Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was one the forefathers of modern yoga. His yogic journey started at a young age and eventually led him to the cave of one of the few remaining hatha yoga masters, Sri Ramamohan Brahmachari. For 7 years Krishnamacharya studied under his guru memorizing the Yoga Sutras, learning asanas and pranayama, and studying the therapeutic aspects of yoga. When it was time for Krishnamacharya to rejoin society it is said that he had mastered 3,000 asanas and developed some remarkable skills, such as stopping his own pulse. In exchange for the instruction, Brahmachari asked his loyal student to return to his homeland to teach yoga and establish a household. Krishnamacharya returned home, married and began to teach but was stubborn in his belief that only men were suitable to learn this spiritual practice. His words “In difficult times every rule has an exception” came to truth many years later in 1937 when Indra Devi, the “First Lady of Yoga”, went to study with him.
After a year-long apprenticeship with Krishnamacharya, Indra Devi began her training to become a yoga teacher. She studied under his instruction for many years before bringing her knowledge to America. Their time together was monumental and pivotal for the growth of yoga. Before him, the practice of yoga was slipping away into the shadows of history but because of Krishnamacharya’s and his practice of the sutras he could see that his belief needed to evolve to included women in his teachings.
When Krishnamacharya was 98 years old he said, “In the West, women and youth are the future.” His once rigid perspective now softened with age and experience. What I take from Krishnamacharya’s story is a lesson in his practice of the Yama: Aparigaha (non-attachment). When he was young he was attached to the idea that women weren’t suitable for yoga. If he had remained firm in his belief and turned Indra Devi away, yoga in the West would probably be very different or may have not have reached us until much later. Now, according to a 2008 Yoga Journal market study, over 72% of people practicing yoga in the West are women!
The Yama: Practice of Aparigraha (non-attachment) can apply to our beliefs, ideas or material things. This practice encourages us to live with an open heart and to not collect things in life that do not serve our purpose. Do not let your ignorance blind your future possibilities and learn to not pass judgment no matter what your past may has taught you. Break the programming and give or ask without expectation.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year was becoming aware and beginning to let go of my attachments. I applied this practice to beliefs instilled when I was a child and expectations that media has brainwashed me to believe. I was attached to the words “should” and “have to” and the expectations that follows these words always led to the disappointment of myself or the loved ones that I attached those statements to. By understanding that those words were programmed into my psyche at a young age, I didn’t attach to any anger for all the disappointment they caused, instead I came to realize that I have grown and those ideas weren’t going to serve me anymore. With practice I get better and better at using Aparigraha in my life. My next act of detachment is to organize my material things and donate everything that no longer serves my purpose.
Yoga is a system designed to liberate and free your soul. The Yamas, Niyamas and Sutras are the instruction guides to a life of contentment. When I’m faced with a challenge I know that I can refer to these guidelines to make a conscious decision. Now whether that choice results in a positive reaction only fate can decide. I am not attached.
Sutra 2:39: “When one becomes dedicated to their self-control of greed, one will gain knowledge of their past, present and future.”
Prana – What is it, why do we need it, and how do we get it?
In a yoga practice, we hear the word prana used by anyone at any time. The idea is fairly simple – prana is energy, universal life-force, or something general and intangible like that. It is sort of like someone telling you that there are seven billion people on the earth. We understand the words (LOTS of people!), but actually comprehending what ‘seven billion’ really means is almost completely outside our cognitive ability. So what is prana? What does it mean when a teacher tells you that a certain breath technique is “pranayama” or to “inhale fresh prana”? What is the goal of “controlling prana” and why is it important in a yogic practice?
The Nature of Prana is described by hundreds of people and they all do it a little differently. The most basic idea is that prana is a building block – anything that contains “life” contains (or is made of) prana. This is also the basic idea behind organic chemistry; everything that is living contains the base element carbon. How it is put together and what binds it makes all living things different. But prana is not the same thing as carbon. It is not a specific molecule. We can breathe in prana, regenerate prana, and lose prana. Death is the body’s way of excreting its last drops of prana. So if prana is not a specific molecule, there are three potential options: it may be a force or charge that acts on molecules, or it may be matter – a building block, even smaller than the smallest known particles in quantum science.
Prana as a Force
Prana is most commonly referred to as energy or a vital force. Sri Swami Sivananda says that prana is “the finest vital force in everything which becomes visible on the physical plane as motion and action, and in the mental plane as thought”. His understanding is that light, heat, magnetic energy, electricity, etc. are all manifestations of prana, all springing up from Atman. This theory alone explains eye vayu – by holding our eyes open we absorb energy in the form of light particles (photons), and these particles are transformed by the body into useable energy. In fact, our eyes absorb many waves of light that are not directly visible to us (UV, infrared) but can still be used by the body as prana. So after practicing urdva danurasana a few times, our bodies create heat and energy in the environment, which can be reabsorbed through the eyes by practicing the eye vayu while this energy is still abundant in the space. Trying to harness more prana than our bodies and minds are ready for can be damaging. This is why we don’t jump into breath retention techniques before we are ready, and also why staring at the sun is a terrible idea – that much UV at once is very damaging. However, walking on the beach on a sunny day is a wonderful way to absorb prana – being immersed in it without trying to control it.
