkeimman viisauden ja vapauden asteelle. Saucha ei kuitenkaan vaadi että elämme elämäämme steriilisti. Järjestys ja puhtaus auttavat paljon (eli Kon-Marit esiin jossei ole jo!) mutta meidän on pidettävä mielessä myös isommat kokonaisuudet: kenen kanssa vietämme aikaamme, miten vietämme vapaa-aikaamme (ts. baarit vs ulkoilmassa oleskelu) ja luonnollisesti myös millaista ruokaa ja juomaa suuhumme pistämme. Saucha on yksi joogasutrissa mainituista elementeistä jotka selittävät minkä takia monet joogaajat ovat vegaaneja.
Mitäs sinne suuhun tuli taas pistettyä?
Santosha
Santosha tarkoittaa tyytyväisyyttä tai onnellisuutta. Sivistyssanakirja määrittelee onnellisuuden sanoilla suotuisuus ja otollisuus. Synonyymeiksi tarjoiltiin seuraavia vaihtoehtoja: onni, autuus, iloisuus, pirteys, tyytyväisyys, mielenrauha, nautinto, ilo, hyvinvointi, elämänilo.
Joogasutrien mukaan ongelma onnellisuuden saavuttamiseksi on oma egomme ja valitettava tosiasia että ihmisluonto helposti havittelee aina jotain lisää ja/tai jotain muuta: omasta mielestämme parempia asana-harjoituksia, täydellisiä ihmissuhteita, parempaa urakehitystä, enemmän tavaroita ja matkoja… Onnellisuus tulee kuitenkin ymmärtämällä että meillä on jo kaikkea mitä tarvitsemme ja osoittamalla kiitollisuutta sitä kohtaan.
Tästä asiasta on viime aikoina kirjoitettu niin paljon että ei tästä sen enempää. Santoshan saavuttaminen kun vaatii harjoittelua itsemme ja ajatustemme kanssa ennemminkuin siitä loputtomasti lukemista.
Tapas
Tapas on aikojen saatossa käännetty monella eri tavalla mutta suomeksi se selittyy parhaiten sanalla “itsekuri.” Tapas on se prosessi jonka käymme lävitse kun teemme (tai pakotamme itsemme tekemään) jotain joka ei yhtään huvittaisi mutta jonka tiedämme olevan meille hyvästä. Ajatuksena on että itsekuri ja vaivannäkö jota käytämme on eräänlainen sisäinen liekki joka poistaa meistä epäpuhtauksia ja vahvistaa sekä ruumista ja mieltä. Tapas auttaa meitä pääsemään irti epäterveellisistä tavoista ja luomaan uusia, terveellisiä rutiineja.
Esimerkkinä tapaksen toiminnasta ovat mm. ne salitreenit, aamulenkit ja joogaharjoitukset jotka eivät yhtään huvittaneet mutta joiden jälkeen olo on todella hyvä. Tällaisen suorituksen jälkeen voi myös tehdä mieli syödä terveellisemmin ja siten luoda uusia terveellisiä tapoja.
Näihin lenkkimaastoihin lähtemiseen ei kauheasti itsekuria tarvitse.
Svadhyaha
Svadhyaha on itsetutkimusta ja pyrkimystä kasvattamaan tietoisuutta mitä itsemme sisällä tapahtuu. Lopullinen päämäärä on päästä yhteyteen todellisen luontomme kanssa jossa joogasutrien mukaan olemme yhtä kaiken meitä ympäröivän kanssa, puhtaassa totuudessa.
Useimmille meistä tämä vaikuttaa hieman turhan kunnianhimoiselta pyrkimykseltä mutta Svadhyahan voi helposti aloittaa miettimällä omia toimintatapojaan ja reaktioitaan eri tilanteissa: Mitkä asiat saavat meidät ärtymään ja mikä niissä oikein ärsyttää. Jos esimerkiksi juna pysähtyy raiteille kesken matkan, ärsyynnymme helposti koska tiedämme myöhästyvämme töistä. Mutta minkä takia myöhästyminen ärsyttää meitä? Onko se, koska joku on siellä meitä odottamassa vai mikä? Entä ovatko ruokatottumuksemme sellaiset joihin olemme tyytyväisiä vai haaveilemmeko muuttavamme niissä jotain? Kuinka pääsemme tavoitteeseemme ja onko tämä tavoite sellainen johon päästyämme se tulee pysymään tapana?
