The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to - Shroomery

The Seven Spiritual Laws

of Yoga

ffirs.qxd 4/14/04 12:22 PM Page i

ffirs.qxd 4/14/04 12:22 PM Page ii

The Seven Spiritual Laws

of YogaA Practical Guide to Healing

Body, Mind, and Spirit

Deepak Chopra, M.D.

David Simon, M.D.

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

ffirs.qxd 4/14/04 12:22 PM Page iii

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright © 2004 by Deepak Chopra and David Simon. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New JerseyPublished simultaneously in Canada

Design and Production by Navta Associates, Inc.

Photography is by Omry Reznick Photography, 4011 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA90027. The models used in the photos are: Claire Diab, Michael Fukumura, RogerGabriel, and Pam Simon.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmittedin any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning,or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United StatesCopyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authoriza-tion through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center,222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on theweb at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressedto the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have usedtheir best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties withrespect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically dis-claim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No war-ranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. Theadvice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You shouldconsult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shallbe liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limitedto special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information about our other products and services, please contact our CustomerCare Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United Statesat (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content thatappears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Chopra, Deepak.The seven spiritual laws of yoga : a practical guide to healing body, mind, and spirit /

Deepak Chopra, David Simon.p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN 0-471-64764-0 (cloth)

1. Yoga, Råaja—Popular works. 2. Health—Popular works. 3. Mind and body—Popular works. I. Simon, David. II. Title.

RA781.7.C4798 2004294.5'436—dc22

2004005665

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ffirs.qxd 4/14/04 12:22 PM Page iv

Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

http://www.copyright.com

http://www.wiley.com

This book is dedicatedto seekers of unity across time and space

ffirs.qxd 4/14/04 12:22 PM Page v

ffirs.qxd 4/14/04 12:22 PM Page vi

Preface: The Four Yogas ixAcknowledgments xv

Introduction 1

Pa r t I : Th e P h i l o s o p h y o f Yo g a

1 Yoga Is Union 9

2 Soul Questions 23

3 The Royal Path to Union 31

4 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga 49

Pa r t I I : M e d i t at i o n a n d B r e at h i n g

5 Meditation: Calming a Turbulent Mind 77

6 Moving Energy: Pranayama and Bandhas 99

Contents

vii

ftoc.qxd 4/14/04 12:23 PM Page vii

Pa r t I I I : Yo g a P r ac t i c e

7 Consciousness in Motion: Yoga Asanas 121

8 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Session 175

Conclusion 195

Recommended Reading 199Index 201

viii C o n t e n t s

ftoc.qxd 4/14/04 12:23 PM Page viii

PrefaceThe Four Yogas

Often one goes for one thing and finds another.—Neem Karoli Baba

The word yoga is related to the English word yoke.Yoga is the union of body, mind, and spirit—the

union of your individuality with the divine intelligencethat orchestrates the universe. Yoga is a state of being inwhich the elements and forces that comprise your biolog-ical organism are in harmonious interaction with the ele-ments of the cosmos. Established in this state, you willexperience enhanced emotional, psychological, and spir-itual well-being and will increasingly notice the sponta-neous fulfillment of your desires. In yoga—in union withspirit—your desires and the desires of nature are one. Asyou participate in the process of creativity along with theinfinite being, your worries fall away and you feel a sense

ix

fpref.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page ix

of lightheartedness and joy. There is a spontaneous blos-soming of intuition, insight, imagination, creativity,meaning, and purpose. You make correct choices thatbenefit not only you but also everyone affected by yourchoices. When in the book of Matthew Jesus says, “Myyoke is easy, and my burden is light,” he is expressing thecore principle of yoga. His intelligence is aligned withcosmic intelligence, his will with divine will.

Traditionally, there are four forms of yoga: Gyan, Bhakti,Karma, and Raja. Gyan yoga is the yoga of understanding.The yoga of understanding is also the yoga of science.(Science is after all, the knowledge of nature’s laws.) The laws of nature are God’s thoughts. Science is Godexplaining God to God through a human nervous system.Science is not an enemy of spiritual awakening but rathera potentially helpful friend. Today’s science reveals to usthe mysterious nonlocal domain where everything isinstantly correlated with everything else—where time,space, matter, energy, and information resolve into a fieldof pure potentiality. This is the realm where the immeas-urable potential of all that was, all that is, and all that willbe manifests and differentiates into the seer and thescenery, the observer and the observed, the knower andthe known.

The yoga of understanding has been referred to in theUpanishads as the “razor’s edge,” and we are cautioned totread carefully on this path. As we gain understanding ofthe laws of nature, we run the risk of arrogance. Arroganceinflates the ego, and the ego overshadows the spirit. Theoriginal sincere quest for discovery leads to an alienationfrom the very source with which intimacy was sought.

x P r e f a c e

fpref.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page x

Truly great scientists are known for their humility, foreven as they explore and unravel the secrets of theunknown, the unknown looms larger and becomes evermore mysterious. Humility leads to wonder, which leads toinnocence. The return of innocence invites us to enter theluminous mystery of life and surrender to it.

The yoga of knowledge can be a wonderful path if weare mature enough to understand that there are seductivetemptations that may entrap us for a while in diversions ofthe intellect.

The second yoga is Bhakti—the yoga of love anddevotion. Bhakti is love of God but also the expressionand blossoming of love in all your relationships. Thedivine light of God resides in all that is alive, or for thatmatter, even that which we consider inanimate. Throughour relationships with others, we discover our higher self.As we embark on this journey, we may go through stagesof attraction, infatuation, communion, intimacy, surren-der, passion and ecstasy until ultimately we once againarrive at the source of love and the source of life.

The yoga of love is a wonderful path, but we must notconfuse love with self-absorption, self-importance, orself-pity. If you pay attention to love, think about love,express love, respond to gestures of love, and make lovethe basis for all your choices, then you are practicingBhakti yoga, the yoga of love.

The third yoga is referred to as Karma yoga. The ulti-mate expression of Karma yoga is the recognition that allaction belongs to the Supreme Being. When you have aninner attitude that all your actions come from God andbelong to God, you are a Karma yogi. The inner dialogueof a Karma yogi is, “I am an instrument of the eternal

P r e f a c e xi

fpref.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page xi

infinite being. Every breath of mine, every act of mine isa divine movement of the infinite. My thoughts andactions come from the infinite and return to the infi-nite.” True practice of Karma yoga leads to spontaneousdetachment from outcome and one-pointed focusedmindfulness as you perform your actions. Action fromthis level of consciousness is not binding; rather, it liber-ates you and enables you spontaneously to recognize thatyou are an eternal being on a cosmic journey. Karmayogis have no anxiety because they have no worry. TheKarma yogi knows that God is performing the action andtakes care of the results.

The fourth yoga is known as Raja yoga, the main sub-ject of this book. Raja yoga is frequently referred to as theroyal path to yoga because it is rich and abundant inknowledge and experience. Raja yoga can be practiced byanyone with a little bit of training.

Raja yoga is the path of union through practices thattake your awareness inward. The essence of Raja yoga is anintegration of body, mind, and soul through proceduresthat enhance mind-body coordination. These techniquesawaken poise, grace, strength, and the development ofcentered awareness even in the midst of chaos and tur-moil. They improve your physical health and your mentalclarity while heightening your senses of perception. As a consequence of these practices, you are able to experi-ence increased vitality along with better mental andphysical capacity. Raja yogis have greater enjoyment oflife, while enthusiasm and inspiration become an everydayexperience.

Raja yoga helps you practice the other yogas withgreater ease, effortlessness, and joy. When you feel

xii P r e f a c e

fpref.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page xii

physically vital, emotionally stable, and psychologicallycentered, your ability and desire to love and expressauthentic compassion expand. You become more capableof surrendering to the will of God and begin a never-ending journey of knowledge.

For those who feel that God is difficult to find, wewant to encourage you to begin practicing the principlesin this book. You will discover that God is not difficult tofind. God is impossible to avoid, for there is nowherethat God is not.

P r e f a c e xiii

fpref.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page xiii

fpref.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page xiv

Acknowledgments

This book is woven with the love of many beloved soulswho share our journey.

We wish to thank our precious families, who lovinglysupport us in all the work we do: Rita, Mallika, Sumantand Tara, Gotham and Candice; Pam, Max, Sara, andIsabel.

To Ray Chambers, Jose Busquets, Charley Paz, andHoward Simon for their unwavering support of theChopra Center mission.

To the John Wiley & Sons editorial team, Tom Millerand Kellam Ayres, for helping this book reach its fullpotential.

To the dedicated staff of the Chopra Center, whonurture every guest entering our place of healing andtransformation: Bill Abasolo, Vicki Abrams, LeanneBacker, Catherine Baer, Paula Bass, Brent Becvar, SanjeevBhanot, Marina Bigo, Sandra Blazinski, CorrineChampigny, Janice Crawford, Nancy Ede, Kana Emidy-Mazza, Jenny Ephrom, Ana Fakhri, Ana Paula Fernandez,Patrick Fischer, Roger Gabriel, Lorri Gifford, David

xv

flast.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page xv

Greenspan, Emily Hobgood, Gwyneth Hudson, JenniferJohnson, Alisha Kaufman, Kenneth Kolonko, TotianaLamberti, Joseph Lancaster, Justine Lawrence, AnastaciaLeigh, Summer Lewis, Asha Maclsaac, Tufani Mayfield,Joelene Monestier, Bjorn Nagle, Kelly Peters-Luvera,Jessica Przygocki, Carolyn Rangel, Felicia Rangel, KristyReeves, Sharon Reif, Anna Rios, Jayme Rios, TeresaRobles, Julian Romero, Nicolas Ruiz, Stephanie Sanders,JoElla Shephard, Max Simon, Drew Tabatchnick,William Vargas, Katherine Weber, Dana Willoughby,Grace Wilson, and Kelly Worrall.

To Clair Diab for her leadership in the Seven SpiritualLaws of Yoga Teacher Training Program.

To Omry Reznick, Claire Diab, Michael Fukumura,Roger Gabriel, and Pam Simon for making the photosthat saved us thousands of words.

To Geeta Singh for bringing the message around theworld.

To Lynn Franklin for enabling this book to reachseekers of unity on every continent.

xvi A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s

flast.qxd 4/14/04 12:24 PM Page xvi

Introduction

The source from which the world and the mind riseand into which they set is termed Reality, whichdoes not rise nor does it subside.

—Ramana Maharishi

Iam not in the world; the world is in me.” This daringdeclaration of ancient yogis gave expression to the

perennial truth that the material universe, our physicalbodies, and the thoughts that occupy our minds areexpressions of an underlying unbounded field of con-sciousness. The “I” in the bold statement reflects a trans-formation in the internal reference of the seeker fromskin-encapsulated ego to expanded spirit. These originalexplorers of consciousness charted a course for us to follow— the path of yoga. This is the path we follow.

We are deeply gratified by the expanding acceptance in theWest of the philosophy and practices usually attributed to

1

cintro.qxd 4/14/04 12:25 PM Page 1

the East. Through our books, lectures, and workshops, wehave been sharing our understanding and experience ofthe Vedic and Yogic wisdom traditions because webelieve that this knowledge has universal value. Just as noone would argue that gravity applies only to Englandbecause Sir Isaac Newton was British or that Einstein’stheory of relativity was relevant only in Germany, wesuggest that the profound insights gained through yoga arevaluable for every person living on this planet, regardlessof age, gender, or cultural inheritance. The principles ofyoga are not limited by time or space.

As the human inhabitants of our world increasinglyrecognize themselves as members of a global village, ideasthat were rejected by all but a few wild inner-spaceexplorers thirty years ago are now resonating in our col-lective awareness. Just a few heartbeats back, the mentionof yoga and meditation as essential components of ahealthy lifestyle led to skepticism and even ridicule. Butconcepts that add genuine value to life eventually findtheir way into the light of human consciousness. Para-phrasing the great German philosopher, Arthur Schopen-hauer, every great idea goes through three phases before itis accepted. In the first it is rejected, in the second it isridiculed, and in the third it is held to be self-evident. Thevalue that yoga brings to body, mind, and spirit is becom-ing increasingly obvious to a critical mass of people inNorth America and around the world.

Our relationship with yoga spans more than threedecades. We learned early in our spiritual journey thevalue of alternating asanas (yoga poses), pranayama(breathing exercises), and meditation to stabilize aware-

2 T h e S e v e n S p i r i t u a l L a w s o f Yo g a


ness while spending extended time in silence. In Seduc-tion of Spirit, our intensive meditation course held twiceyearly at the Chopra Center, we repeatedly see the bene-fits that conscious movement brings to our guests, whentheir attention is directed inward for hours each day. As aresult of our personal experience and that of thousands ofcourse participants, this book emerged.

The information and practices presented in this bookprovide you with a path to expand your awareness of therelationship between your individuality and your world.Our planet is in need of healing and transformation.With exploding population growth, the human footprinton earth looms larger each day. People who understandthe relationship between individual and collectivechoices cannot ignore the issues of social justice, eco-nomic disparities, ecological disruption, and culturalconflicts. At times, the challenges of our age can seemoverwhelming and beyond the influence of individualintention. We believe, however, that each of us has anopportunity to contribute to a better world through thevery personal choices we make on daily basis. Through theSeven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, you will enhancethe integration between your body and mind and developthe practice of maintaining balance and flexibility in themidst of challenge. You will gain increased access to yourcreativity and intuition and become aware of how yourindividual thoughts, words, and actions influence and areinfluenced by your environment. As a result of thisawareness, you will contribute to the collective awakeningof world consciousness.

All of our work through the Chopra Center has beenbased upon the core principle that consciousness is the

I n t r o d u c t i o n 3


primary force in the universe. Consciousness gives rise tothought; thought gives rise to action. All change beginswith awareness—awareness of the current situation,awareness of the potential for something greater, andawareness of the unlimited creativity that exists withineach of us to catalyze the transformation we want to seefor ourselves and for generations to follow.

Not long ago it seemed fanciful that public smokingwould be restricted and tobacco companies would sponsorpublic service ads that discourage smoking, but this shiftin awareness occurred when a critical mass of peopledecided they would no longer tolerate a behavior thatharmed many while benefiting a few. In a similar way, weanticipate that as more people shift their inner attitudefrom What’s in it for me? to How can I help? we will see anexpanding sense of both individual and collectiveresponsibility for the choices that are guiding the future ofour planet. We are hopeful that as a result of the changesyou experience through the practice of the Seven Spiri-tual Laws of Yoga program, you will be unable to resist theurge to contribute to the healing and transformation ofhumanity and the world.

The initial response to the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yogaprogram has been so enthusiastic that we have developeda yoga training program for those interested in bringingthis knowledge and practice to their communities. Fromnovices to experienced yoga teachers, people around theworld are learning to teach others the principles andtechnology that enable them to apply the deep wisdom ofyoga to daily life. If, after experiencing for yourself thetransformational power of this program, you have the



desire to share this knowledge with others, we welcomeyour participation. Together, we can remind the membersof our global family that each of us has the ability to con-tribute to peace and harmony in the world by awakeningthese qualities within.

With love,Deepak and David

I n t r o d u c t i o n 5


Part I

The Philosophy of Yoga

c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 7

c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 8

1Yoga Is Union

Without self-knowledge, we cannot go beyond themind.

—Jiddu Krishnamurti

The proliferation of yoga classes and yoga centersthroughout the Western world is a tribute to yoga’s

indisputable power to enliven physical well-being. Incities across North America, Europe, and Australia, yogastudios offer students a vast range of styles and tech-niques designed to enhance fitness. Yoga postures canincrease your flexibility, strengthen your muscles, improveyour posture, and enhance your circulation. Athleticprograms from gymnastics to football now incorporateyoga for its systematic approach to stretching muscles,tendons, and joints. Fitness enthusiasts are often pleas-antly surprised by how quickly the addition of yoga

9

c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 9

postures to a workout routine can improve tone and posture.

If the practice of yoga provided only these physicalbenefits, it would fully justify its place in our lives. How-ever, at its core, yoga is much more than a system of phys-ical fitness. It is a science of balanced living, a path forrealizing full human potential. In these tumultuoustimes, yoga provides an anchor to a quieter domain oflife, enabling people living in a modern technologicalworld to stay connected to their natural humanity. Yogaoffers the promise of remaining centered in the midst ofturbulence.

The essential purpose of yoga is the integration of allthe layers of life—environmental, physical, emotional,psychological, and spiritual. The word yoga is derivedfrom the Sanskrit root yuj, which means “to unite.” It isrelated to the English word yoke. A farmer yoking twooxen to pull his plow is performing an action that hints atthe essence of a spiritual experience. At its core, yogameans union, the union of body, mind, and soul; theunion of the ego and the spirit; the union of the mundaneand the divine.

The Seven Spiritual Laws in ActionThe Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program will raise yourlevel of physical vitality, clear emotional blockages from your heart, and awaken your joyfulness and enthusiasm for life. Since its release in 1994, Deepak’s book The SevenSpiritual Laws of Success has improved the lives of millionsof readers around the world. Through seven easily under-stood principles, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success pro-


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 10

claims that harmony, happiness, and abundance areavailable to anyone willing to embrace a consciousness-based approach to life. Our yoga program brings theseven laws into action through the principles and tech-niques of a consciousness-based practice.

We celebrate the rising popularity of yoga in theWestern world. Even if your primary motivation for takinga yoga class is to lose weight or to develop a more muscu-lar body, you cannot escape the subtler benefits ofenhanced vitality and a noticeable reduction in yourstress level. Yoga is a practical system to awaken humanpotential. It does not require you to believe in a set ofprinciples in order to reap its benefits. On the contrary,the regular practice of yoga naturally generates a healthybelief system based upon your direct experience of theworld through a more flexible nervous system. Performyoga poses on a regular basis and your mind and emotions will change.

Yoga is a central component of the comprehensivesystem of Indian philosophy known as Vedic science.With roots in the Indus Valley civilization going backover five thousand years, the Vedas represent the poeticcognitions of enlightened sages on the origins of the uni-verse and the evolution of life. The English word wisdomtraces its origins to the primitive Germanic word wid,meaning “to know.” Wid, in turn, is derived from theSanskrit word Veda, meaning “external knowledge.” TheVedas are the expression of perennial wisdom, and yoga isthe practical aspect of Vedic science. Yoga is a systemthrough which human beings can directly access the wis-dom of life. Practitioners of yoga—yogis—are dynamic and creative forces for positive change. A yogi knows

Yo g a I s U n i o n 11

c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 11

that his mind and body are in the ever-changing world,but his essence—his soul—resides in a dimension that isbeyond change.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program is designedfor those who wish to take their yoga practice to a deeperlevel, using their bodies to access more expanded levels oftheir minds. This is the time-honored value of yoga—tocultivate an inner state of centered awareness that cannotbe disturbed by the inevitable turmoil of life.

Layers of LifePeople are complex and multifaceted beings with manyrich layers, although the Western scientific model of aperson tends to reflect the Newtonian mechanistic view oflife that sees people as primarily physical entities—bio-logical machines that have learned to think. Despite thefact that almost a century ago the discoveries of quantumphysics revealed that the material model of life is incom-plete, modern medicine and physiology continue to viewpeople as primarily composed of molecules.

According to this predominantly physical perspec-tive, if you are feeling depressed, it is not because you areharboring anger and resentment over the affair yourspouse had with your best friend; rather, it is the result ofinadequate levels of serotonin in your brain. If you simplyenhance the level of this neurotransmitter moleculethrough the appropriate selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitor, your depression will vanish. If your blood pres-sure is elevated, it is not the consequence of constantstrain with your demanding boss; rather, it is the result ofexcessive levels of the chemical angiotensin. Take an


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 12

angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and your bloodpressure will normalize. If you have trouble sleeping atnight, your excessive credit card debt is not to blame;your brain is simply not producing sufficient concentra-tions of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Any of a number ofmedications will correct this deficiency and you willsleep as soundly as a baby.

This material approach can be remarkably effective inthe short-term relief of symptoms. Unfortunately, itrarely promotes a deeper understanding of life, it rarelyleads to healing and transformation, and the side effects ofmedications are often limiting.

Expanding the vision of life beyond a purely bio-chemical perspective, yoga reminds us that we live lifesimultaneously on many levels. The essence of yoga is tofind the unity in the diversity of our multidimensionality.Throughout the centuries, great yoga teachers haveawakened their contemporaries to the fascinating paradoxthat although to the mind and senses the world is anever-changing experience, from the perspective of spirit,the infinite diversity of forms and phenomena is simplythe disguise of an underlying nonchanging reality.

Adi Shankara, the Sage of SagesOne of the most influential teachers of the philosophy ofyoga and Veda was the ninth-century sage Adi Shankara.Known as the greatest revivalist of Vedic science, he ele-gantly elaborated the layers of life that mask the essentialspiritual self. Born in A.D. 805, Shankara is said to havebeen fluent in Sanskrit by the age of one and to have mas-tered all sacred literature by age eight. He began writing


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 13

his own commentaries on the Vedas by age fifteen and wasrecognized as the leading authority on yoga by the time heturned twenty. He established seats of learning throughoutIndia with one goal in mind—to help human beingsovercome their suffering through the wisdom of life. Hisapproach to truth was called Advaita, meaning “nondual-ism.” The essence of Shankara’s teaching is that oneunderlying field of intelligence manifests as the multi-plicity of forms and phenomena that we call the physicaluniverse.

It is helpful to recognize the disguises consciousnessdons so you can see through to the underlying reality.This is the great game of hide-and-seek that spirit playswith us. The nonlocal field of awareness gives rise to the sensory world that overshadows our experience of theunderlying unity. At some point we recognize that theworld of sensations alone cannot bring us genuine peace orhappiness, so we begin our journey of uncovering the lay-ers that mask our essential unbounded nature. Shankaracalled these various layers koshas, meaning “coverings,”and he categorized them into three primary divisions—aphysical body, a subtle body, and a causal body. We canalso say body, mind, and soul. Let’s explore each of theseprimary divisions and their three secondary layers.

The Physical Body—The Field of MoleculesWithin your physical domain, you have an extendedbody, a personal body, and an energetic body. Yourextended body is the environment, containing the never-


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 14

ending supply of energy and information that is availableto you. Every sound, sensation, sight, flavor, and aromayou ingest from the environment influences your bodyand mind. Although your senses may tell you otherwise,there is no distinct boundary between your personal andextended bodies, which are in constant and dynamicexchange. Each breath that you inhale and exhale is areminder of the continuous conversation taking placebetween your physical body and your environment.

This recognition requires you to take responsibilityfor what is happening in your environment. As a yogi, youare an environmentalist because you recognize that therivers flowing through the valleys and those flowingthrough your veins are intimately related. The breath of


c01.qxd 4/14/04 1:28 PM Page 15

an old-growth forest and your most recent breath areinextricably intertwined. The quality of the soil in whichyour food is raised is directly connected to the health ofyour tissues and organs. Your environment is yourextended body. You are inseparably interwoven with yourecosystem.

Of course, you do have a personal body that consists ofthe molecules that temporarily comprise your cells, tissues,and organs. We say temporarily because although itappears that your body is solid and constant, it actually iscontinuously transforming. Scientific studies using radio-isotope tracings convincingly show that 98 percent ofthe ten trillion quadrillion (1028) atoms in your body arereplaced annually. Your stomach lining re-creates itselfabout every five days, your skin is made anew everymonth, and your liver cells turn over every six weeks.Although your body appears to be fixed and stable, it iscontinually metamorphosing.

The vast majority of the cells in your body are derivedfrom the food you eat. Recognizing this, Shankara namedthe physical body annamaya kosha, meaning “the coveringmade of food.” To create and maintain a healthy body,yogis pay attention to the food they consume, minimizingthe toxicity they ingest while maximizing the nourish-ment they receive. Certain foods are said to be particularlyconducive to a yogic lifestyle. These foods are known assattvic, which means they contribute to the purity of thebody. The four most sattvic foods revered by yogis arealmonds, honey, milk, and ghee (clarified butter). Get-ting a daily dose of these foods benefits the body, mind, and soul of a person dedicated to creating greater mind-body integration. When acknowledging the relationship


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 16

between your personal and extended bodies be certain toconsume only organic dairy products.

Shankara called the third layer of the physical bodypranamaya kosha, meaning “the sheath made of vitalenergy.” There is a difference between the cells of acorpse and the cells of a vibrant living being. This organ-izing principle that breathes life into biochemicals iscalled prana. There are five seats of prana in the body,localized in the head, throat, heart, stomach, and pelvis.These centers of movement govern the flow of life forcethroughout the body. When prana is moving freelythroughout the cells and tissues, vitality and creativityare abundant. Yogic breathing exercises, known aspranayama techniques, are designed to awaken and purifythe vital energy layer of the body. We’ll be exploringthese powerful approaches in chapter 4.

The Subtle Body—The Mind FieldMost people identify themselves with their mind, intel-lect, and ego, which are the components of the subtlebody. The seventeenth-century French philosopher René Descartes is famous for his statement, “Cogito, ergosum,” meaning “I think, therefore I am.” People continueto believe that they are their minds, but Shankaraencourages us to recognize that the components of oursubtle body are simply coverings of the soul.

