The Legend of Sage Patanjali

The Legend of Sage Patanjali

It is said that Lord Vishnu was once seated on his couch, Lord Adisesa (the Lord of Serpents) watching the enchanting dance (tandava nrtya)  of Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu was so absorbed in the dance movements that His body began to vibrate to the rhythm of Lord Shiva. This vibration made him heavier and heavier causing a lot of discomfort to Lord Adisesa who was on the point of collapsing, gasping for breath. As soon as the dance came to end, Lord Vishnu's body became light again. Lord Adisesa was amazed with this sudden transformation and asked his master about the cause of these stupendous changes. The Lord explained that grace, beauty, majesty and grandeur of Lord Shiva had created a corresponding graceful vibration in His own body. Amazed at this, Adisesa professed a desire to learn dancing to inspire his Lord. Lord Vishnu predicted that soon Lord Shiva would grace Lord Adisesa to write a commentary on grammar and at that time he would also be able to devote himself to perfection in the art of dance(nrtya). Lord Adisesa was overjoyed by these words and looked forward to the grace of Lord Shiva. He then began to meditate to find out who would be his intended mother. While meditating, he had the vision of a female Yoga adept and an ascetic (a yogini and tapasvini), Gonika who was praying for a worthy son to whom she could impart her knowledge and wisdom. He realized that she would be a worthy mother for him and waited for an auspicious moment to become her son. Gonika, thinking that her earthly life was approaching its end, had searched for a worthy son to whom she could transmit her knowledge. But she had found no one. When her penance (tapas)  had come to an end, she looked to the Sun God and prayed to Him to fulfill her desire. She took a handful of water, as a final oblation to Him, closed her eyes and meditated on the Sun. She opened her eyes and looked at her palms as she was about to offer the water. To her surprise, she saw a tiny snake moving in her palms who soon took on a human form. This tiny male human prostrated to yogini Gonika and asked her to accept him as her son. Hence, she named him Patanjali. (Pata means fallen or falling and Anjali means palms folded in prayer, or falling into hands folded in prayer). This is how Sage Patanjali is said to have come into this mortal world.  - BKS Iyengar

Meditation, Breath, Diet and Stress: Healing Your mind while bringing your life into balance Part I

We all deal with stress. Some stress can be good for us, pushing us to set and achieve goals.  But largely stress makes us tense, fearful and jumbled. Working harder and faster at jobs we often don’t like to do the whole time pushing our minds to concentrate when we’d much rather be picking flowers or taking long walks in the countryside. Stress is part of our modern life. The australian aborigines, it is said, have no word for stress in their language! But, not so for us ‘modern’ types. While I’ve given no serious consideration to making a sudden life change and running off to live in the wild there are lessons that can be learned from ancient cultures on how to handle the pressures of life with more grace and calm. 

The ancient teachings of yoga and ayurvedic medicine give us a holistic approach to handling stress. How we breath, eat and think may all contribute to either high or lower stress levels. Learning how to perform these common, everyday activities in the correct way can provide long term relief from stress, and give us some conscious control over how we are feeling. When we learn how to eat, think and breathe (yes, breathe!) in ways that nourish and support the natural functioning of the body, stress relief comes as a side effect of upgrading our habits.   

First, we must learn to breath correctly. Breathing is something we do everyday, every second actually. We can’t get along without it, yet no one knows how to breath correctly without first getting some coaching to better understand the mechanics of how we breath and how our breath affects our moods, emotions and our ability to focus the mind. The lungs are two sacks that inflate with the contraction of the diaphragm. The diaphragm, which is shaped like an umbrella, pulls downwards on the lungs, elongating them, which reduces the air pressure inside the space (by increasing volume) and air from the outside rushes in (by diffusion) to fill the semi-vacuum created by the expansion. Next, the diaphragm relaxes (and returns upwards) which compresses the lungs and pushes the air out. While this activity is going on in the lungs, the heart will typically have beat 6 times. The average ratio between breath and heart rates is 1 to 6, that is, one breath for each six heart beats.  

Armed with a basic knowledge of how we breath we can learn how to breath correctly. That is, calmly and deeply. You might want to first lay down on the floor, or other firm surface. Place your hands on your stomach and breath in. Did your stomach rise or fall? If it rose you are breathing correctly, if it fell, that is, contracted down towards the floor, then your breathing is reversed. This is very common, we are taught as children to stick our chests out when we breath. But we should be allowing the abdomen to expand, the larger part of the lungs is located in the bottom of the lung, which expands into the abdomen when the diaphragm descends. 

