Tag Archives: philosophy

ashtanga, teacher training, yoga, yoga teaching

Rajasic Yoga: prelude to Metal Yoga, yeah!

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There are 3 Gunas that describe in Hindu philosophy the essential nature of energy, personality, foods, Ayurveda, and other elements of nature. These 3 Gunas permeate our understanding of yoga as well. I will associate the Gunas in terms of the energies that are presented in yoga classes in particular.

Tamasic Yoga – For me, tamasic reflects a lower energy. It is calm, thoughtful, less physical, and more balanced with mindful, peaceful thoughts. Some relate Tamas to things like sour foods, negative energy, and chaos. But I am opting for the former in describing a yoga practice. In essence, nearly all forms of yoga have a tamasic element. Seated meditation and savasana would probably best depict the far end of the spectrum. Restorative yoga, Yin yoga, and maybe even Bhakti forms of devotion could present a more tamasic energy.

Rajasic Yoga – Again, my definition, would associate rajasic energy with more physicality. In yoga practice, this action-oriented energy is present in Ashtanga, Power, Hot, and other intense forms of physical yoga. And the physical could relate to a required focus that is indomitable, exhibits perseverance, and resolves to find mental sharpness. Warrior poses and other strongly energetic arm balances and inversions would find the far end of the spectrum.

Sattva – I would maintain that most forms of yoga seek to find sattva. This is when the body is in balance both physically and mentally. It balances the center between rajasic and tamasic energies. It represents balance, peace, contentment, and centeredness.

I was talking with yogi friends before I taught class about something called Metal Yoga. I’ve seen this in several settings. There ARE people who live fairly calm lives, relatively speaking. They are probably not listening to EDM, Hip-Hop, or hard rock types of music. They are not doing CrossFit or Strongman competitions. They most likely don’t raise their voices or have violent tendencies. I’d say for the most part, they are Tamasic but have found their balance in that realm. Whereas, if you go to any school playground, 99% of the kids are going to be running, climbing, and screaming at the top of their lungs. There are adventure junkies who are slack-lining a tightrope a 100 feet off the ground, mountain biking steep switchbacks, and, yes, probably listening to the likes of Metallica and Korn. In this case, their peace if found in the calm spaces between the storms. They have energy that is excessive and needs to be expended to find peace.

There is a time and place for these types of energy. Those who seek to practice Ashtanga or Power Yoga enjoy detoxing through sweat and expending energy. While others are completely at peace with a gentler form of yoga. Based on personality, people will strive to whatever form that helps them find balance, or Sattva.

So to answer the question, why Metal Yoga, is it in line with Yogic philosophy, and is it appropriate? That is debatable. Yes, maybe some words and imagery are war-like and harsh. But if you read ancient yoga texts, like the Bhagavad Gita, it is written in the context of war. In the mythological setting with Shiva, Daksha, and Sati, Shiva creates a hero warrior, Virabhadra, to avenge the death of Sati. This is the origin of the poses of Warrior I, II, and III. So while we seek Ahimsa, non-harming and non-judgment and non-violence, Rajasic energies are still present. So these more forceful, intense energies ARE a part of yogic philosophy. As long as Metal Yoga participants don’t harm others or harm themselves, it is a way that they are working out their Rajasic energies. For me, it is a very appropriate way to rid themselves of the chaos in their minds and bodies. It is not necessary for everyone. But for a few who have more Rajasic tendencies, it is the perfect solution to finding Sattva, or peace.

ashtanga, life, mindfulness, rocket, yoga

99% Practice, 1% Theory

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Pattabhi Jois “Guruji” often said “Practice and all is coming”. If you keep up your yoga practice, or really any skill you are developing in life, you’ll eventually find mastery and delight in what you do. You will never find accomplishment if you sit on the sidelines and never play.

