The Practice of Mindful Yoga: A Connected Path to Awareness (Mindfulness series) - Hardcover

Moss, Hannah

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1782405690 ISBN 13: 9781782405696

Publisher: Leaping Hare Press, 2018

Synopsis

The Mindful Practice of Yoga teaches beginners and experienced practitioners alike how to incorporate mindfulness and meditation into their yoga routine.

Part of the Mindfulness series, this book explores the spiritual foundations of yoga, the importance of the breath and practical exercises that can be used in everyday lives, finishing with an extended mindful yoga routine.

Through insightful ideas and personal anecdotes, author Hannah Moss explains the ways in which mindfulness is fundamental to yoga and how the breath becomes a bridge between the two. She invites the reader to join her on an inspiring journey of self-discovery and conscious awareness through the enriching practice of mindful yoga.

If you like this, you might also be interested in Mindfulness and Compassion . . .

About this title

About the Author

Hannah Moss is a life-long yoga practitioner, and a Thai yoga massage therapist. She has studied various approaches to mindfulness and meditation, including a 10-day Vipassana meditation course in India, and practised daily Ashtanga yoga for over six years. Hannah is also the Content Manager for a digital marketing agency working within the yoga business niche. She practices mindfulness in her everyday life and is passionate about the benefits of mindful yoga.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Practice of Mindful Yoga

A Connected Path to Awareness

By Hannah Moss

The Quarto Group

Copyright © 2018 Hannah Moss
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-78240-569-6

Contents

Introduction, 6, 
CHAPTER ONE What is Mindful Yoga?, 12, 
CHAPTER TWO The Bridge Between Yoga & Mindfulness, 38, 
CHAPTER THREE Mindful Yoga in Our Daily Lives, 60, 
CHAPTER FOUR Mindful Yoga in the Twenty-First Century, 88, 
CHAPTER FIVE How to Practise Mindful Yoga, 106, 
Further Reading, 141, 
Index, 142, 
Dedication & Acknowledgements, 144, 

CHAPTER 1

What is Mindful Yoga?

Yoga and mindfulness are both complex and subtle subjects. To help gain a clearer perspective, we will explore different interpretations and philosophies within the traditions of yoga, and from there, introduce mindfulness, considering what it means, whether you are a beginner or an advanced practitioner. With this understanding, mindfulness can be a tool for transformation, bringing lasting positive change into your life.

The Meaning of Yoga?

Different cultures across the world offer a vast array of interpretations when it comes to the question, 'What is yoga?' Even if you asked two people from the same school or tradition, you would likely receive two very different answers. But there do seem to be some common uniting threads running through most of these interpretations as to what lies at the heart of yoga.

It is generally accepted that yoga is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual practices, which focus on strength, flexibility and breath control to improve overall well-being. The bodily postures, breathing techniques and simple meditation are commonly used for health and relaxation purposes.

While yoga is such an ancient art that its precise origins are not known, the best evidence we have suggests that it started out in ancient India around two to five thousand years ago.

Etymology

In Sanskrit the word yoga comes from the root yuj, which means 'to yoke' or 'to attach'. Therefore, the most common definition of yoga is 'union'. This has been interpreted as the union between the ego-self and the divine self; union with God; union of mind, body and soul; and union of the individual consciousness with the universal consciousness.

Another, similar, interpretation of yoga is integration — between mind and body, and between our outer and inner worlds. Many would say that the real purpose of yoga — instead of focusing purely on the form — is to embody this principle of integration in your practice.

Yoga as a Spiritual Practice

Yoga is commonly thought of as a physical practice: many view it as a way of bending and stretching the body and nothing more. However, the physical postures are only one aspect of yoga, known as asana. And as R. Sharath Jois said in a conference I attended in Mysore, India, in March 2014, 'Knowing only asana is like having a vehicle but not knowing how to drive it.'

One of the key elements of any yoga practice is the breath — indeed, the union of yoga also applies to the union of breath and movement. Unless you are practising a specific type of pranayama, or breath control exercise, it is important never to hold your breath during yoga but to inhale and exhale in harmony with your body's movements. Keeping this connection going is what sets yoga apart: if you are not linking breath with movement then it is not yoga, it is merely physical exercise.

Mindful yoga is not about bending your body into a pretzel. In fact, it really does not matter what you do on your mat, as long as you are getting on it in the first place. There are no goals in yoga; there is nowhere to progress; there is nothing to be achieved. It is about the journey, not the destination. You could practise advanced postures every day for the rest of your life, but if you never meet your true self, never find peace within and are not able to live a happier, more aware existence, then what is the point?

If you can let go of the grasping and the attachment to goals, this is when real transformation can happen. It is about turning up, going through the process, facing yourself and dealing with your own personal challenges.

Mindful yoga is primarily a spiritual discipline, connecting our body, our breath and our mind so that we can turn our attention inwards and start getting to know ourselves a little better. We can learn to identify our habitual patterns and negative thought processes, making ourselves more aware of our experiences in the present moment.

