If you want the truth, step out of the mind. By learning to listen to the body and breath, find the true key to healing…
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1. A familiar story of life - challenges in healing.
2. Why am I experiencing this stuck-ness?
3. What has trapped my Prana?
4. How to reclaim the Prana?
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“For 20 years I have held this pain and anger! My health has deteriorated so much. I cannot and will not forgive them for what they have done to me…” I could sense her pain and anger. She blamed her husband and mother-in-law for all her miseries -arthritis, bronchitis, migraine, acidity and obesity. She was feeling quite depressed and hopeless, having tried many doctors and systems of medicine to no avail. She had now come to me hoping against hope.
A brief pause ensued and I gently nudged her to try and bring her mind to the present. “Bring your attention to your body, observe what is happening. Maybe the mind does not want to let go … Yes, it is very difficult to break away from painful memories. Allow your breath to gently detach your mind from everything else and come back to your body. What are you feeling in your body?” She replied, “A lot of pain in the ankles, my knees are burning, breath is disturbed, feeling a lot of constriction in the upper chest- now rising up my throat to my lower jaws, getting a headache…” Slowly she began connecting with each part, noticing and labeling each sensation for what it is.
I placed a cushion under her aching feet and asked her to gently breathe down into her ankles, chanting mentally with each breath as I chanted aloud. After a few minutes, she reported the pain in her ankles came down from 8 to 4 on a scale of10. The experience of pain relief fascinated her and her mind was immediately less agitated.
A little taste of what yoga can offer for you, my dear friend!
Over two decades now, I have experienced the power of yoga as a tool for healing and spiritual growth. I am convinced that it has the power to address all the problems of human existence and offer solutions in some form or the other.
The challenge in yoga is staying on the path – we all agree that it is not easy. There are many distractions, old memories and habit patterns, non-conducive environments, health and relationship issues… There is always something that comes up and slackens our motivation, induces doubt, dissipates energy, blurs the memory and direction, making the path more arduous and the pace so slow that we feel stagnant or on a downward spiral!
Sraddha Virya Smrti Samadhiprajna Purvaka Itaresam YS 1.20
Sutra 1.20 talks about the strength of inner conviction, the will required to pursue the path (Sraddha), that gives energy and courage to deal with challenges (virya), refines the memory of the goal (memory) leading to higher levels of wisdom and clarity (samadhi prajna).
Sraddha taps and awakens the dormant and stuck prana (the vital energy) within the system and directs it. But sometimes, even though we have the conviction, it does not translate into appropriate action, the energy is lacking. This is when we experience slackening, weakness and dissipation.
Why am I experiencing this stuck-ness?
Just to offer a perspective, let us look at what creates and mediates change at all levels - within and without. We call this the life giving force – Prana – that is constantly regenerated. Every moment it expresses itself through the breath and all the functions and activities of the living being. Even a single thought cannot pop out of your mind without the will of the Prana. Every living moment, Prana flows through all the layers and levels of our existence, creating change, growth and evolution. We are being constantly re-created by this energy,
“I will not forgive”, “I feel so guilty”, “I strongly resent…” the stories we are stuck with, a complex web of memories, thought and emotional habit patterns constantly trap the vital Prana, making it unavailable for even basic bodily functions. It renders the mind dull and disturbed, compromising all its faculties like memory, creativity, clarity and focus. The source of stress-induced illnesses!
The healing process in yoga works on the premise of disengaging and releasing the Prana that is trapped in the body-mind complex. When the blocks are removed, the Prana is released. Especially in illness, unless we reclaim our trapped Prana, it is difficult to find the strength to pursue practices that can help healing. Visiting a yoga therapist, receiving a practice and all the magic it can work depends on continuous practice and constant motivation. This is where, as a therapist, I have felt the need to focus. In order to achieve deeper healing, we have to identify these energy traps very unique and specific for us.
Here is a simple experiment, I am trying on myself. Perhaps you would like to try it too? Ask yourself:
What has trapped my prana?
Wherever I am now, with my current sate of health and life situation, I want to understand what has trapped my vital energy.