According to this framework, the mind is the repositoryof sensory impressions. When you hear a sound, feel a sen-sation, see a sight, taste a flavor, or smell a fragrance, thesensory experience registers in your consciousness at a


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 17

level of your being called manomaya kosha. The mindcycles through different states of consciousness, and yoursensory experiences change with these changing states.The impressions that enter your awareness during a wak-ing state are different from those generated duringdreaming. Yoga reminds us that reality is different in dif-ferent states of consciousness—different filters of themind layer.

The second layer of the subtle body is the intellect,known as buddhimaya kosha. This is the aspect of mindthat discriminates. Whether you are trying to decidewhat kind of toothpaste to purchase, which partner tochoose, or what house to buy, your intellect is at work,attempting to calculate the advantages and disadvan-tages of every choice you make. This layer integratesinformation based upon your beliefs and feelings to cometo a decision. According to yoga, the ultimate purpose ofthis intellectual layer is to distinguish the real from theunreal. The real is that which cannot be lost whereas theunreal is anything that has a beginning and end to it.Knowing the difference is the essence of yoga.

The third layer of the subtle body is the ego. The egois known in yoga as ahankara, which means the “I-former.”According to Shankara, the ego is that aspect of yourbeing that identifies with the positions and possessions ofyour life. It is ultimately your self-image—the way youwant to project who you are to yourself and to the world.

The ego is the boundary maker that attempts to assertownership through the concepts of “I,” “me,” “my,” and“mine.” The ego seeks security through control and often has a deep-seated need for approval. Most emotionalpain is the result of your ego being offended because


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 18

something that it believed it had control over was actuallyoutside your jurisdiction.

It is easy to become lost in the subtle body, with itsattachments to roles, relationships, and objects, butShankara encourages us to go deeper. Letting go of thebody and letting go of the mind open the possibility ofexperiencing an aspect of your being that is beyond yourusual limitations. This is the realm of spirit, whichShankara called the causal body.

The Causal Body—The Field of Pure PotentialityAccording to yoga, underlying the field of molecules wecall the physical body and the field of thoughts called thesubtle body is a realm of life known as the causal body orthe domain of spirit. Although we cannot perceive ormeasure this sphere of life, it gives rise to our thoughts,feelings, dreams, desires, and memories, as well as to themolecules that make up our bodies and the materialworld. Like the physical body and the subtle body, thecausal body has three layers.

The personal domain of spirit is the layer where theseeds of memories and desires are sown. According toShankara, each person arrives on this planet with a spe-cific purpose and a unique set of talents. Given the rightenvironment, the seeds sprout, and you become capable ofexpressing your gifts in the world. Although the modernmaterial model of life suggests that their genes determinepeople’s talents, we only have to look at identical twins to realize that the same molecular structure does not


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 19

determine an individual’s nature. Pregnant mothersreport that even in the womb, different babies expressdifferent tendencies.

According to Shankara, every individual has a per-sonal soul with its unique memories and desires. Thesememories and desires guide the course of your life. Whenyou nurture the seeds of your innate gifts with your atten-tion and intention, they sprout, and your personal soulfinds fulfillment.

The second sheath of the causal body is the collectivedomain. This realm impels you to live a life of mythic pro-portions. The gods and goddesses that reside in the col-lective domain within your soul have one desire—toexpress their creative power through you. Each of us is ona heroic journey in search of the Holy Grail. Along theway, obstacles and challenges arise, forcing us to reachdeeper into our being.

These collective aspirations are translated into thearchetypal stories that people have been telling oneanother for millennia. For example, we learn the risksassociated with the arrogance of power through the tragicstory of Icarus. Ignoring the advice of his father, he flew too close to the sun, melted his waxen wings, andcrashed into the ocean. If Bill Clinton or Martha Stewarthad heeded the wisdom resonating in their collectivedomain, they might have avoided their foretold painfuloutcomes.

A woman who closes down when a relationshipbecomes too intimate is living the myth of Daphne who,overwhelmed by the pursuit of Apollo, is transformedinto a laurel tree. A young man seeking to reestablish aformerly successful family business is reenacting the story


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 20

of Jason and the Argonauts. The stories unfolding in ourlives and those around us are perennial stories.

The mythic gods and goddesses are alive and wellwithin our collective domain. We can see the expressionof Queen Juno in the powerful women of our era—Mar-garet Thatcher, Golda Meir, Hillary Clinton. The goddessof nature, Diana, shows her modern face through JaneGoodall and Julia “Butterfly” Hill. Venus made her mostdirect appearance via Marilyn Monroe, while Dionysus,the god of intoxication and excess, has a tendency toshow up in the stream of people who require stays at theBetty Ford Clinic.

You are a living story. Become aware of the storiesyou tell about yourself and your world. Participate con-sciously in the writing of the next chapter of your life.Yoga encourages you to expand your sense of self toembrace the collective domain of your soul. This iswhere the deepest aspirations of humanity find fulfill-ment through the perennial stories we tell ourselves andour children.

According to Shankara, the deepest aspect of yourbeing is beyond time, space, and causality, yet gives rise tothe manifest universe. This is the universal domain ofspirit in which all distinctions merge in unity. Having noqualities of its own, this field of pure potentiality manifestsas the infinitely diverse world of forms and phenomena.The unbounded ocean of being disguises itself in thesheaths of the causal, subtle, and physical realms.

This nonlocal, unbounded realm is the source andgoal of life. Yoga encourages us to bring our attention tothis universal domain so that we become imbued withthe deep stillness and creativity it represents. Then, even


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 21

as we are engaged in dynamic activity, we retain thesilence and centered awareness of universal spirit.

The vision of life as elaborated by Shankara is as usefultoday as it was centuries ago. For seekers of greater well-being, vitality, and wisdom, Shankara offers a map thatultimately leads to the soul.

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program providesthe technology to support this journey. Whether you arenew to yoga or have been practicing for some time, weintend for this program to shift your awareness. MarcelProust wrote, “The real journey of discovery is not inseeking new landscapes, but in seeing with new eyes.” It isour intention that the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga pro-gram will enable you to see your environment, body,mind, and emotions from a new perspective.

This subtle shift in consciousness can be a powerfulcatalytic force for healing and transformation in yourlife. Try this program for a month, and you will seechanges, not only in your practice of poses but also in yourlife as a whole.


c01.qxd 4/14/04 12:29 PM Page 22

2Soul Questions

Nothing here below is profane for those who knowhow to see. On the contrary, everything is sacred.

—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

The generally recognized founder of yoga philosophy isthe legendary sage Maharishi Patanjali, whose life is

shrouded in the mists of myth and history. According toone story, his mother, Gonnika, was praying for a child toLord Vishnu, the god who maintains the universe.Vishnu was so moved by her purity and devotion that heasked his beloved cosmic serpent, Ananta, to prepare forhuman incarnation. A tiny speck of Ananta’s celestialbody fell into Gonnika’s upturned palms. She nurturedthis cosmic seed with her love until it developed into ababy boy. She named her child Patanjali from the wordpat, meaning “descended from heaven,” and anjali, theword for her praying posture. This being, whose life

23

c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 23

historians date back two centuries before the birth ofChrist, elaborated the principles of yoga for the benefit ofhumanity.

In his classic work, the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali sets thegoal of yoga as nothing short of total freedom from suffer-ing. To fulfill this worthy intention, Patanjali elaboratedthe eight branches of yoga. Each of these components ofyoga helps you shift your internal reference point fromconstricted to expanded consciousness. As you movefrom local to nonlocal awareness, your internal referencepoint spontaneously transforms from ego to spirit, whichenables you to see the bigger picture when facing anychallenge.

According to Patanjali, whenever we are solely iden-tified with our ego, we bind ourselves to things that do nothave permanent reality. This may be attachment to arelationship, a job, a body, or a material possession. Itmay be attachment to a belief or an idea of the waythings should be. Whatever the object of attachment is,the binding of your identity to something that resides inthe world of forms and phenomena is the seed cause of dis-tress, unhappiness, and illness. Remembering that thereal you is not trapped in the volume of a body for thespan of a lifetime is the key to genuine freedom and joy.Yoga is designed to give you a glimpse of your essential selfby taking you from deep silence into dynamic action andback again to profound stillness. In the practice of theSeven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, you will experiencethis full range of yoga—stillness to activity and back tostillness.

. . .


c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 24

Yoga philosophy begins with the spirit. Getting in touchwith your spirit is the true goal of yoga. It occurs naturallywhen your mind quiets and you are able to access theinner wisdom that emerges from the deepest aspect ofyour being. One way to connect with your soul is by con-sciously asking yourself questions that go to the heart ofthe human experience. There are three key questionsthat help shift your internal reference point from ego tospirit. They are:

Who am I?What do I want?How can I serve?

Whether or not you are aware of it, these questions aredirecting your choices in life. Regularly bringing yourcurrent answers to conscious awareness enables you to bealert to the opportunities that resonate with the needs ofyour soul.

When asked the question, Who are you? most peopleusually identify themselves in terms of their positionsand possessions. You might say, “I am the chief financialofficer of a software company,” or “I am a high schoolmath teacher.” You may identify with where you live,saying, “I am a New Yorker,” or “I’m Canadian.” You mayidentify yourself in terms of a relationship by responding,“I am the assistant to the president,” or “I am a mother.”Although we all have the tendency to identify ourselveswith roles, objects, and relationships in our lives, yogaencourages us to go deeper into our being and find the inner place that is beyond external anchors. This isthe source of all energy and creativity in life. When you begin to recognize that your essential nature is

S o u l Q u e s t i o n s 25

c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 25

unbounded and eternal, life becomes joyful, meaningful,and carefree.

Try this simple exercise to become aware of your cur-rent internal reference point. Simply close your eyes,take a few slow, deep breaths, and settle your awareness inthe area of your heart. Now silently ask yourself the ques-tion, Who am I? every fifteen seconds. Listen innocentlyto the answers that emerge from your deeper mind.

As you perform this process, you may recognize thatyou define yourself by the roles you play, answering thequestion, Who am I? with:

I am . . . a computer programmer

the vice president of marketinga pediatric nurse

You may define yourself by a group with which youidentify.

I am . . . an American

a New York Yankees fana Libertarian

You may define yourself in terms of a relationship.

I am . . . a single parenta loving spouse

a devoted daughter

You may see yourself in terms of certain practices youperform.


c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 26

I am . . . a vegetariana triathletea meditator

From the perspective of yoga, each of these identitypoints represents some aspect of you but not the ultimateessence of who you are. Asking the second question of thesoul, What do I want? takes you deeper. In the Upan-ishads, one of the crown jewels in the Vedic body of liter-ature, there is the expression, “You are what your deep,driving desire is. As is your desire, so is your will. As isyour will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your des-tiny.” When you know what a person desires, you knowthe essence of that person. To become more aware ofyour deep desires, close your eyes and ask yourself every fif-teen seconds the questions:

What do I want?What do I really want?

Different levels of your being give rise to differentdesires. Your physical body has intrinsic needs for food,water, oxygen, and sexual gratification. Listening to thedesires of your body and providing nourishing fulfillmentensure health and vitality. Your subtle body has needs foremotional connection, achievement, and recognition.Expressing your talents and honoring the contributionsmade by others ensure the health and well-being of your subtle body. Your causal body has the need forcreative expression and renewal. It has the need for unityto predominate over diversity, for expansiveness overrestriction.


c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 27

The spiritual journey is one of fulfilling the needs ofthe flesh, the needs of the mind, and the needs of thespirit. When you are willing to pose the question to your-self, What do I really want? you are asking what level ofyour being is expressing a need. Listen to the answersthat arise from within you and write them down. Watchhow over time your desires become fulfilled or are trans-formed in different expressions. Whether they are satisfiedor change, new desires will arise to fill the void. Becomeconscious of the forces that drive your choices and youwill become more intimate with your essential nature.This will deepen your connection to your soul, which isthe goal of yoga.

As you become increasingly conscious of your identityand your desires, ask yourself the third soul question,How can I serve? Again, close your eyes, bring yourattention into the area of your heart, and ask yourselfthese questions, listening to the responses that emergefrom a deeper aspect of your being:

How can I serve?How can I be of service?

How can I help?How can I best serve?

The inner dialogue of the subtle body revolves aroundthe questions, What do I get out of this? What’s in it forme? As your inner reference point expands to embraceyour causal body, your inner dialogue shifts to, How can Ihelp? As your sense of self expands, your compassion pro-portionately increases and you naturally find yourself car-ing about how your choices influence those around you.


c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 28

Yogic sages would agree that the first-century Rabbi Hillel’s questions are worth asking:

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?If I am only for myself, what am I?

If not now, when?

The true purpose of yoga is to discover that aspect ofyour being that can never be lost. Your job may change,your relationships may change, your body may change, yourbeliefs may change, your desires may change, your ideasabout your role in the world may change, but the essenceof who you are is the continuity of awareness that has nobeginning or end. Your thoughts, beliefs, expectations,goals, and experiences may come and go, but the one whois having the experiences—the experiencer—remains.

As you progress in your practice, you may find that theanswers to the questions, Who am I? What do I want? andHow can I serve? emerge from a deeper layer of yourbeing. You may find your sense of identity changing,reflecting a more expanded view of your self. You mayfind your desires becoming less personal. As your conceptof self expands, your concern about others may simulta-neously increase. You may discover a deepening aspirationto make a contribution to your community and yourworld. This expansion of self-awareness is the essence of yoga.


c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 29

c02.qxd 4/14/04 12:30 PM Page 30

3The Royal Path

to Union

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in aclearer light, and what is elusive and deceptiveresolves itself into crystal clearness.

—Mahatma Gandhi

Your body is a field of molecules. Your mind is a field ofthoughts. Underlying and giving rise to your body

and your mind is a field of consciousness—the domain ofspirit. To know yourself as an unbounded spirit disguised asa body/mind frees you to live with confidence and com-passion, with love and enthusiasm. To remove the veilsthat hide the deepest layers of your being, MaharishiPatanjali elaborated the eight branches of yoga—Yama,Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana,and Samadhi. They are sometimes referred to as the eight

31

c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 31

limbs (asthanga) of yoga, but they are not to be seen assequential stages. Rather, they serve as different entrypoints into an expanded sense of self through interpreta-tions, choices, and experiences that remind you of youressential nature. These are the components of Raja yoga,the royal path to union. Let’s review each of them insome detail.

The First Branch of Yoga—YamaYama is most commonly translated as the “rules of socialbehavior.” They are the universal guidelines for engagingwith others. The Yamas are traditionally described as

1. practicing nonviolence

2. speaking truthfully

3. exercising appropriate sexual control

4. being honest

5. being generous

All spiritual and religious traditions encourage peopleto live ethical lives. Yoga agrees but concedes that livinga life in perfect harmony with your environment isdifficult from the level of morality—through a prescribedset of shoulds and should-nots. Patanjali describes theyamas as the spontaneously evolutionary behavior of anenlightened being.

If you recognize that your individuality is intimatelywoven into the fabric of life—that you are a strand in theweb of life—you lose the ability to act in ways that areharmful to yourself or others. You adhere to the rules of social conduct because you are behaving from the level


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 32

of spontaneous right action. This state of behaving in accordance with natural law is called Kriya Shakti.Although the Sanskrit words kriya and karma both mean“action,” kriya is action that does not generate reaction, asopposed to karma, which automatically generates propor-tionate consequences. There are no personal conse-quences when you are acting from the level of KriyaShakti because you do not generate any resistance. Peoplesometimes describe this state as being “in the flow” or “inthe zone.”

Acting from this level of your soul, you are incapableof being violent because your whole being is established inpeace. This is the essence of the first Yama, known inSanskrit as ahimsa. Your thoughts are nonviolent, yourwords are nonviolent, and your actions are nonviolent.Violence cannot arise because your heart and mind arefilled with love and compassion for the human condi-tion. Mahatma Gandhi championed the principle ofnonviolence in the independence movement of Indiafrom Britain. He said, “If you express your love in such amanner that it impresses itself indelibly upon your so-called enemy, he must return that love . . . and thatrequires far greater courage than delivering of blows.”

The second Yama is truthfulness, or satya. Truthfulnessderives from a state of being in which you are able to dis-tinguish your observations from your interpretations. Youaccept the world as it is, recognizing that reality is a selec-tive act of attention and interpretation. Recognizing thattruth is different for different people, you commit to life-supporting choices that are aligned with an expandedview of self. Patanjali described truth as the integrity ofthought, word, and action. You speak the sweet truth and

T h e R o y a l P a t h t o U n i o n 33

c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 33

are inherently honest because truthfulness is an expressionof your commitment to a spiritual life. The short-termbenefits of distorting the truth are outweighed by the dis-comfort that arises from betraying your integrity. Ulti-mately you recognize truth, love, and God to be differentexpressions of the same undifferentiated reality.

Brahmacharya, the third Yama, is often translated as“celibacy.” We believe this is a limited view of this yama.The word is derived from achara, meaning “pathway,”and brahman, meaning “unity consciousness.” In Vedicsociety, people traditionally chose one of two paths toenlightenment—the path of the householder and thepath of a renunciate. For those choosing the path of amonk or a nun, the path to unity consciousness naturallyincludes forsaking sexual activity. For the vast majority ofpeople choosing the householder path, brahmacharyameans rejoicing in the healthy expression of sexualenergy. One interpretation of the word charya is “graz-ing,” suggesting that brahmacharya connotes partakingof the sacred as you are engaged in your daily life.

The essential creative power of the universe is sexual,and you are a loving manifestation of that energy. Seeingthe entire creation as an expression of the divine impulseto generate, you celebrate the creative forces. Brah-macharya means aligning with the creative energy of thecosmos. Ultimately, as your soul makes love with the cos-mos, your need to express your sexuality may be sup-planted by a more expanded expression of love.

The fourth Yama, asteya, or honesty, means relin-quishing the idea that things outside yourself will provideyou security and happiness. Asteya is being established ina state of nongrasping. Lack of honesty almost always


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 34

derives from fear of loss—loss of money, love, position,power. The ability to live an honest life is based upon adeep connection to spirit. When inner fullness predomi-nates, you lose the need to manipulate, obscure, ordeceive. Honesty is the intrinsic state of a person living alife of integrity. According to yoga, life-supporting, evo-lutionary behaviors are the natural consequence ofexpanded awareness.

The fifth Yama, generosity, or aparigraha, derives fromthe shift in internal reference from predominantly ego-based to predominantly spirit-based. A yogi whoknows that his essential nature is nonlocal spontaneouslyexpresses generosity in every thought, word, and action.Constricted awareness reinforces limitations. Expandedawareness generates abundance consciousness. ThisYama implies the absence of aversion. Established inaparigraha, your attachment to the accumulation ofmaterial possessions loses its hold on you. It doesn’t mean you don’t enjoy the world; you are simply notimprisoned by it. The practice of yoga, which cultivatesexpanded awareness, awakens generosity because nature is generous.

The Second Branch of Yoga—NiyamaThe second limb of yoga as outlined by Patanjali isNiyama, traditionally interpreted as the “rules of personalbehavior.” We see them as the qualities naturallyexpressed in an evolutionary personality. How do youlive when no one is looking? What choices do you makewhen you are the only witness? The Niyamas of yogaencourage


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 35

1. purity

2. contentment

3. discipline

4. spiritual exploration

5. surrender to the divine

Again, these qualities do not arise by making a mood ofmoral self-righteousness, but they emerge as a result of aperson living a natural, balanced life. H. G. Wells said,“Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo,” and yogawould agree.

Like ideal social conduct, evolutionary personal qual-ities derive from your connection to spirit. Focusing onthe first Niyama, purity, or shoucha, adds no value to life ifit encourages a judgmental mind-set, but it is of greatvalue if you see your choices in terms of nourishment ver-sus toxicity. Your body and mind are constructed fromthe impressions that you ingest from the environment.The sounds, sensations, sights, tastes, and smells carrythe energy and information that are metabolized intoyou. Yoga encourages you to consciously choose experi-ences that are nourishing to your body, mind, and soul.

Contentment, or santosha, the second Niyama, is thefragrance of present moment awareness. When you strug-gle against the present moment, you struggle against theentire cosmos. Contentment, however, does not implyacquiescence. Yogis are committed in thought, word, anddeed to supporting evolutionary change that enhancesthe well-being of all sentient creatures on this planet.Contentment implies acceptance without resignation.

Contentment emerges when you relinquish your


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 36

attachment to the need for control, power, and approval.Santosha is the absence of addiction to power, sensation,and security. Through the practice of yoga, your experienceof the present moment quiets the mental turbulence thatdisturbs your contentment—contentment that reflects astate of being in which your peace is independent of situ-ations and circumstances happening around you.

The third Niyama, tapas, is traditionally translated as“discipline” or “austerity.” The word tapas means “fire.”When the fire of a yogi’s life is burning brightly, she is abeacon of light radiating balance and peace to the world.The fire is also responsible for digesting both nourish-ment and toxicity. A healthy inner fire can metabolize allimpurities.

People often associate discipline with deprivation.The lives of people established in a yogic lifestyle mayappear to be disciplined because their biological rhythmsare aligned with the rhythms of nature. They arise early,meditate daily, exercise regularly, eat in a healthful andbalanced way, and go to bed early because they directlyexperience the benefits of harmonizing their personalrhythms with those of nature. Tapas is embracing trans-formation as the pathway to higher consciousness.

Self-study, or svadhyana, is the fourth Niyama. Tradi-tionally, this is interpreted as being dedicated to thestudy of spiritual literature, but at its heart, self-studymeans looking inside. There is a difference betweenknowledge and knowingness. Yoga advises us not to con-fuse information with wisdom, and self-study helps youunderstand the distinction. Self-study encourages self-referral as opposed to object referral. Your value andsecurity come from a deep connection to spirit rather


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 37

than from the things with which you are surrounded.When svadhyana is lively in your awareness, joy arisesfrom within rather than being dependent upon outeraccomplishments or acquisitions.

The final Niyama, Ishwara-Pranidhana, is often trans-lated as “faith” or “surrendering to God.” Ishwara is thepersonalized aspect of the infinite. Even when consideringthe boundless, the human mind wants to create bound-aries. Ishwara is the name applied that makes familiar theinfinite and unbounded field of intelligence. Ultimately,Ishwara-Pranidhana is surrendering to the wisdom ofuncertainty. The seeds of wisdom are sown when you sur-render to the unknown. The known is the past. Truetransformation, healing, and creativity flow out of presentmoment awareness, which means relinquishing yourattachment to the past and embracing uncertainty.

A deeply spiritual friend of ours once contacted usfrom the coronary care unit at a New York hospital to sayhe had just had an emergency three-vessel coronaryartery bypass operation. Only forty-two years old, he hadnever smoked, he was a vegetarian, and he meditatedregularly. We obviously were very concerned about howhe was doing and feeling, but he quickly reassured us hewas doing well and was confident that everything wouldwork out fine.

He explained that a few days earlier he had been vis-iting Long Island and had driven to Coney Island to rideon the roller coasters. He enjoyed riding the roller coast-ers because despite the turbulence, he knew he was safe. In an analogous way, because of his deep connection tospirit, our friend was able to surrender to the unknown


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 38

when a blood vessel to his heart suddenly becameblocked. He trusted that despite the twists and turns hislife was taking, he would be okay whatever the outcome.This is Ishwara-Pranidhana—surrender to the divine.

The Yamas and Niyamas represent the inner dialogueof a yogi. These are not qualities one can make a mood ofor manipulate. They arise spontaneously as the naturalexpression of a more expanded sense of self. You can seethem as milestones of your spiritual progress. Allow themto resonate in your awareness, avoiding the impulse to beself-critical or judgmental when you occasionally fail toexpress the highest value of each principle. To awakenspontaneous evolutionary thought and action in yourbeing, Patanjali encourages you to put your attention on more refined aspects of your body, your breath, yoursenses, and your mind. These are the next branches of yoga.

The Third Branch of Yoga—AsanaThe word asana means “seat” or “position.” When peopleconsider yoga, they usually think of this branch, whichrefers to the postures people enter into to achieve physicalflexibility and tone. At a deeper level, asana means thefull expression of mind-body integration, in which youbecome consciously aware of the flow of life energy inyour body. Performing asanas with full awareness is prac-tice for performing action in life with awareness.

In the great Indian epic, the Bhagavad Gita, LordKrishna instructs the archetypal human Arjuna first tobecome established in being, then to perform action in


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 39

accordance with evolutionary law. The expression inSanskrit is “Yogastah kurukarmani,” which means“Established in yoga, perform action.” Yoga here refers tothe unified, integrated state of body, mind, and spirit.

The postures of yoga offer tremendous benefit to yourbody and mind. They help create balance, flexibility, andstrength—all essential qualities for a healthy, dynamiclife. When performed vigorously in sets, yoga can also bea powerful aerobic exercise to improve your cardiovascu-lar fitness.

