Fear and Loathing in Vinyasa

Vinyasa

What does your Vinyasa look and feel like? A smooth flowing sequence? A struggle on your mat? A moving meditation? Bits and pieces of each as you attempt to follow instructions between thoughts of your to-do list and hoping you won’t be asked to do “that” pose again?

From its Sanskrit roots, Vinyasa can be broken down into nyasa, meaning “to place” and vi, “in a special way.” As with many Sanskrit words, there are many meanings of Vinyasa such as: moving with the breath, a sequence that links postures together, a style of yoga, flow, and taking steps towards reaching an intention set for practice.

Maehle defines vinyasa as:

Sequential movement that interlinks postures to form a continuous flow. It creates a movement meditation that reveals all forms as being impermanent and for this reason are not held on to.

Linking Vinyasa with the Yamas is important to the safety and well-being of practitioners of yoga.

Yamas

The first limb in the path of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga. Yamas can be seen as ethics or disciplines. Sometimes translated as rein or restraint, they are a way of directing our movement in life and living with less suffering . We are not only meant to practice these in sequential order but along with the seven other limbs, of which asanas (physical postures) are the third part or limb.

Non-Harming

Known as the first Yama, Ahimsa, can be a progression that sometimes begins at being less harmful to oneself or others and climbs to being much more or completely loving and reverent of all things. Harming oneself and others can show up in very subtle and unrecognized ways at times besides the more obvious forms. Thoughts of self-loathing, whether or not it seems significant at the time, can be quite harmful in the long run. For instance, if a certain posture or sequence has you thinking of yourself as clumsy or uncoordinated or simply not as graceful as someone nearby, this can become a self-fulfilling prophecy at the least. It may not seem as strong as loathing seems to denote, but even small amounts of dislike can add up to pain and suffering.

Fear can also get in the way of our practice if avoidance is the only tactic. Being conscious of the breath can serve to move into and through the “scary parts.” Becoming aware of the times of forcing or pushing into or against something will support the practice of Ahimsa. Becoming aware of the times when harm is being caused physically or on a more subtle scale is not a practice for judgement, but discernment and compassion.

Ahimsa – Non-harming or Love

What’s love got to do with yoga?
EVERYTHING :)

At the other end of the spectrum (but not separate from) is Love and Reverence. We protect what we revere. Practicing yoga asana can be like that too… not forcing myself to “get” a posture faster than is safe or kind to myself and remembering love always.

Ahimsa

Of Ahimsa, Ghandi had this to say…

Ahimsa is not merely a negative state of harmlessness but it is a positive state of love, of doing good even to the evil-doer. But it does not mean meek submission to the will of the evil-doer: it means the putting of one’s whole soul against his will. Working under this law of our being, it is possible for a single individual to defy the whole might of an unjust empire.

It is said that if we are completely loving, with no violence within us, then we also will not be harmed. Love means choosing to be compassionate, kind, generous, supportive as well as simply non-harming… plus so much more.

Just like every individual practice will look different, so too will every practice of Ahimsa. As different as each practice looks on the outside, they are infinitely more different on the inside as well as off the mat. Having said that, they are also quite similar.

Love

Wikipedia explains love in this way…

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. Love is also a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection; and “the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another”. Love may also be described as actions towards others (or oneself) based on compassion, or as actions towards others based on affection.

If I bring this to my yoga practice on the mat, then I would choose compassion in each posture. I would back out of pain to a place that I can be in comfortably, while still challenging myself, or find a different pose altogether if necessary. I would find a place where I can smile instead of frown or grimace in a posture for my sake and for any others that may notice ;) If I bring this to my yoga off the mat, I take care of myself and others and choose the most kind actions, thoughts and words in every situation.

It may be simple to say, “Choose Love.” It may not be an easy task to carry out though. Hence why it’s part of the “practice.” Any time you can choose love over another option, you build strength and a new pathway to make it more likely that you’ll choose love at another time. Kind of like every time you step on your mat to practice, you make it easier to do so again. Every time you practice a posture with compassion, you make it more likely to find that posture comfortably and in a safe manner. When you play with the inner aspects of yoga (like love and compassion) while playing with the outer practice of the physical postures, you “advance” your practice and benefit yourself and others along the way.

I originally wrote this post years ago. I thought I would share for Heart/Love Month and because tomorrow marks 15 years since I completed my first Yoga Teacher Training 🎉

Hugs,

Alissa