Yoga: A Transformation - Mind, Body and Spirit - With Breath and Movement

Submitted by Victoria Rico

Whether improvisational or classic theater, actors warm up their voices and bodies with a variety of vocal and physical routines.  Transformation of sound and movement is a warm-up used in acting companies around the country.   The basic steps are and principles are easy:

   1. Make a circle.
   2. Person (A) enters the middle of the circle and creates a sound and a movement.
   3. A explores the sound and movement, which  might morph it into a new sound and movement.
   4. A then moves to another individual in the group (B) and gives the energy – the sound- the movement to B.
   5. B then moves into the circle and explores the sound and movement given by A and further transforms the sound and movement – when fully explored – B gives the sound and movement to another individual in the circle (C).
   6. Each individual takes a go at receiving, exploring and giving energy – through sound and movement to one another in the circle.

In transformation of sound and movement, the actors warm up the body and vocal chords, explore time and space, give and receive one another’s energy and trust.  The concept was recently explored in Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker, staged at the Guthrie Theater in May and June of 2010

While transformation of sound and movement is an actor’s tool, the concepts also applies to yoga.  Transformation of the mind, body and spirit can be achieved through each asana practice (physical practice).   While it may seem counterintuitive, losing oneself to each asana (pose) creates the greatest opportunity for transformation.   One can not muscle one’s way into an asana, one must allow the breath to transport the body into each configuration. 

Physical Transformation

Practicing Ashtanga, Bikram, Iyengar, Vinyasa and Yin – just to name a few styles of yoga – allows practioners transformation of the mind, body and spirit through breath and movement.
 
Whether pranayama breathfor a Hot or Bikram style of yoga or the ujjayi breathfor a Vinyasa or Ashtanga style of yoga, the breath always guides the practice.
 
To reap the benefit of ujjayi breathing, simply place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth- just behind your upper front teeth.  The tongue rests lightly, the jaw is relaxed.  The technique opens the throat.  On an inhale the breath moves from the abdomen through the chest, the exhalation is the opposite from the chest down to the abdomen. The goal is a smooth flow of energy: minimum effort, maximum capacity.  The ujjayi breath is the fuel – the energy propelling the movement.

Moving with the breath, loosing oneself to each asana creates a joyful, playful practice devoid of competition and judgment and alive with freedom and grace.   This dance, this moving meditation, with breath and movement produces tangible results.  One transformation is physical.  Yogis notice stronger arms, toned abs and greater flexibility within a couple months of commencing a yoga practice.   The many spine strengthening asanas keep the spine supple and strong.  Decreased back pains, increased stamina are immediate physical transformations.  While a toned body is a benefit of yoga there are other benefits to yoga practice.
 
Mental Transformation

Finding space in the mind during asana practice allows the mind to calm down, relax, open up and recalibrate.  Turn off the cell phones, clear away the clutter, release timetables, deliverables and outcomes.  The culmination following a yoga practice is greater focus, clarity and ability to cope with those things in life that create stress, struggle, emptiness and detachment.   A clear mind creates a new point of view.  Putting challenges into their proper perspective might possibly reduce challenges to a manageable size.

To cultivate this mental focus which opens the mind creating space, yogis employ drishti, which is a yoga tool that heightens focus and soft concentration – looking inward.  Yoga practitioners nourish their practice by turning off the analytical side of the brain allowing intuition to guide the practice.   Free of self analysis or self doubt or preoccupation of self in the form of perfectionism, or egoism the body moves through space cultivating an awareness of pulsations and sensations of each asana without attaching judgment or competition to the asana.

Following an asana practice the mind is able to open up and see new solutions to struggles that have been rehearsed over and over in the mind.  Rather than rehearsing one’s troubles over and over, yoga does the opposite, intentionally let go of troubles, schedules, duties and obligations.  For the duration of one’s practice the breath is paramount.  What a relief - the opportunity to let go of struggles and attachments.
 
Spiritual Transformation

Yoga, practiced in the east for centuries is a gift to the west.  From India, Patanjali, considered by many as the father of yoga codified his understanding of yoga in   The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, somewhere between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D.  While there are no descriptions of postures, methods or technique, the sage Patnajali does lay out succinct principles for right living.  The principals for living a good life are set forth in his eight limbs of yoga and are explained throughout the Yoga Sutras.  Right living or a search for truth is a dimension of yoga.  There is some confusion between the practice of yoga and the practice of Hinduism.  While many Hindus practice yoga the logical conclusion is not that those practicing yoga are practicing Hinduism.  On the contrary, Muslims, Universalists, Christians, and Jews, those of all faiths can benefit from the physical aspects of yoga.  The spiritual connection is open to those seeking truth as it has been revealed to an individual.  The plumb line, at least for this writer, is not whether one is practicing a particular religion or creed, but rather one is searching for truth.

I draw the distinction because everyone can benefit from practicing yoga.  A commitment to a yoga practice is not a commitment to a particular set of beliefs.  That is not to say that many have observed a peace that has lead to a stronger attachment to one’s held beliefs.   In order to honor all beliefs it is useful to talk about a spiritual transformation as an ability to connect to Truth as one knows it.  In yoga the spirit too leaves the entrapments of the physical body and soars towards light, truth and love.
 
This is not to diminish the foundation of Patanjalis’ eight limbs of yoga as exposed in his immortal Yoga Sutras.   We know from our study of the Sutras that the eight limbscan also be thought of as a wheel of eight spokes: Yama, Niyama, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.  Each spoke coexists with the other spokes creating synergy.  For a beautiful explanation and understanding of the yoga sutras read Light on the Yoga Sutras by B. K. S. Iyengar.
 
Notwithstanding the importance of understanding the philosophy behind the physical yoga practice (asana), as a gift from India, all faiths, agnostics and atheists will find that the perfect time to search for truth is soon after a yoga practice when the body has been worked and detoxified through a physical practice.  The mind is open and ready to receive nourishment from those sources that strengthen, refresh and stimulate the soul. 

Upcoming Event:  FREE RESTORATIVE YOGA CLASS at 6:30pm, Thursday, February 24 at The Zenith, 901 South 2nd Street in penthouse #904. To register, contact Victoria at 612.554.7755 or victoria@victoriarico.com

And coming in March:  Bio of a Minneapolis Yogi

About Victoria
With over 400 hours of teacher's training through CorePower Yoga and the Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Victoria is certified to teach Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, Hot Yoga, Hot Power Fusion, and Yoga Sculpt. Combining her love of healthy living with yoga and life long learning, Victoria creates yoga classes and workshops to refresh, stimulate and challenge the yoga practitioner.  She can be reached at 612-554-7755 or victoria@victoriarico.com