In addition to the direct benefits during the perform-ance of postures, asanas provide enduring value through-out the day. If you perform asanas regularly, you will feelmore flexible physically and emotionally. Flexibility isthe essential difference between the vitality of youth andthe lassitude of old age. Here is a yogic expression that wefind inspiring: “Infinite flexibility is the secret to immortality.” Like a palm tree that adapts to rather thanresists gale force winds, a flexible body and mind enableyou to adapt to the inevitable changes that life offers.Regular practice of yoga asanas cultivates flexibilitywhile helping to release stagnating toxins from your bodythat inhibit the free flow of vital energy.

In the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, wehave chosen asanas that enhance the flexibility of yourjoints, improve your balance, strengthen your muscles,and calm your mind. If you combine flexibility, balance,strength, and inner peace, you can surmount any obstacle.We will explore in great detail the most important yogapositions in chapter 5.


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 40

The Fourth Branch of Yoga—PranayamaPrana is life force. It is the essential energy that animatesinert matter into living, evolving biological beings. Asfirst-year medical students, we took classes in grossanatomy in which there was the implied assumption thatstudying a cadaver could teach us about life. At the turnof the twentieth century, scientists would weigh someoneimmediately before and after they died to see if theycould quantify what had left. (They did not record a difference, concluding that the soul did not weigh any-thing.)

From the perspective of yoga, the difference betweena living being and a cadaver is the presence of prana, orvital energy.

When prana is flowing freely throughout yourbody/mind, you will feel healthy and vibrant. Whenprana is blocked, fatigue and disease soon follow. Theconcept of an animating force is present in every majorwisdom and healing tradition. It is known as chi or qi inTraditional Chinese Medicine and ruach in the Kabalistictradition. According to Patanjali, a key way to enlivenprana is through conscious breathing techniques known aspranayama.

Pranayama means mastering the life force. There is anintimate relationship between your breath and yourmind. When your mind is centered and quiet, so is yourbreath. When your mind is turbulent, your breathingbecomes disordered. There are a number of classic prana-yama breathing exercises that we will show you in chapter


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 41

4 that are designed to cleanse, balance, and invigorate thebody. Just as your breath is affected by your mental activ-ity, your mind can be influenced by conscious regulation ofyour breathing. Pranayama is a powerful technology toenhance neurorespiratory integration.

Prana is the life force that flows throughout nature andthe universe. When you are tuned into the pranic energyin your body, you spontaneously become more attuned tothe relationship between your individuality and youruniversality. In this way, pranayama can take you from aconstricted state to an expanded state of awareness.

The Fifth Branch of Yoga—PratyaharaPatanjali encourages us to take time withdrawing oursenses from the world to hear our inner voice moreclearly. Pratyahara is the process of directing the sensesinward to become aware of the subtle elements of sound,touch, sight, taste, and smell. Ultimately all experience isin consciousness. When you look at a flower in your gar-den, your eyes receive frequencies of electromagneticradiation that trigger chemical reactions in the rods andcones at the back of your eyes. As a result of thesechemical changes in your retinas, electrical impulses aregenerated that eventually reach the visual cortex at theback of your brain. The interpretation of these fluctua-tions in energy and information takes place in yourconsciousness.

Although you imagine that you are seeing the floweroutside of you, you are actually experiencing it withinyou on the screen of your awareness. This is why the


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 42

great yogis say, “I am not in the world; the world is in me.”Pratyahara is the process of tuning into your subtle

sensory experiences known in yoga as the tanmatras.Within your awareness are the seeds of sound, sensation,sight, taste, and scent. By going inside yourself, you canaccess these impulses and directly experience the knowl-edge that the world of forms and phenomena is a projec-tion of your awareness.

You can awaken the tanmatras by consciously acti-vating subtle sensory impressions on the screen of yourawareness. Ask a friend to read these descriptions to youwhile your eyes are closed.

SOUND

Imagine . . . the ringing of a church bell

the buzzing of a mosquito in your earthe roar of an ocean wave crashing

against the shore

TOUCH

Imagine . . . the feel of a fine cashmere sweater

the softness of a baby’s skindrops of rain falling on your face during

a summer shower

SIGHT

Imagine . . . a sunset over a calm ocean

a fireworks displaythe face of your mother


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 43

TASTE

Imagine . . . biting into a luscious fresh strawberrya spoonful of rich chocolate ice cream

a pungent jalapeno pepper

SMELL

Imagine . . . the smell of the rich earth after a spring rain

the fragrance of blooming lilacsthe aroma of a bakery

Pratyahara is the process of temporarily withdrawingthe senses from the outer world in order to recognize thesensations of your inner world. In a way, Pratyahara can beseen as sensory fasting. The word is comprised of prati,meaning “away,” and ahara, meaning “food.” If you stayaway from food for a while, the next meal you take willusually taste exceptionally delicious.

When your senses are withdrawn for a time, you areable to tune in to the subtler tastes and smells. Yoga sug-gests that the same is true for all your experiences in theworld. If you take the time to withdraw from the world fora little while, you will find that your experiences aremore vibrant.

In practice, Pratyahara means paying attention to thesensory impulses you encounter throughout the day,limiting to the extent possible those that are toxic andmaximizing those that are nourishing to your body, mind,and soul.

Choose sounds, sensations, sights, tastes, and smellsthat inspire you. Be aware of and do your best to reduce


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 44

situations, circumstances, and people who deplete you ofyour vitality and enthusiasm for life. When it comes toyour yoga practice, Pratyahara means defining a spacewhere you are less likely to be distracted by distressing sen-sations in your environment such as loud music, blaringtelevision shows, and aggravating arguments, so you canbring your awareness to quieter realms within your con-sciousness. It means taking time on a daily basis to closeyour eyes so you can settle into more expanded states ofawareness through meditation.

The Sixth Branch of Yoga—DharanaDharana is the mastery of attention and intention. Theworld at its essential core is a quantum soup of energy andinformation. What you actually perceive is a selective actof your attention and interpretation. The differencebetween an apple and an orange or a rose and a carnationboils down to differences in the quantity and quality of theenergy and information that comprise the object of yourperception. Through your attention and intention, youfreeze the energy and information contained in a fra-grant, soft-petaled, thorny-stemmed flower and create amultisensory representation in your awareness that youidentify as a rose. Without the unique biology of yourhuman nervous system, the concept of a rose would onlyexist as a potential.

Whatever you place your attention on grows inimportance to you. Whether your attention is on buildinga business, becoming physically fit, improving a relation-ship, or developing a spiritual practice, the object of your


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 45

attention is enlivened by your awareness and becomes amore predominant force in your life. By learning to valueyour attention as a precious commodity, you will be able toconsciously create well-being and success in your life. Anessential component of yoga is refining your attention inorder to facilitate healing and transformation in yourbody/mind.

Once you activate something with your attention,your intentions have a powerful influence on what thingsmanifest in your life. According to yoga, your intentionshave infinite organizing power. Your intention may be toheal an illness, create more love in your life, or becomemore aware of your own divinity. Simply by becomingclear about your intentions, you will begin to see themactualize in your life. When your awareness is establishedin being and you have a clear intention, nature rallies tohelp you fulfill your deepest desires.

Be aware of your intentions. Make a list of the mostimportant things you would like to see unfold in your life.Review them twice daily before you go into meditation.As your mind quiets down, release your intentions, sur-rendering your desires to the universe. Then pay attentionto the clues that arise in your life that are directing you tothe fulfillment of your desires. We’ll explore attentionand intention in greater depth in the next chapter.

The Seventh Branch of Yoga—DhyanaDhyana is the development of witnessing awareness. It isthe expression of knowing that you are in this world butnot of this world. Throughout your life you have experi-


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 46

ences, which change moment to moment. Your environ-ment changes, your friends change, your employmentchanges, your body changes, your feelings change, yourthoughts change. The only constant in life is perpetualchange. Dhyana is the cultivation of your awareness sothat in the midst of this unending change, you do not loseyour self in the objects of your experience. Although sit-uations, circumstances, people, and things are everchanging in your life, the aspect of you that is witnessingthese changes is the essence of your being—your soul.

The most direct way to cultivate this state of ever-present witnessing awareness is through meditation, during which you learn to observe the thoughts, feelings,sensations, and sounds that arise in your awareness without needing to react to them. As you develop thisskill in meditation, you are able to apply it in your daily life. You learn to stay centered and awake to all possibilities whenever a challenge arises, so that you areable to choose the best course of action that will maximizethe chances that your intentions and desires will be ful-filled.

The Eighth Branch of Yoga—SamadhiSamadhi is the state of being settled in pure, unboundedawareness. Going beyond time and space, beyond pastand future, beyond individuality, Samadhi is tasting therealm of eternity and infinity. This is your essentialnature. Immersing yourself in Samadhi on a regular basiscatalyzes the transformation of your internal referencepoint from ego to spirit. You perform your actions in the


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 47

world as an individual while your inner state is one of auniversal being.

This is a state of being in which fear and anxiety donot arise. You surrender your need to take yourself too seri-ously because you recognize that life is a cosmic play, andlike a great actor, you perform your role impeccably but donot lose your real self in the character you’re playing.This is the goal of yoga—to know yourself as a spiritualbeing disguised as a human being, to be established inunion and perform action in harmony with the evolu-tionary flow of life.

We’ve now explored the map of yoga as elaborated byPatanjali, the great voyager of inner space. In the nextchapter, we’ll delve into the principles that support thefoundation of yoga—the Seven Spiritual Laws that governthe relationship between the body, mind, and soul.


c03.qxd 4/14/04 12:32 PM Page 48

4The Seven Spiritual

Laws of Yoga

If you can cease all restless activity, your integralnature will appear.

—Lao Tzu

We have reviewed the theoretical frameworks pre-sented by two of the greatest yogis the world has

known, Shankara and Patanjali. These closely relatedclassic approaches remain as the cornerstones of yogaphilosophy. In this chapter, we will apply the Seven Spir-itual Laws of Success to the principles and practice ofyoga. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success are the laws ofnature applied to the human experience. They are theprinciples through which the unmanifest becomes themanifest; through which spirit becomes the material uni-verse. We believe there is value in applying the seven

49

c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 49

laws to the practice of yoga because the principles thatunderlie yoga are the principles that support a life of bal-ance, flexibility, and vitality. The practice of yoga is prac-tice for life. Success in yoga provides a template forsuccess in life.

The seven laws are presented below in a condensedform with a focus on their application to a yogic practice.Each law is associated with a specific mantra whosevibration resonates with the core principle. We encourageyou to review the law of the day each morning when youawaken and each evening before bed for a few minutes.Throughout the day, bring the corresponding mantrainto your awareness so that the energy of the law res-onates within you.

For years, people around the world have begun theirdays with a review of one of the laws and the intention toimplement it throughout the day. We suggest that youfocus on the first spiritual law of success on the Sunday ofevery week. Each subsequent day, put your attention onthe next law, ending with the seventh law on Saturday. Inthis way, you will begin resonating with the millions ofother people who are putting their attention on theSeven Spiritual Laws of Success. Let’s review each ofthem as they apply to the practice of yoga.

Day of the Week Spiritual Law

Sunday Law of Pure Potentiality

Monday Law of Giving and Receiving

Tuesday Law of Karma (or Cause and Effect)

Wednesday Law of Least Effort

Thursday Law of Intention and Desire


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 50

Friday Law of Detachment

Saturday Law of Dharma (or Purpose in Life)

Law 1. The Law of Pure PotentialityThe first spiritual law of success is the Law of Pure Poten-tiality, which states that at the core of your being you arepure awareness. This realm of pure awareness is thedomain of all possibilities and underlies creativity in all itsforms. Pure consciousness is your spiritual essence andthe source of your joy in life. The realm of pure potential-ity is the home of knowledge, intuition, balance, har-mony, and bliss. Giving rise to thoughts, feelings, andactions, it remains undisturbed. This domain is the wombof silence that gives birth to all forms and phenomena inlife. It is your essential nature. At your core you are purepotentiality.

The silent ever-present witness is your true Self. Theexperience of the Self, or self-referral, means that yourinternal reference point is your soul rather than theobjects of your experience. The opposite of self-referral isobject-referral. In object-referral, you are influenced bywhat is happening outside the Self, which includes situa-tions, circumstances, people, and things. In object-referral, you need and therefore are constantly seekingthe approval of others in order to feel comfortable andworthy. Because in object-referral your thoughts andbehavior are always in anticipation of a response, it is afear-based state of being.

The ego is your internal reference in the state ofobject-referral. The ego, however, is not who you really

T h e S e v e n S p i r i t u a l L a w s o f Yo g a 51

c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 51

are. Rather, it is your social mask, the roles you are play-ing. At one moment you play the role of friend, in thenext the antagonist. You play the role of child in thepresence of your parents and the role of parent when youare with your children. You play one role when speakingwith your supervisor and another with those you supervise.

Your social mask thrives on approval, strives to control,and is sustained by power. The corollary of this is that yourego lives in fear of losing approval, control, and power.

But your true Self, your soul, is completely free ofthese things. It is immune to criticism, fears no chal-lenge, and feels neither beneath nor above anyone. Yoursoul recognizes at its deepest level that everyone else is thesame Self in different disguises.

During the practice of yoga, the Law of Pure Poten-tiality reminds us that every movement emerges from thesilent field of infinite possibility. The more powerful thesilence, the more effective the movement. Every move-ment is a vibration, a wave on the ocean of life. Thedeeper the connection to the depths of the ocean, themore powerful is the wave that arises.

While practicing your yoga poses, bring your attentionback to the silent space within you between every move-ment and every posture. Remain in a state of mindfulwitnessing as you perform each pose, cultivating theexperience of having your awareness in this nonlocalizeddomain of pure potentiality as you engage in activitieslocalized in time and space.

Enliven the Law of Pure Potentiality while performingyoga poses and throughout your day by taking the time todo the following three things:


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 52

1. Cultivate stillness in your body and mind.Between poses and between movements, bring yourattention to the quiet stillness within you. After per-forming your set of yoga postures, sit alone in silentmeditation for approximately twenty minutes. Byquieting the mind in meditation, you will learn todirectly experience the field of pure awareness, whereeverything is inseparably connected with everythingelse.

2. During your postures and during each day, practiceshifting into a witnessing mode of awareness.Observe from the inner stillness of your soul thedynamic activity of the world. Take time each day tocommune with nature and silently witness the intelli-gence within every living thing. Watch a sunset, listento the sound of the ocean or a stream, or simply smellthe scent of a flower. From the peace of your innersilence and through your communion with nature,you will experience joy and reverence for the eternalmovement of life in all its manifestations.

3. Practice nonjudgment. While performing youryoga postures, relinquish the need to judge your abil-ity. Begin each session with the statement, “Today, Ishall judge nothing that occurs,” and remind yourselfthat self-acceptance is the source and goal of yoga.When you are constantly making judgments, includ-ing of yourself, as things being right or wrong, good orbad, you create turbulence in your internal dialogue,which constricts the flow of energy between you andthe field of pure potentiality. Nonjudgment cultivatessilence in the mind, which gives you direct access tothe field of pure potentiality.


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 53

Memorize the mantra, whose vibratory qualities res-onate with the Law of Pure Potentiality, and silentlyrepeat it a few times throughout the day to remind youthat your essential nature is pure potentiality.

Om Bhavam NamahI am absolute existence

Law 2. The Law of Giving and ReceivingThe second spiritual law of success is the Law of Givingand Receiving, which states that the universe operatesthrough dynamic exchange. Your body is in constant anddynamic exchange with the body of the universe. Yourmind is dynamically interacting with the mind of thecosmos. Life is the flow of all the elements and forcesthat comprise the field of existence. The harmoniousexchange between your physical body and the physicaluniverse and between your personal mind and the collec-tive mind is expressed as the Law of Giving and Receiv-ing. Because your body, your mind, and the universe are inconstant and dynamic exchange, stopping the circula-tion of energy is like stopping the flow of blood. When-ever blood stops flowing, it begins to clot, to coagulate.Whenever a river stops flowing, it begins to stagnate.This is why you must be open to giving and receiving inorder to keep the life force circulating within you.

The most important thing is the intention behindyour giving and receiving. The intention should always beto create happiness for the giver and the receiver, becausehappiness is life-supporting and life-sustaining. The


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 54

return is proportional to the giving when it is uncondi-tional and from the heart. This is why the act of giving hasto be joyful—the frame of mind has to be one in whichyou feel joy in the very act of giving. Then the energybehind the giving increases many times over.

During your yoga practice, the Law of Giving andReceiving is lively in every breath you take. With eachinhalation and exhalation, you are exchanging ten billiontrillion atoms with your environment. Right now, take asdeep a breath as you possibly can and hold it. Hold it aslong as you can, and notice how uncomfortable youbegin to feel when you are holding onto something that ismeant to be released. Now, exhale as fully as you can andhold your breath with your lungs fully emptied. Again, feelthe discomfort that arises when you are resisting taking insomething that you need. Whenever you resist the Law ofGiving and Receiving, your mind becomes anxious andyour body becomes uncomfortable.

With every pose you assume, complementary pairs ofmuscles are contracting and relaxing, holding and releas-ing in accordance with the Law of Giving and Receiving.When the life force is flowing freely through yourbody/mind, you are in natural alignment with the gen-erosity and receptivity of the universe.

Make the commitment to put the second law of successinto effect in your yoga practice by taking the followingthree steps:

1. During your yoga poses, maintain breathingawareness, effortlessly exchanging air with your envi-ronment through the inflow and outflow of your


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 55

breath. Anytime throughout the day that you feelresistance in your body because things are not goingthe way you think they should, bring your attention toyour breath and use it to regain your sense of effortlessreceiving and releasing.

2. Cultivate the sense of gratitude for the gifts youhave in your life. During your yoga practice, tuneinto the life force that is circulating through yourbody and be grateful for the opportunity to experi-ence life through a human mind and body. Enjoy thesensation of your body contracting and expanding asyour move through your postures. Celebrate yourphysical manifestation that enables your soul toexpress its meaning and purpose in life. Celebrate thevery improbability of your existence.

Our beloved teacher Brahmananda Saraswationce said that it might take a million incarnationsuntil you gain a human nervous system; if you do notuse it to remember and rejoice in your sacred nature,you have traded a diamond for a head of lettuce.

3. During your practice of yoga have the intention ofsurrendering to the needs of your body. Rather thanforcing your will upon your body to attain a specificpose, practice listening to the needs of your musclesand joints. The impulse to give flows naturally fromthe experience of gratitude. You will find thatthrough this subtle shift in your attitude, challengingpostures are more easily achieved.

Outside of your asana practice have the intention togive something to everyone you come into contact withduring the day. It might be a kind word, a compliment, a


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 56

smile, a prayer, or a small gift. Similarly, be open toreceiving the gifts that come to you during the day. Theymay be gifts from nature, such as the songs of birds, aspring shower, a rainbow, or a beautiful sunset. They maybe gifts from people in your life—a warm embrace, a kindgesture, a helpful suggestion. Make the commitment toenliven the Law of Giving and Receiving by taking everyopportunity to circulate love, caring, affection, apprecia-tion, and acceptance.

Learn the mantra whose vibratory qualities resonatewith the Law of Giving and Receiving, and repeat itsilently to yourself whenever you find yourself restrictingthe flow of giving and receiving in your life.

Om Vardhanam NamahI am the nourisher of the universe

Law 3. The Law of Karma (or Cause and Effect)The third spiritual law of success pertains to karma, orcause and effect. Every action we take generates a force ofenergy that returns to us in kind—as we sow, so we reap.When we consciously choose actions that bring happinessand success to others, the fruit of our karma is happinessand success.

Although many people misinterpret the Law ofKarma as imprisoning us in a cycle of unending reactivity,it is actually an assertion of human freedom. Karmaimplies the action of conscious choice-making for we areall infinite choice makers. In every moment of your exis-tence, the real you resides in the field of pure potentiality


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 57

where you have access to unlimited choices. Some ofthese choices are made consciously, while most are madeunconsciously. The best way to understand and maximizethe use of karmic law is to become consciously aware ofthe choices you make in every moment.

Whether you like it or not, everything that is hap-pening at this moment is a result of the choices you’vemade in the past. When you make choices unconsciously,you don’t think they are choices, and yet they are. If youstep back a moment and witness the choices you aremaking, then in just this act of witnessing you take theprocess from the unconscious into the conscious realm. Inevery situation, there is one choice out of the manyavailable that will create happiness for you as well as forthose around you. And when you make that one choice itwill nourish you and everyone else influenced by thataction.

Applied to your practice of yoga, the Law of Karma isdemonstrated as you consciously move through your pos-tures aware of how there is a reaction for every action youexecute. If in your impatience you force yourself into apose that you are not fully ready to perform, your body/mind will react, and the consequences of your strainingwill generate feelings of strain within you. On the otherhand, when you move gracefully into the limits of eachpose with an attitude of gentleness and finesse, yourbody/mind responds with effortlessness and ease.

Notice that by slowing down your movements, youbecome more aware of the karmic consequences of yourchoices. If your body is unusually uncomfortable themorning after a yoga session, it is most likely the result ofyour ignoring the Law of Karma. You probably pushed


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 58

too hard, making a less than ideal choice, and the karmiccost is your discomfort.

Karma presents itself in your present by remindingyou of your past. Choosing more consciously from thewitnessing realm of quiet awareness, you make karma-free choices.

Put the Law of Karma into effect in your yoga practice andyour life so that you make the most evolutionary choices.Commit yourself to the following three steps:

1. As you move through your yoga practice, witnessthe choices you make in each moment. In the wit-nessing of your choices, you will bring them into yourconscious awareness. Be fully present in this momentand your next moment will not carry the conse-quences of the prior one. The best way to prepare forany moment in the future is to be fully conscious inthe present.

2. As you make your choice about how to movethrough resistance in your poses, ask yourself twoquestions: “What are the consequences of the choiceI’m making?” and “Will this choice bring comfort?”When you make your choices outside of your practiceof yoga, ask yourself, “Which choice is most likely tobring happiness and fulfillment to me and to thoseaffected by my choice?”

3. Then listen to your heart for guidance and beguided by its message of comfort or discomfort. Yourheart is the junction point between your mind andyour body. If the choice feels comfortable in yourbody, move into it with confidence. If the choice


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 59

feels uncomfortable, pause and see the consequencesof your action with your inner vision. Honoring theguidance that is provided by your body’s intelligencewill help you make the most evolutionary choices foryourself and those in your life.

Become familiar with the mantra whose vibratoryqualities resonate with the Law of Karma and repeat it toyourself when you are making karmically significantchoices. Thinking the mantra will remind you to listen toyour body so your choice will be most likely to provide youwith greater comfort and joy.

Om Kriyam NamahMy actions are aligned with cosmic law

Law 4. The Law of Least EffortThe Law of Least Effort states that nature’s intelligencefunctions with effortless ease. If you look at the ebb andflow of the tides, the blossoming of a flower, or the move-ment of the stars, you do not see nature straining. There isrhythm and balance in the natural world, and when youare in harmony with nature, you can make use of the Lawof Least Effort by minimizing your effort and maximizingyour effect.

When a Newtonian model of the world predomi-nated in our collective awareness, the principles of forceand effort were dominant. But in our modern era, whenquantum physics provides the most comprehensivemodel of how the universe works, there is no place forforce and effort. Rather, timing and finesse are the tools


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 60

for transformation in a world that is understood as theexpression of an underlying field of energy and informa-tion. Stated simply, the Law of Least Effort tells us that wecan do less and accomplish more.

Nature is held together by the energy of love, andleast effort is expended when your actions are motivatedby love. When your soul is your internal reference point,you can harness the power of love and use the energy cre-atively for healing, transformation, and evolution.

The Law of Least Effort is of immeasurable value dur-ing the practice of yoga. Yoga is the antidote to the pre-scription “no pain, no gain.” The greatest benefits ofyoga come from relaxing into a pose, rather than forcingyour body into it. When moving into a flexibility pose,find the point of resistance. Rather than muscling yourway through this point, breathe into the resistance—sur-render into the resistance—and you will find yourselfextending your reach and enhancing your flexibility.Stay present with your full awareness in your body andengage an attitude of surrender. In yoga as in life,patience is a virtue. In yoga, the more you are able toembrace rather than fight your limitations and vulnera-bilities, the less limits they hold and the more balance andenergy you experience.

To enliven the Law of Least Effort in your yoga practice and in your life, make a commitment to the followingthree steps:

1. Practice acceptance. During your yoga practice,accept your body the way it is. Although you mayhave intention for it to change in some way, acceptthat how it is now is exactly as it should be, because


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 61

the universe is as it should be. Give up your need tostruggle against the whole universe by strugglingagainst this moment. By acknowledging each situationas it exists, you are in the best position to help evolveit to a new level.

In your daily life, practice accepting people asthey are and circumstances as they occur, under-standing that every moment in your life is the conse-quence of every prior choice you’ve made. Ratherthan resisting who or what is currently in your life,practice acceptance of what is present and reinforceyour commitment to make more conscious choicesfrom this moment on.

