Focus+your+mind+during+the+practice

18:4

Love is not attachment: all the great masters said it, from Jesus to the Old Sages of India: you should love expecting nothing in return. When we have expectations about something, for example, when we love seeking love in return, we do not truly love. This is just desire, and desire is the root of misery. When you hope for nothing, then nothing can make you suffer. It is only natural to seek things for ourselves: we love to be loved, we work to live comfortably. But true liberation urges us to work against our impulses. Be selfless; give yourself to others without expecting anything in return and you will be set free.

9:26

Swami Vivekananda, an old sage from the late 1800 in India asked this question: have you seen God? But God doesn’t appear in front you saying I’m God, worship me. So, how would you know if you had seen him? Through meditation you can learn that God is in everyone and everything and the state of liberation is to feel him all around you, and inside you. The Moksha is the realization of one’s own divine nature. But there is no space for laziness, to achieve the Jivamukti state, one must practice: meditate and meditate some more.

12:41

Yoga has many benefits that can be summed in 3: physical, therapeutic and spiritual. The physical benefits are the first to come, for they come after any physical effort: they are the same of aerobics or running: more strength and flexibility. The practice of Hatha Yoga can cure several diseases, and many doctors recommend it to help the muscles heal from injuries. It also soothes the mind and helps with depression and anxiety among other affections. Those are the therapeutic benefits. But the most important benefit is the spiritual one. Any exercise can increase your stamina, strength and flexibility and many medicines can cure diseases. But the union of body and mind is the one goal that can only be reached through Yoga, no matter what type you practice.

14:24

Renounce does not mean being easy going or let yourself be pushover. Renounce is accepting the things that can’t possibly be changed with a good attitude: is keeping your mind calm and not allow it to go crazy with thoughts. The important thing is keep your mind calm, not letting the outside alter your inside. You might be running, busy with your daily obligations, but your mind is calm and your soul is happy. That is what detachment means. “Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions” The Dalai Lama

14:21

Don’t practice thinking about the reward. Just as you can’t meditate thinking about achieving Jivamukti because it defies the meditation itself; you can’t practice postures thinking only about reaching an specific form: doing paschimottanasana with the goal of full bending your body is only going to hurt you. Hatha Yoga is not the only path of Yoga. Neither is meditation. There is a path for each person to achieve the liberation. Yoga means union, and it can be reached through different ways: • Karma Yoga: it is related to good deeds. Most active people prefer this, as they feel useful this way. • Bhakti Yoga: it very devotional: chanting mantras and kirtan and praying, it doesn’t matter to which god. Sensible people like Bhakti Yoga because they can express their love this way. • Jnana Yoga: is way of reason, of study. Intellectuals and scholars always use this route, as they usually go for paths they feel they can prove. • Raja Yoga: is the way of meditation, of finding the liberation within your own soul. Hatha Yoga and self contemplation are usually put in this branch. No matter which path a yogi follows, they all lead to the same end: the Liberation, The Jivamukti, The Moksha.

34:19

The liberation is the end of a very long road, it is not gained overnight. A true yogi practices and meditates all his life to achieve it. It is very difficult to meditate for long periods in the beginning: the body starts to itch, the mind starts to wander. So it is very important to know yourself and be humble about your limits. “Practice and all is coming” used to say Sri K. Pathabi Jois. Start with 5 minutes a day for yourself and your meditation and, slowly, those 5 minutes will turn into hours. Remember your breath. It is the key to reach the liberation and to remain in meditation for long periods. The rhythm of your breath changes according to what you are doing. Try to notice its flow during meditation and try to replicate it when you are having trouble to focus in your practice.

5:19

You must stay 5 breaths in each posture to feel the benefits of it. And it takes about 5 more breaths to come out of and asana and into a new one. But those 5 breaths cannot be hasty or fast. Each breath should last 5 seconds; therefore each asana lasts for about 25 seconds, which is the necessary time to start feeling the benefits of it. The class is divided in 4 parts: the sun salutations, which should last for 15 minutes. Then 15 minutes for the standing asanas. At last, 1 whole hour for the sitting series and finishing postures. In the end, it should take about an hour and a half to get from the beginning to savasana.

17:33

Don’t let your mind wander during your practice. When you are in your mat, doing an asana, avoid the thoughts of anything else. Keep your head in the game. Drishti comes in handy to keep yourself from wandering in your own mind about problems in work or what will be in the dinner plate. The Drishti is a focal point: it is where you should look at. There are 9 drishits and every posture uses a different one: -Angusthamadhye: the thumb -Bhrumadhye: the third eye: between the eyebrows. It is not recommended to maintain it for long periods and may cause dizziness to new students. -Nasagre: to the tip of the nose -Hastagrahe: to the tip of the hand, usually the tip of the middle finger. -Parshva: to the side -Urdhva: upward. -Nabhicakre: the navel. -Padayoragre: to the toes. The aim of Yoga is the union of body and mind, so to listen to your body is a priority, and one cannot do that while facing distractions of the mind.