Tämän tyylinen itsetutkistelu on tärkeää suorittaa empaattisesti ja ymmärtäväisesti itseään kohtaan, mutta myös käyttää sen tukena tekstejä jotka tukevat sitä, vaikkapa joogasutria tai muita hengellisiä tekstejä. Näin perspektiivi säilyy ja ymmärrämme paremmin kuin useimmat tuntemukset ja “ihmisyyden haasteet” ovat universaaleja ja tuttuja meille monille, taustasta riippumatta. Tämä myös takaa ettei harjoittamamme svadhyaha pyöri vain oman navan ympärillä. Ajan kanssa tällainen harjoittelu tekee meistä tasapainoisempia, rauhallisempia ja tyytyväisiä, sekä itseämme että muita kohtaan.
Ishvara Prandihana
Ishvara Pranadihana viittaa kykyyn hellittää, “päästää irti” ja antautua korkeamman voiman johdatettavaksi (mikä se korkein voima tai energia sitten itse kullekin on.) Yksinkertaistettuna tämä tarkoittaa omasta egosta luopumista (tai ainakin sen yrittämistä) ja omistamalla elämänsä (tai joogaharjoituksensa tms.) korkeammalle taholle. Jo tämän omistautumisen osoittaminen muistuttaa meitä yhteydestämme johonkin isompaan ja on merkki luottamuksesta että tämä voima vie meitä universaalia totuutta kohti.
Tämä teksti on käännetty alkuperäisestä englanniksi kirjoittamasti versiosta jossa lähdeaineistona on käytetty seuraavia sivustoja ja kirjoja:
In the eight limb system of yoga outlined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali the the first limb, the yamas, are about our relationship with the outside. The second step, the niyamas, are more about the relationship we have with ourselves. You can view them as a form of a self-training to prepare mind, body and senses on the yogic path. They also offer great material for all of us to reflect upon as a type of lifestyle observances even if we are not necessarily aiming for enlightenment so lets have a closer look!
Saucha
Saucha refers to purity and purification (some also use the word hygiene) of both body and mind. The idea is that clean and uncluttered state, both physical and mental, is required to create the calm needed in attaining wisdom and spiritual liberation. Saucha does not however mean purity as in literal sterility. Orderliness and cleanliness are helpful but we should focus more on the bigger picture: the people we spend time with, how we entertain ourselves and of course the food and drink we consume. Saucha is one of the aspects behind the reason so many yogis are vegans.
Sutra 2.40: “By purification, the body’s protective impulses are awakened, as well as a disinclination for detrimental contact with others.”
Santosha
Santosha means contentment and for explanation of it I first turned to a dictionary. There contentment is explained as follows: ”A state of happiness and satisfaction”, ”freedom from worry or restlessness” and ” peaceful satisfaction.” Sounds wonderful, right?
The trouble is that our minds and Ego work the opposite way: it is very human to crave for something else, be it the ”perfect” yoga pose, career, relationships, success, stuff, more stuff… Yet contentment comes from accepting and being grateful of what we already have instead of running after something that we think – but do not know – will make us, well, more content.
Tapas
Tapas has many translations, ranging from ascetism to self-discipline, effort, internal fire and ”purification through discipline.” It is the process of putting ourselves through something we do not necessarily want to do but we know is good for you. The idea is that through the effort – an inner fire pushing us – we also burn away impurities and strengthen ourselves. Tapas helps us to cultivate healthy habits and break away from unhealthy ones.
For example, a daily work out or a yoga practise can be hard to maintain but we make ourselves to go through with it. After the exercise we feel better ourselves and may even be encouraged to have a healthier meal than usual to nourish ourselves.
Svadhyaya
Svadhyaya refers to self-study with the ultimate aim of getting in contact with divine nature. If this seems a bit over ambitious for now, no need to worry. Svadhyahya can be scaled down to more approachable levels by inquiring about ourselves: What are the things that push our buttons, good or bad? What are the patterns of behaviour we have and do they serve us well? How can we chance habits we wish not to keep?
This type of self-observation, done with empathy and compassion, can then be combined with the study of spiritual texts of one’s choice (Yoga Sutras, Bible, pick your religion…) that are in the service of Svadhyaya. This helps to keep and give perspective and understand the universally shared feelings and questions that exist in the world, rather than making Svadhyaya all about the self, ”me.” With time this leads us towards a more stable and peaceful existence, both internally and externally.