Walking along a beach on a windy, cloudy day is also an effective way to absorb prana. Whenever there is a wind warning, I immediately want to head to Dallas Road to bask in the intensity of crashing waves. And by the amount of company I have when I do this, I assume a lot of other people feel the invigorating energy of a good wave-show. Hurricanes and tornadoes also focus huge amounts of energy, and thrill seekers may even brave these storms in order to feel that massive energy pocket. This is prana. Prana is created by friction in water and wind. When molecules rapidly rub together, negative charges (electrons) are transferred. The idea is that the friction in wind and water causes polarization; pockets of positive and negative charges. This is the exact same science as static electricity – when you take a toque off, negative charges are transferred to the toque and your hair has a positive charge (because like charges repel each other, your hair stands up – each strand is trying to get as far away from the other as possible). By being in the presence of the transfer of charge in a storm, we can absorb the electrons that are released by friction and use them as energy. This is the yogic explanation for why being in the presence of crashing waves is invigorating.
So prana may be a force that can be generated by pretty much anything, and used by living bodies as energy and vitality. If a yogi can learn exactly how to acquire and preserve this energy, they could, in theory, live forever without food or water. They simply use this vital force to nourish their cells and their souls.
Prana as Matter
The second theory is that everything is made of prana; that there is prana in air, water, food, concrete, plants, wind, earth, etc. This is not mutually exclusive of the above argument – there can certainly be positive and negative charges in everything – we simply need to learn to harness these charges and some will be easier to access than others. Oxygen is the easiest because all we do all day long is breathe, and that may be why pranayama is the most effective way of controlling prana in the body.
Interestingly, if we think of prana as a building block for every other atom, molecule, or particle in the universe, yogis may well have solved the largest problem in theoretical physics today, thousands of years ago! The current quest in theoretical physics is to develop a theory that accounts for both large events (gravity and general relativity) and small events (quantum theory) – a grand universal theory. The present system is composed of two separate theories, Einstein’s general relativity (which breaks down when things get really really small), and Richard Feynman’s quantum theory (which works perfectly on the very small things but break down when anything gets as big as an atom – which is still pretty small). Without going into detail on these two theories, the current most popular idea to combine them is string theory. This is the idea that every particle in the entire known cosmos is made up of tiny strings that vibrate on different planes, to create everything. Granted, there are some problems with the theory and it is completely untestable, but the math is good. What makes it interesting is that vibrating energetic strings that are responsible for everything in the entire universe sounds remarkably like prana. Perhaps prana is can be described as tiny vibrating strings that, when put together appropriately, create everything: matter, energy, and force. Another explanation is that prana is the vibration alone, acting on tiny bits of matter – the vibration being responsible for the “music” of the universe. String theory is compatible with the idea of multiple universes and a much bigger picture of existence than we could possibly imagine. The idea of something out there, beyond our present universe is extremely compatible with Atman, and Hindu and yogic philosophies. Prana is thought to be the basic building block of everything, as are strings. Who is to say that they are not the same thing?
Why Learn to Control Prana?
Other than energy, why do we want prana? First, spare electrons are required to neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are molecules in the body that have a spare electron in the outer molecular shell, and they are theorized to be involved in damaging cell membranes causing a decrease in cellular activity and cell death. This is theorized to be an important component in the development of cancer cells, and in many damaging aging processes like organ failure and heart disease (as well as not-so-damaging aging processes, like skin wrinkles). Free radicals attack stable cells, stealing an electron from them. Then the attacked cell becomes the next free radical. Anti-oxidants (like Vitamin C and Vitamin E) neutralize free radicals by donating a spare electron to the radical and halting the chain reaction of electron-stealing. The anti-oxidant does NOT become a free radical because these molecules are stable in either state (with or without the extra electron). That is what makes them special. The yogic theory is that prana also acts as an anti-oxidant. It can be absorbed out of the air (or from water and food, for that matter) in the form of electrons and the basic negative charges swoop in and join a free radical, neutralizing the harmful cell by becoming part of it and creating a normal, stable molecule. One research study including 60 patients with coronary artery disease showed that practicing yogic breathing techniques (bhastrika, kapalabhati, anulom-vilom, Bhya, and Brahmari) increased the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes and helped to prevent cellular damage in patients.
