Sense

The last Sutra Study we had a good discussion about the body and sensations. As hatha yogis it’s incumbent on us that we listen intently to the messages that sensation is sending us throughout practice. Ashtanga is a fiery system of vinyasa practice. The essence of vinyasa is Breathing System! The breath must lead us, guide us and inform us. Even, steady breathing calms the nervous system. We develop the ability to embrace difficult asana and the feelings they produce. Dristi practice trains the mind to focus inward ( pratyahara ). The mind, focused and still, is able to receive the impressions of sensation and to make sense of them. In other words, the undistracted mind has the opportunity to receive and translate the message of sensation and just as importantly we are able to hear it too. We can discern between strong sensation that must be contained and injury that must be avoided. In short, the inner workings of practice go beyond making shapes ( asana ). The inner practice is HOW do we go about making shapes; the understanding of the bodily sensations the shapes create. This understanding leads to integration. From here it doesn’t matter what your practice looks like. You will be engaged in a process of conscious embodiment, opening up and refining your energy body, and increasing your sensitivity to your inner world.