The same is true when Guruji would say “99% Practice, 1% Theory”. But I’m of the opinion that this is only true as you begin your journey.  When I was a Drill Sergeant in the Army, we don’t often let trainees question why we have them do something. We just have them do things by repetition and eventually they realize why they are doing it. It may not come until years later when they are leaders themselves that they truly understand. In Rocket Yoga, we usually go to handstand after every navasana (boat pose). So I say:

Roll forward and go to handstand…don’t think about it, just do it!

A lot of times, if you are doing something skilled, it needs to flow naturally. If you overthink something difficult, you’ll often fail because your brain gets in the way. You’ve let the vritti, or chaos, enter into your mind clouding what your body should do.

This is what I think about 99% practice, 1% theory. If your body continues to practice something, the movement becomes more natural and instinctual. If you are running 3 miles a day and it is difficult, eventually the 3 miles is not enough. Your mind starts to drift to other things in life. The running becomes natural and your mind is allowed to think. At first, in Ashtanga or Rocket, you struggle just to do the pose. But with practice, you find your breath, your drishti is more focused, you find yourself more grounded in bandhas, and the real practice of yoga begins.

If you read the book “Guruji”, testimonials from students of Pattabhi Jois, you’ll find you are learning less about Ashtanga poses and more about the philosophy of Ashtanga yoga. The book becomes 95% theory and 5% practice. They’ve answered in their minds the “Why?” They’ve found mastery in their practice.

Guruji always said “You Do”. This was many years before Nike’s moniker of “Just Do It”. “You Do” and all will come to you. If you lift weights, run, read philosophy, whatever,…the more you do it, the more light bulbs of revelation go off and you find the deeper meaning in life.

ashtanga, life, mindfulness, teacher training, yoga, yoga teaching

What’s with all this Sanskrit jibberish?

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Prior to taking yoga teacher training, one of my favorite teachers would start to quiz me on Sanskrit names of poses. I would laugh and say, there will be time to learn that later. In my own mind, I was saying “why does all that matter anyway?” How can an ancient language be important in Modern Yoga?

In fact, some try to get rid of it completely. There are yoga teachings that try to make yoga available to the masses without all the history, philosophy, and Sanskrit nonsense. Who needs it anyway?

Today, we have mixed martial arts (MMA). In the old days, they pitted a karate master against a Sumo wrestler. Or a boxer against an Aikido practitioner. Today, students begin learning all aspects from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to kick boxing to wrestling. It can be done without any of the history of those original fighting arts being made know.

But I feel we lose so much when we lose our roots. It becomes superficial. When I began with Hawaiian Kenpo Karate as a kid, to Aikido in grad school, we learned the history of what the founding fathers brought to us. We learned about the meanings and the history behind why they studied these arts. We learned reverence and respect. It is a part that is missing from everything in life today. When we live without philosophy, without religion, without a strong parental upbringing, we lose our sense of who we are.

That is what Sanskrit does for yoga. Paschimottanasana is called intense forward stretch. Paschima means West. Traditional yoga is practiced at sunrise. The sun rises in the East and we face that direction when we salute the sun. So what we are stretching is our Western side, our back, glutes, and hamstrings.  Uttana means intense. Earliest yoga was about sitting in meditation. So asana means “seat”. We do yoga to prepare for meditation and find a more comfortable seat. Warming and opening our bodies does this for us. Knowing Sanskrit is the essence of yoga practice. It is the link we have to our roots. Its like your name is “Bill”, but we decide to call you “horse” instead. Our names are important to us. We can’t just disregard them.

Any teenage gym rat can teach you how to do a pushup. Doing knees to elbow in plank has no meaning other than to work toward what you see in the mirror. But to know deeper meanings through understanding Sanskrit and the history of yoga makes for a deeper practice. It also tells you that a teacher has studied and understands these deeper meanings.

Patthabi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga yoga, would say:

99% practice, 1% theory

But the practice is what opens the door to all those other wonders. If you read of students who studied with Jois “Guruji”, they rarely talk about the practice. They talk about what the practice does for you. Their self-study goes way beyond the practice. And that is where we find true yoga.