Prana depletion can cause sickness, anxiety, depression, and a great deal of other ailments. Spending your days in artificial light, drinking coffee and alcohol, smoking, eating highly processed or unhealthy foods, and spending time with negative people or with people who zap your energy (we all know people like this!) are sure-fire ways to deplete your pranic stores. Prana is always lost faster than it is gained, which is why we all eventually die. The goal of yoga is not to avoid death (at least, this is certainly not my goal!) but I do want to be healthy and happy. Cultivating prana is the best way to do this. According to Swami Sitaramananda, prana can be cultivated from all of the elements. To cultivate prana from the earth, we walk barefoot in the grass. To cultivate prana from water, we drink water, or swim in the ocean. To cultivate prana from fire, we spend a day in the sun, we eat food that grew in the sun, or we sit by a fire on a cool summer night. The cultivate prana from air, we breathe! Air is the richest source of prana and most of us ignore it all day long. Take a deep breathe in and slowly exhale. I bet you feel better already. Is it any wonder that the acquisition of prana makes us happier and healthier? I felt lighter just writing this paragraph – imagine how I would feel if I actually went out and walked barefoot on the grass?
With that, perhaps the idea of prana is a little easier to grasp. It is not just an idea or a word that we can easily define but barely understand. It is, pretty much, everything. That good feeling we get when we sit on our lawn and suntan, or we go for a run on the breakwater – that is prana. So why do we want or need to cultivate it? Why on earth wouldn’t we??
Previous MY Studio Manager, Chelsey shares how the life-altering experience of fracturing her wrist has enhanced her life and yoga practice. Chelsey is teaching a weekly maintenance class at MY Studio, Thursdays 7:00-8:30 and a weekly class at Medicine Moves Studio, Tuesdays 4:30-5:30. While Im away for the summer check out her classes, its a steal of a deal at $5/class. You can reach her at chelseyyoga@gmail.com and like her Facebook page Chelsey Yoga for more info.
The Yamas & Niyamas in Healing an Injury
I have written before on how the 8 limbs of yogic philosophy has the power to heal our lives mentally and physically. Personally, I have hurt myself many times throughout my life. And since starting a regular yoga practice in 2009 and then my yoga teacher training program in 2012 I have continued to injure myself off the mat. In fact, the last year I have experienced two of the worst injuries of my life thus far. It has been these injuries that I have discovered and experienced yoga’s healing ability. Due to my injuries I had to spend weeks away from yoga classes. I spent this time healing and recovering to focus on the first two limbs of yoga’s 8 limb philosophy, the Yamas and Niyamas. At first glance the sanskrit names for the Yamas (don’ts) and Niyamas (do’s) can seem convoluted and difficult to relate to. When you take the time to really study the translations you may notice just how complementary they are to one another as well as how applicable they are to your everyday life; in this case, healing from injury. My teacher says the best way to practice and teach the Yamas and Niyamas is in our thoughts, words and deeds.
While studying the Yamas and Niyamas, keeping in mind healing an injury, it may seem there are a few that stand out and may be more applicable than others in healing. In truth, it is the continued practice of applying each one of them in your day to day life that really creates the biggest effect. In my continued practice I even began to notice how they flow from one another seamlessly. Let me show you how this practice helped me to heal safely and how it may help you heal your own injury.
Before my accident I was a fairly busy, independant person, as most people in modern society are. Working full time, attending 4 or more yoga classes a week, plus intensive weekends, caring for two dogs and maintaining a social life with friends and family kept me pretty busy. After my accident I had no energy and was barely able to care for myself. Barely able to brush my own teeth, it took everything I had just to stand for 5 minutes to shower. I have been single for years and I am very used to caring for myself. When I broke my arm I realized just how hard it is for me to ask for things from people even asking for help from those closest to me. However, for 3 to 5 weeks following my surgery I very much relied on the help of others with most of my day to day actions. Something as simple as locking and unlocking my front door I was unable to do on my own. This was extremely hard for me. This turned into my surrender, Ishvara Pranidhana. This was me surrendering to the universe. What other choice did I have? I had literally just slammed into a brick wall. Clearly the universe was trying to tell me something. Like “Hey, pay attention!” or “Slow down! Figure out what’s really important.” Or maybe not, maybe it was just that I had somehow neglected the maintenance on my bike which then caused my bike chain to fall off its gears preventing me from stopping. Nevertheless, I had to surrender. I had to ask for help over and over again throughout everyday. I had to temporarily give up attending my regular yoga classes. My practice now became one of acceptance and nurturing and not one of vigorous asana classes and rushing about in my life. I had to surrender and know this was an experience the universe was providing me for growth and learning. I had to let go. Let go of my ego and my expectations and be comfortable in my life experience.
