The philosophical study of the 8 Limbs system of yoga, as put forth by Patanjali, can be a dizzying undertaking for all its simplicity. The sutras are so skeletal that at first glance they may appear to contain little, if anything at all, of use and then once you delve into their meaning, the depth and complexity with which these ideas intertwine and play out in life is as overwhelming as it is eye-opening, which is why I always find it useful to ground the exploration of the sutras in the meaning behind the practices.

According to Patanjali, who, so to speak, wrote the book, the aim of yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind, yogas citta vrtti nirodha and this is practiced so that the seer abides in his own true nature, tada drastuh svarupe vasthanam, which is eventually revealed to be kaivalya, the aloneness of seeing, a.k.a, pure consciousness. According to the many writings on the practice of yoga the level of consciousness through which most of us experience the world is just the “visual tip” and that entry point that we see is distorted by the unchecked pushing and pulling that goes on in the mind. Just like waves fluctuating on the surface of a lake distort our ability to see the depth and fullness that lies below, the mental fluctuations of citta distort our ability to see the depth and fullness of the consciousness that lies within.

The Ashtanga (8 Limbed) system is designed to calm the mind and increase subtle perception in preparation for the samadhic experience. The first five stages (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama and pratyahara) are considered external practices, for they help fortify the body and mind for the internal practices by removing external distractions. The last three stages (dharana, dhyana, samadhi) eliminate internal distractions so that citta ceases to function and kaivalya is experienced. Overall, it is a gradual process of moving inward that prepares the aspirant for full consciousness absorption, samadhi.

Tune in on Thursday for a continuation of this entry which will address the Niyamas, the second limb of yoga and the October theme of the month at 8 Limbs.

Posted by: Jen Yaros

Jen Yaros teaches the Yoga Sutras within her asana classes at 8 Limbs Capitol Hill, Wedgwood, and West Seattle. She will offer her perspective on the 4th and 5th limbs of yoga in her workshop at 8 Limbs West Seattle on October 3rd: Pranayama & Pratyahara. Preregistration only: 206.933.9642.

I love the name 8 Limbs Yoga Centers, because it reminds me that the path of yoga offers a wealth of direction for spiritual fulfillment on and off the yoga mat. 8 Limbs refers to ashtanga yoga’s eight-fold path, each limb equal and necessary. The first limb offered on that path is yama, a set of five moral restraints. Without this limb, our practice would feel empty. Yama can be translated to abstinence, or affectionately as love in action. This spirituality in action promises to bring us into right relationship with ourselves, the people around us, and the world. The five yamas are Ahimsa – non-violence, Satya – truthfulness, Asteya – non-stealing, Brahmacharya – continence or moderation, and Aparigraha – non-greed.

Practicing ahimsa or non-violence may seem logical and natural from the onset to many of us. However to truly cause no pain we are called to practice ahimsa not only with our actions, but also our words, and deeper yet with our thoughts. How often do we criticize our selves and others in our mind? Just becoming aware of the tone we take inside our mental conversations can be extremely awakening. The energy we create with our words, thoughts and actions emanates from us attracting the same vibrations, situations and thoughts back to us. When you hear harmful words or thoughts emanating from you, activate positive thoughts or affirmations, or change your environment until you feel better. Act out of love, and share it with yourself and others.

Satya or truthfulness guides us to be humble. In an asana practice the need for satya comes when we push for greatness and go beyond our limits, or when we stay safe and don’t explore our potential at all. Developing an intimacy with our truth comes from being quiet and listening to our inner voice. I find journaling immensely valuable for this reason, it gives me permission to hear all of what I have to say, no editing. Depending on how your truth was valued by your family that voice may be easy to hear, or almost silent. The great news is that by standing in your truth that voice becomes clear, and acting from it allows you to become your own best friend.

Trust in the natural abundance of the universe is how we live in asteya or non-stealing. Think about how many little ways we steal. We might steal time at work to be on the computer or phone; we may steal a pen from the waitress, or groceries from our parent’s house. What underlies this habit is the fear that we won’t get what we need. The sutras reassure us that when we are established in asteya the abundance of the universe flows to us effortlessly.