Although yoga is a spiritual practice, you do not need to be religious in order to practise it. I think in the West the term 'spiritual' has become synonymous with 'other-worldly', belonging to another dimension. To my mind, spirituality simply means 'of spirit'. As human beings we are all made of, or have, spirit within us. Therefore, a spiritual practice is actually a human practice. It is anything you choose it to be — reading, writing, gardening, knitting, cycling, swimming, drawing, painting or yoga, for example. What makes it a spiritual practice rather than simply an activity, is bringing awareness to it. If it is something you do regularly, with intention, and with mindfulness, then I would argue that it is a spiritual practice.

What is Mindfulness?

In order to understand how to practise yoga more mindfully, it is important to first understand what mindfulness actually is. A brief introduction is included here, and in chapter three you will find a detailed explanation of some common mindful practices.

Mindfulness is a way of training yourself to focus on whatever is happening in the present moment. It can be thought of as paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, without judgement.

As the pressures of modern life in our digital age increase, mindfulness is rapidly emerging as one of our most useful resources. The ability to bring more awareness into our lives and to ground ourselves in the present moment helps us to avoid being sucked back into the past or catapulted into the future. Even schools, prisons and government institutions in many countries are recognizing what an invaluable tool mindfulness can be.

Blending East & West

Mindfulness has its roots in Buddhism. The Satipatthana Sutta — the Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness — is considered one of the most important texts of the ancient Theravadan tradition. In the East, mindfulness and meditation have existed as Buddhist practices for nearly three thousand years, and during the last two centuries these ideas have also spread to the West.

One of the key figures responsible for increasing the popularity of mindfulness in the West in recent years is Jon Kabat-Zinn. Originally a molecular biologist, he gave up his scientific career when he discovered Zen meditation and yoga, as he wanted to see if he could use these practices to treat sick patients. He founded a program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and has achieved remarkable results from teaching mindfulness meditation to people suffering with stress, chronic illness and pain.

Benefits of Mindfulness It is generally thought that mindfulness can lead to a longer and healthier life. There is a growing body of scientific evidence that shows that regular mindfulness meditation offers many benefits, including:

• Increased concentration, memory and physical stamina

• Relief from anxiety and depression

• Reduced chronic pain, even from cancer

• Increased immunity to colds, flu and other diseases

• Relief from stressors leading to high blood pressure and

heart disease

• Increased feelings of happiness, positivity and contentment

Consider how much suffering and conflict in the world is caused by people's reactions to their emotions: hurt, anger, frustration, pessimism, anxiety, depression, loneliness. If everyone could learn to use mindfulness to deal with their reactions to these emotions in a better way, I truly believe the world would be a more harmonious place.

Practising Mindfulness

Two of the key elements of mindfulness are awareness and compassion. Awareness simply means becoming aware — not only of the present moment, but also of our own thought processes, behaviours and reactions. Rather than trying to change external circumstances that are out of our control, we simply try to become aware of our response to them. As humans, we all experience suffering; it is inevitable. With mindfulness we are not trying to escape from suffering, but improve our relationship to it.

For example, you might be walking down the street and someone pushes past and knocks into you. It is very likely that your initial reaction is one of annoyance, frustration or even rage. How dare they knock into you? Why didn't they look where they were going? They should have been more careful. Perhaps you often react like this and find yourself feeling angry with other people.

If you are able to practise mindfulness in these moments, you might find that you start to see things differently. You might wonder what was going on for the other person. Why were they in a hurry? Perhaps a loved one has been in an accident, or their partner is about to give birth. Maybe they are late for a job interview and feeling very stressed. Probably they did not mean to knock into you and felt bad for doing so, but did not have time to stop and apologize. Perhaps you would do the same if you were in their shoes.

So, this is also where compassion comes in: stopping to think about what is going on for the other person in the situation. Can you stop and breathe for a moment, become aware of how you are feeling, and think kindly of the other person? You might realize that getting worked up is actually counter-productive, and the only person it will ultimately affect is you!

One of the key aspects of mindfulness is being able to bring your attention to the present moment. If we are fully present in this moment, then we cannot be worrying about the past or fearing the future. We are only engaged with what is happening right now: what we can see, hear, taste, smell and feel.

MINDFUL EXERCISE

AWAKENING THE SENSES

* * *

This exercise can be practised at any time of day, no matter where you are or what you are doing. It is the perfect tool for when you feel stressed, overwhelmed or agitated, as it will bring your mind away from your negative thoughts and into the present moment.

1. As soon as you realize you are lost in your thoughts or feeling stressed, simply stop what you are doing and bring yourself into the present moment. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.

2. Now, open your eyes and look around you. Notice five things you can see.

3. Really look at each object, and try to note some of the details, for example, 'I can see a roof with red tiles' or 'I can see that elderly woman with a walking stick heading towards me.'

4. Now, open your ears and notice five things you can hear. Again, include some details, for example, 'I can hear a siren wailing in the distance' or 'I can hear the floorboards creaking in the next room.' Take time to fully listen and observe the quality of these different sounds.