2. Having accepted things as they are, take responsi-bility for the challenge you are facing. As applied toyour yoga practice, this means making the commit-ment to nurture your body through appropriate exer-cise and nutrition. If you are seeking to change yourbody in a positive way, taking responsibility does notmean indulging in blame for the state of your bodynow. Remember that every challenge is an opportu-nity in disguise, and this alertness to opportunityallows you to take this moment and transform it forgreater benefit.

3. Establish your awareness in defenselessness. Donot waste your life energy defending your point ofview or attempting to convince others. Remain opento all points of view without rigidly attaching yourselfto any one of them.

The third principle is of particular relevance to youryoga practice. There are many different schools of yogawithout one right way. Every teacher and every system has


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 62

its own variations on postures, pace, style, and intensity.As a system dedicated to awakening flexibility in body,mind, and spirit, yoga can accommodate and celebratethe many diverse approaches that have developed overpast centuries.

Experiment for yourself with different approachesand find the style that fits best with your needs at a giventime of your life. The right yoga system for you is the onethat enhances your vitality and flexibility. Commit your-self to the Law of Least Effort and you will cease wastingyour vital energy in friction and conflict. Liberated, thisenergy becomes available to you for creativity, personalgrowth, and healing.

Whenever you find yourself forcing an outcome that is notready to manifest, remember the Law of Least Effort.Introduce the mantra that resonates with the principlethat you can accomplish more by doing less if you are notwasting energy by struggling and straining.

Om Daksham NamahMy actions achieve maximal benefit

with minimal effort

Law 5. The Law of Intention and DesireThe fifth spiritual law of success is the Law of Intentionand Desire, which is based upon the recognition that atthe level of the quantum field there is nothing otherthan energy and information. This quantum field, whichis really just another name for the field of pure potential-ity, is influenced by intention and desire.


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 63

As a human being, you experience the quantum fieldsubjectively as your own thoughts, feelings, memories,desires, needs, expectations, fantasies, and beliefs. Youexperience the same field objectively as your physicalbody and the physical world. At the level of the field, thecollection of thoughts called your mind and the collectionof molecules called your body are different disguises ofthe same underlying reality. The ancient yogic sages hadan expression for this realization, “Tat Tvam Asi,” whichtranslates as, “I am that, you are that, all this is that, andthat’s all there is.”

If you accept that your personal body is not separatefrom the body of the universe, then by consciouslychanging the energy and informational content of yourown body, you can influence the energy and informationof your extended body—your environment, your world.This influence is activated by two qualities inherent inconsciousness: attention and intention. Attention enlivenswhile intention transforms.

If you want something to grow stronger in your life,direct more of your attention to it. If you want somethingto diminish in your life, withdraw your attention from it.Intention, on the other hand, catalyzes the transformationof energy and information into new forms and expres-sions. According to ancient yogic principles, your inten-tion has organizing power.

Accomplished yogis are masters of attention andintention. They can influence components of their phys-iology in ways that modern science used to think wereimpossible. Yogis can raise and lower their blood pres-sure, speed up or slow down their heart rates, increase ordecrease their body temperature, and bring their respira-


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 64

tory system and metabolic activity to almost imperceptiblelevels. In chapter 5, we will show you how to use yourattention and intention for healing and transformation.As you become increasingly adept at governing your ownbody through the Law of Intention and Desire, you willalso experience your intentions being increasingly sup-ported by nature.

You can learn to harness the power of the Law of Inten-tion and Desire in your yoga practice and in your life byfollowing these three steps:

1. Be clear about your intentions and desires. On aregular basis, take the time to write down a list ofthose things you would like to see manifest in your life.Review your intentions and desires prior to begin-ning your yoga practice and prior to your time ofsilent meditation. Modify your list as your desires arefulfilled or transformed and observe how your inten-tions and desires evolve. When you take the time todocument what you desire in your heart and mind, youaccelerate the process of manifesting your desires inthe world.

2. Even as you bring your intentions and desires intoconscious awareness, surrender the outcome tonature. Cultivate an attitude of trusting that whenthings are not going exactly the way you intend themto, there is a grander design at work. You can probablyidentify times in your life when things were not goingaccording to your plan, only to realize later that some-thing better was waiting for you around the corner.

When performing your yoga poses, maintain thisinner attitude of surrender. Attend to and release


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 65

your intentions as you move through your posturesand watch the result in your yoga practice and in your life.

3. Remind yourself to practice present momentawareness in all your actions. Do not allow any obsta-cles to consume or dissipate the quality of your atten-tion in the present moment. As you engage in a pose,be fully in the present, remembering that being in themoment empowers your most cherished intentionsand desires.

As you energize your intentions and desires with yourattention, introduce the mantra that resonates with theLaw of Intention and Desire.

Om Ritam NamahMy intentions and desires are supported

by cosmic intelligence

Law 6. The Law of DetachmentThe sixth spiritual law of success is the Law of Detach-ment, which reveals a great paradox of life. In order toacquire something in this world, you have to relinquishyour attachment to it. This doesn’t mean you give up theintention to fulfill your desire—you simply give up yourattachment to the outcome.

Attachment is based on fear and insecurity. Whenyou forget that the only genuine source of security is yourtrue self, you begin believing that you need somethingoutside yourself in order to be happy. You may believethat a certain amount of money in the bank, paying off


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 66

the mortgage on your house, obtaining a luxury car, losingten pounds, or purchasing a new outfit may result ingreater feelings of security within yourself. Unfortu-nately, whenever your happiness is based upon somethingother than your true Self, insecurity arises because youknow at a deep level of your being that whatever is bring-ing you happiness can be lost and therefore has thepotential to bring you pain.

According to the principles of yoga, the only truesecurity comes from your willingness to embrace theunknown, the realm of uncertainty. By relinquishingyour attachment to the known, you step into the field ofpure potentiality in which the wisdom of uncertainty isfactored into all your choices. Practicing detachment andembracing uncertainty, you relinquish your need to holdon to the past, which is the only thing that is known.Being open to what is happening rather than trying tocontrol how things unfold, you experience the excite-ment, adventure, exhilaration, and mystery of life.

Applied to your practice of yoga, the Law of Detach-ment encourages you to relinquish your attachment to anidealized pose. Rather than seeking only to achieve theperfect posture, have the intention for your practice toawaken deeper and more expanded levels of awarenesswithin you. By relinquishing your attachment to an ideal-ized form and allowing your awareness to embrace theessence of yoga, your body will naturally release its resist-ance, increase its flexibility, and will improve as a sidebenefit for your detachment.

Yoga is not a competitive sport, and you will notachieve integration of body, mind, and spirit through forceand effort. Rather, yoga is a system of mindful surrender.


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 67

The practice of yoga accomplishes its goal of unionthrough attention and intention—through the consciousrelease of conflict and struggle. This is the essence of theLaw of Detachment. Have your intentions clearly in yourawareness while you maintain an attitude of Thy will bedone. The coexistence of these apparently contradictoryforces—intention and detachment—cultivates the flexi-bility that enables you to fulfill all your goals in life.

Put the Law of Detachment into effect in your yoga prac-tice and in your life by making a commitment to the following three steps:

1. Practice detachment. The goal of yoga is flexibil-ity, for which detachment is an essential feature.Detachment and flexibility go hand in hand. Attach-ment breeds rigidity. Commit not to rigidly imposeyour ideas of how things should be. Allow yourselfand those around you the freedom to be natural.Notice that when you force solutions on problems,you often create new problems that did not previ-ously exist. Remind yourself to engage in everythingwith detached involvement.

2. Embrace uncertainty as an essential ingredient ofyour experience and watch how creative solutions to problems spontaneously emerge out of chaos.Cultivate an attitude of curiosity and innocence asyou live your life and notice how a deep inner securitydevelops within you, independent of things aroundyou.

3. Surrender to the field of pure potentiality. Com-bine your focused intention with detachment from


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 68

the outcome and observe how easily you are able tofulfill your desires while maintaining your center,even in the midst of confusion and turbulence.

Introduce the mantra that resonates with the Law ofDetachment to remind you to relinquish your need tocontrol, thereby allowing creative solutions to emergefrom the wisdom of uncertainty.

Om Anandham NamahMy actions are blissfully free from

attachment to outcome

Law 7. The Law of Dharma (or Purpose in Life)The seventh spiritual law is the Law of Dharma, whichstates that every sentient being has a purpose in life. Youhave unique abilities and your own way of expressingthem. There are needs in this world for which your spe-cific talents are ideally suited, and when the world’sneeds are matched with the creative expression of yourtalents, your purpose—your dharma—is realized.

To be in dharma, your life force must flow effortlesslywithout interference. The practice of yoga provides adirect mechanism to release energy blockages in yourbody. When obstacles to the flow of your vital energy areremoved, you become capable of expressing moreexpanded aspects of your self. Increasing compassion,wisdom, and playfulness are evidence that your life isflowing in accordance with the Law of Dharma.

There are three major components to the Law of


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 69

Dharma. The first is that your ultimate purpose is todiscover your higher Self. Pursue the god or goddessinside you that wants to express the sacred purpose forwhich you were born. Awaken to the unbounded, eternalwitnessing awareness that is the essence of who you areand know yourself as a timeless, eternal Being in themidst of time-bound experience.

The second component of the Law of Dharma is toacknowledge and express your unique talents. Take thetime to honor your innate gifts by making a list of thosethings that you do well. One way to connect with yourdharma is to consider those things that you really love todo. Make a list of the things that bring joy to you and toothers while you are doing them. It might be singing,playing the piano, teaching gymnastics, or cooking. Youmay be naturally good at deep listening or caring forthose in need. Whatever your unique talents may be,expressing them brings happiness and satisfaction to youand to others. When you are in the flow of your dharma,expressing your unique talents, time loses its hold on youand you enter into timeless awareness.

The third component of dharma is serving others.True dharmic actions naturally bring benefit both to youand to those affected by your actions.

The inner dialogue of a person in his or her dharma is,“How can I serve?” and “How can I help?” The answers tothese questions will allow you to serve your fellow humanbeings with love and compassion. Expressing your gifts inservice to others is the highest expression of the Law ofDharma. When your creative expressions match the needsof your fellow humans, abundance flows into your life.

Yoga is action in accordance with dharma. Moving


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 70

your body with awareness and impeccability is theessence of a life in harmony with the laws of nature.Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body has its dharma,which is to perform its unique function while supportingthe wholeness of the body. The digestive tract performs itsjob of secreting gastric juices, moving food along itspathway, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating toxins.The endocrine system secretes its vital hormones thatregulate metabolism, reproduction, growth, and repair.The circulatory system regulates blood pressure and car-diac output. While each of these systems has its specificrole to perform, the essential purpose of their existence isto support the whole physiology.

Your practice of yoga supports the dharma of yourbody. When life energy is flowing effortlessly throughevery cell, tissue, and organ, the dharma of each is beingfulfilled. When as a result of the flexibility, balance, andstrength gained during your yoga practice you are effort-lessly able to express your talents in the world, you arealigned with the Law of Dharma. When you allow theintelligence and vital energy of nature to flow throughyou, you are reminded of your highest purpose—servingthe world and supporting the evolutionary flow of life.

Put the Law of Dharma into effect in your yoga practiceand in your life by commiting to the following threesteps:

1. Pay attention to the quiet stillness within you thatanimates your body and mind. During your yoga prac-tice and during the day, bring your attention to thesilent witness that observes your thoughts and actions.


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 71

2. Become aware of your unique talents and thosethings you love to do while expressing your unique tal-ents. In your practice of yoga, notice the posturesthat you enter into easily and use this information to become more intimate with your nature. Somepeople are naturally flexible, some have inherentlygood muscle strength, while others have innatelygood balance. Celebrate your natural talents even as you strive to develop other ones in yoga and inyour life.

3. Cultivate an inner conversation of helping andserving. When your intentions behind every actionare to align with dharma, your actions will be effortlessand successful. By asking the questions, How can Ihelp? and How can I serve? you will fulfill yourdeeper purpose in life.

Use the mantra that resonates with the Law ofDharma is to remind you of the Law of Dharma, particu-larly when you are experiencing struggle and strife. Usingthe mantra will help shift your inner conversation fromWhat’s in it for me? to How can I help?

Om Varunam NamahMy life is in harmony with cosmic law

Implement Your InsightsSo far we have explored the theory and philosophy ofyoga. Yoga is as much a science of action as it is a way of thinking about life. In the next chapters, we willpresent the essential technologies that when practiced


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 72

spontaneously implement the theory of yoga into theexperience of life. Meditation, regulating the life force,learning to hold and circulate energy, and moving withawareness are the fundamental technologies that need tobe mastered for you to gain the full benefits of yoga on thelevel of your body, your mind, and your soul.


c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 73

c04.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 74

Part II

Meditation andBreathing

c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 75

c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 76

5Meditation

Calming a Turbulent Mind

Empty the cup.—Zen master Nan-in

Your mind is a thought-generating organ. Thoughtforms perpetually arise in your awareness. If you try to

stop your thoughts with the intention of creating stillnessin your mind, your mental activity may quiet for a fewmoments, but it will almost certainly start up again at fullspeed.

The activity in your mind is communicated to everycell in your body. When your mind is turbulent, yourmessenger molecules communicate turbulence to yourcells, tissues, and organs. If you can quiet your mind, youcan send messages of peace and harmony to every cell inyour body. To experience the real essence of yoga—the full

77

c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 77

integration of body, mind, and spirit—you need todevelop the ability to calm your mental turbulence.

A thought is a packet of energy and information.According to yoga, all thoughts can be classified as eithermemories or desires. When your mind is active, you areeither thinking about something that happened in thepast or are anticipating something occurring in thefuture. The Sanskrit word for memory or past impression issanskara, while the word for desire is vasana.

Impressions give rise to desires. If you see an adver-tisement for a flashy car, a tropical vacation spot, or adesigner dress, an impression is laid down in your mindthat may give rise to a desire. As a result of this desire, youare compelled to take some new action, such as going to acar dealership, calling your travel agent, or visiting yourlocal boutique.

The action that emerges from the desire is calledkarma. This endless cycle of impressions giving rise todesires giving rise to actions resulting in new impressionsis the circuitry that keeps your mind perpetually active.We can think of this circuit of sanskara, vasana, andkarma as the software of your soul. As long as you arethinking, your mind is churning through the cycle ofaction . . . impression . . . desire . . . action . . . impression. . . desire . . . action.

Meditation is the technology that enables you tem-porarily to escape from this cycle. Through the process of gently focusing your attention (known in yoga as Dharana) while innocently witnessing the thought formsthat come and go in your mind (Dhyana), you enter intothe gap between thoughts, glimpsing the domain ofunbounded awareness (Samadhi). Taking your mind from


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 78

constricted to expanded awareness, meditation offers themost direct path to awakening the Law of Pure Potential-ity in your life.

Your choices are limited while your mind is engaged ina particular memory or desire. People frequently getcaught in habitual ruts of thinking, believing that they arestuck in a situation because they cannot imagine anyother possibilities. Accessing the field of pure potentialityby going beyond conditioning through meditation opensup creative possibilities that previously were unavailable.

Meditation can take many different forms, but there isa common theme. In every technique of meditation, theprocess takes you out of the conditioned mind and opensup access to the nonconditioned mind. This is accom-plished by experiencing a thought in its less distinct,more refined aspects until eventually you experience thethought as it emerges from the nonlocal field of yourawareness. As you become increasingly familiar with theexperience of thoughts condensing from consciousness,your identity begins shifting from your mind to your soul.

You can focus on and refine your perception ofobjects in any sensory modality. You can use music,chanting, drumming, or the sound of your own breath asa focus of your attention in meditation. You can usevisual symbols, a candle flame, pictures of people youlove, or a sunset to expand your consciousness. You can gofrom local to nonlocal awareness through the sense oftouch—from therapeutic massage to sexual rapture. Youcan even momentarily go beyond time and space throughthe sense of taste and smell.

For every experience in the mind, it is possible torefine that experience so your awareness is less constricted

M e d i t a t i o n 79

c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 79

and more expanded. This expanded state of mind is theultimate expression of the Law of Pure Potentiality, for allpossibilities reside in and emerge from this field ofunbounded awareness.

Before it arises in your mind, a thought is in thisdomain of consciousness that is transcendent to thought,a domain accessible through meditation. An ancientpowerful meditation technique involves asking the ques-tion, Who is having these thoughts? By repeated inquiry,you reach the awareness that thoughts arise from adeeper domain of awareness over which your mind reallyhas no control.

In the yoga tradition, meditation classically involvesthe use of a mantra or primordial sound. The wordmantra means “instrument or vehicle of the mind.”Mantras are used to take your awareness from engage-ment in the changing realm of life to immersion in theexpanded state of being that is beyond beginnings andendings. These vibrations, used for thousands of years toquiet mental activity, are pleasing, resonant sounds thatdo not have specific meanings to keep your mind active.The mind stays active through the process of association.If you listen to your mind, it may sound like this:

I need to reduce my credit card debt . . . I reallydidn’t need to buy that sweater last week . . . I didneed something to wear to Stan’s party . . . Thefood was really great . . . I wish I hadn’t eaten so much . . . I am definitely going to start exercis-ing next week . . . I am going to try to get Tanya to go out with me . . . I wonder if she got the job she was applying for . . . and on . . . and on . . .and on . . .


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 80

Introducing a mantra temporarily interrupts theincessant association process that keeps the mind active.Introducing a thought that does not carry meaningmomentarily breaks the cycle and allows you to glimpsethe silent space between your thoughts. This starts thetransformation of your identity from mind to spirit.

The best-known mantra is the sound Aum or Om,traditionally said to be the sound the universe makeswhen it manifests from potential to perceptual. Using thesound that represents the junction point between localand nonlocal can take your awareness back to the field ofawareness that gives rise to the mind.

At the Chopra Center, we teach a mantra meditationtechnique called Primordial Sound Meditation, whichassigns a person one of 108 mantras based upon the dateand place of a person’s birth. This requires personalizedinstruction, which is available through our certified med-itation instructors in most cities throughout the world.

According to the theory that underlies PrimordialSound Meditation, the universe expresses a differentvibratory frequency at different times during the day. Youcan appreciate this principle by considering how theenvironment feels different at dawn from the way it doesat high noon or at dusk. Over the course of a lunarmonth, the “sound” of the world changes about 108times. One of these 108 sounds is assigned based upon thetime, date, and place of a person’s birth. This primordialsound or mantra is said to represent the sound of the cos-mos at the doorway between potentiality and individual-ity because until we emerge through the birth canal we arepotential human beings. This primordial sound can beused as a meditation vehicle to take you back through the


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 81

doorway from individuality to universality—the ultimategoal of meditation.

Chakra MeditationA different type of meditation involves intoning mantrasaloud to create a healing resonance in the mind andbody. There are mantras associated with each of theseven energy centers in the body, known as chakras. Thechakras are major junction points between consciousnessand the body, and each one is associated with a specificvibration. Envisioned by the ancient seers as wheels orvortices of life force, they sometimes have been associatedwith major neural networks or hormonal systems.

Chakra Neural HormonalAssociation Association

First—Root Sacral plexus Adrenal glands

Second— Lumbar plexus Reproductive Creativity glands

Third—Energy Solar plexus Pancreas (insulin)

Fourth—Heart Cardiac plexus Thymus gland

Fifth— Cervical plexus Thyroid glandExpression

Sixth—Intuition Carotid plexus Pituitary gland

Seventh— Cerebral cortex Pineal glandConsciousness

Each center identifies a core human need. When thecenter is open, the energy that flows through the chakraallows you to meet those needs more effortlessly. If there is


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 82

a blockage in one area of the body/mind system, energybecomes stagnant and your intentions are more difficult toactualize. You can activate each center by putting yourattention in the location of the chakra and sounding theassociated mantra aloud.

To begin this meditation, sit comfortably with yourspine upright. Close your eyes and visualize the site of theenergy center you wish to focus on. Take a deep breath,and on the inhalation, chant the mantra in one long syllable. Feel the sensations in your body and notice thesense of alert calm in your mind after each mantra. Envi-sion energy flowing effortlessly fromthe base of your spine through thedifferent energy centers and ris-ing up through the top of yourhead. Notice how you feel inthe meditation and how itaffects you when you return toyour active life.

The First Center: Root ChakraThe root chakra, known in Sanskrit as Muladhara, islocated at the base of the spine. It governs your mostbasic survival needs. When energy is flowing freelythrough this center, you have confidence that you canmeet your core needs without struggle. When there isblockage in this area, you will tend to experience anxietyand worry.

The Law of Karma governs the first energy center.On the physical plane, every action you perform resultsin a corresponding reaction. To maximize the possibility


c05.qxd 4/14/04 1:29 PM Page 83

that your actions generate evolutionary reactions, youcan use your body as a choice-determining instrument.Consider the possibilities in front of you and listen to thesignals from your body. These sensations generatingfrom the root chakra are either comfortable or uncom-fortable.

Your body evaluates every possible decision in terms of its likelihood to meet your needs for safety or increasethe level of threat you experience. The first chakra,which connects you with the earth, provides essentialinformation as to the potential nourishment or toxicitythat is available to you as a result of the actions you are taking. Keeping energy open and flowing in thissource chakra is key to both physical and emotionalabundance.

The color for this energy center is red. It is associatedwith the element earth and the sense of smell.

The mantra for the first chakra is Lam.

The Second Center: Creativity ChakraThe second chakra, called Svadhisthana, is associatedwith creativity in all its expressions. It is located in thearea of your sexual organs, and the energy of this centercan be used for biological reproduction. When chan-neled into higher energy centers, it fuels the creativeforce that enables you to paint a beautiful picture, write anovel, play music, build a business, or create a life of loveand abundance.

The Law of Least Effort is lively in the second chakra.


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 84

When your vital energy is flowing through your center orcreativity, you cocreate your life.

The solution to every problem is rarely on the level ofthe problem. Rather, it comes from a deeper domain of cre-ativity. Creativity is the process of taking the same rawmaterial and creating different contexts and relationshipsbetween the components. When a painter creates a mas-terpiece of art, she weaves the pigments in a way thatresults in a unique creation. When a composer creates anew piece of music, he is using the same notes in a newrelationship with each other, resulting in the emergence ofsomething that did not exist before. A novelist creates anew relationship between letters and words, enabling astory to manifest that had not previously existed.

When you are aligned with your creative juices, theexpressions that emerge arise effortlessly. The secondchakra utilizes the raw material of the root chakra to cre-ate the world anew each day.

The color for the second energy center is orange. It isassociated with the element of water and the sense of taste.

The mantra for the second chakra is Vam.

The Third Center: Energy ChakraThe third chakra, Manipura, is localized in your solarplexus. It is the seat of your power in the world. When thiscenter is open and flowing, you are capable of translatingyour intentions and desires into manifestation. When it isblocked, you feel frustrated and ineffectual.

The seeds of intentions and desires reside in your per-sonal soul. Nourishing the seeds you wish to germinate


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 85

with your attention will lead to their full expression. TheLaw of Intention and Desire governs the third chakra. It isimportant to be clear about your intentions so you are notsurprised when they bear fruit. The process of manifestingyour desires is first to bring them into consciousness,then expand your awareness through meditation, thenrelease your intentions and detach from the outcome.

You can control your actions, but you cannot controlthe fruit of your actions. Keep your life energy flowingfreely through your third chakra and the light and heat ofyour intentions will radiate to the world.

The color for the third energy center is yellow like thesun. It is associated with the element of fire and the senseof sight.

The mantra to clear and enliven the third chakra isRam.

The Fourth Center: Heart ChakraThe fourth chakra represents the unifying energy of loveand compassion. Known as Anahata, the heart chakra isdedicated to overcoming separation and division. Whenthe heart center is blocked, there is a sense of alienationfrom others. When the heart center is open and flowing,you feel connected at a deep level to all beings in your life.

The Law of Giving and Receiving governs the heartchakra. Love can take many different forms at differentstages of life. The love of a child for his mother is differentfrom a mother’s love for her child. A friend’s love is different from a passionate lover’s love or the love of a student for his teacher. The common thread in each ofthese expressions of love is the impulse to unify—


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 86

to overcome separation. This is the nature of the heart.The Law of Giving and Receiving as expressed

through the fourth chakra establishes the principle thatthe heart is the organ that circulates love. The relation-ship between the physical heart and the emotional heartis more than metaphorical. Studies have shown that inpatients with recent heart attacks, men who believe thattheir spouses love them suffer fewer complications andhave better outcomes then men who are in conflictedmarriages. People who perceive the world as hostile havea higher risk of premature heart attacks than those whofeel the world is a nurturing place. Just the simple act of acardiac nurse calling to check on the well-being ofpatients recently discharged from a coronary care unitcan reduce the risk of rehospitalization.

Every act of giving is simultaneously an act of receiv-ing. Each time you welcome a gift into your life you areproviding the opportunity for someone to give. Just as ahealthy physical heart receives blood from the peripherywhich it then oxygenates and pumps back out, your emo-tional heart stays healthy by receiving and giving love inall its forms.