Living in moderation or brahmacharya is to live with simplicity, to conserve, to recycle and to reuse. Here in the Northwest there is a lot of brahmacharya going on, but our culture keeps insisting that we indulge in more. All around us are messages saying we should eat more, or starve our selves more, spend more, drink more, or medicate ourselves more. When we do we become bogged down by waste, guilt, and worry. Brahmacharya is calling us to examine every aspect or your life for balance and promises that when practicing moderation we will be energized.

The last yama but not least is aparigraha or non-greed. This yama encourages us to clear out space and make way for grace. Letting go of hording stuff from shoes and worn out cloths, to old ideas, old habits, and out dated beliefs gives us the freedom to change and become more of who we really are. We can let go of the fear of loosing part of ourselves by seeing that we are already are perfect inside. Aparigraha’s message is that nothing outside of ourselves can make us more whole.

The insight gleamed from the yamas is a gift, open up to them and you will see your practice deepen and become more fulfilling and supportive of who you truly are.

Posted by: Cookie Tamcsin

My latest read is David Lynch’s book “Catching the Big Fish.” A practitioner of Transcendental Meditation for over 30 years, Lynch writes about how meditation has helped him to mine many of the ideas and images for his movies and shows. It’s a mixture of wonderful meditation propaganda and insight into his process as a filmmaker. Lynch’s book is a must-read for any of his fans or film buffs, but I find myself wishing more of the writing to be about his long journey in the practice. I am curious if anyone else has any ideas for me of books that are by longtime meditation practitioners, about how the practice feeds them and their life and work.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

Ah, summer. The days are getting sunnier (even as they grow shorter!) and the desire to spend more time outdoors exploring this and that is strong. But how do we go out and still remain connected within? Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras offers us a framework for doing just that, a tangible way to carry our practice off the mat and into our lives.
At the beginning of this year I began a weekly examination of the Yoga Sutras within all of my asana classes. We started at the beginning of the book and are working our way, sutra by sutra, to the end. We’re about 1/3 of the way through the 1st chapter at this point and reaching one of my favorite sections of the book, where Patanjali expounds the practices we undertake in route towards nirodha – the stilling of the mind. He begins by telling us that the path is this way and then in the next sutra he say, OR, it is this way and then in the following sutra he says, OR, it is this way, and this goes on for about 15 sutras. I appreciate the idea that there isn’t one set path to reach ourselves and that every way is a way inward, if we choose. So, whether we are on the mat in downward dog or walking the dog in the park, the option and ability to cultivate greater consciousness and compassion is right there with us and the Yoga Sutras can offer us the guideline towards that exploration.
Starting your day with the reading of just one sutra is a simple and quick way to orient yourself, set the tone for the day and deepen your practice. My favorite translation and commentary is Four Chapters on Freedom by Swami Satyananda Saraswati (published by the Bihar School of Yoga). Last I checked we had a couple copies at the boutique in Capitol Hill, so if you are interested in some summer reading and allowing your practice to spill over into your daily life, check it (or other variations) out or pop into one my classes (at all three studios) and explore the Sutras in a more formal setting.

Posted by: Jen Yaros

As you head out of your regular routine into a Holiday Weekend, consider how you can personally connect to Independence Day. One can focus on July 4th as the date of our Declaration of Independence from England, or we can remember that the underlying idea is that of FREEDOM.
The word in Sanskrit for freedom or liberation is moksha. One who experiences freedom while in the body (still living) is a jivanmukti. In other words, freedom is possible in this body, in this life.
The paradox is that the freedom comes from commitment. We have learned recently that we can’t take our freedoms for granted here in America; we have to stay vigilant and fight for the rights that our country was founded upon and push to continue to expand these freedoms.
In yoga freedom comes from a commitment to practice. Even on these beautiful days, a few minutes of downward dog and some meditation can contribute to our sense of freedom when the clouds come and we aren’t getting high from the sunlight. Take your mat to the park, enjoy the calm of our studios, or wake up and sit up in bed for a few minutes.
Tell us what freedom the practice has brought to your life. And have a great “Freedom Day”