Aside from frequent check-ins with my ego and expectations I had to reflect daily on Satya. What was my truth? Its seems funny to me now but only moments after the impact of my accident, fracturing my wrist, I clearly remember thinking to myself, “Will I ever be able to do yoga again?!” Feeling the broken bone of my arm and in a panicked state clearly I was attached and clinging to this practice of yoga I had become so fond of and familiar with. Only in that moment did I realize how attached I was to my practice; now without it I was left with feelings of discomfort. These feelings did not leave me feeling good or at peace, rather they left me feeling helpless and longing for another time. A time other than the present when my arm wasn’t broken. I remember asking my surgeon how long it would be before I could attend a yoga class again. He just looked at me with this blank expression on his face and said, “4 to 6 months”. In the moments and days following that conversation I felt even more hopeless and defeated.
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it change your attitude. Don’t complain.” ~Maya Angelou
Very quickly after this disappointing conversation I noticed if I focused on Aparigraha by not being attached to my yoga practice or my injury, knowing that neither changed who I was; I could not change the fact that I was injured so I had to accept it. Embrace it. With the focus on this practice of non-attachment I had a stronger feeling of ease. The peace Aparigraha brought to me seemed to actually take my ‘pain’ away. I might not have been able to practice asana but that didn’t make me any better or worse in spirit. Deep down I knew that I could practice yoga even with a fractured arm.
“Think of all the beauty that’s still left in and around you and be happy!” ~Anne Frank
With this greater sense of acceptance I was able to become more and more aware of Santosha by being grateful for all that I had in my life and the health, vitality and capacity of my body and what I could do, not what I couldn’t. Not placing expectations on myself to pursue the glory of the most beautiful yoga posture. Grateful that my accident wasn’t worse and grateful for all the help I received. I felt such love and delight from all the strangers in my community who rushed to help me. Complete strangers bringing me water, ice, IBUProfen, gathering my purse and locking up my bike. The kindness of a comforting hand on my shoulder and soothing words in my ear. One stranger even drove me to the hospital and waited by my side until my family arrived. If that wasnt enough I had the most wonderful E.R. team. They made me feel at ease and comforted my shocked and panicked state on top of straightening my arm. The reality was I had much to be grateful for. My surgeon who seemed to effortlessly put my fractured arm back together. My family who nursed me back to feeling human again after surgery. My dear friends and brand new roommates who cooked, cleaned and even locked my front door for me in the weeks that followed. It seemed the more that I looked for all the good in my life the more I found and the less I felt sorry for myself and attached myself to my injury. Aparigraha and Santosha were vital practices for me during my healing process.
So here I was, broken but working on filling myself back up with contentment, non-attachment and truth. I had to begin to ask myself truthfully, was my surgeon’s prognosis of a 4-6 month recovery accurate for me? Was that my truth? And was it beneficial for me to believe him?
“Believe nothing I have told you unless you experience it for yourself.” ~Buddha
I have every respect for Doctors. My surgeon really knew what he was doing. I am amazed by his ability to “fix” me. In the case of my injury surgery can be a very beneficial option. When a bone is fractured in such a way it can be useful to have support on the fractured bone. In my case this was a plate and six pins. And in my research since my surgery on the wrist and its complexity my surgeon was not far from amazing. Surely however, even he cannot predict the future. Who was he to put a time frame on my recovery? And who was I to even ask the question?! I understand that he has experience and has dealt with lots of people with similar injuries but at best this prognosis was nothing more than predicting and generalizing. So instead of asking when I could do something I instead asked “What can I do?”
The morning following my surgery, still in the hospital because of minor complications my surgeon told me he wanted me to start and wiggle the tips of my fingers. Here was the guidance I had been looking for! My surgeon likely knew nothing of the yoga practice I had before my injury or of the effort I put into caring for myself. Still, I grabbed hold of this request and the exercises from my therapist that came in the weeks that followed. My practice or Tapas from then on became a home practice of sitting on my couch, the floor or my bed closing my eyes and picturing my fingers being able to straighten. Eventually, this visualization turned into action as I was flexing and extending my fingers regularly. It is all too easy to have expectations on our body to heal quickly, often this is done without even realizing we have placed the expectation to begin with. It can be easy to have moments of despair or frustration when we aren’t able to heal quickly or live our lives as we did before our injury. It is in these moments we have to check our ego and find that sense of Santosha, contentment and work to heal our injury through Tapas, practice.