The color of the fourth energy center is green. Whenflowing, it is the green of nourishment; when congested, itcan be green with envy. It is associated with the elementof air and the sense of touch.

The mantra that awakens the fourth chakra is Yum.

The Fifth Center: Expression ChakraThe throat chakra, called Vishuddha in Sanskrit, is thecenter of expression. When it is open and flowing, you


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 87

have the confidence that you are capable of communi-cating your needs. When the fifth chakra is obstructed, a person will often feel that he is not being heard. To feel alive and empowered, it is important that thisenergy center is clear. Energy blockages in this area areoften associated with thyroid problems or chronic neckpain.

The Law of Detachment governs the throat chakra.An open fifth chakra enables you to express your truthwithout concern for censors or critics. This does notmean you say things that are intentionally hurtful orinsensitive. On the contrary, people with open centers ofcommunication are skillful in expressing their needs inways that are life-supporting. Anxiety over how peoplewill react to your views does not arise when energy isflowing freely through the chakra of expression.

The Law of Detachment reminds you that you canchoose your words and actions, but you cannot control theresponse to your words and actions. When your inten-tions are clear and your heart is open, you will sponta-neously demonstrate right speech, trusting that theuniverse will handle the details.

The color of the fifth energy center is blue. It isassociated with the elements of ether or space and thesense of hearing.

The mantra to open the fifth chakra is Hum.

The Sixth Center: Intuition ChakraThe sixth energy center is sometimes known as the thirdeye. Located in the forehead, Ajna, as it is known inSanskrit, is the center of insight and intuition. When


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 88

this center is open, you have a deep sense of connection to your inner voice and feel guided in your choices.When it is blocked, there is a sense of self-doubt anddistrust. The opening of this chakra is usually associatedwith a clear sense of connection to one’s dharma orpurpose in life.

The Law of Dharma or Purpose in Life governs thesixth chakra. You have within you a wise voice guidingyou to express the highest aspects of your nature. Listen tothis inner still voice, which is guiding you to manifestyour full potential. Quiet the internal turbulence that isfilled with the voices of others so you can identify thesound of your own soul. It has only one desire—for you toremember your essential nature as a spark of the divine.

The color of the sixth energy center is indigo. It isassociated with extrasensory perceptual abilities such asclairvoyance, clairaudience, and remote viewing. Thesense is inner sound, independent of outside vibrations.

The mantra to awaken the sixth chakra is Sham.

The Seventh Center:Consciousness ChakraThis center, known as Sahaswara, is visualized as a lotusflower at the crown of the head. When the lotus unfoldsits petals, the memory of wholeness is restored. Youremember that your essential nature is unbounded andthat you are spirit in disguise as a person. This is the fullexpression of yoga—the unification of being with action,of universality with individuality.

The Law of Pure Potentiality governs the seventhchakra. When your roots are receiving nourishment from


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 89

the earth in the first chakra, your creative juices are flow-ing in the second, your intentions are empowered in thethird, your heart is open and exchanging love with thosearound you in the fourth, you are spontaneously express-ing your highest self in the fifth, and you are in touch withyour inner voice in the sixth, then energy moves into thecrown chakra and you remember your essential nature asinfinite and unbounded. The thousand-petaled lotusflower unfolds and you know yourself as a spiritual beingtemporarily localized to a body and mind.

As you recognize the universality underlying yourindividuality, you gain access to your full potential. Youridentity shifts from local to nonlocal, from constricted to expanded. Fear and anxiety dissipate because you lose your attachment to specific outcomes, trusting thatthe universe is unfolding in the most evolutionary waypossible.

The color of the seventh energy center is violet. It isassociated with the sense of compassion that comes fromrecognizing another as a reflection of yourself. The senseis the inner light that radiates from the eternal flame ofsacred wisdom.

The mantra to nurture the seventh chakra is Aum.

So Hum MeditationEvery meditation technique offers something of value tothe mind and body. We believe that procedures thatquiet your mind allow you to glimpse the silent spacebetween thoughts and help expand consciousness andheal the body. A very simple, effective, and easily learnedmeditation technique uses the breath along with a


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 90

breathing mantra to quiet the mind and relax the body. Ifyou are unable to receive personal instruction from a Pri-mordial Sound Meditation teacher, the So Hum medita-tion described below will help take your awareness from aconstricted to an expanded state of consciousness, align-ing you with the Law of Pure Potentiality.

We recommend that you practice this technique fortwenty to thirty minutes twice daily. We encourage you toperform it soon after awakening and again before dinner.Although some people find that if they meditate beforebed they may have difficulty getting to sleep, you may findthat by meditating at bedtime, you are able to turn offyour mental turbulence from the day’s activity and fallasleep easily after you have completed your meditationpractice.

1. Sit comfortably where you will not be disturbedand close your eyes.

2. For a few minutes simply observe the inflow andoutflow or your breath.

3. Now take a slow, deep breath through your nosewhile thinking the word So.

4. Exhale slowly through your nose while thinkingthe word Hum.

5. Allow your breathing to flow easily, silentlyrepeating, So . . . Hum . . . with each inflow andoutflow of your breath.

6. Whenever your attention drifts to thoughts inyour mind, sounds in your environment, or sensa-tions in your body, gently return to your breath,silently repeating, So . . . Hum.


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 91

7. Continue this process for twenty to thirty minuteswith an attitude of effortlessness and simplicity.

8. When the time is up, sit with your eyes closed fora couple of minutes before resuming your dailyactivity.

Meditation ExperiencesAlthough you may have a variety of experiences in yourmeditation practice, it is easy to classify them into a fewbasic categories.

MANTRA AWARENESS

Your repetition of the So Hum mantra should be effortless.Silent repetition of the sound does not require clearlypronouncing it in your mind. Rather, have just a vaguesense of the mantra, as a vibration, an impulse, or a subtlesound. Listen for its sound more than feel the pressure toarticulate it. Whenever the mantra appears to be changingin its rate, rhythm, or pronunciation, allow it to transformwithout controlling the process.

THOUGHT AWARENESS

The most common complaint that new meditatorsexpress is that they are having too many thoughts.Thoughts are a natural component of meditation, and it isnot possible to forcibly stop thinking. There will be manytimes in every meditation during which your mind driftsoff the mantra to thoughts. You may find yourself thinkingabout something that has happened in the past or some-thing you are anticipating happening in the future. You


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 92

may find yourself thinking about sensations in your bodyor sounds in your environment.

During this period of meditation, when you becomeaware that your attention has drifted away from themantra, easily shift it back. Whether you are thinkingabout what you want for lunch, a movie you saw yesterday,an issue at work, or some profound cosmic realization,when you recognize that you have drifted off into thinkingabout something—anything—gently, and without strain-ing, return your attention to the mantra.

SLEEP

If your body is fatigued when it is time to meditate, youmay drift off to sleep. Don’t fight the urge to sleep. Medi-tation is an opportunity for your body/mind to rebalance,and if it needs to rest, allow it to do so. When youawaken, sit up and meditate, using your mantra, for aboutten minutes.

If you find yourself falling asleep in most of your med-itations, you are probably not getting enough rest atnight. Restful sleep is an important component of a bal-anced lifestyle. Be sure that you are exercising regularly,avoiding unnecessary stimulants during the day, andeliminating alcohol from your diet, particularly beforebed. Try to be in bed with the lights off by 10 P.M.

PURE AWARENESS

As your mind quiets during meditation, you will experi-ence moments when there is the absence of thoughtswith the retention of awareness. We call this experiencegoing into the gap. There is no mantra, and there are no


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 93

thoughts. The mind has temporarily relinquished itsattachment to time and space and is immersed in theeternal, infinite realm of pure awareness. This is theexperience sometimes known as samadhi. With regularpractice, the expansive awareness that you glimpse duringmeditation begins to permeate your life outside of medita-tion. The relaxation you gain while meditating extendsinto your activity. The ability to consciously experiencenonlocal and local awareness simultaneously is theessence of yoga—established in a state of unity conscious-ness while being fully engaged in the world of forms andphenomena.

All of the Seven Spiritual Laws are in play during medi-tation. The process is governed by the Law of PurePotentiality, which takes your mind to the domain of allpossibilities beyond thought. Allowing mental activity tocome and go without restriction expresses the principle ofthe Law of Giving and Receiving. Not indulging in themeaning of the thoughts that arise allows you to tran-scend the Law of Karma. The core principle of meditationis the Law of Least Effort, for the nonlocal field of aware-ness is also the domain of least effort. The state of nonlocalawareness, beyond thought, time, space, and causality,cannot be accessed through force. You utilize the Law ofIntention and Desire by having the intention to relin-quish your need to control, resist, or anticipate during thepractice of meditation. The Law of Detachment is essen-tial, for the only way to get to the field of unboundedawareness is by letting go. Finally, the Law of Dharma isactive because it is the nature of the mind to seek ever-expanding realms of bliss and wisdom. It is the dharma of


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 94

the mind to expand during meditation. Letting go andallowing the process to proceed innocently is the proventechnique of going beyond thought and quieting themind.

Attention and Intention MeditationAs you become adept at calming the commotion in yourmind through meditation, you can enliven healing andtransformation in your body through conscious attentionand intention. As we’ve said, accomplished yogis canregulate basic physiological functions through innertechniques that focus attention and intention. You canlearn to slow your heartbeat, raise your body tempera-ture, and influence your circulation. Try this simpleattention and intention meditation to convince yourselfthat your mind and body are intimately linked.

1. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a slow,deep breath. Slowly exhale, releasing any tension youmay be holding in your body. For the next few min-utes, practice the So Hum meditation described earlieror Primordial Sound Meditation if you have beeninstructed in it.

2. Now bring your attention into the area of yourheart. For a few moments, simply feel the sensationsyou are carrying in your heart and then for a few min-utes consider all the things for which you are grateful.Acknowledge everything in your life for which youfeel gratitude—the people, the love, the experiences,and the opportunities that make you the person youare.


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 95

3. Now take a few moments to relinquish any griev-ances, regrets, or hostility you may be holding insideyou. Simply have the intention to release all toxicfeelings that are not nourishing to your heart.

4. Next, silently, like a mantra, repeat the expression,Thy will be done . . . Thy will be done . . . Thy will bedone. Have the intention to surrender to whateveryou imagine or believe is the underlying intelligenceof the universe, be it God, Nature, Cosmic Order, orany other concept that you have.

5. Now, with your attention in your chest, see if youcan perceive the throbbing of your heartbeat, aseither a sensation or a subtle vibration. Introduce theintention for your heartbeat to slow down . . . slowdown . . . slow down.

6. Shift your attention to your hands and becomeaware of your heartbeat in your hands. Have theintention to increase the blood flow and warmth toyour hands.

7. Now direct your attention to any part of yourbody that you believe needs healing and feel yourheart throbbing slowly in that area. If there is noplace in your body that needs attention, simply beaware of your heart throbbing in your chest. Silently,like a mantra, repeat the phrase, Healing and transfor-mation . . . Healing and transformation . . . Healing andtransformation.

8. After a few minutes, bring your attention to yourbreath, simply observing the inflow and outflow ofyour breathing. When you are ready, slowly openyour eyes.


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 96

The Yoga of MeditationThe Upanishads tell us, “As great as the infinite spacebeyond is the space within the lotus of the heart.” Fromthe time of your birth, you have been called to explore theworld outside of you. Meditation is the exploration ofyour inner world. Yoga encourages you to be as familiarwith your inner world of thoughts, feelings, memories,desires, and imagination as you are with the outer world oftime, space, and causality. When you can move throughboth the inner and outer domains of life with freedom andfinesse, you fulfill the highest purpose of yoga.


c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 97

c05.qxd 4/14/04 12:33 PM Page 98

6Moving Energy

Pranayama and Bandhas

Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wideopen?

—Rumi

Breath is the essence of life. You inhale for the first timeshortly after arriving in the world even before your

umbilical cord is cut. From that moment on you takeapproximately seventeen thousand breaths each day,which over a lifetime totals about 500 million breaths. Inyour final moments on this planet, you exhale for the lasttime; that breath defines the end of your life. Yourbreathing supports every experience you have from thetime of your first inhalation to that of your last exhalation.Breath is life.

In yoga, the breath is intimately associated withprana, which translates from Sanskrit into English as

99

c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 99

“primordial impulse.” Prana is the primordial life forcethat governs all your mental and physical functions. It isthe vital energy that animates inert molecules into self-healing, evolving biological beings. It is the primary cre-ative power of the cosmos.

Learning to regulate your prana to calm, balance,cleanse, and invigorate your body/mind is a powerfultechnique of yoga. Your breath integrates many layers ofyour life—your environment, your respiratory tract, yournervous system, your mind, and every cell in your body.

Regulating your breath enhances your physical, emo-tional, and spiritual well-being. It is the key to a healthy,vibrant life.

For most people, breathing is the only autonomicnervous system function that they can influence. Modernphysiology divides the nervous system into two maincomponents—the voluntary nervous system and theautonomic nervous system. The voluntary nervous sys-tem is active when you clap your hands, wave your arms,or use your legs to walk. It is responsible for activating themuscles that form the hundreds of facial expressions youmake in a day, as well as those that control your speech.Although many of these functions occur with only mini-mally conscious intention, you have the ability to initiateand stop the use of these muscle groups at will.

The autonomic nervous system governs basic bodilyfunctions, which you usually have no conscious ability toinfluence. These include core physiological functionssuch as heart rate, blood pressure, regulation of your tem-perature, the levels of hormones in your body, perspira-tion, and the movement of food through your digestivetract. Your autonomic nervous system also plays an


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 100

important role in the regulation of your immune system.Modern neurological science suggests that most peopleare incapable of directly affecting these core physiologicalprocesses. They function on their own whether or notyou are paying attention to them or attempting to alterthem. Most people do not know how to influence theirblood pressure, change the flow of their blood, reducetheir sweating, or affect their digestive function.

Studies of yoga practitioners, however, have foundthat with practice, people can learn to consciouslydecrease their blood pressure, slow their heart rate,reduce their oxygen consumption, alter their circulation,and lower their stress hormone levels. Learning to influ-ence these usually automatic functions is a different set ofskills from those we use to ride a bicycle or kick a soccerball, but it is one that you can master with a little practice.Learning to regulate your breath is the first step in dis-covering how to influence other essential involuntarybodily functions.

Left on its own, breathing does not require your con-scious attention to consume oxygen or eliminate carbondioxide. This is a good thing. Day and night, respiratorycenters deep in your brain stem monitor the level of gasesin your body and automatically adjust your breathing rateand depth. As anyone with asthma can testify, having topay attention to breathing in order to get enough life-sustaining oxygen into your body is not desirable.

Every human being is capable of temporarily overridingautonomic control over breathing by speeding up, slowingdown, or holding the breath. Conscious alteration of theusually automatic breathing process has powerful effects onyour mind and body and provides a window into your

M o v i n g E n e r g y 101

c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 101

ability to influence other autonomic functions. Whileyou have your attention on your breath, you can modify it,but as soon as you relinquish conscious control, yourinvoluntary nervous system resumes its authority.

Through the yogic practice of breathing exercises,known as pranayama, you can use your breath to influenceyour physical and mental states. A variety of techniques torelax or invigorate your body/mind are described in yoga.They are easily mastered and have prompt and powerfuleffects.

Pranayama Breathing ExercisesYou can learn a lot about life by paying attention to yourbreathing. Right now, take a deep breath in and hold it.Feel the increasing discomfort that builds as you resistthe natural impulse to let go. When it becomes toouncomfortable, release your breath and notice the imme-diate relief that you feel. Holding on to anything when itis time to let go creates distress in your body and mind.Now take a breath, fully empty your lungs, and hold yourbreath. Become aware of the increasing discomfort thatdevelops when you resist something from entering yourlife that you are meant to accept. Notice the relief thatyou feel as you take your next breath.

Ingesting, absorbing, releasing, and eliminating—these are the key components of a healthy life and of nat-ural, balanced breathing. When these basic functions areworking well, you are able to absorb what you need andeliminate what you don’t, resulting in life-sustainingnourishment and detoxification. When you take a bite ofan apple, for example, you ingest potential nourishment,


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 102

but the energy and information contained within thefood do not become available to you until you’veabsorbed the basic nutrients through your small intes-tines. In every substance you ingest there are compo-nents that do not serve you, so a healthy digestive systemreleases the nonnourishing remains of the food into yourcolon. It is necessary to eliminate the residues of digestionon a regular basis for you to remain healthy.

These same steps are applicable on an emotionallevel. When people engage in emotionally powerful rela-tionships, they often ingest more emotional energy andinformation than they are capable of digesting. To main-tain a healthy emotional life, we must all selectivelyabsorb those aspects of the emotional experience that arenourishing, while releasing and eliminating those compo-nents that, if retained, could be toxic.

The Law of Giving and Receiving is in continuous playduring the practice of pranayama breathing exercises.Conscious breathing means focusing your attention onthe perpetual exchange that is taking place between yourpersonal body and the extended body of your environ-ment. You exchange ten billion trillion atoms with yoursurroundings with every breath you take. The atoms youinhale every day have traversed the bodies of livingbeings across the universe and across time. Within youright now, you have carbon atoms that once inhabited thebody of a cheetah in Africa, a dolphin in the SouthPacific, a palm tree in Tahiti, or an Australian Aborigine.Ultimately, every particle in your body was stardust, cre-ated at the dawn of the universe. Your breathing is a con-tinuous testimony to the Law of Giving and Receiving.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 103

Conscious breathwork is also an expression of theLaw of Least Effort and the Law of Dharma. In a healthybody, breathing is an effortless process, automaticallyspeeding up or slowing down, becoming deeper or shal-lower with the subtlest shift in your body’s requirementsfor energy. The oxygen you inhale supports the purpose(dharma) of every cell in your body, enabling each toexercise its unique talent while serving the wholeness ofthe physiology.

On both physical and emotional levels, pranayamabreathing exercises clear the channels that enable you toeffortlessly exchange your personal energy with theenergy of the universe. Consciously directed, your vitalenergy can be used for creativity and healing. Pranayamabreathing exercises are tools to help you channel yourvital force in evolutionary ways that bring you higherlevels of physical and emotional well being.

BHASTRIKA—BELLOWS BREATH

When you have a lot of energy moving through yourbody, you naturally breathe more vigorously. You sponta-neously move more air when you are exercising or dancingbecause your body requires a greater quantity of oxygen tosupply your energy needs. In the same way that invigorat-ing action increases the depth of your breathing, you canconsciously deepen your breathing, resulting in greaterenergy available to your body.

One of the most empowering breathing exercises inyoga is known as Bhastrika, which translated into Englishmeans “bellows breath.” This is an energizing and cleans-ing breath. Although it is generally a very safe technique,


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 104

it is important that you stay tuned in to your body duringthis process. If at any time you experience uncomfortablesensations or feel light-headed during the process, dis-continue the Bhastrika for a few moments, then resumethe exercise in a less intense manner.

Begin by relaxing your shoulders and practicing slow,deep abdominal breathing. After a few deep breaths, fullyexhale, and then begin forceful complete exhalations fol-lowed by forceful deep inhalations through your nose atthe rate of one second per cycle. The entire breathingmovement should be from your diaphragm. Keep yourhead, neck, shoulders, and chest relatively stable whileyour belly moves in and out.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 105

Start with a round of ten Bhastrika breaths, thenresume normal breathing and simply observe the sensa-tions in your body. After about fifteen to thirty seconds,begin the next round with twenty breaths. If you feellight-headed or experience tingling in your fingers oraround your mouth, discontinue your deep breathing andsimply observe your normal quiet breathing until thesensations completely subside, then resume the process.

After a pause of thirty seconds, perform a third roundof thirty breaths. Again, suspend your Bhastrika breathingif you feel woozy. After the third round, simply witness thesensations in your body. For most people, this breathingexercise creates the experience of feeling energized andinvigorated.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 106

If you feel sluggish in the morning, perform a set ofBhastrika breaths and you will feel the clouds clear fromyour body and mind. You can also perform a couple min-utes of Bhastrika during the day if you are feeling drowsyor lethargic. If you are trying to lose weight, performingBhastrika several times per day will increase your digestivepower and help your metabolism burn more intensely. It isgenerally not recommended that you perform Bhastrikapranayama close to bedtime as you may have difficultyfalling asleep. Although Bhastrika clears the mind, itenlivens energy.

KAPALABHATI—SHINING BREATH

A variation of the bellows breath is Kapalabhati, whichinvolves forceful exhalations followed by passive inhala-tions. Sitting comfortably with your spine in an uprightposture, forcefully expel all the air from your lungs, thenallow them to fill passively. The primary movement isfrom your diaphragm. Perform this movement ten times,then allow your breathing to return to normal andobserve the sensations in your body. Repeat these cycles often movements three to four times. Like Bhastrika,Kapalabhati is a cleansing and invigorating pranayama.

DIRGHA—COMPLETE BREATH

Dirgha pranayama is a cleansing and balancing breathingexercise that shows prompt benefits. It involves con-sciously filling three different areas of your lungs. Youstart in the lower chambers, move up through the middlethoracic regions, and finish with the upper spaces. Thisbreathing technique is a simple expression of the Law of


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 107

Intention and Desire. Simply by shifting your intention asto where to direct your breath you will notice a deeplyrelaxing and releasing effect.

Perform Dirgha pranayama either sitting upright orlying flat on your back. Both the inhalations and exhala-tions are through your nostrils.

For the first breath, inhale slowly and deeply, directingthe air into your lower lungs by consciously using yourdiaphragm. When this is performed properly, your bellyshould inflate so you look like you are a little pregnant. Asyou exhale, deflate your belly, as if air were escaping froma balloon. Repeat this pattern several times, drawing theair into your lungs’ lower chambers, maintaining smoothand rhythmic breathing.

After you are comfortable with this first step, beginbringing air into the middle section of your lungs. Start byfilling your lower regions as before, then direct yourinflow to your mid-lung region by opening your rib cage.You will feel your ribs expanding between your diaphragmand your chest. Inhale and exhale several times, fillingboth the bottom and middle areas of your lungs.

Finally, draw air into the bottom and middle regions ofyour lungs, then continue filling your upper lungs bybreathing into your collarbones (clavicle). Practice thecomplete breath so your inhalation and exhalations flowin a smooth, continuous motion, sequentially directingyour attention from your diaphragm to your ribs to yourclavicle. Envision this deep, conscious breathing nour-ishing the organs, tissues, and cells in your body, enablingthem to perform their vital functions effortlessly and inaccordance with their dharma.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 108

UJJAYI—SUCCESS BREATH

The pranayama technique known as Ujjayi can help settleyour mind and body when you are feeling irritated, frus-trated, or overheated. Although the origins of the wordare unclear, one interpretation is “leading to success.”This breath allows you to stay focused without generatingunnecessary mental friction. Ujjayi creates a coolinginfluence at the back of the throat and has a balancingeffect on the cardiorespiratory system.

To perform Ujjayi breath, take a slightly deeper thannormal inhalation. On the exhalation, slightly constrictyour throat muscles so as you breathe out it sounds as if you are snoring. The outflow of your breath is throughyour nose with your mouth closed. The result should bethat you sound like Darth Vader from Star Wars.

Another way to get the hang of this practice is to firstexhale the sound “haaah” with your mouth open. Nowmake a similar sound with your mouth closed, directingthe outflow of air through your nasal passages. Thisshould result in the desired breathy snoring sound. Onceyou have mastered it on the outflow, perform the sameprocedure on inflow, gently constricting your throat asyou inhale.

Try shifting into Ujjayi breath whenever you findyourself becoming aggravated or upset, and you willnotice a prompt soothing influence. Ujjayi is said to havea calming effect on the body while it helps the mind tofocus. We recommend using Ujjayi while performingyour yoga poses to help you stay focused as you movefrom one posture to the next.

Ujjayi can also be a useful tool during aerobic exercise.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 109

Olympic-level athletes have introduced Ujjayi into theirtraining routines to enhance respiratory efficiency. Tryusing Ujjayi while performing your cardiovascular work-out and see if practicing this breath technique reduceswear and tear on your body.

NADI SHODHANA—CHANNEL CLEARING BREATH

Nadi Shodhana means “clearing the channels of circula-tion” and is sometimes known descriptively as alternatenostril breathing. This pranayama exercise has a quietingeffect and is very helpful in reducing mental turbulenceassociated with anxiety and insomnia. In Nadi Shod-hana, you use your right hand to control the flow ofbreath through your nostrils. Your thumb is positionedover the right nostril, while your third and fourth fingersare over the left.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 110

There are several different styles of Nadi Shodhana,all of which regulate the flow of air through your nasal pas-sages. They differ according to how and when you alterthe breathing pattern. The simplest procedure involvesclosing off alternate nostrils at the end of each inhalation.Inhale deeply, then close off the right nostril with yourthumb, exhaling through the left. Smoothly inhalethrough the left nostril, and at the peak of the inflow,close off your left nostril with the third and fourth fingersof your right hand, exhaling through the right nostril.After full exhalation, inhale through the right nostril,again closing it off with your thumb at the peak ofinhalation. Your breathing should be effortless with yourmind simply witnessing the process.

