Vairagya - Nonattachment and the Freedom to Soar

What weighs you down?

What keeps you in bondage when you most yearn for freedom - and just want to soar?

Nicolai Bachman, in his book, The Path of the Yoga Sutras, defines "vairagya" as nonattachment to sensory objects.

Every major religious or spiritual tradition teaches the concept of nonattachment in form or another. Bachman begins this section in his book with this quote from the Buddha:

"The secret of happiness lies
in the mind's release from worldy ties."

Catchy verse. It rhymes. And it is so true!

The practice of vairagya enables us to cultivate a sense of letting go - not only of material things and possessions, but also of all that does not serve us as well.

In my classes, it seemed fitting to link this concept to the Anusara Yoga principle of "Organic Energy" because when one has truly embodied this notion of nonattachment and letting go, while still drawing in to that which binds us, grounds us, and keeps us honest - we are free to soar, expand, and grow.

In Bachmans words:

"Letting go of our outer attachments
unloads a burden that is weighing us down
and keeping us from experiencing
the freedom that is yoga."

Today, and every day, choose to examine what keeps you tied down. Choose to cultivate nonattachment. Your practice of yoga and meditation will enable you to release the ties that bind you in an unhealthy manner. You will then taste the delicious fruit of freedom!

Dharma of Relationships

I just spent three whirlwind days in Montclair, NJ, where Emma Magenta and the Anusara kula there, graciously hosted John Friend, in the company of over 300 Anusara yoga teachers and practitioners. The energy there was simply amazing! I was so happy to connect with friends I hadn't seen in a year or longer, who had traveled from all corners of the world! And, I was just as happy to meet new friends as well.

While there is so much that I could say, I would like to just list some of the things that John spoke about on the dharma of relationships that resonated with me in one way or another. Perhaps they will speak to you as well. I know I will be reviewing and reflecting on the material for some time to come...

"What is our sadhana? It is our life...

In Anusara, we are always in relationship to the Universal. Grace is the intrinsic power of spirit that enables us to shift, open, and reveal something that is already there.

To the degree that you can align with the shakti, grace will have a commensurate effect...

When two vibratory fields or persons are in sync, the field gets bigger than the sum of its parts and you birth something bigger. This is especially true in community.

Every relationship has a power differential. Do you use it to empower or serve or not?

When you do your dharma, you align with the shakti. You need to alchemize the shadow into the light.

Today, open to the highest.

Adhikara is the capacity or the qualification to attune to whatever you want to be in sync with.

Kriya is when you make an offering without any expectations.

Time heals all relationships, so let time be your friend.

To be able to find the extraordinary in the ordinary, takes slowing things down.

When you meditate, give blessings to yourself in addition to extending blessings to others.

Every relationship should take us into our hearts.

Always give the benefit of a doubt in a relationship. That's First Principle. You must be biased for the good.

Never kick someone out of your heart.

The heart has to be open like the sky."

Yes, simple, but very powerful gems of wisdom, extracted from from a gathering of a beautiful communion of souls. Many shifts occurred. Some of them, will transform lives forever...

Viveka - The Embodiment of Keen Discernment

This morning, I told my students, that they cannot embody "Inner Spiral" without engaging "Outer Spiral." And conversely, they cannot truly embody "Outer Spiral" without engaging "Inner Spiral." You simply cannot have one without the other. There is always a dance that exists between the two. They are always in dynamic relationship to each other. And for those familiar with Anusara Yoga parlance, it can take a lifetime to embody both.

Some will require more of one principle, while others will require more of the other. Sometimes the engagement required is dramatic. More often, it is quite subtle. For some of us, the engagement of both principles requires about the same amount of effort.

Each of us, has certain tendencies. It is only through keen observation and discrimination that we become more fully aware of what our tendencies are in our various practices. It is through the cultivation of viveka - which is after all, a form of mindfulness, that we can open the door to transformation.

In his book, The Path of the Yoga Sutras, Nicolai Bachman defines "viveka" as "keen discernment." This is not something one does haphazardly; it can only be attained within the context of a marriage of such qualities as openness, intent, focus, and observation.

Bachman has these observations in his book about the cultivation of this practice:

"The ability to choose wisely and separate the wheat from the chaff is fundamental to the practice of yoga. Without this ability, our thoughts, words, and actions are limited to the whim of habitual tendency and the prison of involuntary conformity. Yoga involves a commitment to freeing our heart and mind of unnecessary and unhelpful baggage and focusing instead on our path toward contentment and inner happiness.

Viveka is knowing and consciously discerning one object from another...

Viveka helps us to make healthy choices in life. Stepping back and quietly contemplating what we really want in life can initiate actions in that direction...

In any action, it is important to know who or where we are now...where we want to go...and the steps necessary to get there. Observing ourselves closely through quiet contemplation, and listening to others can give us a sense of who we are...

Viveka can help us avoid being harmed due to lack of knowledge or experience...

Viveka also means separating what is useful from what is not...

On a deeper, internal level, viveka can help us distinguish between our changing body and our unchanging inner light of awareness. Without viveka, individuals identify the body as themselves..."

So, through the cultivation of viveka, we grow more deeply in the knowledge of who we really are, and the essence of our true nature, and thus we open the door to inner transformation. When we do that, we are able to help others awaken and become more mindful as well.

Nothing that occurs on the mat is without connection to something bigger and something greater. Sean Corn likes to say - we take our yoga off the mat and into the world. At this time of so much strife and protests everywhere, it is easy to take sides and point fingers. The cultivation of viveka helps us stay open to all the nuances and perspectives within a situation.

The practice of viveka goes beyond the embodiment of two principles in yoga, and opens the door to so much more.