21:32

It is well known that the moon affects the oceans. During New Moon and Full Moon the tides of the sea change because the gravity of the moon has an effect on water. But the oceans are not the only ones who suffer under the moon: we are under its spell too! It is well known that most accidents occur during full moon: that’s because we get empowered by it and we strive for more than we are able to take. For example, a yogi stretches more than usual during his practice and gets hurts. For this reason, in the Ashtanga Vinyasa System students don’t practice during Full Moon or New Moon: to avoid injuries. It is important to remember that yogis practice Asanas to prepare their bodies for long hours meditating sitting on the same posture, without discomfort that distracts them. Therefore, if you get hurt, it defies the whole purpose, because the pain will keep your mind wandering.

9:16

Pain is something inescapable in life, whether it is from the body or from the mind, everyone will experience it at different levels, at some point of their lives. How is it possible then to be happy and content? The attitude towards the pain is what brings suffering. Like an itch, if you pay too much attention to it and scratch it, it will itch more. The attachment is what brings suffering and makes it a burden. Therefore, people who manage to maintain a detached attitude, knowing that they can lose everything they have, and understanding that they truly own nothing, are the happiest. Pain cannot be avoided; it will come surely at some point, as a disease, as a broken heart, as a failure: it has many shapes and forms. Neither can it be ran from, because it will catch up, eventually. The only thing that can be done is meditate and practice detachment. This is the only road to happiness and liberation.

5:2

A new Yoga student will always ask “how much should I practice?” or “How many days a week?” The right answer is every day you can. Your Yoga practice should be a part of your daily routine, like eating or brushing your teeth. The more frequent is your practice, the more you will feel the benefits. Another regular question is “What time of the day is the best for practicing Yoga?” The correct answer is early in the morning, before breakfast, when the sun rises, after some meditation time. But reality is, not everyone can do that. As with the frequency of the practice, the time of day is up to the student. Complications fill our daily routine. But it is important to practice, if it is not possible in the morning, then in the afternoon. If not every day, then as many days as you can.

14:21

It is easy to know what is going through someone’s mind if you pay attention to the way they breathe: a fast respiration usually means that one feels agitated: for whatever reason. Your respiration is the bridge that connects your body to your mind. There are 8 steps in Yoga to achieve Moskha, the liberation, which is the final goal: 1. Yamas: is your behavior towards others. 2. Niyamas: is your behavior towards yourself 3. Asana, which is the posture of meditation. The goal of the many postures of Yoga is to be able to hold a sitting position during a long meditation, without feeling uncomfortable, 4. Pranayama: the way you breathe. It means “control of your respiration”. 5. Pratyahara: which is the effort to draw your attention inwards, instead of outwards: look at yourself and feel your body 6. Dharana is the conscious effort to not give into distractions, either of the senses or of the mind 7. Dhyana means to be able to stay focused, to be able to hold your meditation for long periods 8. Samadhi, the final step: the Moksha, the liberation, to transcend and merge with God. It has been described as a state of ecstasy. This steps must be achieved in order, one first, and then the other, one by one. Pranayama, is the middle step: the one that connects the ones related to the body to the ones related to the mind.

34:19

Everybody can practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga if they put their minds to it, it doesn’t matter if you are 8 or 80 years old. Although the primary series looks intimidating because the postures are very demanding, it can be modified so that anyone can do it. All it takes is an experienced teacher and a motivated student. Like the Vedas: one cannot learn about it just by reading it or practicing on one’s own: it is important to learn from someone with knowledge. The most important thing during a class is to feel your body and keep your mind focused. The goal of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is for the student to meditate while moving, therefore, getting to know his or her own body. Practicing just for the sake of exercise or learning to do a posture is limiting the experience. To be able to meditate while moving is important to prepare yourself. Discipline is crucial if you want to succeed in anything you do. Eat well and sleep well and prepare your mind for the next day practice will boost the benefits of it.

58:41

Vedanta is one of the six main systems of Indian philosophy. Its beliefs are non-dualistic. It declares that liberation cannot be reached by means of rituals, actions or charity. The goal of Vedanta is knowledge of Brahman (Absolute Existence) which is beyond the illusion (Maya) of the world and of one’s own mind. This ultimate reality lies beyond the realms of the limited intellect and the manifest world.

1:17:48

Vedanta literally means ‘the end of the Vedas’ (veda = knowledge). It is a school of thought that is centred on the Upanishads. It concerns the philosophy of unity, the end (goal) of all knowledge.

1:35:6

Human suffering is one of religion’s most compelling mysteries: Why do the innocent suffer? Why does God permit evil? Is God helpless to act or does he choose not to? And if He chooses not to act, does that mean he is cruel? Or merely indifferent? Vedanta takes the problem out of God’s court and places it firmly in our own. We can blame neither God nor a devil. Nothing happens to us by the whim of some outside agency: we ourselves are responsible for what life brings us; all of us are reaping the results of our own previous actions in this life or in previous lives. To understand this better we first need to understand the law of karma.