Continue performing Nadi Shodhana for the nextfew breaths, following this pattern: Inhaling through the


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 111

left nostril. Exhaling through the right. Inhaling throughthe right nostril. Exhaling through the left.

Nadi Shodhana has a relaxing effect on your mindand body. It can be useful to quiet your mind prior tobeginning mantra meditation or when your mind is racingwhen you are trying to fall asleep. By softening thebreath through Nadi Shodhana, you invoke a state ofcalm inner awareness.

Breathwork in ActionBecome aware of your breathing throughout the day. Ifyou find yourself in a tense or stressful situation, con-sciously take some slow, deep abdominal breaths throughyour nose and notice how your entire body relaxes. Prac-tice Ujjayi breathing when you are walking or exercising


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 112

and notice how it brings you back to your center. Use theDirgha breath when you are feeling pressure and strain tocirculate the life force throughout your body. Be con-scious of your breath, and your awareness will stay cen-tered in the midst of turbulence. According to yoga, thisis the true value of pranayama.

THE BANDHAS—EMBRACING YOUR

VITAL ENERGY

The word bandha means “to hold, lock, or embrace.”These potent practices train you to direct your prana, orvital energy, to different centers of your body. Bandhasprovide direct demonstration of the Law of Dharma as youwitness the immediate reactions in your body to specificactions you take.

The basic principle with each bandha is first toaccumulate energy in an area of your physiology, thenrelease it. This process of building a force and thenunleashing it discharges obstacles from the pathways ofenergy circulation. Like Traditional Chinese Medicine,yoga envisions the body/mind as a network of energeticchannels through which life force flows. These pathwaysare known as srotas and nadis. Srotas are circulatorychannels in the physical body, whereas nadis exist in thesubtle body. Health and vitality are dependent upon lifeenergy flowing freely through the physical and subtlebiological passageways.

JALANDHARA BANDHA—CHIN LOCK

Sitting comfortably with your legs crossed in front of you,take a deep breath. While exhaling, bring your chin to


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 113

your chest. Pressing your chin into your chest, inhaleagainst your closed throat so that no air moves but yourchest rises up. Hold this position for ten seconds, thenraise your chin and inhale normally.

The word jalandhara comes from two roots—jala,meaning “network,” and dhara, meaning “upward flow.”Jalandhara is designed to stimulate the network of nervesand energy channels in the throat. Energy stagnation inthis region is associated with chronic neck pain, hoarse-ness, and thyroid imbalances. Jalandhara traditionallyhas been used to strengthen the thyroid, relieve neckstiffness, and enhance mental clarity.

UDDIYANA BANDHA—STOMACH LIFT

Sit comfortably with your legs crossed and your spineupright. Bend slightly forward. Placing your hands by


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 114

your sides or on your thighs, bend slightly forward. Take ina deep breath and completely exhale, emptying yourlungs as fully as possible. Make a motion as if you wereabout to take another inhalation, but instead lift yourabdomen so that you are forming a hollow below yourdiaphragm. Hold this position for about ten seconds, thenrelease and take a normal in-breath. Repeat this motionseven times.

This bandha activates the solar plexus energy center,which governs digestion and the ability to translate yourdesires into manifestations. Blockages in this region areassociated with digestive disturbances and metabolicimbalances. Developing the ability to regulate energy inthis area of your body ensures that you have access toyour core digestive fire. When your fire is burning


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 115

brightly, you are able to extract the nourishment youneed from your environment and discharge toxins thatinhibit the flow or energy in your body/mind.

MOOLA BANDHA—ROOT LOCK

Sitting with your legs crossed, bring your right heel asclose to your groin as you can. With your eyes closed,begin contracting your anal sphincter muscles. Imagine asyou are contracting that you are drawing your rectumupward into your abdomen. Hold this position for tenseconds, then slowly release while you exhale. Repeatthis process ten times.

Moola means “root.” The root chakra is the source ofall energy in the body. Learning to regulate prana in thisregion will enable you to consciously direct your creativeforces to the achievement of all your desires. Performingthis bandha can help with a wide range of health condi-tions including hemorrhoids, urinary incontinence, andsexual function problems.

Pranayama exercises and bandhas bring your attentioninto your body and use your intention to move energyconsciously. All success in life derives from this ability toconsciously acquire, store, and release energy.

Learning to harness the power of your intention isthe essence of the Law of Intention and Desire. The abil-ity to direct your prana—your life energy—to eliminatetoxicity from your body enables you to do less andaccomplish more.

Not wasting your energy resisting the flow of your lifeforce is the essence of the Law of Least Effort. Conscious


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 116

breath work through pranayama and conscious energymanagement though bandhas teach you fundamentalskills in governing the vital energy in your body. Prana-yama breathing exercises and energy-regulating bandhasare fundamental practices that teach you how to manageyour life energy efficiently and effectively.

The practice of yoga is practice for life. Learningthese fundamental skills will serve you in all aspects ofyour life.


c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 117

c06.qxd 4/14/04 12:34 PM Page 118

Part III

Yoga Practice

c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 119

c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 120

7Consciousness in

MotionYoga Asanas

Your body is precious. It is your vehicle for awaken-ing. Treat it with care.

—Siddhartha Gautama

As you are reading these words, bring your attentioninto your body. Without moving, notice your pos-

ture. How are you sitting? Are your legs crossed? Are youin a comfortable position? Is there a part of you that isstraining? Now make any adjustments in your position toenhance your comfort level. This is yoga. Changing yourposture as a result of bringing your awareness into yourbody is the practice of yoga. The feedback loop is com-pleted as changing your posture results in a spontaneousshift in your awareness.

121

c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 121

Yoga is good for your mind and good for your body. Ofthe three important components of a balanced fitness pro-gram—flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular condition-ing—yoga directly provides the first two and has thepotential to enhance the third. Scientific studies on thehealth benefits of yoga have found that it can be useful in awide range of conditions, including hypertension, asthma,depression, arthritis, heart disease, epilepsy, and cancer.

In the Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, we havechosen postures to expand your flexibility, strengthenyour muscles, and improve your balance. Each of theSeven Spiritual Laws enlivens the practice of yoga, whilethe practice of yoga enlivens your awareness of the SevenSpiritual Laws. Whether you are a beginning or an expe-rienced yoga practitioner, this program will energize yourbody while taking your mind to a more expanded state ofawareness.

Body Awareness PosesWe’ll begin with postures that have the main purpose ofenlivening body awareness. The word for “position” inyoga is asana, which means “seat.” An asana is a positionthat you assume consciously. Yoga is the practice of con-sciously choosing the seat you assume. Although on onelevel, this means the physical position you place yourbody in, on another level, it implies that ultimately youchoose every position in life in which you find yourself.Yoga then becomes a practice for making your choicesmore consciously so that the consequences of them aresuccess and happiness.

As a human being, you have a built-in mechanism to


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 122

evaluate the choices you make in your life, which is by lis-tening to the signals of comfort or discomfort that yourbody generates as you consider your options. This is theessence of the Law of Karma, which utilizes body aware-ness to make karmically correct choices. Learning totrust the feedback your body provides will enhance yourability to make karmically correct choices in life.

There are two important benefits of practicing yogaposes that enhance mind-body integration. The first isthat yoga postures enable you to be more aware of the sig-nals your body is sending so you can interpret them accu-rately. It is easy for human beings to be so immersed intheir minds that they lose awareness of their bodies. Thebody is sending signals of what it needs, but the mind istoo preoccupied to notice the signs. The practice of yogaenables you to reduce the mental background noise soyou can pay attention to the messages of your body.

The second benefit of yoga is that regular practice ofthese poses will enhance your general level of physical andemotional comfort. If the background state of your body isone of chronic discomfort, it cannot be a reliable instru-ment by which you evaluate your choices. When usingyour body as an instrument for making choices, the subtlesensations of comfort or discomfort provide the guidancefor right action. If your baseline state is disturbed, you willnot be able to notice the shifts your body takes whenconsidering different choices. Helping your body releaseobstacles that impede the healthy flow of life energy is agreat benefit of practicing yoga postures.

Practitioners at all levels can perform these bodyawareness poses. It is important to remember that yoga isnot a competitive sport. The goal of yoga is to enhance

C o n s c i o u s n e s s i n M o t i o n 123

c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 123

the connection between your body, mind, and spirit. Theprecise performance of a posture is of secondary impor-tance to mind-body integration. Stay fully present as youmove through these postures, gently moving into andthen through your body’s resistance.

PAVANAMUKTASANA—WIND RELIEVING POSE

Begin by lying on your back, allowing your awareness tofloat through your body. If you notice any area of tensionin this resting pose, have the intention to release it. Nowtake in a deep breath and bring your right knee up toyour chest. Grasp your leg below the knee with bothhands and gently bring your chin to your knee. Hold thisposition for a few moments, breathing easily and feelingthe sensations in your body. After several breaths, slowlystraighten your leg, exhaling as you return it to the floor.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 124

Repeat the pose with your left knee, bending it toyour chest as you inhale, while raising your chin to yourknee. Again, breathe easily for a few moments, thenslowly lower your head and leg to the floor while exhaling.

Now, while inhaling, lift both knees up to your chest,grasping both of your legs with your coupled hands. Holdfor several moments, easily inhaling and exhaling andbeing aware of the sensations in your spine.

Now, holding both of your legs below the knees, gen-tly rock backward and forward three or four times, thengently rock side to side several times.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 125

Returning to your back, gently begin bicyclingmotions with your legs. Placing your hands by your sides,extend first one leg, then the other. Inhale and exhale inrhythm with each leg extension. After about half aminute, return both legs to the floor.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 126

These are useful starting poses, for they begin mobiliz-ing energy in the body. According to Ayurveda, yoga’s sis-ter branch of Vedic science, the vital airs of the body,known collectively as vayu, are the basis of all movement.Vayu governs the movement of thought, the movement ofair, the movement of muscles, the movement of blood,and the movement of elimination. On a cellular level, itregulates the movement of DNA molecules, the move-ment of proteins, and the movement of hormones. Healthresults when vayu is moving harmoniously.

Vayu has a natural lightness, which naturally impels itto move in an upward direction. When vayu is disruptedas a result of stressful experiences, its job of eliminatingtoxins down and out from the body is impaired. Impair-ment in the elimination function of vayu results inenergy stagnation, and the accumulation of subtle toxic-ity in the body. These wind relieving poses bring vayuback to its appropriate home in the pelvis so it can per-form its essential duty of moving toxins down and out ofthe body.

SARVANGASANA—SHOULDER STAND

While still on the floor, with your hands alongside yourbody, slowly raise your legs so they are perpendicular to thefloor. Gently roll your weight onto your upper back as you


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 127

elevate your hips, supporting them with both of yourhands. Keep your upper arms and elbows on the floor. Theback of your head and neck remain flat on the floor. Finda point of comfortable balance into which you can relax.Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply in this position.

HALASANA—PLOW POSE

From the shoulder stand, gently lower your legs over and behind your head so you are touching the floor withyour toes. If you cannot bring them all the way to thefloor, lower them as far as you can. Place your arms along-side you, breathing easily, and feel the stretch in yourspine and thighs. Bring your attention to your breathingand practice Ujjayi pranayama in this pose, audiblyinhaling and exhaling with slightly constricted throatmuscles.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 128

Slowly alternate between the shoulder stand and theplow pose three or four times. These two poses are bene-ficial for massaging the visceral organs and toning thethyroid gland.

Now slowly lower both legs back to the floor, restingcomfortably on your back. Witness your breath whilefeeling the sensations in your body.

The shoulder stand and plow poses circulate energy upand down your spine. When you first try the shoulderpose, you may find that your center of gravity is in yourhips and buttocks and you may have difficulty maintainingyour legs over your head. With repeated practice, youwill feel increasing comfort bringing your legs over yourhead and maintaining your balance with little effort. Youmay initially have difficulty flexing enough for your toes totouch the floor. After a few rounds of doing the shoulderstand alternating with the plow, it will be easier for you toobtain full benefit from both poses.

BHUJANGASANA—COBRA POSE

Roll from your back onto your stomach. Bring your legs andfeet together with your toes slightly pointed. Place your


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 129

palms beneath your shoulders, and while inhaling, gentlybegin raising your eyes, then your head, then your chestupward off the floor. As much as possible, use your spinalmuscles rather than your arms to lift yourself up. Yourlower abdomen should remain on the floor. Inhale as yourise and exhale as you lower yourself back down. Repeatthis several times, then lower your chest to the floor.

SALABHASANA—LOCUST POSE

From your stomach roll onto your side. Make two fists sideby side below your groin with your arms straight. Now rollback onto your stomach with your arms beneath yourchest and abdomen. As you inhale, lift your right leg offthe floor. Hold it for a few moments, then lower it whileexhaling. Repeat this motion with your left leg. If you areable to perform this fairly easily, try raising both legs offthe floor together, keeping your knees together. Inhalewhile you are lifting, hold for several moments, thenlower both legs to the floor.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 130

DHANURASANA—BOW POSE

Lying on your chest and abdomen with your forehead on thefloor, tune in to your body, breathing easily. Now, slowly anddeeply inhaling, reach behind you and grasp both ankleswith your hands. Raise your head and chest off the floorwhile pulling your ankles up and toward your head. Liftyour knees and thighs off the floor and look upward. Holdthis position for several deep breaths, then gradually loweryour legs and chest to the floor as you exhale.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 131

These three postures—cobra, locust, and bow—extend your spine to increase backward strength andflexibility. Modern life has a tendency to constrict thespine with prolonged sitting at work and while travelingin your car or in an airplane. As a result of this habit ofconstriction, breathing becomes shallower and subtleanxiety is experienced. Consciously extending the spinecounterbalances the restriction born of repeated flexionand has a noticeable effect on both physical and emo-tional well-being.

These postures have a direct effect on improvingspinal health. Our spines consist of bony spinal vertebraeseparated by shock-absorbing disks. When you perform aposture that extends the spine, the pressure is placed on theback part of the vertebral body, which has the effect of pushing the disks forward into their normal and healthy position. The muscles that run along the spine arestrengthened through these poses, so that less weight isborne directly by the disks. For people troubled by chronicback pain due to bulging vertebral disks, the cobra, locust,and bow poses help normalize the anatomy and reduceback discomfort.

JANU SIRSASANA—BENT KNEE FORWARD BEND

Rolling to your back, assume an upright sitting positionwith your legs out in front of you. Now, bend your rightknee and pull your foot tightly into your groin. Raisingboth hands over your head, exhale while slowly flexingforward at the waist, reaching forward to grasp your leftankle or foot. If you cannot bend forward far enough toreach your foot, hold your leg as far down as you can


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 132

without straining. In this position, use your breath toconsciously release further into the pose, having theintention to relax with each exhalation. Hold this posi-tion, breathing deeply for several moments, then slowlyrelease.

Repeat the pose with your left knee bent, flexing for-ward to grasp your right ankle or foot. Again, find yourpoint of resistance, then introduce the intention to surren-der, using your breath to release more deeply into the pose.Listen to the information your body is sending to you.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 133

This posture provides a stretch to the hamstring mus-cles at the back of the leg. Opening these muscles throughthis pose translates into a more fluid gait.

PADMASANA—LOTUS MUDRA

Cross both legs in front of you, with your right ankle rest-ing on your left thigh. If you can, bring your left ankleonto your right thigh, assuming a full lotus position. If youdo not yet have the flexibility in your hips and legs toachieve a full lotus, remain in a half-lotus with your leftankle beneath your right thigh.

Now, flex forward at the waist until you are restingyour lower abdomen on your thighs. Relax into this pose forseveral slow, deep breaths. Grasp your hands togetherbehind you and slowly lift your arms upward, keepingthem straight. Hold this position for ten seconds, breathingdeeply, then lower your arms and slowly return to a sittingposition.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 134

The classic lotus pose opens the pelvis and hips. Flex-ing forward in lotus increases the stretch in your hips andgroin. Try switching the leg that is on top and notice howyou are able to flex forward more easily each time.

UTTPLUTHI—UPLIFTING POSE

Continue sitting with your legs crossed in full or half-lotus. Place your hands flat on the floor on both sides ofyour thighs. Lift your entire body of the floor and hold forten seconds. Then gently lower yourself to the floor.

This posture requires some upper body strength. Atfirst, you may have difficulty raising your entire body. If so,allow your knees to remain on the floor while you raiseyour buttocks. Maintaining an upright pose, practiceshifting your center point until you feel stable. If youpractice the uplifting pose daily, you will begin liftingyour entire body off the floor within two weeks. Remember


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 135

that the primary purpose of this pose is to bring yourattention inward, enhancing the communication betweenthe mind and the body.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 136

Balancing PosesA healthy life is a life in balance. Yoga practice offers anopportunity for learning about dynamic balance. Main-taining mind-body balance provides the best platform tomake karmically correct choices, enabling you to performactions in the most efficient way. A life in balance is a lifein dharma, for every action supports the evolutionaryflow of life in which minimal resistance and maximumsuccess are generated.

A balanced mind recognizes that we have controlover the choices we make but not over the consequencesof the choices. Putting your attention on the actionrather than focusing on the fruits of action is the key tosuccessful living. Yoga offers the opportunity to develop abalanced mind by bringing your attention into a posewhile relinquishing your attachment to the outcome.Bringing balance into your body will awaken balance inyour mind, just as bringing your mind into balance willassist you in finding physical balance.

The next set of postures is designed to awaken balancein your body and mind. Learning to maintain stillness inyour body will help you cultivate stillness in your mind.At first, these balancing poses may be challenging foryou, but if you practice them regularly, you will find thembecoming easier each day, until you have mastered them.Notice how achieving stillness in your body sponta-neously supports mental stillness.

VRKSASANA—TREE POSE

Practicing this pose will help you develop the stability of atree. Stand with your feet together and your arms resting


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 137

comfortably by your sides. Close your eyes and becomeaware of your body’s natural self-balancing movements.These subtle shifts in the activation of different musclegroups to keep you from falling are being orchestrated by anelaborate neuromuscular system. Balance centers in yourinner ear and brain are continuously communicating withyour postural muscles, helping you overcome the gravita-tional force that is trying to bring you down to the ground.Feel the Law of Least Effort and the Law of Dharma atwork within you as you witness the perpetual adjustmentsthat are occurring without your conscious input.

Now open your eyes and bend your right knee, bring-ing the sole of your right foot as high as possible onto yourleft thigh. Hold this position until you feel steady, then,


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 138

while balancing on your left leg, raise your arms overyour head until your palms are together. Look straightahead, breathing easily, and hold the pose until youbarely require any adjustment to maintain your balance.

Lower your right leg to the floor, close your eyes, andagain bring your attention in to your body, tuning in toyour sense of balance and noticing any subtle changesthat may have occurred as a result of holding the treepose. Now, bring the sole of your left foot onto the inneraspect of your right thigh as high as possible, balancing onyour right leg. Maintain stillness for about ten seconds,then return your left leg to the floor.

Practice the tree pose whenever your mind is turbu-lent. You will notice that as you bring your attention intothe present moment, your body becomes still and yourmind quiets.

EKPADASANA—ONE FOOT POSTURE

Standing with your feet together, extend both arms infront of you so your palms are facing downward with yourindex fingers together. Balancing on your right leg, par-tially bend your left knee, bringing your left leg in front ofyou. Find your point of stillness while maintaining balanceon your right leg.

Once you feel stable, slowly bring your left leg behindyou while flexing at the waist until your left leg isextended out parallel to the floor. While you balance onyour right leg, your arms remain in front of you with yourpalms facing the floor. Bring your attention to yourbreath as you find your center point of stillness.

Hold this pose for about ten seconds, then slowlyreturn your leg to the floor and resume standing with


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 139

your arms at your sides. Close your eyes for a few moments,checking in with your body.

Repeat the posture with your left leg on the floor, firstfinding your balance with your right leg in front of you,then slowly bringing it behind you as you gently leanforward with your arms reaching forward. Slowly return toa standing position with both feet on the floor.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 140

. . .

There will be times when your one-pointed attentionlocks in to a pose and body and mind come together.This is the essence of yoga. You are in present-momentawareness and there is effortless communication betweenyour body and your mind.

TRIKONASANA—TRIANGLE POSE

From a standing pose, spread your legs apart so your feetare a little less than twice as wide as your shoulders.While inhaling, raise both arms straight up to shoulderheight so they are parallel to the floor.

Turn your left foot 90 degrees outward, and bendingfrom the waist, slide your left arm down your left leg untilyou can grasp your ankle just above your foot. If you can-not reach this far, grab hold of your leg as far down as youcan reach. Bring your right arm up so it is straight andpointing directly toward the ceiling. Look up toward yourreaching hand.

Hold this triangle posture, breathing deeply for five orsix breaths, then gradually return to an upright positionwith your arms outstretched. Close your eyes and check inwith your body for a few moments.

Repeat the pose with the opposite arm and leg. Turnyour right foot outward 90 degrees and then slide yourright arm down your leg, grasping your ankle while yourleft arm is pointing straight up. Take several slow, deepbreaths before returning to an upright position.

The classical triangle pose enlivens both balance andflexibility. Use this pose to open your chest. Stretching


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 141

while maintaining your balance is a great skill to developin your yoga practice and in your life.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 142

DANDAYAMANA KONASANA—STANDING ANGLE POSE

Standing with your legs apart and your arms outstretchedat shoulder height parallel to the floor, slowly bend for-ward, grasping your ankles with your hands. If you cannotreach as far as your ankles, grasp your legs as close to yourankles as you can. Now gently pull your head downtoward the floor while you press your hips upward.

Hold this position for about ten seconds while slowlyinhaling and exhaling, using your breath to surrender fur-ther into the pose. Slowly return to an upright position,take a few deep breaths, then repeat the standing anglepose two more times. Notice how each time you go intothis posture it becomes easier to perform.

Flexion into this pose is initiated from your hips. Youwill feel stretching in your groin and lower spine. If you


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 143

cannot grasp your ankles, try resting your hands on thefloor in front of you and gradually walk them back towardyour feet.

This pose allows you to see the world from a differentangle, one of the benefits of yoga practice. Every person isa point of perspective, and it is easy for each of us tobecome attached to our particular point of view. Overtime, this contributes to rigidity and judgment. Lookingfor opportunities to see the world from a new perspectivenurtures flexibility in mind and body.

DANDAYAMANA DHANURASANA—STANDING BOW POSE

Stand with your feet together with both arms straight infront of you, palms facing downward. Bending your leftknee, reach behind you with your left hand and graspyour left ankle. Flexing forward at the waist, pull your leftleg upward as far as you can comfortably stretch it, keep-ing your right hand forward and parallel to the floor. You


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 144

should feel a stretch in your thigh muscles. If you cannotmaintain your balance without holding on, grab onto theback of a chair with your hand until you find your center.Hold this pose for ten seconds, then release your left legand allow it to return to the floor.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 145

Repeat the pose on the opposite side, starting withyour feet together and hands outstretched. Then reachback, grasping your right ankle with your right handwhile you keep your left arm outstretched in front, palmfacing downward. Hold this balancing pose for about tenseconds, then slowly return to a standing position.

The metaphor of the bow is used widely in yoga. To hitthe target you are aiming at, you must first pull back to astill point that is full with potential. There is a classicVedic story of an archery class in which Arjuna with hisbrothers and cousins are receiving instructions from themaster archer, Drona. In a distant tree, Drona had placeda wooden bird onto which he had painted an artificial eye.He then asked each young man in succession to pull backan arrow but not release it until the student describedwhat he was seeing. The first apprentice said that he sawthe bird, the tree, the surrounding land, and the other stu-dents standing around him. Drona told him to put downthe bow without launching the arrow. Each subsequentstudent responded similarly upon being asked the samequestion. When it was Arjuna’s turn, his response was,“All I see is the eye of the bird.” When asked by Drona,“Don’t you see the bird, the trees, and the surroundingpeople?” Arjuna replied, “No, Guru, all I can see is theeye.” At this response, Drona instructed him to release thearrow, which struck a bull’s-eye.

The technology for success in life is first to pull back toa still, quiet inner place from which you can becomeclear about your goal, and then act with the full power ofyour intention. In yoga, the bow poses remind you todive deep within yourself to find your quiet, unbounded


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 146

state of awareness. When you act from this expandeddomain of consciousness, your intentions will be powerfuland success will be more likely.

GARUDASANA—EAGLE POSE

Most people find the eagle pose challenging when theyfirst try it, but it usually can be mastered within a shortperiod of time. Standing with your feet together, bendboth knees, then shift your weight to your left foot. Crossyour right leg around the front of your left until you canhook your toes inside your left calf muscle. You will needto keep your left knee bent to achieve this.

While your legs are wrapped and maintaining yourbalance, bend your right elbow and cross your left armbetween your right arm and your chest. Place the fingers ofyour right hand onto the palm of your left hand and point


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 147

your fingertips to the ceiling. Hold this twisted pose forten seconds, then unwind.