1. The first step is to identify it by deepening self-awareness
Patanjali offers a very straightforward direction[1]. Any strong emotional pain, negative/depressive thoughts, physical discomfort and disturbed breathing. With awareness (that of course comes with regular practice of asana, pranayama & meditation), we will be able to identify situations when the Prana is trapped. Strong body sensations indicate the blocks – could be pain, burning sensations, discomfort, stiffness, weakness, heaviness etc. Breath being the primary expression of Prana, it is invariably disturbed on these occasions.
2. When we notice such a disturbance, the next step is to locate the deeper cause. I have listed below some broad areas of energy traps/drains.
1. A familiar story of life - challenges in healing.
2. Why am I experiencing this stuck-ness?
3. What has trapped my Prana?
4. How to reclaim the Prana?
``````````````````````````````````````````````
“For 20 years I have held this pain and anger! My health has deteriorated so much. I cannot and will not forgive them for what they have done to me…” I could sense her pain and anger. She blamed her husband and mother-in-law for all her miseries -arthritis, bronchitis, migraine, acidity and obesity. She was feeling quite depressed and hopeless, having tried many doctors and systems of medicine to no avail. She had now come to me hoping against hope.
A brief pause ensued and I gently nudged her to try and bring her mind to the present. “Bring your attention to your body, observe what is happening. Maybe the mind does not want to let go … Yes, it is very difficult to break away from painful memories. Allow your breath to gently detach your mind from everything else and come back to your body. What are you feeling in your body?” She replied, “A lot of pain in the ankles, my knees are burning, breath is disturbed, feeling a lot of constriction in the upper chest- now rising up my throat to my lower jaws, getting a headache…” Slowly she began connecting with each part, noticing and labeling each sensation for what it is.
I placed a cushion under her aching feet and asked her to gently breathe down into her ankles, chanting mentally with each breath as I chanted aloud. After a few minutes, she reported the pain in her ankles came down from 8 to 4 on a scale of10. The experience of pain relief fascinated her and her mind was immediately less agitated.
A little taste of what yoga can offer for you, my dear friend!
Over two decades now, I have experienced the power of yoga as a tool for healing and spiritual growth. I am convinced that it has the power to address all the problems of human existence and offer solutions in some form or the other.
The challenge in yoga is staying on the path – we all agree that it is not easy. There are many distractions, old memories and habit patterns, non-conducive environments, health and relationship issues… There is always something that comes up and slackens our motivation, induces doubt, dissipates energy, blurs the memory and direction, making the path more arduous and the pace so slow that we feel stagnant or on a downward spiral!
Sraddha Virya Smrti Samadhiprajna Purvaka Itaresam YS 1.20
Sutra 1.20 talks about the strength of inner conviction, the will required to pursue the path (Sraddha), that gives energy and courage to deal with challenges (virya), refines the memory of the goal (memory) leading to higher levels of wisdom and clarity (samadhi prajna).
Sraddha taps and awakens the dormant and stuck prana (the vital energy) within the system and directs it. But sometimes, even though we have the conviction, it does not translate into appropriate action, the energy is lacking. This is when we experience slackening, weakness and dissipation.
Why am I experiencing this stuck-ness?
Just to offer a perspective, let us look at what creates and mediates change at all levels - within and without. We call this the life giving force – Prana – that is constantly regenerated. Every moment it expresses itself through the breath and all the functions and activities of the living being. Even a single thought cannot pop out of your mind without the will of the Prana. Every living moment, Prana flows through all the layers and levels of our existence, creating change, growth and evolution. We are being constantly re-created by this energy,
“I will not forgive”, “I feel so guilty”, “I strongly resent…” the stories we are stuck with, a complex web of memories, thought and emotional habit patterns constantly trap the vital Prana, making it unavailable for even basic bodily functions. It renders the mind dull and disturbed, compromising all its faculties like memory, creativity, clarity and focus. The source of stress-induced illnesses!
The healing process in yoga works on the premise of disengaging and releasing the Prana that is trapped in the body-mind complex. When the blocks are removed, the Prana is released. Especially in illness, unless we reclaim our trapped Prana, it is difficult to find the strength to pursue practices that can help healing. Visiting a yoga therapist, receiving a practice and all the magic it can work depends on continuous practice and constant motivation. This is where, as a therapist, I have felt the need to focus. In order to achieve deeper healing, we have to identify these energy traps very unique and specific for us.
