To Be Stable, That Is The Purpose
'The system of Vinyasa is very important' says Sharath. It is important that you pay attention to where to inhale and where to exhale. When the practice is focused on a correct breathing system the mind becomes stronger, more focused. As you continue to use proper breathing with each movement, the inner lifts, or inner locks otherwise known as bandhas begin to engage. I get a lot of questions about bandhas, which is great because once you begin to wonder about it, you can begin to learn. Curiosity. faith and trust are key to the process. As Sharath says 'Life long you will be searching where to hold, everything doesn't come at once. When you were a baby you didn't know how to walk, talk…but it all happened. Yoga is also like that. First you crawl, then you walk and so on.'
I was always taught that slowly slowly things will come. The fruits of practice don't come over night, they quietly accumulate and suddenly surface when you least expect them to. You will notice them in your interaction with people, in your choice of food, in your sleeping and dreaming patterns, in the quality of your relationships, in your daily necessities....but there is no jumping steps, 'slowly it has to go'. And so you patiently cultivate your practice day by day with devotion and faith.
One of my favorite Sutras is 1.14
Satu Dirgakala Nairantarya SAtkarasevito drdabhumihi
When practice is attended to for a long time, without a break, and with sincere devotion, then the practice becomes a firmly established, stable and solid foundation.
Practicing and seeking is a lifelong journey. We come to the mat daily in search of an answer, that's the quest. I love how Sharath phrased it once at a conference in Mysore, he said 'A seeker has a thirst in him, he wants to quench his thirst. that makes him a sadhaka. The thirst should come. Sadhana comes from personal experience that you don't have to prove to anyone. It's for your personal transformation. Then only it becomes unlimited. Don’t fence yourself in the little asana fence. there are no fences, it is like a big ocean.'
The purpose of asana is to keep yourself steady and stable, to be stable. Learn through your own practice. Find the thirst in you to learn. Experience something personal, this is your time to connect to something greater, it is beyond asana. It is linking the breath with the asana, to purify the body and mind from sickness, fear, anger, greed, jealousy and lust. That is the purpose of doing Ashtanga - 8 limbs yoga. 'What you establish within you, stability, equanimity within you, that is what is important.'
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Join me for a retreat in 2018:
Surf & Ashtanga Yoga Intensive - Nicaragua March 31- April 6th
Ashtanga Yoga, Health & Lifestyle: Mallorca, Spain June 18th- July 4th
All info here: https://www.bibilorenzetti.com/retreats