“Do the work if not now, when?” ~Michelle Rubin
Tapas is religious fervour, a burning desire to achieve a goal, self-discipline. Whenever we have an injury in the body we are first advised to rest, let our bodies heal. After this rest period we are usually given specific, modified exercises to restore the full functioning of the body. Tapas then is very important, it is the work. If you want to heal you must practice what is requested of you by your doctor/therapist. My Tapas was my commitment to healing and returning to asana. I was diligent with my home exercises whilst remembering Ahimsa, Asteya and Bramacharya so I wouldn’t push past my edge. Keeping my exercises in line with my ability and not letting my ego guide what I wanted to do; not judging my progress. I worked daily practicing in a way that was non-violent and managed my energy in a way that didn’t steal progress. When my injury was fresh an example of this would have been not pushing myself to return to work too early and relaxing or having a nap after showering. As I healed and regained energy this would have been the development of being able to determine between good and bad pain. Connecting with the sense of good pain as the healing of tissues and breaking up of scar tissue at the place of my fracture. And determining bad pain when pushed myself too far.
“What do we know of the heart closest to our own? What do we know of our own heart? ~ Amelia Barr
It has been nearly a year since my injury now and thinking back, at the time it felt like a nightmare I could not wake up from, today it seems a dream from long ago. The fact that I recovered fully or that I was able to return to my yoga practice months before my surgeon said I would means nothing compared to what that injury taught me. Svadhyaya is self-study, practicing this during my healing helped me to plug in and stay plugged into my true self. This injury taught me to evaluate what and who are important in my life. It made me stop and examine what inspires me. It reminded me that I am enough and that I have enough right here and now. I was able to determine relationships in my life that were important to me and to nourish them. I gained a greater sense of awareness in my mind and body. Because of this, today I am happy I spend my time in a job I love and throughout my day I am surrounded by people I love.
Healing from anything can be hard, it can cause suffering and can leave us feeling traumatized. It is my experience that this does not have to be the norm. I used the Yamas and Niyamas to bring more happiness and peace into my recovery and I am continuing to discover all the ways in which they can do the same throughout my life.
Over six years ago, the first aspect of yoga that I practiced was asana, or physical posture. My attraction to yoga grew, as did the various permutations of practice I was willing to experiment with over time. So many aspects of yoga have changed not only my life but also my character and how I perceive the world itself. Before beginning a yoga practice I viewed the world in a cynical way, always keeping other people at a safe distance. I believed that the brain and body were separate – completely ignorant of any possible method of integrating the somatic with the cognitive. Suffice it to say, yoga changed EVERYTHING. Looking back, I could never have anticipated that practicing yoga could become such a powerful catalyst for personal evolution.
At first, yoga was all about the physical – I enjoyed getting stronger and feeling more flexible. Within less than a year of practicing asana several times a week, I noticed a shift in the way I felt towards other people. Not only did I begin caring about the welfare of others, I even started volunteering for the peer counseling program at university. After four years of peer helping, finishing my psychology degree, and practicing yoga even longer, I found myself caring so much for others that considering a career as a counselor was not far from my mind. Yet again I felt pulled toward practicing even more yoga; little did I know the urge to teach would soon emerge.
As self-awareness grew, my body became my laboratory, a special context within which to stage valuable experiments. Issues I had long struggled with became more and more visible, as I developed greater self-awareness. Exclusively focusing on academics, I was highly cognitive, but sadly dissociated from my body. As self-inquiry became an important practice for me, integration of mind, body and breath followed, each step acting as a preparation for the next. Challenges with binge-eating, negative body image, depression, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder all became battles on my yoga mat; each step forward became a preparation for the next. Slowly my yoga mat became a safe place to head when I was feeling emotionally distressed – it is now a place for challenging the dark and embracing the light that yoga has to offer. I discovered that self-awareness and self-consciousness are mutually exclusive concepts – they cannot simultaneously exist. I found as I cultivated self-awareness, my anxious tendencies toward self-consciousness decreased. Fascinatingly, following experimentation with chanting, I noticed an even more significant drop in physiological anxiety symptoms. It became clear that lengthening my exhalations, while taking short inhalations tended to create a physiological state of calm in my body – quickly and effectively slowing down my heart rate.
Yoga, particularly asana, had become the medicine I took to alleviate the physiological symptoms of emotional fluctuations. According to western psychology, trauma experiences frequently leave residue on our nervous systems, manifested through habitual tendencies, such as dissociating from body sensations and avoiding unwanted external sensory experiences. Asana allowed me to consciously begin to release the issues in the tissues. According to yoga psychology, every experience leaves an impression on the nervous system, also known as a samskara. Peter Levine, a noted psychologist and medical biophysicist, argues that “trauma represents a profound compression of survival energy that has not been able to complete its meaningful course of action.” I would additionally argue that yoga is the ideal method for slow titration and release of the physiological energy that can be compressed and held within our systems due to highly stressful events, whether the event revolves around childhood abuse, surgery, car accidents, etc., until we are able to free it from our bodies. Yoga has taught me that the human nervous system can be injured just as any muscle, joint or bone can be damaged. Furthermore, yoga provides a web of interconnected principles and practices that can bring a balance between stability and flexibility in any aspect of the human system.