A way to correct your breathing, if you are expanding on the exhale is to lie on your stomach in the yoga posture called: makarasana or crocodile pose. Begin by lying on your stomach, fold your arms underneath you to support your forehead. In this position focus your attention on expanding the abdomen as you slowly and steadily inhale. Really feel your stomach as it presses against the floor and then, as the diaphragm relaxes and you exhale, the weight of the body will cause the abdomen to contract. This is a good way to begin practice of diaphragmatic breathing and will train the breath to move smoothly in and out as the abdomen expands and contracts. 

In the next article we’ll talk about diet, begin our discussion of meditation and see how controlling stress using diet and the mind can help you handle the day to day pressures of life. 

Till then stay calm, breath deeply and remember: Steady practice brings reliable results. 

Shushumna Breath: A Practice to Awaken the Central Channel

“Application of sushumna and awakening of kundalini are the two most important aspects of yogic practice” -Swami Rama 1

The breath method of awakening the shushumna nadi, or central channel, begins with balancing the flow of air through both nostrils at the same time. Maintaining the steady flow of air through both requires concentration and practice in both dharana and pranayama. Concentration is needed to maintain balance and experience with pranayama to have the sensitivity to differentiate the quality of the flow at the same time.

The breath is naturally stronger through one nostril or the other alternating in 90 minute cycles throughout the day and night. Shushumna breathing brings both sides into balance. In his book, Meditation in Action, Swami Rama taught that one should take a few months to practice this method regularly and that maintaining this breath for five minutes should be your goal. You will have “…attained the beginning of one-pointedness.” Shushumna breath practice is a gateway to higher states of meditation. It is a solid preparation for more advanced meditation methods, like the blue dot meditation.

In the past few months I have incorporated  this into my daily practice. If you are having difficulties with getting both nostrils clear, then you may want to start with jala neti. Daily use of the neti pot has many benefits. According to ayurvedic medicine, yoga’s sister art,  jala neti increases the efficiency of the nasal passages; clears the sinuses of impurities; helps overcome migraine problems, depression, tension, etc.;  and makes breathing easier while improving the intake of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide.

I know from my own experience that regular jalaneti it has improved my asthma and my sleep. I find that I’m not tossing and turning as much. Perhaps because it’s easier to breath.

It is a good practice to take up after you become familiar with nadi-shodanam. IF you aren’t familiar with alternate nostril breathing, you should take a few months to learn that first before trying this technique.

I typically begin my pranayama practice after completing asana. Beginning with diaphragmatic breathing and continue for a few cycles will help you feel relaxed and centered before moving on to more intricate breath techniques. Next we go to alternate-nostril breathing for three rounds, in through the right, out through the right, then in through the left out through the left x 3. Follow with three cleansing breaths using both nostrils. Do this for three cycles before beginning shushmna breathing, breathing through both nostrils evenly.

I find that after a few cycles of nadi-shodanam my breath is lighter and my nasal passages clearer, this is evidence that the two nadis, Ida and Pingala, are cleansed. It is important to cleanse these two nadis before moving energy through the central channel.

Now that the breath is open and free flowing begin to breath slowly and deeply through both sides of the nose. Focus your mental attention at the junction of the two nostrils at the upper lip and feel the air moving evenly through both sides. If one side seems more open than the other you can go back to nadi-shodanam to clear the channels further if you wish, then start again. 


“When you regularly focus the mind on the center between the two nostrils, morning and evening, you will find that the mind easily attains a state of joy.” 1

This is a special practice, a kriya, after a few months you will be able to bring yourself to a state of joy at will and look forward to your meditation practice each day. I started with one minute  and slowly added additional time until I could maintain steady attention to the flow of the breath in both nostrils for five minutes. 
Concentrate on the flow of the air and not on the spot between the nostrils.

Paying close attention to the evenness of the air flow is the key.

I have been doing this practice for a little over four months. In that time I have noticed myself spontaneously smiling more and more often. Maybe it’s the ease I now feel in my breath. It could be I have begun to feel one-pointedness, or,  perhaps I’m just drunk on oxygen!

No matter the answer, I know I feel better having practiced this as part of my daily meditation. Having really connected with this ancient himalayan breath technique I recommend it anyone wanting to improve their breathing, their meditation, or who just wants to smile more!

The quotes and source material for this article were found in the book: Meditation and It's Practice, by Swami Rama, 9th Printing, 2012, Himalyan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy of the USA.

How you see yourself is how you see everything.

If your awareness shows you only the negativity within yourself, you will see only negativity in everything around you. If your awareness is positive you will see the  positive around you. Like sees like.

We have a natural affinity for seeing ourselves in others. A natural affinity towards compassion. When our perception is clouded. If we see only the dark within ourselves,  we then see only the the dark everywhere, in everyone and everything. We become blind to all else. Until we break free of our own limitation, we are caught inside a circle of darkness. We can not see outside the circle. What we see is what we reflect and what we reflect out reflects back to us, this is a cosmic law in action. If we are surrounded by our own dark self there is no mirror to reflect the light.

