Ashtanga Yoga. Gregor Maehle

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СКАЧАТЬ Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that, because of Uddiyana Bandha, the great bird of prana flies up incessantly through the sushumna.⁸ Sushumna is the central energy channel, which lies, albeit in the subtle body, roughly in front of the spine and originates at the perineum. It terminates within the head — some sources say at the highest point of the head, but more often it is described as ending where the head is joined to the spine. The sushumna is usually dormant. It is accompanied by two other nadis (energy channels), which wind around it like the snakes of the caduceus. These are the lunar (ida) and solar (pingala) channels. There are certain parallels between solar and lunar energy channels on the one hand and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems on the other, but we cannot say that the one is the other.

      The Hatha Yoga Pradipika explains that prana should be directed into sushumna by closing the ida and pingala.⁹ The same text states that, by practicing Mula Bandha, prana will enter sushumna. In a later stanza of the text a great truth is revealed: time (which we perceive as the fluctuation of night and day) is produced by the sun and moon.¹⁰ In other words, it is the illusion of time that prevents us from recognizing deep reality (Brahman), which is timeless and is fabricated by the moment of inner breath (prana)in the pingala (solar) and ida (lunar) energy channels.

      The stanza goes on to reveal the key to all physical yoga, which is that the sushumna devours time. In other words, if prana is made to enter the central channel it will devour time, which is itself a creation of the fluctuating mind and which keeps us from abiding in deep reality, the timeless consciousness (Brahman). Time is the operating system of the human mind; to go beyond time is to go beyond mind. This is possible when the great bird of prana flies up in sushumna, and sushumna devours time. For this the use of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha is prescribed.

      Even the great Shankara says that Mula Bandha should always be practiced, since it is fit for raja yogins. In other words, even raja yogins — those who practice mind suspension and who are sometimes disparaging about Hatha yogins and their preoccupation with their bodies — should take up the practice of Mula Bandha, since it leads to going beyond mind. If we remember now Patanjali’s definition of yoga being the suspension of mind,¹¹ we begin to understand the importance of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha.

       Drishti

      We move on now to drishti or focal point. As we have seen, the fifth limb of yoga is sense withdrawal (pratyahara). The Upanishads explain that the senses deliver the fuel for the mind in the form of sense objects. The mind then develops desires, which are the source of suffering. The mind’s basic concept is that we are lacking. This lack, according to the mind, can only be alleviated through a constant supply of stimulation from outside.

      The concept of yoga, on the other hand, holds that we are always in the original and pristine state of bliss, which is consciousness. This original state is formless, however; and, since the mind has the tendency to attach itself to whatever comes along next, we forget our true nature. Sense withdrawal means to accept the fact that external stimuli can never truly fulfill us. Once that is accepted, we are free to realize that what we were desperately looking for on the outside was present inside all along. The Upanishads explain further that, as a fire dies down when the fuel is withheld, so the mind will return to its source when the fuel of the senses is withheld. The method — or rather the collection of methods — by which this can be brought about is sense withdrawal (pratyahara).

      As has been explained, the withdrawal of the audio sense is brought about by listening to one’s own breath rather than to external sounds. The withdrawal or turning in of the visual sense is practiced through drishti, the attachment of one’s gaze to various focal points. These are:

      • toward the nose

      • toward the center of the forehead (third eye)

      • toward the navel

      • toward the hand

      • toward the toes

      • toward the side

      • toward the thumb

      • upward

      By doing this, one prevents oneself from looking around, which would let the mind reach out. Following drishti, the practice becomes deeply internal and meditative.

      Drishti is also a practice of concentration (dharana), the sixth of Patanjali’s limbs of yoga. If we practice in a distracted way, we may find ourselves listening to the birds outside and gazing around the room. To perform all of the prescribed actions — bandha, ujjayi, drishti, and finding proper alignment — the mind needs to be fully concentrated; otherwise one of the elements will miss out. In this way the practice provides us with constant feedback about whether we are in dharana. In time dharana will lead to meditation (dhyana).

      Drishti has also a significant energetic aspect. According to the Yoga Yajnavalkya, which contains the yoga teachings of the sage Yajnavalkya, “One must endeavour to retain all the prana through the mind, in the navel, the tip of the nose and the big toes. Focussing at the tip of the nose is the means to mastery over prana. By focussing on the navel all diseases are removed. The body attains lightness by focussing on the big toes.”¹² According to A. G. Mohan, a student of T. Krishnamacharya and translator of the Yoga Yajnavalkya, the aim of yoga is to concentrate the prana in the body, whereas it is usually scattered. A scattered prana will correspond to a scattered state of mind.

      The scattered state of mind is called vikshipta in the Yoga Sutra. Prana that is drawn inward and concentrated in the body corresponds to the single-pointed (ekagra) and suspended (nirodha) states of mind, which lead to objective (samprajnata) and objectless (asamprajnata) samadhi. In the Ashtanga Vinyasa method, drishti is one of the vital techniques to draw the prana inward. Anyone who has practiced in front of a mirror may have noticed how looking into it draws awareness away from the core toward the surface. Exactly this happens to the flow of prana, which follows awareness. Practicing in front of a mirror might be helpful from time to time to check one’s alignment if no teacher is present, but it is preferable to develop proprioceptive awareness — awareness that does not depend on visual clues. This type of awareness draws prana inward, which corresponds to what the Upanishads call dissolving the mind into the heart. The permanent establishing of prana in the core of the body leads to samadhi or liberation.

      As enthusiastic as some scriptures are about techniques like drishti, we have to remember we are still just operating within conditioned existence. The master Shankara reminds us: “Converting the ordinary vision into one of knowledge one should view the world as brahman (consciousness) itself. That is the noblest vision and not that which is directed to the tip of the nose.”¹³

       Vinyasa

      Vinyasa Yoga is a system of yoga specifically designed for householders. The difference between a householder (grihasta) and a renunciate (sannyasi) is that the latter has no social duties and can therefore devote ten or more hours per day to practice. In fact, if individual techniques pertaining to all the eight limbs were practiced daily, one would easily spend more than ten hours practicing. For example a wonderful day could be had by practicing asana for two hours, pranayama for two hours, mudra and japa (repetition of mantra) each for one hour, reading of scripture СКАЧАТЬ