Here is a simple experiment, I am trying on myself. Perhaps you would like to try it too? Ask yourself:
What has trapped my prana?
Wherever I am now, with my current sate of health and life situation, I want to understand what has trapped my vital energy.
1. The first step is to identify it by deepening self-awareness
Patanjali offers a very straightforward direction[1]. Any strong emotional pain, negative/depressive thoughts, physical discomfort and disturbed breathing. With awareness (that of course comes with regular practice of asana, pranayama & meditation), we will be able to identify situations when the Prana is trapped. Strong body sensations indicate the blocks – could be pain, burning sensations, discomfort, stiffness, weakness, heaviness etc. Breath being the primary expression of Prana, it is invariably disturbed on these occasions.
2. When we notice such a disturbance, the next step is to locate the deeper cause. I have listed below some broad areas of energy traps/drains.
- Illness (of self or loved ones)
- Relationship issues
- Anxieties about future (health, finances, children, work etc.)
- Painful memories
- Well-rehearsed thought/emotional patterns:
“I am….,”
“I feel….” (What are your specific drama lines?)
This is not an exhaustive list, just broad indicators. You may find more to add from your life.
3. Pertaining to each of the relevant areas, please write down the specific patterns of feeling/thought/behaviour/ belief that you are most familiar with. (Usually these emerge during the conversation we have with the student during the first consultation itself).
4. As you read each statement you have written, you will be able to observe sensations in your body and changes in your breathing. Observe the intensity of the sensation. Now you have located some of these traps.
How to reclaim the Prana?
There are numerous methods. A very simple one to start with, is Asana. Often, a strong body sensation indicates a powerful knot that has the Prana trapped in it. When we direct our mind and breath into that part, and through conscious breathing and intelligent movements, release the blocks, there is tremendous amount of energy release that you can even feel at the physical level!
Patanjali refers to this process for achieving sthiram (stability) and sukham (ease) of body. Through conscious effort, we locate and systematically release the knots in the body that eventually fall away as resistance gives way.
Prayatna Saithilya Ananta Samapattibhyam YS 2.47
So you see, there is more to asana than meets the eye.
Krishnamacharya defines yoga as, “Asastra Sastra Cikitsa” – or surgery without instruments. The skill of a good yoga therapist lies in what tools he/she uses and how. Intelligent application is the key. Not a blind shot, but a well-conceived, targeted, intelligent and purposeful solution.
3. Pertaining to each of the relevant areas, please write down the specific patterns of feeling/thought/behaviour/ belief that you are most familiar with. (Usually these emerge during the conversation we have with the student during the first consultation itself).
4. As you read each statement you have written, you will be able to observe sensations in your body and changes in your breathing. Observe the intensity of the sensation. Now you have located some of these traps.
How to reclaim the Prana?
There are numerous methods. A very simple one to start with, is Asana. Often, a strong body sensation indicates a powerful knot that has the Prana trapped in it. When we direct our mind and breath into that part, and through conscious breathing and intelligent movements, release the blocks, there is tremendous amount of energy release that you can even feel at the physical level!
Patanjali refers to this process for achieving sthiram (stability) and sukham (ease) of body. Through conscious effort, we locate and systematically release the knots in the body that eventually fall away as resistance gives way.
Prayatna Saithilya Ananta Samapattibhyam YS 2.47
So you see, there is more to asana than meets the eye.
Krishnamacharya defines yoga as, “Asastra Sastra Cikitsa” – or surgery without instruments. The skill of a good yoga therapist lies in what tools he/she uses and how. Intelligent application is the key. Not a blind shot, but a well-conceived, targeted, intelligent and purposeful solution.
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[1] YS 1.31: Duhkha Daurmanasya Angamejayatva Svasaprasvasah Viksepa Sahabhuvah - The symptoms that accompany a disturbed mind.
[1] YS 1.31: Duhkha Daurmanasya Angamejayatva Svasaprasvasah Viksepa Sahabhuvah - The symptoms that accompany a disturbed mind.