After a few years of practicing asana, and guided meditations such as yoga nidra, I became curious to study additional books concerning yoga rather than exclusively western psychology and trauma origin. Studying the yamas and niyamas or ethical observances related to yoga, ever so briefly, revealed some fascinating personal insights. It appeared as though yoga had been working on altering the structure of my mind, body and breath, all from the inside out – without conscious intention. I was intently curious how what appeared to be a purely physical system of postures could yield significant changes in a human being’s self-awareness and character on so many levels.
Two of the ethical observances associated with yoga are non-harming and self-inquiry or svadhyaya. Non-harming, or ahimsa, can be perceived and applied in many different ways. As I practiced more and more yoga, both ahimsa and svadhyaya started to manifest in my behaviours and habits. Yoga was literally shaping my thoughts, words and actions from the inside out. I found myself drawn to practice more challenging asanas or physical postures, and discovered novel interest in other practices of yoga such as chanting, and most recently pranayama or breathing exercises. I also felt compelled to seek out a consistent teacher for deeper study of the practice and to gain confidence as a teacher. Ironically, looking back, it is easy to observe the gradual integration of the principles of non-harming and self-inquiry into my life. Throughout my practical experience with yoga, these principles are present in varying degrees. Initially, the only way I could experience these concepts was being self-aware enough to know yoga was good for me, even when I felt like doing anything else. During periods of depression, I practiced little to no asana, embracing yoga nidra and other guided meditations as the only form of yoga that felt accessible at the time. Conversely, during periods of acute anxiety, I became aware enough to practice many standing poses as a way to ground the emotional fluctuations. With self-inquiry comes self-awareness; with self-awareness comes noticing of harming actions, which gives me the opportunity to shift previous patterns. Slowly, long-standing negative, self-harming patterns of thought and behaviour shifted, as yoga practice allowed my consciousness to be more equally distributed throughout the body – no longer exclusively tied to the mind and its neural pathways. As the inherent link between thoughts, words, behaviours, habits and human character itself became revealed to me – the desire to practice with further discipline grew. As a long-standing yogi, Mr. Iyengar shares my belief that “density in bones is a virtue, but in brains it is a vice.” In other words, focusing all of our energy on the mind is a mistake; we must do the work to integrate the mind and the body – equally distributing our conscious intelligence throughout the entire body, not merely the brain. Use the entire laboratory we have been given and run fascinating experiments until the end. For years I heard yoga teachers refer to how at some point they felt they could not help but start teaching – the urge to share the gifts that yoga had bestowed on them was too deep to ignore. I finally understand what that means and why I will practice, practice, practice, aware that all is coming – whenever I’m ready for it.
Find someone who resonates with you and who can grow with you because they also have a teacher and a regular practice. I choose teachers who inspire me off the mat more so than on the mat. For example, I choose teachers who live Yogic lives full of principal and love, people I can use as examples in my personal and professional life. If your desire is to teach full-time, find a teacher who actually teaches full-time. It’s hard to learn the skills required of a full-time teacher or be advised by someone who has yet to take that leap. A recent graduate from my teacher training program was advised in her previous YTT program that it was not possible to support herself as a Yoga teacher. I found this interesting, seeing as I am less than a mile away and have supported myself and my family (including my husband for a few years) for the past decade and everyone who has stuck with my program teaches as much as they want to teach.
2. Practice…Really Practice.
As it says in the Yoga Sutras, consistent, continuous practice over many years is the path of Yoga. The learning never ends so that means you have to keep practicing to continue learning. Yoga is the practice of replacing what you know with new, more valid knowledge gained through experience. If you don’t practice you don’t grow and if you don’t grow your students won’t grow and they will move on. How can anyone who is not inspired to practice inspire others to practice? Always remember taking a class is not the same as an actual home practice. You need to be a scientist, exploring your own body and studying it through experimentation to understand how Yoga truly works in order to be able to share what you know and not just regurgitate your favourite teachers’ experiences.
3. Take and Make Every Opportunity.
With thousands of Yoga schools pumping out “Yoga Teachers” by the hundreds of thousands it can be a challenge to land classes. So you have to put yourself out there with every given opportunity! For years I taught by donation classes to get the experience needed to build a community of students. If you follow my first two tips, you need not worry because you will have the skills needed to turn one class into many because your students will get hooked. I built a Yoga business having never taught a single drop-in class in a Yoga Studio, so think outside the box. Never, ever turn your nose up at an opportunity to share Yoga with your community. When I started out, I taught nine gym classes and six chair classes every week for years, learning what I needed to and meeting the students I was meant to meet, to end up where I am today. We all have a different Dharma, or life path, so learn to embrace yours and learn your lessons without envying another person’s path or expecting yours to be similar.