Sutra 2.44 “Through study comes communion with one’s chosen deity.”
Ishvara Prandihana
The big one, dedication of one’s practise to a higher power (whatever you choose to call yours.) In simple terms this means letting go of the ego and dedicating one’s practise, or the fruits of one’s labour, to something greater than us. The act of dedication in itself is a remainder of our connection to something higher and a sign of trusting that force to guide us towards the universal truth.
And that’s the end of the short introduction to yamas and niyamas. There is obviously a lot more to read on the topic. For my own studies and as background for these articles I have used the following books and sites:
Earlier I wrote a brief post about the eight limbs of yoga as described by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Most students of yoga are familiar with three of them: breath (pranayama), posture (asana) and meditation. The remaining five are not often even mentioned in many (asana) classes and if we were to come across them somewhere they can understandably seem a bit hard to grasp.
What is however offered in Patanjali’s writings is still very much relevant to this day. In short, he offers – not dictates – a guide for us to contemplate and follow to help us all on our way to a happier, more peaceful live. The first limb, the yamas, are about restraint, abstinences and self-regulation: a code of self-regulation. As it is January, this seems a very suitable topic so lets break the five yamas down.
Ahimsa
Ahimsa is the principle of non-violence, non-harming and non-injury and it is the highest of the yamas. Rather than referring simply to physical aspects of violence (or to say, non consumption of animal products), ahimsa also means letting go of hostile, aggressive or irritating thoughts as they prevents us from being at peace with ourselves. Included in this concept is also how we treat ourselves: do we speak to ourselves with the same kindness and respect than we speak to others? Ahimsa does not however tell us fall victim: we are all allowed to defend or protect ourselves, if this is to prevent larger harm from happening.
Sutra 2.35: “As a Yogi becomes firmly grounded in non-injury (ahimsa), other people who come near will naturally lose any feelings of hostility (ahimsa pratishthayam tat vaira-tyagah.)”
Satya
Satya is the concept of truthfulness and honestly. The key to satya is to understand that it does not simply refer to what is our subjective truth. Instead it calls for an understanding for the larger truth takes into account in the big picture: opinions (e.g. gossip) are separate from the truth and it is important we learn to distinguish between the two.
Satya also means that our thoughts, words and actions are in line: that we not only talk the talk, we also walk the walk. However, Satya is measured in relation to ahima, non-violence. It does not give us the permission to go around and say what we please to people in the name of ”but it is true” as this can be hurtful.
Asteya
Asteya is what we also know as ”thou shalt not steal.” But as this is yoga, asteya does not simply refer to material things. Theft also exists in the form of taking others’ time (for instance, by being excessively late), draining their energy, ruining their happy mood or using their work ideas. Asteya invites us to reflect what and how we consume, well, everything: the idea is that all energy is interconnected and what you take from somebody else excessively always creates an imbalance.
In a practical sense asteya can be seen in the principle of fair trade. Another example would be not paying back something that you should.
Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya is often translated as continence, but it does not mean celibacy is required to be a ”good yogi.” Widely speaking brahmacharya refers to being aware of the divine, and living in a way that is mindful of the energy we use. We all have experienced situations we have gotten disproportionally angry or agitated over something and ended up exhausted for it – not a good use of our energy. Another good example is how we use our effort during asana practise: are we practising mindfully and relaxed mind or focusing more on how we think our backbend should look? Which type of practise is more pleasurable?
Sutra 2.38: “To one established in continence, vigor is gained.”
Aparigraha
Aparigraha refers to non-possessiveness, or non-greed. Simply put it means we should not accumulate stuff excessively or get attached to what we own. We are not the things we possess, nor do they define our personality or value.
On a non-material level aparigraha means we should let go of old beliefs if they do not serve us anymore: For instance, how we behave with our friends or other relationships can change if the circumstances necessity a different attitude. Equally, we do not have to vote for the same party all our lives if a better option emerges. Our identities do not need to be fixed, and with the realisation of that comes freedom.
This was should a quick introduction to yamas but how do they sound to you? Feel free to drop a comment to add, disagree, say you what to want to say – nothing better than a good discussion.