Repeat this balancing posture on the opposite side byshifting your weight to your right foot and wrapping yourleft leg around your right, hooking your left toes insideyour right calf. This time, wind your right arm aroundyour left so that the fingers of your left hand rest in yourright palm. The opposite leg and arm are on top.

In Vedic mythology, Garuda is the eagle god—halfbird and half man. He is frequently shown carryingVishnu, the god who maintains the universe. Garuda isknown as the destroyer of obstacles to the fulfillment ofdesires. Develop the focused attention and balancerequired to master the eagle pose and obstacles will dis-sipate from your life.

Practice these balancing poses on a regular basis and inaddition to mastering the postures, you will find it easier tomaintain your balance in all situations in your life. Anunderlying fundamental principle of yoga is the relation-ship between the individual and the cosmos, between themicrocosm and the macrocosm. The skills gained duringthe practice of yoga translate into life skills. Everyonecan benefit from greater balance in life.

Yoga in Motion—Salutations to the SunThe twelve poses of the sun salutations offer an opportu-nity to enhance flexibility and strength while improvingcirculatory health. The set of postures has been describedas the most complete exercise available, so if you have


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 148

only limited time for yoga, the sun salutations are yourbest choice.

Through the twelve poses of the sun salutations, allmajor muscle groups and all major joints are exercised.These poses also massage and stimulate your major inter-nal organs. These postures are designed to awaken theconnection between your agni, or inner fire, and that ofthe sun. The word agni is the root of the English wordignite. When your agni is burning brightly, you are capableof digesting the energy and information you ingest on adaily basis, be it food, ideas, or emotional experiences.When your inner fire is weak and sputtering, you do notfully metabolize your daily life experiences. The residues ofincomplete metabolism are stored in your body/mind,leading to fatigue and weakened immunity. When prac-ticed along with following a healthy diet, a good daily routine, and the conscious avoidance of physical andemotional toxicity, the sun salutations are designed tokindle your inner fire so you can radiate the best of whoyou are.

The poses of Surya Namaskar represent the full expe-rience of human life with all its highs and lows and ins andouts. Traditionally performed at sunrise and sunset, thepostures represent the metabolism of the sun’s energyinto life energy. The sun is the source of all life on thisplanet. Ultimately we are beings of light, and the sunsalutations acknowledge this primordial connection.

Performed slowly, the twelve poses encourage flexibil-ity and strength. Performed rapidly, the sun salutes canprovide a vigorous cardiovascular workout.

Along with each posture of Surya Namaskar is amantra that awakens an aspect of the energy of the sun.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 149

Say these sounds as you perform each pose and your mindwill quiet and expand while you focus on the posture.

1. PRANAMASANA—SALUTATION POSE

Begin with your feet firmly planted on the ground in thesalutation pose, inhaling and exhaling easily. Allow yourattention to go inside and become aware of the currentlevel of energy in your body. The mantra for the salutationpose acknowledges the unconditional life-giving powerof the sun. This pose resonates with the heart chakra andthe Law of Giving and Receiving.

The mantra for the salutation pose is Om MitrayaNamaha.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 150

2. HASTA UTTANASANA—SKY REACHING POSE

With your buttock muscles tightened, begin stretching uptoward the sky while inhaling into the sky reaching pose.Stretch upward through your back, chest, arms, and neck.The mantra for this pose acknowledges the darkness-dispelling power of the sun. This pose awakens the throatchakra of expression and the Law of Detachment.

The mantra for this pose is Om Ravaye Namaha.

3. PADA HASTASANA—HAND TO FEET POSE

Next gently stretch forward while exhaling. Place yourhands on the outsides of your feet, gently pressing your


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 151

head toward your knees. Bend your knees as much as youneed to in the hand to feet pose. In this forward flexion,you balance the extension of the previous pose. Themantra for this pose acknowledges the continuous move-ment of the sun, which induces daily and seasonalrhythms. It is associated with the creativity chakra and theLaw of Least Effort.

The mantra for this pose is Om Suryaya Namaha.

4. ASHWA SANCHALANASANA—EQUESTRIAN POSE

Now stretch back your right leg while looking upward,breathing easily in the equestrian pose. The mantraacknowledges the wisdom that dawns when light isbrought onto a subject. It is associated with the chakra ofintuition and the Law of Dharma.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 152

The mantra for this pose is Om Bhanave Namaha.

5. PARVATASANA—MOUNTAIN POSE

Next move into the mountain pose, with both legsstraight and together, raising your buttocks into the air,stretching your arms. The mantra for this pose celebratesthe unlimited power of the sun. It is associated with thethroat chakra of expression and the Law of Detachment.

The mantra for the mountain pose is Om KhagayaNamaha.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 153

6. ASTHANGA NAMASKAR—EIGHT LIMBS POSE

From this position, lower yourself gently to the ground,touching your forehead, chest, and knees to the floor,while maintaining the bulk of your weight on your handsand toes. This is the eight limbs pose. The mantraacknowledges the nourishment the sun provides to all liv-ing beings on earth. It is associated with the solar plexus(energy) chakra and the Law of Intention and Desire.

The mantra for the eight limbs pose is Om PooshneNamaha.

7. BHUJANGASANA—COBRA POSE

Move directly into the cobra pose, rising off the groundusing primarily your back and chest muscles. Do notoverextend by pushing off with your hands. The mantrafor this pose acknowledges the inner light that isreflected in the outer light of the sun. This pose resonateswith the creativity chakra and the Law of Least Effort.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 154

The mantra for the cobra pose is Om Hiranya GarbhyaNamaha.

Return CycleThe second half of the sun salutations is a retracing of thefirst half.

8. PARVATASANA—MOUNTAIN POSE

Return again to the mountain pose, this time introduc-ing the mantra Om Marichaya Namaha, which acknowl-edges the transformational power of the sun. The Sanskritname for black pepper is marich; it is believed to containlarge amounts of solar energy.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 155

9. ASHWA SANCHALANASANA—EQUESTRIAN POSE

Then move into the equestrian pose, this time with yourleft leg back. This mantra, Om Aditya Namaha, acknowl-edges the maternal nurturing aspect of the sun.

10. PADA HASTASANA—HAND TO FEET POSE

Continue the cycle by moving into the hand to feet pose,using the mantra Om Savitre Namaha, which acknowl-edges the stimulating power of the sun.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 156

11. HASTA UTTANASANA—SKY REACHING POSE

Then move into the sky reaching pose, reciting themantra Om Arkaya Namaha, which acknowledges theenergizing aspect of the sun.

12. PRANAMASANA—SALUTATION POSE

Finally, return to the beginning by moving back into thesalutation pose, using the mantra Om BhaskarayaNamaha, which acknowledges the aspect of the sun thatkindles the memory of wholeness.

The speed and vigor of the poses should be adjusted tosuit your body type. It’s best to start with a total of tensets. As you become more comfortable, you can graduallyincrease the number. Breathe in harmony with the


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 157

movements, so that you’re inhaling each time the body isextended and exhaling each time you move into flexion.The postures are most beneficial when performed in asmooth, flowing, sequential manner.

According to yoga, if you do the sun salutations everyday of your life, your mind will remain alert and vibrantand your body will be light and flexible.

Sun Salutations in a ChairWe believe that the sun salutations provide such benefit,and we have developed a modified version that can be per-formed in a chair. You can perform these modified sunsalutations while riding as a passenger in a car on anextended road trip, sitting at your desk at work, or flying inan airplane. These poses relieve tension in your spine,enhance circulation, and ease soreness in your muscles.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 158

Begin with the salutation pose by sitting comfortablyin your chair with your spine upright and your hands atyour chest, breathing easily.

Inhaling, reach upward with both hands into the skyreaching pose, extending your spine.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 159

Bending forward into the hand to feet pose, lay yourchest on your knees and allow your hands to rest alongsideyour feet. Exhale.

Arching your back into the extension pose (similar tothe equestrian pose), pull your left knee up while lookingtoward the ceiling. Inhale.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 160

Partially exhale while bringing your chin downtoward your left knee into the flexion pose (similiar to themountain pose), gently rolling your back forward.

Again, flex forward into the hand to feet pose withyour chest on your knees and your hands on the floornext to your feet. Exhale fully.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 161

With your hands and arms remaining down by yourlegs, arch your back and neck into the cobra pose whileinhaling partially.

Now fully inhale as you bring your right knee up intothe extension pose (similar to the equestrian pose) whileextending your back in a gentle arch.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 162

Partially exhale as you bend forward into the flexionpose (similar to the mountain pose), bringing your chin toyour right knee.

Fully exhaling, bend forward into the hand to feetpose with your chest on your knees, your neck flexed, andyour arms alongside your legs.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 163

Stretch upward into the sky reaching pose, extendingyour spine while fully inhaling.

Return to the resting salutation pose with your handsat your chest, breathing easily.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 164

Energy-Opening PosesLife energy flows up and down the spinal column. Inyoga, the seven chakras are connected through threeenergetic pathways known as Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna.

Ida carries prana through the left side of the body,conducting feminine, lunar energy. When you arebreathing through your left nostril, your Ida channel isopen and receptive energy is active in your body/mind.

Pingala is the conduit for energy on the right side ofthe body, transmitting masculine, solar energy. Whenyou are breathing through your right nostril, your active,goal-directed energy is more dominant.

Sushumna runs up the middle of the body, providingthe connection between the root chakra at the base of thespine and the lotus center at the crown of the head.

When these channels are open, vital energy is able toflow freely. The vital energy rising up through the spine isknown as the awakening of Kundalini,sometimes visualized as the uncoil-ing of a snake at the base of thespine. These final poses aredesigned to release congestionin the spine, enabling prana tonourish every organ, tissue, andcell in your body.

MATSYENDRASANA—SPINAL TWIST

(LORD OF THE FISH POSE)

Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Bendyour left leg and place your foot on the floor next to yourright thigh. Place your right arm around your left knee and


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 165

hold your right knee while twisting your spine to the left.Hold this position, breathing easily. With every exhala-tion, allow yourself to surrender into the pose.

Return to the midline and repeat the posture on theother side by bending your right leg and placing yourright foot on the floor next to your left thigh. Place yourleft arm around your right knee while twisting your spine


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 166

to the right. Again, breathe easily into the pose, usingyour breath to increase your flexibility. As you becomemore flexible, reach around and grasp the ankle of the footthat is placed on the floor. Hold for ten seconds, thenreturn to center.

Close your eyes for a few moments and put yourattention on your spine. Envision the life force flowing upfrom the base of your spine through your pelvis, into yourabdomen, up through your heart, through your throat,between your eyes, and into your head. Imagine thethousand-petal lotus flower at your crown chakra opening.Activate the intention to live your life from a moreexpanded state of awareness as a result of energy flowingfreely through your body.

According to Vedic mythology, Lord Shiva was instruct-ing his consort Parvati on the essence of yoga on theshore of a remote island. Shiva noticed that a fish was lis-tening intently to the discourse. Moved by the fish’s con-centration, Shiva gave a blessing over the aquatic animal,enabling it to assume a celestial form, whom Shiva namedMatsyendra, or Lord of the Fishes. This pose is named inhonor of this unusual sentient being.

CHAKRASANA—KNEELING WHEEL

From the spinal twist pose, roll your legs around so that youare on your knees with your feet close together behindyou. Arch your back and grasp your right ankle with yourright hand and your left ankle with your left hand. Raiseyour hips up toward the ceiling while allowing your headto relax backward. Breathe easily in this position for


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 167

about ten seconds, then slowly lower your hips and raiseyourself up, so you are again resting on your knees. Closeyour eyes and with your attention in your spine, envisionenergy moving up from your base to your skull.

This pose opens the pelvis and the spine, strengthen-ing the neck and back muscles. Be conscious of yourbreath while holding this pose, having the intention to expand your chest with each deep inhalation whileyou stretch upward. In addition to forming the shape of awheel (chakra), this pose activates each energy center.

VAJRASANA—DIAMOND POSE

Beginning on your knees with your body upright, gentlylower yourself down until you are sitting on your heels.Rest in this position for a few moments, then lift yourself


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 168

off your heels. Again allow yourself to settle onto yourheels. Become aware of your breathing and allow yourselfto relax more deeply with each breath. Activating theLaw of Intention and Desire, envision energy freely flow-ing up your spine.

This is an energizing pose that awakens energy in thelower chakras. With practice you will see increasingflexibility in your hips, knees, and ankles. It providesbenefits for people suffering with digestive disturbancesand hemorrhoids.

The diamond is the precious gem that has the highestspiritual frequency representing purity and eternity. Ithas the ability to cut through almost everything else in the world. The diamond pose awakens the balanced state of mind-body integration that allows you to cutthrough ignorance with the wisdom of the infinite andunbounded field of life.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 169

MATSYASANA—FISH POSE

The fish pose provides a similar stretch to the spine as thediamond pose, but it is a little easier for most people. Notto be confused with the Lord of the Fish pose, matsyaopens the chest, allowing for greater lung aeration. It isclassically performed in a full lotus position, but it can alsobe done in half-lotus.

Sitting comfortably in the lotus posture, gently loweryour back so you are lying on the floor with your crossedlegs in the air. Place your palms flat on the floor justunderneath your buttocks. While arching your back,lower your crossed legs to the floor. Resting on your bentelbows and forearms, continue arching your back untilthe crown of your head is on the floor. Breathe easilywhile holding this position for fifteen seconds. Thenlower your back to the floor and slowly uncross your legs.

If you are unable to get into a full lotus, you can per-form a simpler modification of the fish pose. Lying onyour back, bend your knees and bring your heels as close asyou can to your buttocks. Bear your weight on your


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 170

elbows and forearms while arching your back until you areable to rest the top of your head on the floor. Feeling thestretch in your neck and back, hold this posture for fifteenseconds, then slowly lower your back and then your legs tothe ground.

BALASANA—CHILD’S POSE

Kneeling on the floor, overlap your big toes and sit on yourheels. Separate your knees and slowly bend forward untilyou are resting your body between your thighs. Lay yourhands on the floor alongside your torso, palms up, andrelease your shoulders toward the floor. Rest your foreheadon the floor and breathe easily.

The child’s pose is a comfortable resting posture that allows you to quiet your mind as your body settlesinto deeper relaxation. In many ways it is the asanaequivalent of the fetal position. Bring the Law of LeastEffort into your awareness as you surrender into the


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 171

child’s pose, feeling the sense of inner safety that thisposture generates.

Children are flexible and have an amazing capacity toadapt to changing situations even as they have limitedability to control the course of their own lives. Despite thefact that they are subject to the will of adults who directtheir lives, children are able to find joy in their presentmoment. Flexibility and adaptability are valuable qualitiesthat yoga can cultivate to reestablish some of theresiliency of youth.

Carl Jung once said that as children we have uncon-scious perfection. As adults we become conscious of ourimperfection. Finally, with wisdom we achieve a state ofconscious perfection.

The child’s pose provides an opportunity to quiet themind, relax the body, and celebrate the state of consciousperfection. Whenever you feel that the demands of theworld are becoming too burdensome, assume this poseand allow the Law of Least Effort and the Law of Detach-ment to spontaneously awaken within you.

Yoga in ActionThe human body is designed for movement. When youare able to move freely, effortlessly, and in harmony withyour environment, you experience joy and vitality on alllevels of life. This is the highest expression of the Law ofDharma—established in a state of expanded inner aware-ness, you perform activity with dynamic ease. The regularpractice of yoga enables you to expand your limitations.As the body becomes more flexible, the mind becomesmore flexible. As the body gains strength, the mind gains


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 172

strength. As you learn to maintain a centered state ofbalance physically, you spontaneously feel more centeredand balanced mentally and emotionally.

According to the Seven Spiritual Laws, you have thepotential to create a magnificent life filled with wisdom,success, and love. The creative cauldron of Pure Poten-tiality resides within you in the domain of silence at thesource of your mind and body. You can access this fieldthrough the stillness cultivated in your practice of yoga.

Joy in life flows from the effortless giving and receiv-ing that derives from a deep connectedness to spirit.Every breath and movement you perform in yoga remindsyou to allow vital energy to flow freely between your per-sonal body and your extended body, spontaneously awak-ening the Law of Giving and Receiving in your life.

The Law of Karma reminds you that every action hasits reaction. Performing actions consciously in your yogapractice ensures that the reactions generated by yourchoices are more likely to be evolutionary for you and forthose around you.

Opening to the possibility that you don’t have tostruggle so hard to achieve your goals is the essence of theLaw of Least Effort. Every practice session of yogareminds you of this basic principle. If you force yourselfinto a posture, you will almost certainly pay the price thenext day of decreased rather than increased flexibility.Yoga is practice for living life with finesse.

Your intentions orchestrate their fulfillment. Becomeaware of the Law of Intention and Desire in your yogapractice as you move into every posture. Introduce yourintention and then let go. It is this paradoxical coexis-tence of the Law of Intention and Desire along with the


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 173

Law of Detachment that taps into the power of nature tosupport your deepest aspirations.

Every moment is as it should be. From the beginningof time and space, the universe has been unfolding asthrough unfathomable multidimensional coincidences.Struggling against this moment is struggling against theentire universe.

The practice of yoga awakens the Law of Dharma inyour life by teaching you to feel your way. Your body iscapable of calculating the most evolutionary choicesavailable to you at every moment. You simply need to beable to listen to the signals it is sending you in its desire tosupport your happiness and health.

A yogic practice eliminates the static in the communi-cation lines between your mind and body. The clarity,flexibility, balance, strength, and centered awareness thatyou cultivate while practicing your postures will serve youwell throughout your day and throughout your life.


c07.qxd 4/14/04 12:35 PM Page 174

8The Seven SpiritualLaws of Yoga Session

We have what we seek. It is there all the time, andif we give it time it will make itself known to us.

—Thomas Merton

You now have all the components for the completeSeven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program. The full

program is designed to take your body and mind from astate of deep silence through conscious breathing intopositions that enhance flexibility, strength, and balance.Vigorous performance of the sun salutations will alsohelp condition your cardiovascular system, while energy-governing exercises enable you consciously to channelyour vital force. After performing the physical tech-niques, we encourage you to spend a few minutes bringingthe spiritual law of the day into your awareness so it

175

c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 175

remains lively throughout the day. The major facets of theprogram include:

Pranayama breathing exercises

Meditation

Flexibility postures

Balance postures

Sun salutations

Bandhas

Energy-opening postures

The spiritual law of the day

As a sign of commitment to the well-being of yourbody, mind, and soul, spend some time every day practic-ing yoga. When practicing on your own, an ideal sessionis as follows:

Pranayama (5 to 10 minutes)Begin with five to ten minutes of pranayama breathingexercises. Start with several rounds of Bhastrika, or bellowsbreath, to clear your body of toxins. Then perform three orfour Dirgha breaths, bringing air sequentially into yourlower, middle, and upper lung spaces. Next, shift intoUjjayi breathing for several minutes, slowly inhaling andexhaling with a slight contraction of your throat muscles.Finally, move into Nadi Shodhana, or alternate nostrilbreathing. Partially close your eyes as you perform NadiShodhana to draw your attention inward. Dependingupon how much time you have available, spend five to tenminutes performing your breathing exercises.


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 176

Bhastrika (1 to 2 minutes)—bellows breath

Dirgha (1 to 2 minutes)—complete breath

Ujjayi (1 to 2 minutes)—success breath

Nadi Shodhana (2 to 4 minutes)—clearing breath

So Hum Meditation (10 to 30 minutes)After clearing the subtle channels of circulation withyour pranayama breathing exercises, you are ready totake your attention to a more expanded state of awarenessthrough meditation. Close your eyes completely and sim-ply become aware of your thoughts for a few moments,then sequentially bring your attention to each of theseven chakras, audibly intoning the mantra for eachenergy center.

After awakening these junction points between the mind and the body, it is time to calm your mind.Begin your silent meditation by practicing breathingawareness using the So Hum mantra or any other mind-quieting procedure you have learned. We encourage youto learn Primordial Sound Meditation from a qualifiedinstructor.

Meditation ideally is practiced for twenty to thirtyminutes. If you cannot accommodate this full-time, allowfor at least ten minutes of meditation during your yogapractice. Always take a few minutes at the end of yourmeditation to gently stretch and move before openingyour eyes.

T h e S e v e n S p i r i t u a l L a w s o f Yo g a S e s s i o n 177

c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 177

Flexibility Postures (10 to 20 minutes)Having cleared your channels and quieted your mind,you are now ready to begin moving energy consciouslythrough the yoga poses. Begin with the flexibility poses,taking a minute or two to move into each of the ninepostures.

1. PAVANAMUKTASANA—WIND RELIEVING POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 178

2. SARVANGASANA—SHOULDER STAND

3. HALASANA—PLOW POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 179

4. BHUJANGASANA—COBRA POSE

5. SALABHASANA—LOCUST POSE

6. DHANURASANA—BOW POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 180

7. JANU SIRASANA—BENT KNEE FORWARD BEND

8. PADMASANA—LOTUS FLEXION


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 181

9. UTTPLUTHI—UPLIFTING POSE

Balancing Postures (5 to 10 minutes)With enhanced flexibility, you naturally become better atmaintaining your balance. Spend about a minute in eachof the six balancing poses, noticing how your inner men-tal turbulence quiets as you find your physical center.

1. VRKSASANA—TREE POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 182

2. EKPADASANA—ONE FOOT POSE

3. TRIKONASANA—TRIANGLE POSE

4. DANDAYAMANA KONASANA—STANDING ANGLE POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 183

5. DANDAYAMANA DHANURASANA—STANDING BOW POSE

6. GARUDASANA—EAGLE POSE

Sun Salutations (5 to 20 minutes)The flowing sequential movements of the sun salutationscan be performed slowly or energetically. In the context ofthis sequence, we recommend you perform your twelve


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 184

postures briskly. Begin with six sets, which may take youabout five minutes, gradually progressing until you areperforming sun salutations for fifteen to twenty minutes.In addition to stretching your muscles and joints, youwill exercise your heart and improve your circulation.

1. SALUTATION POSE

2. SKY REACHING POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 185

3. HAND TO FEET POSE

4. EQUESTRIAN POSE

5. MOUNTAIN POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 186

6. EIGHT LIMBS POSE

7. COBRA POSE

8. MOUNTAIN POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 187

9. EQUESTRIAN POSE

10. HAND TO FEET POSE

11. SKY REACHING POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 188

12. SALUTATION POSE

Bandhas (2 to 5 minutes)It is useful at this stage to perform your energy-governingtechniques. Begin with the chin lock bandha, in whichyou fully exhale, flexing your head forward, and theninhale against a closed throat. Release after several sec-onds, then begin the stomach-lift bandha, in which youraise your stomach using your abdominal and diaphragmmuscles. Finally, awaken the energy at the base of yourspine by performing the root bandha, contracting yoursphincter muscles.

Jalandhara bandha (1 minute)—chin lock

Uddiyana bandha (1 minute)—stomach lift

Moola bandha (1 minute)—root lock


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 189

Energy-Opening Postures (5 to 10 minutes)Ending your asana set with these four energy-openingposes enables you to channel vitality into all aspects ofyour life. Perform each of these postures with consciousawareness, allowing the life force to flow effortlessly intoevery organ, tissue, and cell of your body.

1. MATSYENDRASANA—SPINAL TWIST


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 190

2. CHAKRASANA—KNEELING WHEEL POSE

3. SUPTAVAJRASANA—DIAMOND KNEELING

4. BALASANA—CHILD’S POSE


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 191

Activate the Spiritual Law of the Day (5 minutes)At the end of your program, lie on your back with yourarms at your sides and allow your total awareness to be inyour body. Enjoy the sensations generated by consciouslymoving the life force through you.

Bring the spiritual law of the day into your awareness,committing to enlivening it by attending to the threeactivating intentions. As a result of the expanded aware-ness, flexibility, and balance you have generated in yourpractice, the law of the day will spontaneously support youin the fulfillment of your deepest desires.

Spiritual Law of the Day

Day Spiritual Law Activating Intentions

Sunday Pure Potentiality 1. Cultivate stillness2. Commune with nature3. Practice nonjudgment

Monday Giving and 1. Practice breath awarenessReceiving 2. Cultivate gratitude

3. Acknowledge your needs

Tuesday Karma (or Cause 1. Witness your choicesand Effect) 2. Consider the consequences

3. Listen to your heart

Wednesday Least Effort 1. Practice acceptance2. Accept responsibility3. Be defenseless

Thursday Intention and 1. Be clear of your intentionsDesire 2. Trust the outcome

3. Practice present momentawareness


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 192

Day Spiritual Law Activating Intentions

Friday Detachment 1. Practice detachment2. Embrace uncertainty3. Surrender to the field of

pure potentiality

Saturday Dharma 1. Attend to your silent(or Purpose witnessin Life) 2. Acknowledge your talents

3. Serve others

PrioritizingIf you spend some time in each stage of this program, youcan spend as little as three-quarters of an hour or almosttwo hours in your practice. Decide for yourself the paceand intensity that you can execute. The time you spendwill yield rewards physically, emotionally, and spiritually.Commit to this program for one month and you will be ayogi for life.


c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 193

c08.qxd 4/14/04 12:36 PM Page 194

Conclusion

From here, what you see you become.—Patanjali

According to Indian philosophy, yoga is the system ofgaining knowledge through direct experience. A

chemist may understand the molecular basis of a straw-berry. A geneticist may understand the DNA sequencesthat underlie different varieties of strawberries. A botanistmay know the precise soil and water requirements for astrawberry plant to thrive. A yogi knows the strawberry bytaking a bite.

