Sutra 1.31
दुःखदौर्मनस्याङ्गमेजयत्वश्वासप्रश्वासा विक्षेपसहभुवः॥३१॥
duḥkha-daur-manasya-aṅga, ejayatva-śvāsa-praśvāsa, vikṣepa-saha-bhū
Translation:
- These blocks, are accompanied by disruptions such as pain, depression, restlessness of body and erratic breathing.- CT
- Accompaniments to the mental distractions include distress, despair, trembling of the body, and disturbed breathing. -SS
- Suffering, dejection, trembling, inhalation, and exhalation accompany the distractions. -EFB
Vocabulary:
Key Concepts:
This sutra takes me back to the first one. It speaks to the need for preparation, before embarking on the practice leading to yoga (meditation), one must cultivate a sattvic state of body and mind.
The last sutra described a ladder of distractions that the mind experiences. This sutra describes the disease that one experience the physical symptoms of a distracted (tamasic) mind.
This is why our lifestyle practices are so important. This includes how you take care of your physical body, through diet and exercise, hygiene and time outside. This includes how you take care of your emotional body, do you validate your self, repress yourself, dramatize yourself, or do you shame yourself. It includes how we take care of our energy body. Do I expose myself to healthy vibrations, through my thoughts, my choice of entertainment, my choice of people to spend time with, my choice of hobbies and work?
At first, we have to clean ourselves up, before we can sit in meditation and have an experience of samadhi.
Practice
1. Sankalpa
2. Prayer Ritual
3. Asana:
Practice 10X Rounds
4. Mantra:
- Use your mantra.
- Say your mantra to yourself 5 times out loud.
- Say your mantra in a whisper 5 times.
- Say your mantra silently in your mind 5 times.
*When you catch your mind engaged in an activity that you find harmful, use your mantra to reset your mind.
5. Pranayama:
Dirga Pranayam
Dirga Pranayam is the full Yogic Breath.
- Start ujjayi, create a nice long breath, balancing the inhalation and exhalation.
- Visualize in the space between the bottom of your ribs and your navel as the central point of your being.
- As you inhale feel the energetic body expanding out, spherically, in all directions. (3-Dimensionally)
- Pause-Kumbhaka- spontaneously
- Let the exhale come naturally, feel the energetic body contracting back into the body at the central point of your being.
- Kumbhaka -spontaneous pause.
- Reapeat for 5 minutes noticing the feeling of continual expanding and contracting of your being in a rhythmic way.
6. Meditation:
- Draw your attention into yourself. Removing your awareness of the objects of your senses.
- Focus your minds eye on your object of meditation or on OM.
- Practice for 10 minutes.
- When you feel your mind wander be so gentle in bringing it back. *Remember we are like infants in this journey. Treat yourself as you would your own child.
- End by touching your heart and repeating your name 3 times.
7. Reflection
When you are having disturbing thoughts you also have a physical experience. You may notice your breath or heart rate changes, you may notice your hands are trembling or that you are sweating.
What do you experience when you have disturbing thoughts?
This is a great place to work with your mind, a great way to start to embody your whole being.
1.Notice something that has been on your mind lately, something distracting.
2.Take a moment, to really think about this disturbing thought and notice how you feel in your body.
3.While still holding that disturbance as your focus, start to take longer and deeper breaths. Not avoid the thought that you are having just changing your physical experience.
4.Now place your hand on your heart, keep breathing deeply.
How does this change your mind or the thought?
You can do this anytime, anywhere. When you feel yourself, overcome with the stress or worry of your own mind, touch your heart and take deep breaths until you feel your body relax. This is a skill that can be developed so that you can calm yourself quickly in any situation.
If you practice this as a regular practice you will develop the skills to be able to quickly tap into your heart.
Then when you are in a situation where you feel distressed you can simply touch your heart, and you will feel yourself relax and your heart will take over allowing your own inner wisdom to guide you.
I use this often, especially when communicating with others.
- What lifestyle practice have I adopted that are good for me?
- What lifestyle practice do participate in that I know are not good for me?
- Is it true that they are not good for you, or have you been conditioned to believe it is not good for you?
- When you are experiencing mental distress, what is your somatic experience?
- When practicing the reflection exercise above, what was your experience?
