Transformation

Hello again!

As the gentle reader may note in the previous posts from my first visit here four years ago, I was swept away by the place, the people, the new experiences.  I was head-over-heels in love with the color, the visuals of both everyday life and my excursions near and far.  I see that I felt affection for the cultural differences, in awe of the Institute and the chance to learn directly from Guruji, Geetaji, Prashantiji, and the others here, wonder at the marvels of humans in the early centuries, and finally amusement at my fumbling attempts to understand it all.  I wrote and photographed, in part, to share those moments with friends and family who were curious, and of course to help me to remember this time, as one tends to forget the primacy as time wears on.  Taken as a whole, the past posts read as a snapshot of who I was at that time, AND who I wasn't...yet.

And so the wee hours of jet lag have me pondering this notion of transformation.

In yoga, the Sanskrit word parinama has a multitude of applications and interpretations.  The basic definition is "transformation", but as Edwin Bryant points out, it also means "consequences, and can be read as pointing to the ever-changing nature of everything."

Our goal in yoga, according to Patañjali, is to still the fluctuations of the consciousness to find the true nature of our Self.  To do that we have to transform on many different levels, peeling away at the layers and obstacles to that goal until we can begin to catch a glimpse of said Self.  

To the beginning yoga student who comes to class for any number of motivations, this goal might seem overwhelming and daunting!   Thankfully, Patañjali's Yoga Sutras break it down for us.   But while there are some very helpful translations and commentaries, not to mention our wise teachers and Guru who help clarify and bring "light" to help us get there, where does one begin transformation?

I humbly submit we can begin that journey in Tadasana - Mountain Pose.

As beginners, we learn to find the shape of the pose, how to move and position the feet, legs, the torso and head and the arms.  One day, after many repetitions of that and other poses, it occurs to us that it is not merely a physical act.  We become aware how one action brings us freedom to do or create another action, while another closes that avenue.  We transform our physical awareness of the pose and our sense of our self in it.  And on and on it goes, as we discover more and more subtleties, not just of our physical body, but also the physiological, mental and spiritual experience in a pose.

Those "ah ha" moments, whether in a pose or in life, are transformation.  And while they can be gratifying, the Yoga Sutras also recommend we not get attached to that feeling.  In our practice or in class, we can use that moment as a new starting point, but in all likelihood, there will be other transformations, so we continue our study, and our life, and observe what happens...and continue transforming.