A Day for Casting Off and Forgiveness

I arise early on a very busy day. Part of my morning will be consumed with righting mistakes from my insurance company, which has managed to mess up the billing resulting from all the various medical procedures I underwent this summer. But instead of giving this task my immediate attention, the wonderful fog beckons, and with a cup of coffee in hand, I head down to the river...

It is breathtakingly beautiful on this day of Yom Kippur, which is the Jewish Day of Atonement. It is a day set aside for casting off what does not serve, and forgiveness. It is also a day for expiation, and making amends...

In the coolness of the morning, I drink in the visual feast of a sky that seamlessly merges with the water, partially cloaked by the density of the fog, and I cannot help but recall the day, three years ago, when I lost myself in the fog on Rosh Hashanah. I launched Grace, my kayak, and paddled into the void - losing myself in its embrace, as the Voice within chanted over and over again, the message that my heart needed so desperately to hear:

"Let go of holding on;
and hold on to letting go."

A few days later, I went back into the healing waters, and cast off lingering and festering resentments. I prayed to be forgiven for my sins and transgressions towards others - and practiced "Tashlikh," in a desperate act of self-cleansing and spiritual purification.

Three years later, I rejoice and express my gratitude to the Divine, for enabling me to release so much, healing so many wounds, so that I can now thoroughly delight in the many gifts received...

In a strange twist of circumstances, I find out that someone I haven't seen for years still bears deep anger and resentment towards me. I gingerly step into the river, sending this person love and compassion, hoping that someday, peace may find an abode in the heart of this tortured soul...

I come home to teach a student who is Jewish, and we speak of the meaning of this day for her. She tells me, that this year, she has chosen to focus on recognizing the lack of love and patience she often has for herself, and to make amends for this, and turn this pattern of behavior around. And I think to myself, this is such a wonderful lesson for me as well.

Amidst the busyness of my day, my thoughts come back to the importance of forgiveness and compassion for all persons, in all situations. It is so much easier to write off or be critical of the one who is different - the one whose politics or skin color, or religious tradition does not mirror our own.

I think of the river, and how in its wisdom, it once more reminds me to cast off what does not serve, and let go of all that separates and divides. In the Divine, we are neither Jew, nor Greek, Muslim or Hindu. We are neither black or white, or red or brown. Each one of us, in our rich diversity is simply a unique manifestation of the One who is in all of us - of the God who loves us all, as no one ever has, or ever will...

Abhyasa - Slow and Dedicated Practice

Of all of Anusara Yoga's Universal Principles of Alignment, the hardest one for me to embody is "Inner Spiral." Of the seven loops, it is "Kidney Loop," and this seems to be the case with many other practitioners as well. We are all students seeking to embody these principles and unlock their hidden wisdom. But, it is not an easy journey.

Because of spinal degeneration and other physical issues that I have, the integration of both of these principles of alignment are crucial for me - along with their close friends and partners - "Outer Spiral" and "Pelvic Loop."

Just last week, I was chatting with a friend at a social gathering, and sharing with her the details of my summer surgery. She laughed and then said to me, "I can imagine your kundalini is really flowing these days. After all, you had a rock sitting on your snake!"

Hummm.... That certainly gave me pause. No one had quite worded it that way! But, in a way, she was right!

How do we progress in our practice? How do we remove obstacles? We do it through "diligent, focused practice," which is abhyasa. That is how Nicolai Bachman defines this key concept to the Yoga Sutras.

In his book, The Path of the Yoga Sutras: A Practical Guide to the Core of Yoga, he begins the section on abhyasa with this quote:

"Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream, have faith in its course. It will go on its own way, meandering here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Just follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you."
~ Sheng Yen

Those who have practiced long know that we cannot push the river. We must let it flow. Less is more. We should not practice hard, but soft. It should be slow and diligent. It should be focused, and dedicated. Yes, it is a challenge to make the practice of asana, or meditation seem effortless - like a "fine silvery stream," and not like a "raging waterfall." But if we do so over time, we will see the fruits of our labor.

So it is with the cultivation of "Inner Spiral", coupled with hip openers, which as a category of poses, teaches us to embody this principle so well. But for many of us, to open our hips takes time. We must work at it, but the rewards are many.

Still, we do spiritual practices such as yoga, not for its physical benefits, but for its transformative qualities. Bachman notes:

"Abhyasa can apply to understanding another person. Focusing on that person regularly over time, with sincerity and respect, allows us to truly understand her better. Understanding others helps us understand parts of ourselves..."

This is a wonderful time of year to re-dedicate yourself, or re-connect with with one of your spiritual practices. Or, even begin one. Make it slow. Savor each moment. Listen to what it has to say to you. Do it with focus. With intention, and with diligence. Enter more deeply into this season and the many gifts it brings.

With a Winged Heart

Yesterday, I had the honor to officiate at the wedding of a friend I have known for a long time...

Years ago, I officiated at the memorial service for his wife, a dear friend and fellow yoga teacher. But now, here we were, celebrating a more joyous occasion.

The wedding took place on a beautiful estate on the Eastern Shore, under a trellis, and very close to the water. Just as I was about to start, our breaths were taken away by the impromptu "fly over" by a flock of birds. I smiled, imagining that my friend, was bestowing her blessing, upon this union.

I also had the opportunity to visit with a former yoga student of mine, from many years back, and with another couple whose wedding I had also officiated at years before. This one was particularly memorable because the bride and groom arrived in matching vintage Porsches!

The wedding on the first of October, of 2011, was short and sweet in so many ways. I leave you with this wonderful piece by Kahlil Gibran, which was shared on this joyous occasion:

"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
To wake at dawn with winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.
To rest at the noon hour and meditate on love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude, and then sleep with a prayer
for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."

May this day and new month arise within you, as if it were a winged heart. May you be ever grateful for the gift of life, and another day of loving!