4. Fall Down Seven Times Get Up Eight.
Not everyone is going to like you and not every class is going to be a home-run. Just because you have chosen a ‘spiritual’ path does not mean your days will be all rainbows, puppy dogs and cupcakes! The expectation that life should be without suffering and struggle is the cause of much unnecessary unhappiness. The road of a Yoga teacher is full of bumps and mountain size challenges, as it should be. How can you set an example for students who are struggling if you have not had to get through your own share of personal challenges? Learn to see each new situation as a learning opportunity providing you with the experience required to better assist your students on their Yoga journey. Never give up on your dreams, while leaving space for acceptance should your intentions change. Change is part of any path so don’t be attached to what you thought you wanted if it is not truly what you need.
5. Himalayan Salt and More Water.
Consuming Himalayan salt is an absolute must if you wish to maintain the ability to demo and talk for hours a day. Without Himalayan salt in my diet I find my thirst unquenchable! Even with the mineral-rich salt, my water intake is between six to eight liters per day. It definitely takes some time to integrate this type of liquid consumption into your schedule but it really is a must. I find drinking a litre during class and a liter after but avoiding water consumption right before class the best option for avoiding bathroom breaks or discomfort during class. Remember all things it takes time…10 years into teaching, I teach numerous four-hour classes without the need for a potty break, and with patience you too can consume the needed amounts of water in a way that will work with your system and schedule, so be patient.
6. Eat More Bananas.
I am no nutritionist but I can speak from experience that the Yoga body loves and benefits from bananas. The solution Mr. Venkatesha (my teacher in India) recommends for most ailments is to eat more ripe bananas! When I am studying in India, I eat 20 per day and I pretty much demand students on my intensives eat a minimum of 10 per day. I have yet to encounter anyone who did not agree that the bananas help big time with energy, muscle fatigue, and general body functioning. During my regular work week, I eat a minimum of one banana per day but usually have three. They are portable, quick to digest, and more powerful than any protein bar or energy drink on the planet.
7. Chant to Build Confidence.
I doubt there is a person on this planet who was not scared and anxious for his or her first class. I know amazing full-time lifestyle teachers who still get nervous before every single class. It is very difficult to get in front of a room full of people and tell them what to do. Chanting regularly has worked for me and every single person I have ever taught to teach. You can chant silently to yourself or at the top of your lungs, in perfect Sanskrit or with the worst pronunciation in the world and it is going to work. I find Ganesha and Shiva chants to be extremely useful for this particular purpose. Confidence is an attractive trait in teachers and I believe chanting connects us to Atma (divine, universal knowledge and understanding) which allows us to teach an incredible class without thinking or stressing! For more information on the benefits of chanting and to get started, check out my blog on chanting.
8. Believe in Yourself and Yoga.
Have faith in your ability. Have faith in the practice. Watch your words and your thoughts for they have a direct impact on what you attract. If you don’t believe in yourself and Yoga how on earth can you teach others to do so? As the Upanishads (an old yogic text) say: “be mindful of your thoughts for they become your words, be mindful of your words for they become your actions, be mindful of your actions for they form your habits, be mindful of your habits because they create your character, be mindful of your character because it chooses your destiny.” So do your best to think kindly of yourself, your surroundings, and those who are attracted to your teaching.
9. Accept the Work.
It is hard work being a Yoga teacher!!! It will challenge you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually on a fairly regular basis. Accepting that you know nothing is tough, and it is harder yet to authentically share your limited understanding of one of the most complex systems of mind control: Yoga. There is so much depth to Yoga, it can be overwhelming and inconceivable. It is a humbling path full of highs and lows and in order to make it your career, you will need to embrace the task. Truly accept that healing is hard work and encourage others to do the same through your example.
10. Accept Where You Are At.
Be honest with yourself. If you don’t have a regular practice, don’t teach. If you don’t really know something, admit it. If you don’t know how to confidently and safely teach something, don’t teach it. If you have no experience or expertise on a subject, remain silent. Do not expect to have a Yoga career handed to you, as it takes years of discipline and learning to have knowledge worth sharing. A little bit of understanding can easily be a dangerous thing, so be conscious that what you share is true and real. Be your authentic self and if you don’t know who that is yet, keep practicing and you will find yourself.