5. Finally, notice five things you can feel. These could be inside or outside of your body, for example, 'I can feel my breath as I exhale through my nose' or 'I can feel the fabric of my socks against my feet.' Again, pay attention to how these things feel to you.

By focusing your attention on what you can see, hear and feel in the present moment, you are cultivating a crucial point of awareness. This is the very essence of mindfulness. You should find that your mind becomes a little clearer and you feel a little calmer.

An Introduction to Yoga Philosophy

* * *

To give us a better insight into the history and development of yoga, it is useful to take a look at some of the philosophy behind it. This helps us to understand yoga as a spiritual practice, and see how we might use mindfulness to apply theyogic principles to our own lives for a more rewarding, enriching experience.

There are many Hindu scriptures and texts involved in yogic philosophy. These are composed primarily in the ancient Indian language Sanskrit and include the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas and the Bhagavad Gita. However, there are two key texts that refer specifically to the practice of modern yoga. These are the HathaYoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (meaning 'Light on Hatha Yoga') was written in Sanskrit by Swami Svatmarama in the fifteenth century. It is considered one of the most influential surviving manuals on Hatha yoga.

Hatha yoga was developed in India and consists of physical postures, or asana practice, as well as a focus on breathing, a good diet and exercises to purify the body and mind.

It is said that most forms of yoga were originally developed from Hatha yoga, which was revived by yoga teacher Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888–1989) in the 1920s. He inspired many of his students to develop different forms of yoga, all based on his method, and these students later went on to become renowned teachers. Among them were B.K.S. Iyengar, who developed Iyengar yoga, and K. Pattabhi Jois, who developed Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga. There are also many other styles of yoga that have developed from Hatha, including: Kundalini yoga, which involves the awakening of kundalini energy through the subtle body channels; Bikram yoga in which a set series of postures is practised in a heated room; and Kripalu yoga, which considers your body as the centre of your being, and therefore your best teacher.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika includes information about the various types of bodily postures (asanas), breath control (pranayama), body locks (bandhas), symbolic gestures (mudras), energy centres (chakras) and meditation.

Patañjali's Yoga Sutras

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is an ancient text written in Sanskrit by Sage Patañjali some time around the fourth or fifth century. It consists of 196 sutras (aphorisms or statements) setting out the principles of yoga.

Scholars have always considered the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali to be one of the foundations of Hindu classical yoga philosophy. In the twentieth century it became more widely known among yoga practitioners in the West.

The Purpose of Yoga

In the second sutra of chapter one of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras, he defines the meaning of yoga as yogas citta vritti nirodhah. There are many interpretations of this sutra, but it is generally translated as, 'Yoga is the stilling of the modifications of the mind.' This term citta vritti is often referred to as 'mind chatter' or 'monkey mind'. Therefore, according to Patañjali, one of the goals of yoga is to control and calm this monkey mind, thereby reducing stress and increasing self-awareness. This is why it is often reported that the purpose of yoga is to prepare the body for meditation.

As R. Sharath Jois put it during the 2014 Mysore conference I mentioned earlier, 'Mind is like monkey, jumping here and there. How to still that mind is called yoga.'

The Eight Limbs

In chapter two, Patañjali divides the practice of yoga into eight aspects. These are the principles that form the basis of Hatha yoga and also give Ashtanga yoga its name (Ashtanga literally means 'eight-limbed'). These eight components, in order, are:

1. Yama — ethical observances or principles

2. Niyama — internal commitments or guidelines

3. Asana — physical postures

4. Pranayama — breath control

5. Pratyahara — turning the attention inwards

6. Dharana — concentration or focus

7. Dhyana — meditation or contemplation

8. Samadhi — union or oneness with the divine (often interpreted as enlightenment)

It is interesting to note the sequence in which Patañjali suggests approaching these limbs. The physical practice, asana, appears only third in the list, meaning there are other, more spiritual elements to be introduced into your life first in order to help with personal growth. Yama and niyama are the foundation of any mindful yoga practice, and without them there can be no success in meditation and no understanding of yoga in its wider sense.

The Five Yamas

* * *

There are five yamas listed in Patañjali's Yoga Sutras, which are a set of ethical observances or behaviours that govern how you relate to others. These should form the basis of how you live your life if you want to fully embrace all aspects of yoga and lead a more compassionate, fulfilling existence.

Ahimsa

The first yama says you should practice ahimsa, or non-violence. This means not causing harm to any living being, in any form, at any time, for any reason — in word, thought or deed. An example of ahimsa living can be seen in the vegetarianism followed by most dedicated yoga practitioners around the world. It also encompasses non-violence towards oneself, so practising self-kindness and self-compassion, which are also key elements of mindfulness. If you live your life in a nonviolent way, then those around you will cease to be hostile.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Practice of Mindful Yoga by Hannah Moss. Copyright © 2018 Hannah Moss. Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Leaping Hare Press
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1782405690
• ISBN 13: 9781782405696
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144