 We are limited (as part of our agreement to embody our-Self)  to seeing the world only through our own eyes.

How you see yourself is how you see everything.

Yoga means union, union of the individual with the Supreme. Yoga brings together the light and the dark. The sun and moon, left and right, yin and yang, internal and external. Makes all one. Joins together. Being, non-being, form and formless.

How you see yourself is how you see everything.

How can we see the world (and ourselves) through different eyes? There are only two ways, both arise from love.

Love of the inner teacher and the scriptures can show us the inner light, or devotion to an external teacher (guru: sk. def. One who leads from dark to light) and the scriptures open our eyes just wide enough to see the shining light within.

When we see the world as it is, in this moment, both the light and the dark, we are free. Light and Dark. It is us and not us. It is others and us as well. This encompasses everything.

How you see yourself is how you see everything.

(Sources: the Bhagavad Gita, Tao Te Ching, Tamil-Cube Sanskrit Dictionary)

Tackling the Sleep(less) Monster!

Many of us struggle, tossing and turning, with sleepless nights...you can't fall asleep, or you can't stay asleep??? I think everyone has this problem now and then. Taking a holistic, natural approach for improving your sleep patterns will work better in the long run than just taking a pill (even herbal ones).  I have learned from my own experience that everyone sometimes needs help getting to sleep and staying asleep. Here are the supplements and lifestyle changes that have worked for me and people I know.

1. Drink moderately. Drinking alcohol before bed can disrupt sleep patterns leaving you awake in the middle of the night. Aside from the effects on your bladder, which can force you to get up in the middle of the night and drinking also alters the melatonin cycle, the hormonal cycle that moves in time with the natural rhythm of the earth (the sun and moon). If you are having problems with sleep perhaps skipping drinking all together for a few weeks along with implementing a few of these suggestions might get your sleep patterns back on track.

2. Medications. Along with controlling drinking alcohol, you should also be aware that medications can effect your normal sleep patterns. If you are taking medication for blood pressure or blood thinners you should ask your doctor if these can be contributing to your sleep problems. It's easy to fall into a viscous cycle of taking sleep medication that effects your natural cycles and sets you up for needing more sleep medication. If this is your pattern you should talk to a doctor. Try to find one with a respect for holistic approaches to sleep management who can help you better understand your alternatives. I'm not trying to prescribe to anyone (I'm not a doctor) but it's a pretty safe bet that sleep medication, over time, can have the opposite effect of what you want (which is to just fall and stay asleep)  and make it harder for you to doze off without medication.  Which leads me to the next topic, sleep aids.

3. Tart Cherry juice. This is my favorite sleep aid. Drink a small glass of tart cherry juice in the late evening. How does it work? Well cherry juice had both tryptophan (like turkey) and melatonin (the hormone that controls the sleep/wake cycle). Drinking cherry juice will let you sleep longer and deeper. When my sleep patterns are out of synch I reach for the cherry juice. Some people think it tastes good too! It has the added benefit of alkalinizing the body. This remedy was proven to work in elderly patients, in the study run by Louisiana University, a group of seven test subjects drank 2 8 oz. glasses of cherry juice (they used Montmorency in the trial) for a week, then a week with no juice, followed by a week of a placebo juice. Cherry juice was shown to increase overall sleep time and prevent waking in the middle of the night.


4. Exercise. Exercising, especially in the 4 hours before you go to bed, will help you relax and fall asleep easier. Different studies have recommended different types of exercise. I have found that gentle to moderate yoga works great for me. Others like aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes. In either case the body relaxes after the exercise session is over and this level of relaxation contributes to your falling asleep easier and staying asleep longer.

5. Meditation.  Meditation will help you sleep, it will help you think, it will help you breath better...actually there is nothing meditation can't help alleviate. Try it, learn it, do it. Regular meditation time (especially before bedtime) helps calm the mind (which is good for those of you saying,"I can't sleep because my mind keeps going around and around." ). Who hasn't heard about all the benefits of meditation that have been proven by science in the past 2 decades? A simple mindfulness meditation (i.e.paying attention to your breath for 10 minutes, feeling the air move through your body...there you are meditating!) is all that you need to reap the benefits. I'll give you a hint that better sleep is only one of them!

6. One more sleep aid. Lastly, I'll tell you about my favorite herbal sleeping pill. When all else fails this is what works for me. It may or may not work for you but it has fewer side effects and less residual grogginess than most 'sleeping pills'. It's inexpensive and is worth a try when all else fails. (Though if you are doing a combination of the above recommendations it's a certainty that you are falling asleep!) The herb I'm talking about is valerian root. You can buy valerian root capsules in a health food store (I get mine at Vitamin Shoppe). They are inexpensive and work pretty quickly, usually I'm asleep 20 minutes after taking one.