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

The science issue of Ascent Magazine in 2001 was the spark I needed to start my meditation practice. An article about Dr. Andrew Newberg’s research on the brains of Buddhists and nuns while meditating gave me the scientific proof that this sitting business was going to get me somewhere (sorry, that’s what I needed!). In the tests, meditators pulled a string when they felt at the height of their meditative state, dye was injected into their brains, their brains were then studied.
Here’s what got me: “the finding that caused the greatest excitement was that neurological information to the Orientation Association Area (OAA), was greatly reduced or “deafferented.” The OAA, located at the top rear section of the brain, is the part responsible for orienting the body in physical space. One way that it does this is to clearly define the limits of an individual’s body – it distinguishes the “you” from “not you.” If this area were to have no sensory information with which to do its job, logic followed that the individual would not be able to determine where he or she ended and where the rest of the world began.”
Perhaps the feeling of separateness most of us feel is due to our biology. For survival we are wired to locate ourselves in space. With meditation practice our attention is not going towards this task and we feel oneness with all. What is seemingly ethereal is really practical.
I had experienced something like this after a workshop with Tias Little. The sense of where I ended and the rest began was GONE, and I floated in this state for who knows how long (it was also timeless!). Receiving scientific proof that meditation (when practiced regularly) affected the part of our brains somehow turned the switch for me. Now my primary practice is meditation, asana comes if I have enough time. The affects on my quality of life have been substantial.
A few weeks ago NPR ran a series called The Science of Spirituality.
This five-part series addresses the relationship between spiritual practice and the brain, addressing “The Biology of Belief”, exploring “Spiritual Virtuosos” and “Near-Death Experiences.” Check it out. Maybe it will be the spark that ignites something new!
If you have a meditation practice, tell us what helped you get started!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

So we went, we watched, and we pondered. The film “Enlighten Up!”, showing at The Varsity through May 28, is subtitled “A Skeptic’s Journey into the World of Yoga.” Indeed it was. At the May 14th screening, a crowd of 8 Limbs teachers and students gathered to see what a documentary about yoga would be like. After listening to lovely music from Steve and Anne-Emilie Gold, and meeting director Kate Churchill, we settled in for this journey.
Kate’s purpose, we quickly learned, was to take Nick Rosen, a yoga novice, and expose him to different teachers and styles of yoga for three months and see if there was a transformation, or enlightenment. They spent time in the States and in India. They took yoga classes and had rare one-on-one meetings with teachers like BKS Iyengar and couple David Life and Sharon Gannon of Jivamukti Yoga. One of the teachers Kate and Nick visit is Sri K Pattabhi Jois, Guru of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, who passed away on May 18 at his home in Mysore, India.
Well you all should all see the film, so I won’t ruin it for you, but it confirmed to me what I have always loved about yoga: there are many different paths and many different ideas of what one is traveling towards. And this can be very confusing to one starting the path, especially if the one guiding yoga has an agenda (like making an interesting, inspiring movie).
What I love about yoga is that the journey just keeps on getting richer the longer you travel it. It takes longer than three months to “get” yoga. At the end of the film, Kate held a Q & A and said that Nick was still practicing. That, I think, makes her efforts a success. Did you see the movie? What did you think?

P.S. Another documentary worth checking out is “By Invitation Only”, by my very own sister, Rebecca Snedeker! You can now see the opening footage on her website: www.byinvitationonlythefilm.com. You’ll also get a great idea of what a Mardi Gras parade is like.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