Believe me, if you are sitting in the back of a studio hoping no one will notice that you are not chanting, I can totally relate. For the first 15+ years I practiced yoga I refused to even OM. I thought it was awkward and strange. By the time I decided to become a certified teacher I had tried pretty much every possible style, temperature and level of class available to me, still I had not uttered a peep during a class OM. I decided to jump in with both feet and enrolled myself in a teacher training program that was way outside of my comfort zone and included lots of chanting. I spent three months chanting hours a day. Soft and timid at first but eventually I was fully committed and I LOVED it! One of the most valuable yoga insights I continue to learn through my practice is that aversion to something can often be one of the biggest obstacles of any path.
I can honestly say chanting changed my life. I’m not here to tell you about vibrations, or opening chakras. I’m just here to tell you the experience of a converted chanter.
The Top Five Benefits I have seen first hand from chanting:
1. Increased Confidence as a Yoga Teacher.
Many new teachers (including myself) are nervous and anxious before teaching classes. I began chanting thirty minutes to an hour before each class and within a week I was confident enough to forget I was ever nervous. At a recent workshop, I was teaching, (with several yoga teachers in attendance who had learned this chanting practice from me) I posed the question ‘who here was nervous as hell their first few times teaching?’ All the teachers raised their hands. I asked ‘who here tried chanting before each class to put themselves at ease?’ All the teachers raised their hands. So I continued with ‘who here still gets nervous?’ All agreed it took around a week of chanting pre-class to get over their jitters. Chanting also brings an element of Bhakti yoga into your practice and that just feels damn good and authentic.
2. Free Plane Tickets.
Yes, I have experienced this! I found a Yoga Therapy Program in Mysore India called the Atmavikasa Centre of Yogic Science. I was sure this school was for me and spoke to the teacher, Acharya Venkateshawhom told me all I had to do was come. This possibility seemed to be in the very distant future for a full-time, fully broke Hatha yoga teacher. Immediately after our brief conversation I went to the beach and without attachment to a specific outcome, I chanted my little butt off and left feeling content. Within 4 days I was gifted a plane ticket and a full scholarship! Chanting helps to keep us on our path. It also helps us to be less distracted by doubt or expectations, which allows energy to flow without resistance as you begin living your destiny. Trust without expectation that the universe will provide and in my experience it does. The interesting thing is we have to let go of all possible outcomes. Had I chanted for enough classes to be able to save the money I needed to go to India it would have taken me years to get there. Understanding that the universe has a far better plan than we could possibly conceive is part of the magic of chanting.
3. Free Money.
Also during my ‘just getting by’ teaching era, Ronaldo my senior rescue Doodle came upon rough medical times. The bills added up until eventually, I was $500 overdrawn at the vet. I went immediately to the beach and chanted for an hour. The very next day I received a cheque in the mail for exactly $500 from the Primer of Alberta at the time, Ralph Cline. A tax credit from the time I had spent living in Alberta many years earlier. When I became a yoga teacher, before the time of ‘celebrity yogis’, I dedicated myself to teaching with humble expectations of what I could possibly earn. I accepted modest living as part of the territory when pursuing your passion. I saw my share of financial and physical struggles in the early years of bike riding to 15 different classes per week. Having a limited food budget and very few trips to see family and friends was challenging, though I always had enough of what I needed. Through gratitude and perseverance of an authentic practice including chanting all of my financial obstacles have been removed. There was a time in my life pre-teaching where I dreamed of a time when I could afford to have any type of cheese I wanted without even thinking twice about it…those days have come!
4. Your Voice Improves.
Not only can I project my voice so much that my husband often has to remind me after class that it is now time to switch to my inside voice. I also think I sound more clear and harmonious now. Perhaps that could be credited to benefit number one, more confidence, but just like my asana (yoga pose) practice has improved over the years I believe my singing and speaking voice has greatly improved with the practice of chanting. I was always afraid to have my voice be heard and now I lead Kirtan without even a moment’s hesitation. My voice has also built up the stamina required to teach full-time with minimal strain.
5. Improves Concentration & Decreases Stress
I believe Sanskrit to be one of the hardest languages in existence, so call and response chanting requires a lot of mental concentration. When you’re focusing very intently on words, pronunciation, tone, and pitch so you can repeat the chant back accurately, it is impossible to think of what may be stressing you out. This beneficial practice teaches us to still the mind and be able to control our mind, stopping us from obsessing about real and unreal situations.
If you’re still not sure, just give it a shot! No one cares if your Sanskrit is perfect… mine sure as hell is not and I have experienced amazing results!!! Was your triangle pose perfect the first time you tried it? Heck no and it’s not perfect today but it sure feels good and is great for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. So is chanting, so give it a good solid chance and experience it for yourself. Chanting makes the amazing feeling you get when you sing along with your favourite song on the radio feel like small potatoes in comparison to the heartwarming vibration of chanting.
Try these links to some fun & modern chants to start with… they are easier than you think.
