The Individual’s Victory Amidst Collective Despair
Mark Whitwell | Heart of Yoga
Pain is not the Enemy. It is the Healing.
Breath Takes Care of Pain and is Available to All
A pranayama known as nadi sodhana — meaning cleansing of the meridians (nadis) — includes both left and right in the reception/release process. We inhale into the nostril we have just exhaled from and change nostrils after inhalation. In this way the obvious mutuality of the left and right is engaged. The inhalation/exhalation is simultaneously accompanied by the reception from above merging with the strength from the base of the body. Nadi sodhana is therefore known to be a very effective ‘all-purpose’ pranayama. Like no other pranayama it facilitates the classical purpose of hatha yoga described as the union of opposite poles, the merge of Sun and Moon, ha tha. It can be practiced by almost any person, even if lightly. The conscious movement and participation in the breath is known to heal the whole body and lighten the mind from unnecessary pain and concern.
In this world of mass collective despair and negative patterned roles reacting to each other the turning of the public to positive patterns seems to be a daunting task. However in the midst of this there remains the very real possibility of individual victory. That is each person’s embrace in life as a unity, which it actually is. That is the prior reality as it actually is… the power of the cosmos that created you in the first place and presently nurtures you in vast cosmic harmonies and unspeakable beauty. It may surprise you that these Yogas of participation are much much easier than you think and easily practiced on a daily basis. All over the world this victory for the individual is there amidst the mass collective traumas.
The hope for humanity is that individual courage will in time come into public mind.
Pain is not the enemy.
Even when pain is chronic, it is still the healing. When you understand this, you may be able to endure it, knowing that pain is natural and is present for good reason. Know that life can cope with any amount of pain, and, when necessary, the body can even produce its own natural narcotics, or brain chemicals called endorphins (literally, “inner morphine”). The mind can relax from fearful reaction to pain, knowing that you are being healed, while carefully using modern pain management. If you feel exhausted, it’s a message. Obey nature’s intelligence. Rest. Soon life will restore you. Pain demands it’s own reduction and right action that restores. Moving and breathing and the life changes that reduce pain are naturally engaged. Pain is our teacher and healer. Krishnamacharya called it “the unavoidable motive of practice”.
Offering inhaling breath into the outgoing breath, and offering the outgoing breath into the inhaling breath, the yogi neutralizes both these breaths; he or she thus releases the life force from the heart and brings it under control. The healing force flows through all parts of the whole body. The healing energy of life spirals from the heart like petals blooming in all directions. The body and my mind are released of obstructions in the flow of the nurturing heart. These are ancient instructions from the Bhargavad Gita, Song if God, the epic story of the Yogi Arjun with the avatar Krishna.
Patanjali’s Sutra number 2.46: Sthirasukhamasanam:
To reduce pain asana must have the dual qualities of alertness and relaxation that is acquired through the steady participation in the union of inhalation with exhalation.
Ideally, the practice of asana has two opposing forces present at the same time.
Strength is balanced with Softness,
Alertness is balanced with Relaxation,
Intensity is balanced with Calmness,
Challenge is balanced with Comfort.
How does this manifest in the actual practice of asana?
Example #1 Look at dvipada pitham done with arms extended above the head.
In this position the feet, legs, lower back and pelvic area are working hard, yet the upper part of the back and shoulders, the arms, neck and face are soft and relaxed.
Not only that, the practitioner is focused, aware of what’s going on in the position, and is calm and unstressed.
The key to these polar opposites in union is the giving of the inhalation to the exhalation and vice versa. This is strength that is utterly receptive.
Example #2 Look at a practitioner who is struggling to do standing asana such as virabhadrasana with clenched teeth, neck tendons bulging, breath held and arms shaking. Sthira sukha is not present, so it is not asana.
Example #3 Whilst this dual quality should be present in all asana, it is perfectly represented by the asana Samastithi, the standing pose before asana vinyasa begins. Standing with a steady gaze at the horizon. Gaze not skyward or down into sold objects. Knees are soft. Hips soft. All joints soft. Shoulders dropped and soft and spacious. Sternum high and comfortably receiving the inhalation. Strength of feet legs and abdominals comfortably exhaling. Weight is on the front of the feet, heals light and toes active. Then you feel the muscularity of the whole body supporting the skeletal frame. Not a dead weight through the heals or any demand for the joints to support the body. This is sthirasukha achieved. Perhaps extending into all action in your day.
How can we be sure that sthirasukha is achieved/maintained in our practice?
- First of all, the practitioner must give up any notions of “no pain no gain”. Yoga is a process or ‘discipline’ designed to make the practitioner feel better. There is no pain or struggle involved in this process. In fact, the definition of a good practice is one that feels good to the person doing it, while they are doing it and after they have done it. If the practice is difficult, painful or too long, there will be little chance of the person continuing with it. Besides which, it could be doing long term damage rather than good. Pain is a message from the body that things are not right and it is ignored at our peril! By ignoring pain and continuing with the practice, a person becomes insensitive to their body and disconnected from themselves. This is the opposite of the yoga definition of ‘union’.
2. The asana practice should be tailored to fit the individual. This is known as ‘viniyoga,’ proper application based on the situation. The yoga is made to fit the person, not the other way around. This means taking into account a whole range of factors such as their age, body type, level of fitness, strength, what they want from the practice, etc. This means that the whole range of asana, pranayama, meditation, or whatever else can be utilized to construct a personalized and highly effective practice for the situation. This means there is no one ‘right’ way to do an asana. There is of course the classical version of each position, but that is just that: the classical version. There are as many variations of asana as there are yoga practitioners. If the practice is right for the person it will be easy to maintain sthirasukha.
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Heart of Yoga
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