It's better to take a more holistic approach to solving the sleep dilemma but if you want results fast, the cherry juice and valerian root together are unbeatable! Then, once you are getting some actual deep sleep, maybe you'll feel like learning yoga and meditation to address the issue long term.

Sweet dreams!

A Short Essay on Contentment

The highest good is like water.

Water gives life to the ten thousand things 

and does not strive.

It flows in places men reject 

and so is like the Tao.

In dwelling, be close to the land.

In meditation, go deep in the heart.

In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.

In speech, be true.

In ruling, be just.

      In business, be competent.

In action, watch the timing.

No fight: No blame.

-Lao Tzu: The Tao Te Ching -CH 8

In his master treatise “Autobiography of a Yogi” Yogananda tells the story of Mahaguru Babaji appearing to him and  revealing  how householders can be yogis just as well as hermits in the forest. This is a change in a long tradition in the east where men (mostly) would go into the forest to meditate and attain enlightenment.  

Recently I attended a yoga masterclass with Sri Dharmamittra. Among the many things I learned that day,  he gave us a gem of wisdom,  “A person who is not content will not be able to meditate.” 

We may know that contentment (santosha) is one of the Niyamas , observances that serve as the ethical pillars of yogic practice.  Dharmamitra's comment started me thinking about just what is contentment and how is it obtained. He explained this by saying that we will find meditation difficult if we are worried about paying a bill, or our health, or some other temporal state of affairs. This way of thinking brought me back to the above quote from Lao Tzu. Contentment can only be reached when we are competent in our business, true in our speech, deep in our meditation etc…Being “like water”. Flowing with life instead of against it. 

Contentment destroys ego-

                   Swami Muktananda

How is it that different scriptures and writings, both ancient and modern teachers,  are all in agreement that contentment is a cornerstone in the foundation of a spiritual life? The primary sources of both revealed (those scriptures obtained thru divine revelation)  and reflective wisdom (scriptures obtained thru the internal self-reflection of great seers) confirm this. 

Armed with this knowledge we come back to the question: How do we go about obtaining contentment? Is there a single set of guidelines we can follow to obtain it?

I think there are, but the specific requirements may vary for each aspirant on the spiritual path.What allows me to be content with my life is not the same as what satisfies you. The seed of contentment is satisfaction. While so many say they: “can’t get no, satisfaction”, to quote Mick Jagger, we can begin by deeply examining of our relationship with popular culture to find the roadblocks to our satisfaction. Without feeling satisfaction we can not feel content. But it can be difficult to feel content with what we have while we are being assailed by the steady drip-drip-drip of advertising telling us that we just need THAT ONE MORE THING to make us feel whole. 

Maybe it would be easier to go off into the woods and meditate to obtain enlightenment! Or, can we find a way to meditate in a productive way that will give us entry to more profound states of being? 

Living in the world of mortgages and car payments and five dollar lattes, (not to mention the source of all discontent, advertising!) creates an environment where just being satisfied  with what you have is a spiritual attainment! While contemplating the existential subtleties of satisfaction and how to achieve it we quickly lose sight of the goal, enlightenment…Or do we? 

Cultivating a clearer philosophical understanding of contentment, and what that would look like for each of us, we can move closer to a better understanding of our ego and how (perhaps) we may be misled chasing after shiny objects. Releasing our endless, aimless, ambition to obtain, is a powerful step towards releasing our ego attachment and turning inward. Analysis of the Ego and how it is tamed is required before we can reach contentment.

Which gets us back to the question: how do we become content? The answer to such a complex question seems incredibly simple....by letting go. By letting go of the manufactured need to have more than we already have; letting go of the manufactured need to be more than we already are; letting go of  manufactured cravings that we realize (as we become more self-aware) are no more than the cravings of the ego. 

We need to release ego and direct attention to the inward journey. My own experience has shown me that when we are grateful for what we have, and what we are, the siren song of acquiring more possessions will, as if by magic, lose its magnetic draw. Being mindful of the messages we allow into our consciousness and the (resultant) stories we tell ourselves become the missing keys to the castle. When we are attentive to Being, and direct less energy to having, then contentment will naturally appear. 

Yes, it seems almost too simple! The nature of the ego (at least my own) is to make things overly complicated to prevent us from walking the path. Once we get the understanding then we have to walk in it! Keeping answers simple allows us to honestly gauge our progress...something which only we are in a position to accurately measure (with the exception of having regular contact with an enlightened master). If the ego can trick us into believing the answers to our spiritual questions are too complicated we may loose heart for the path and remain tied to the ego...which serves the ego quite nicely, but not our higher Self.