During a late-night talk with Melina during the Breitenbush Advanced Training Retreat, a question came up that always takes me by surprise: “What are you doing for fun?” I mean, I feel very satisfied with my life, enjoy what I do for work, have a great time with my husband and kids, and keep in touch with close friends, but when asked “what do you do for fun?” I always come up short.
I returned from our retreat curious about how I could make a change in the fun factor. The next day I read a parenting calendar that mentioned a family roller skating session and we headed to Skate King to boogie to The Village People and Journey with our 8 and 3-year-old. Ever since, when the opportunities have come up, I have said YES.
This month we have a few FUN opportunities to invite you to. 8 Limbs is a sponsor of the Seattle screening of Enlighten Up!, A Skeptic’s Journey into the World of Yoga on May 14th at the Varsity Theater. This film promises to be a humorous AND serious. Listen to KWJZ Radio, KKNW Radio or e-mail JWMovieClub@gmail.com with ‘enlightenup’ in the subject to find out how to get your complimentary pass to the screening. We are also thrilled to welcome Sean Johnson to 8 Limbs on May 30th to teach a Bhakti Flow Yoga Class and lead Kirtan (devotional singing). I am looking forward to this event to bring our community together for some FUN! Come for any part of this event and help me welcome Sean to the wonderful 8 Limbs community.
What do you do for fun? Write a comment so we can all increase our fun factor!

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

This has been the topic around the 8 Limbs office the last few weeks. No, we aren’t talking about a retreat from taxes. Rather the ways that we, as busy human beings (or should we just say human doings?), can find refuge.
The pulls away from this are many. We live in a vibrant city with numerous activity options, amazing entertainment, and lots of wonderful people. We spend hours in front of our computers surfing the net (if only it was the ocean!), reading about our friends on Facebook (rather than hugging them), and, of course, working.
There are many ways of taking a retreat. You can take in a quiet art gallery, get on your yoga mat, or take a walk in the amazing green spaces in Seattle. My favorite nature spots in the city limits are close to our three studios: the Ravenna Park Ravine, the Arboretum, and Lincoln Park. While there is still a sense of city, one can really set the reset button deep in their woody bowels, especially on a rainy day.
Or you can literally retreat from the city. Our Teacher Training staff and recent graduates just returned from Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon, my all-time favorite place to take a personal retreat. Stripped from our usual daily distractions, and often stripped of all of our clothing (for the hot springs and sauna), we all got back to our true nature, bliss. It was amazing to watch everyone on the retreat drop our attachments, neuroses, fear, and hardness over the days we spent among the hot pools, moss, and old-growth trees.
For parents, finding space from the kids can be difficult. A few weekends ago, my husband and I took our first 2-night trip away from our lovely children. It was more amazing that I could have imagined. We holed up in a cabin at Moon Mountain Lodge with books and cards and spent two days watching the snow fall, reading, and walking in the woods. While I felt more connected to my husband, I also found a space of knowing myself that I hadn’t experienced in years. I wasn’t corralling, feeding, or attending to our sweet little people and I could listen my own needs, my own requests.
I recall studying with Sarah Powers for the first time. She brought to my attention this idea of taking personal retreats. I recall feeling regret, as at the time I had not attended to this need we all have to get space and reset the clock. This time when I see her it is on the heels of these two retreats, and I will be able to smile and say, yes, I have retreated.

Posted by: Anne Phyfe

Want to hear some great music while making a difference? Join the great folks who volunteer to make Yoga Behind Bars a reality on April 12th for a Benefit Concert at the Fremont Abby, 4272 Fremont Ave N. Doors open at 7:30pm. Music by Seattle Guitar Circle with selections from Tuning the Air. Yoga Behind Bars offers yoga classes to prisoners and “at risk” populations to specifically facilitate therapeutic, conscious, human development. 8 Limbs has donated the proceeds from Thanksgiving Benefit classes to YBB and will do so again this summer with our Karma Yoga in the Park class on August 8th. Your donations will go towards purchasing needed props for the classes they offer.
Also, for those who enjoy chanting and spending an evening with other yoga enthusiasts, join kirtan artists David Stringer and Steve Gold (who led kirtan at 8 Limbs for several years) for an evening of heart opening singing at Shakti Vinyasa in Ballard on April 18th. It’ll get you warmed up and excited for Sean Johnson to fill 8 Limbs Capitol Hill with his beautiful music on May 30th.

Posted by: 8 Limbs