Yoga declares that you can understand reality by con-sciously experiencing the different layers of your life—physical, mental, and spiritual. By tuning in to thesensations of your body, you can understand the workingsof physiology. By listening to your inner dialogue, youcan understand the nature of the mind. By going beyond

195

bafter.qxd 4/14/04 12:45 PM Page 195

your body and your mind, you can directly experienceyour essential spiritual core.

Yoga encourages you to expand your sense of self soyou can solve the challenges that arise in your life. Each ofus is a heroic character on the battlefield of life. Theperennial story of life is depicted in the Indian classic, theBhagavad Gita, in which the forces of good and the forcesof evil find residence in two clans of the same family. ThePandava clan, led by Arjuna, represents right action inaccordance with natural law. The Kauravas, headed byDuryodhana, represent action performed with limitedawareness resulting in outcomes that cause suffering tothose affected by the choices made. The Bhagavad Gitabegins with these two opposing forces on the battlefield oflife preparing for massive conflict.

Both Arjuna and Duryodhana ask Lord Krishna, rep-resenting the state of expanded consciousness, for sup-port. Krishna offers one leader the use of his army whilethe other gets him as his personal charioteer. Duryo-dhana gets to choose first and takes the army, believingthat the power of might will provide him the greatestbenefit. The power of expanded awareness in the form ofKrishna goes to Arjuna.

Krishna takes Arjuna above the battlefield, whereArjuna confesses his confusion about what to do. On theone hand, he believes it is his duty to fight his relatives whohave created havoc in the world. On the other hand, hefeels tremendous compassion for the uncles and cousinswho have played important roles in his life. Arjuna is par-alyzed by his inner battle. The tremendous value of yoga isthe depiction of this classic conflict between heart andmind that each of us faces during our lives.



While time is suspended, Krishna teaches Arjuna theessence of yoga, telling him that good and evil, pleasureand pain, and loss and gain are two sides of the same coinof life. The solution that yoga offers is to go beyond therealm of duality and become established in the state ofbeing that is beyond time, space, and causality. Oncerooted in this connection to spirit, Arjuna is exhorted toenter into battle to rebalance the forces of nature.

Krishna tells Arjuna, “Go beyond the realm of goodand evil where life is dominated by beginnings and end-ings. Enter into the domain of yoga, where all dualityfinds its unity. Established in unity, perform activity thatsupports dharma.”

This is the ultimate purpose of a yoga practice. Yogatakes you into the realm of Pure Potentiality, where any-thing is possible. It awakens the Law of Giving andReceiving as you become aware of the continuousexchange of your life energy with the life energy of the uni-verse. Flexing and extending through your poses, youexpress the Law of Karma as you recognize that everyaction generates a proportionate reaction. The Law ofLeast Effort becomes lively as you surrender into each pos-ture, releasing rather than forcing your way into a position.Combining the Law of Intention with the Law of Detach-ment, yoga demonstrates that introducing your desire andallowing nature to orchestrate its fulfillment maximizesachievement while minimizing strain. Finally, movinggracefully, sensitively, and consciously is the technology ofliving the Law of Dharma in which your actions have a pos-itive effect on you and your environment.

Any reason for practicing yoga is a good reason.Enhancing flexibility and releasing stress are as noble a

C o n c l u s i o n 197


purpose for performing yoga as the awakening of spiritu-ality. This is the great gift of yoga—it serves and nourishesus at every level of our being and spontaneously con-tributes to greater well-being in all domains of life.

The practice of yoga is worthy of your valuable timeand attention. Yoga will help you discover gifts withinyourself that have remained unopened since your child-hood—gifts of peace, harmony, laughter, and love.



RecommendedReading

By Deepak

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. San Rafael, Calif.:Amber-Allen Publishing, 1994.

How to Know God. New York: Harmony Books, 2000.

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire. New York: Har-mony Books, 2003.

By David

The Wisdom of Healing. New York: Three Rivers Press,1997.

Return to Wholeness. New York: John Wiley & Sons,1999.

Vital Energy. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000.

199

bfurread.qxd 4/14/04 12:45 PM Page 199

By Our Teachers

Aurobindo, Sri. Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo’s Teachingand Method of Practice. Twin Lakes, Wisc.: LotusPress, 1993.

Frawley, David. Yoga and Ayurveda. Twin Lakes, Wisc.:Lotus Press, 1999.

Iyengar, B. K. S. Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.London: Thorsons, 1996.

Maharaj, Nisargadatta. I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisarga-datta. Durham, N.C.: Acorn Press, 1973.

Osho. Meditation: The First and Last Freedom. New York:St. Martin’s Press, 1996.

Saraswati, Swami Satyananda. Asana Pranayama MudraBandha. Munger, Bihar, India: Yoga PublicationsTrust, 1996.

Venkantesananda, Swami. The Concise Yoga Vasishta.Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press, 1985.

Viveka-Chudamani. Shankara’s Crest Jewel of Discrimina-tion. Hollywood, Calif.: Vedenta Press, 1978.

200 R e c o m m e n d e d R e a d i n g

bfurread.qxd 4/14/04 12:45 PM Page 200

IndexPage numbers in italics refer to illustrations.

201

acceptance, practicing, 61–62Advaita, 14ahankara, 18–19Ajna (intuition chakra), 88–89, 152

color of, 89mantra to awaken, 89

Anahata (heart chakra), 86–87color of, 87mantra for, 87

annamaya kosha, 16Asana, 39–40asanas

benefits of performing, 39–40chosen in Seven Spiritual Laws of

Yoga program, 40defined, 122

Ashwa-sanchalanasana (equestrianpose), 152–153, 153, 186, 188

Asthanga Namaskar (eight limbspose), 154, 154, 187

attachmentbasis of, 66–67

attention, 45–46, 64, 68and intention meditation, 95–96

Aum, 81, 90autonomic nervous system, 100–101awareness

ability to consciously experiencenonlocal and local, 94

being settled in pure, unbounded,47–48

centered, xii, 12, 113changing posture and, 121complaints of thought, 92–93constricted, 35, 42

taking mind to expanded, from, 78–80

in defenselessness, establishing,62–63

development of witnessing, 46–47expanded, 35

achieving, 78–80gaining, through meditation, 45use of pranayama to gain, 42

experiencing field of pure, 53mantra, 92pure, 93–94

Ayurveda, 127

Balasana (child’s pose), 171, 171–172,191

bandhas, 113–117for everyday yoga practice, 189Jalandhara bandha (chin lock),

113–114Moola bandha (root lock), 116Uddiyana bandha (stomach lift),

114–116Betty Ford Clinic, 21Bhagavad Gita, 39–40

story of life depicted in, 196–197Bhakti yoga, xiBhastrika (bellows breath), 104–107,

105, 106Bhujangasana (cobra pose), 129–130,

130, 154–155, 155, 180, 187body/mind, 113

benefits of yoga postures to, 40discharging toxicity inhibiting flow

or energy in, 116importance of prana to, 41integration, effect of food on,

16–17keeping life force flowing freely

through, 55rebalancing, 93system, blockages, 83

breathing, 41–42being conscious of, 112–113benefits of regulating, 100connection of prana to, 99–100as focus of attention in meditation,

79influence on mind of, 42

buddhimaya kosha, 18

causal body, 19–22collective domain, 20–21

bindex.qxd 4/14/04 12:46 PM Page 201

inner dialogue of, questions and,28–29

needs of, 27personal domain of spirit, 19–20universal domain of spirit, 21–22

cause and effect. See karmachakras, 82–83. See also specific

chakras under meditationconsciousness (Sahaswara), 89–90creativity (Svadhisthana), 84–85energetic pathways connecting, 165energy (Manipura), 85–86expression (Vishuddha), 87–88heart (Anahata), 86–87intuition (Ajna), 88–89root (Muladhara), 83–84

Chakrasana (kneeling wheel),167–168, 168, 191

chi, 41Chopra Center, 3–4, 81–82Clinton, Hillary, 21conflict, release of, 68consciousness, 42–43, 64

reality and, 18constriction, negative effects of, 132contentment (santosha), 36–37creativity chakra (Svakhisthana),

84–85

Dandayamana Dhanurasana (standingbow pose), 144–146, 145, 184

Dandayamana Konasana (standingangle pose), 143, 143–144, 144,183

Descartes, René, 17desires

becoming less personal, 29fulfilling or transforming, 28impressions giving rise to, 78types of, 27

detachment, practicing, 68Dhanurasana (bow pose), 131, 131,

180Dharana, 45–46, 78dharma

to be in, 69connecting with your, 70of the mind, during meditation,

94–95performance of activity that

supports, 197Dhyana, 46–47, 78

Diana (goddess of nature), 21Dirgha (complete breath), 107–108discipline or austerity (tapas), 37domain of spirit, 19–22, 31

collective, 20–21personal, 19–20universal, 21–22

dynamic exchange, 54

ego, 18–19, 51–52inflation of, by arrogance, xproblems associated with identify-

ing solely with, 24shifting internal reference point

from, to spirit, 25–29and spirit, union of, 10in state of object-referral, 51

Ekpadasana (one foot posture),139–141, 140, 183

enlightenment, paths to, 34environment

as extended body, 14–16, 64extracting necessary nourishment

from, 116

flexibility, 40postures for everyday yoga

practice, 178–181foods, sattvic, 16

Gandhi, Mahatma, 31, 33Garudasana (eagle pose), 147,

147–148, 184generosity (aparigraha), 35going into the gap, 93–94Goodall, Jane, 21gratitude, cultivating sense of, 56Gyan yoga, x–xi

Halasana (plow pose), 128–129, 129,179

Hasta Uttanasana (sky reaching pose),151, 151, 157, 157, 185, 188

healingand transformation, enlivening,

95–96Hillel, Rabbi, 29Hill, Julia “Butterfly,” 21honesty (asteya), 34–35

Ida, 165integrity, 35

202 I n d e x


intellect, 18intentions, 46, 68

behind giving and receiving, 54–55learning to harness power of, 116organizing power of, 64

Ishwara-Pranidhana (surrendering tothe divine), 38–39

Jalandhara bandha (chin lock),113–114, 114

Janu Sirsasana (bent knee forwardbend), 132–134, 133, 181

Jung, Carl, 172Queen Juno, 21

Kabalistic tradition, 41Kapalabhati (shining breath), 107karma, 33, 57–60, 78Karma yoga, xi–xiiknowledge, yoga of, xikoshas

causal body, 19–22physical body, 14–17primary divisions of, 14–22subtle body, 17–19

Krishna, Lord, 196–197kriya, 33Kriya Shakti, 33Kundalini, 165

Law of Detachment, 66–69, 151, 153,172, 174, 197

governing expression chakra(Vishuddha), 88

mantra, 69Law of Dharma, 69–72, 152, 174, 197

conscious breathwork and, 104direct demonstration of, through

bandhas, 113governing intuition chakra (Ajna),

89highest expression of, 172–173mantra, 72three major components of, 69–70

Law of Giving and Receiving, 54–57,173, 197

connection of breathing to, 103governing heart chakra (Anahata),

86–87mantra, 57

Law of Intention and Desire, 63–66,154, 169, 173–174, 197

Dirgha, as simple expression of,107–108

essence of, 116harnessing power of, in yoga prac-

tice, 65–66mantra, 66

Law of Karma, 57–60, 173, 197essence of, 123governing of first energy center by,

83–84mantra, 60

Law of Least Effort, 60–63, 152, 154,171–172, 173, 197

conscious breathwork and, 104enlivening, in yoga practice, 61–62essence of, 116mantra, 63in second chakra, liveliness of,

84–85Law of Pure Potentiality, 51–54, 197

governing consciousness chakra(Sahswara), 89–90

mantra, 54So Hum meditation for alignment

with, 91–92three things to enliven, 52–53ultimate expression of, 79–80

life force, 41–42. See also pranachakras, as vortices of, 82flowing freely through body/mind,

55keeping circulation of, 54

life, layers of, 12–13, 15understanding reality by consciously

experiencing different, 195–196love

and devotion, yoga of, xiexpanded expression of

(brahmacharya), 34

Manipura (energy chakra), 85–86,154

color for, 86mantra for, 86

manomaya kosha, 18mantra(s), 50

for Ashwa-sanchalanasana (eques-trian pose), 152, 156

for Asthanga Namaskar (eight limbspose), 154

to awaken intuition chakra (Ajna),89

I n d e x 203


mantra(s) (continued)awareness, 92best-known, 81for Bhujangasana (cobra pose), 155to clear and enliven energy chakra

(Manipura), 86for creativity chakra

(Svadhisthana), 85for expression chakra

(Vishuddha), 88for Hasta Uttanasana (sky reaching

pose), 151, 157for heart chakra (Anahata), 87Law of Detachment, 69Law of Dharma, 72Law of Giving and Receiving, 57Law of Intention and Desire, 66Law of Karma, 60Law of Least Effort, 63Law of Pure Potentiality, 54for Pada Hastasana (hand to feet

pose), 152, 156for Parvatasana (mountain pose),

153, 155for Pranamasana (salutation pose),

150, 157for root chakra (Muladhara), 84So Hum, 92use of, in meditation, 80–81

Matsyasana (fish pose), 170, 170–171Matsyendrasana (spinal twist) (Lord

of the Fish pose), 165–167, 166,190

meditation, 77–97achieving expanded states of aware-

ness through, 45attention and intention, 95–96chakra, 82–90

Ajna (intuition chakra), 88–89Anahata (heart chakra), 86–87Manipura (energy chakra),

85–86Muladhara (root chakra), 83–84Sahaswara (consciousness

chakra), 89–90Svadhisthana (creativity chakra),

84–85Vishuddha (expression chakra),

87–88experiences, 92–95as most direct path to awakening

Law of Pure Potentiality, 78–80

reviewing intentions before, 46Seven Spiritual Laws of Success in

play during, 94–95So Hum, 90–92

for everyday yoga practice, 177use of mantras in, 80–81using breath as focus of attention

in, 79yoga of, 97

Meir, Golda, 21memories, 78mind, 17–18

-body integrationrelationship of food to, 16–17yoga poses that enhance, 123

expanded state of, 79–80influence on, of conscious regula-

tion of breathing, 42need to calm turbulence of, 77–78nonconditioned, 79

Monroe, Marilyn, 21Moola bandha (root lock), 116Muladhara (root chakra), 83–84

color of, 84mantra for, 84

nadis, 113Nadi Shodhana (channel clearing

breath), 110–112, 111, 112Niyama, 35–39

contentment (santosha), 36–37discipline or austerity (tapas), 37purity (shoucha), 36self-study (svadhyana), 37–38surrendering to the divine

(Ishwara-Pranidhana), 38–39nonjudgment, practicing, 53nonviolence (ahimsa), 33

object-referral, 51Om, 81

Pada Hastasana (hand to feet pose),151–152, 152, 156, 156, 186, 188

Padmasana (lotus mudra), 134,134–135, 135, 181

Parvatasana (mountain pose), 153,153, 155, 155, 186, 187

Maharishi Patanjali, 23–24description of truth by, 33–34eight branches of yoga elaborated

by, 31–48

204 I n d e x


importance of pranayama to, 41yamas, described by, 32

Pavanamuktasana (wind relievingpose), 124, 124–127, 125, 126,127, 178

physical body, 14–17as extension of environment, 14–16metamorphosis of, 16

Pingala, 165poses. See also postures

balancing, 137–148, 182, 182, 183,184Dandayamana Dhanurasana

(standing bow pose), 144–146Dandayamana Konasana

(standing angle pose), 143–144Ekpadasana (one foot posture),

139–141Garudasana (eagle pose),

147–148Trikonasana (triangle pose),

141–142Vrksasana (tree pose),

137–139body awareness, 122–148, 178, 178,

179, 180, 181, 182Bhujangasana (cobra pose),

129–130Dhanurasana (bow pose), 131Halasana (plow pose), 128–129Janu Sirsasana (bent knee

forward bend), 132–134Padmasana (lotus mudra),

134–135Pavanamuktasana (wind

relieving pose), 124–127Salabhasana (locust pose), 131Sarvangasana (shoulder stand),

127–128Uttpluthi (uplifting pose),

135–136energy-opening, 165–172, 190, 191

Balasana (child’s pose), 171–172

Chakrasana (kneeling wheel), 167–168

Matsyasana (fish pose), 170–171Matsyendrasana (spinal twist)

(Lord of the Fish pose), 165–167

Vajrasana (diamond pose), 168–169

sun salutations, 148–158. See alsosun salutations (Surya Namaskar)for specific posesin a chair, 158–164

postures. See also posesbalancing, for everyday yoga prac-

tice, 182–184changing, as result of bringing

awareness into body, 121energy-opening, for everyday yoga

practice, 190–191for enlivening body awareness, 122flexibility, for everyday yoga

practice, 178–181prana, 17, 41–42. See also life force

association of breath with, 99–100enlivening, 41

Pranamasana (salutation pose), 150,150, 157, 157–158, 185, 189

pranamaya kosha, 17Pranayama, 41–42pranayama breathing techniques, 17,

41–42, 102–112Bhastrika (bellows breath),

104–107Dirgha (complete breath), 107–108for everyday yoga practice, 176–177Kapalabhati (shining breath), 107Nadi Shodhana (channel clearing

breath), 110–112true value of, 113Ujjayi (success breath), 109–110use of, to influence physical and

mental states, 102Pratyahara, 42–45

as sensory fasting, 44Primordial Sound Meditation, 81–82,

91, 177Proust, Marcel, 22purity (shoucha), 36

qi, 41

Raja yoga, xii–xiii, 32–48, responsibility, taking, 62ruach, 41

Sahaswara (consciousness chakra),89–90

color of, 90mantra for, 90

Salabhasana (locust pose), 130, 131Samadhi, 47–48, 78

I n d e x 205


samadhi, 94Saraswati, Brahmananda, 56Sarvangasana (shoulder stand),

127–128, 128, 179Schopenhauer, Arthur, 2science, yoga of, x–xiSelf, 51, 52

discovering higher, 70problem with happiness based on

other than true, 67self-referral, 51self-study (svadhyana), 37–38Seven Spiritual Laws, 122, 173

activating, for everyday yoga practice, 192

during meditation, 94–95The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success

(Chopra), 10–11Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, 49–73

days of the week for, 50–51, 192–193Law of Detachment, 66–69Law of Dharma, 69–72Law of Giving and Receiving, 54–57Law of Intention and Desire, 63–66Law of Karma, 57–60Law of Least Effort, 60–63Law of Pure Potentiality, 51–54

Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga program, 3–4, 122

asanas chosen in, 40beneficial aspects of, 10design of, 12full range of yoga in, 24journey of, 22purpose and facets of, 175–176

Shankara, Adi, 13–14, 16–17, 18–19,20, 21, 22

Shiva, Lord, 167sleep, 93So Hum meditation, 90–92

for everyday yoga practice, 177soul. See also Self

deepening connection to, 28questions, 25–29software of, 78

spirit. See also domain of spiritovershadowing of, by ego, xshifting internal reference point

from ego to, 25–29union of ego and, 10

srotas, 113stillness, cultivating, 53

struggle, release of, 68subtle body, 17–19

components of, 17ensuring health and well-being

of, 27inner dialogue of, questions and, 28

sun salutations (Surya Namaskar),148–158, 153, 156, 156

Ashwa-sanchalanasana(equestrian pose), 152–153

Asthanga Namaskar (eight limbspose), 154

Bhujangasana (cobra pose), 154–155in a chair, 158–164, 159, 160, 161,

162, 163, 164for everyday yoga practice, 184–185,

185, 186, 187, 188, 189Hasta Uttanasana (sky reaching

pose), 151, 157Pada Hastasana (hand to feet pose),

151–152, 156Parvatasana (mountain pose), 153,

155Pranamasana (salutation pose), 150,

157–158Supreme Being, xi–xiiSuptavajrasana (diamond kneeling

pose), 191surrender, to the divine (Ishwara-

Pranidhana), 38–39Surya Namaskar. See sun salutations

(Surya Namaskar)Sushumna, 165Svadhisthana (creativity chakra),

84–85, 152, 154color for, 85mantra for, 85

tanmatras, 43awakening, 43–45

Thatcher, Margaret, 21thoughts, classification of, 78toxicity

avoiding, 44–45clearing body of, 176discharging, 116eliminating, 103, 116minimizing, with sattvic foods, 16

Traditional Chinese Medicine, 41, 113Trikonasana (triangle pose), 141–142,

142, 183truthfulness (satya), 33–34

206 I n d e x


Uddiyana bandha (stomach lift),114–116, 115

Ujjayi (success breath), 109–110, 110,128

uncertainty, embracing, 68understanding, yoga of, x–xiunion, ix–x, 10

royal path to, 32–48Upanishads, x, 27Uttpluthi (uplifting pose), 135–136,

136, 182

Vajrasana (diamond pose), 168–169,169, 191

vayu, 127Vedas, 11, 14, 27Vedic science, 11

revivalist of, 13–14Vishnu, Lord, 23Vishuddha (expression chakra),

87–88, 151, 153color of, 88mantra for, 88

voluntary nervous system, 100Vrksasana (tree pose), 137–139, 138,

182

Wells, H. G., 36

Yama, 32–35exercise of appropriate sexual

control (brahmacharya), 34generosity (aparigraha), 35honesty (asteya), 34–35peace, or nonviolence (ahimsa), 33truthfulness (satya), 33–34

yamas, 32–35Patanjali description of, 32

yoga, 38–39in action, 172–174as action in accordance with

dharma, 70–71Asana, 39–40benefits of, 11, 61, 122, 123–124cultivation of expanded awareness

through, 35defined, ix–x, 10derivation of word, 10Dharana, 45–46, 78Dhyana, 46–47, 78eight branches of, 31–48

eight limbs of. See yoga, eightbranches of

envisioning body/mind in, 113essence of, 13, 18, 29

experiencing, 77–78expansion of self-awareness

through, 29four forms of, x–xiiifull expression of, 89goal of, 28ideal practice session for, 176–178,

182, 184–185, 189–190, 192–193integration, as essential purpose of,

10of meditation, 97Niyama, 35–39practitioners, 11–12

influence over involuntary bodily functions by, 101

Pranayama, 41–42Pratyahara, 42–45rising popularity of, in Western

world, 9, 11royal path to, xii–xiiiSamadhi, 47–48, 78true security, according to principles

of, 67value to body, mind, and spirit,

brought by, 2, 195–198Yama, 32–35

yoga practiceactivating spiritual law of the day,

for everyday, 192enlivening Law of Least Effort in,

61–62harnessing power of Law of Inten-

tion and Desire in, 65–66ideal session for everyday, 176–178,

182, 184–185, 189–190, 192–193Law of Detachment in, 68–69Law of Dharma in, 71–72practicing nonjudgment during, 53putting Law of Giving and

Receiving into effect in, 55–56putting Law of Karma into effect in,

59–60Yoga Sutras (Patanjali), 24yogis, 11–12

accomplished, as masters of atten-tion and intention, 64–65

inner dialogue of, 38–39

I n d e x 207


The Chopra CenterA PLACE OF HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION

Fulfilling a lifelong dream of creating an environmentthat focuses on enhancing health and nourishing thehuman spirit, Deepak Chopra, M.D., and David Simon,M.D., opened the Chopra Center For Well Being in1994. Centrally located on the grounds of the La CostaResort & Spa, the center offers a wide variety of individ-ual and group programs in mind/body medicine, healingtherapies, and personal development. Integrating thebest of western and natural healing traditions, theChopra Center provides a fresh approach to modernhealth-care needs. Under the direction of Drs. Chopraand Simon, guests can actively participate in programs,workshops, and seminars that physically, emotionally,and spiritually nourish, cleanse, and uplift.

Guests at the Chopra Center can avail themselves of the world-class Chopra Center Spa, where ancientmind/body holistic techniques are blended with cutting-edge natural treatments to awaken, rejuvenate, and heal.Designed by Drs. Chopra and Simon, the Chopra Center’sspa treatments are founded in the perennial principles ofAyurveda—the five-thousand-year-old healing system ofIndia.

For more information on the Chopra Center’s SevenSpiritual Laws of Yoga program and all of our workshops,seminars, services, and products for healing and transfor-mation, please visit us at www.chopra.com, e-mail us [email protected], or call us at (888) 424-6772.

badvert.qxd 4/14/04 12:46 PM Page 208

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to - Shroomery

Documents

Transcript of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to - Shroomery