Yoga for Life: Inner Fire, Inner Wisdom

Last week I talked about pratyahara and aparigraha, or tuning out external distractions and letting go of what you do not need so that you can be more present and calm. But there’s more to it. Just a couple days after I wrote that post, I attended a yoga class where the teacher told a story about tapas (not the small dishes in Spanish cuisine), which is also included in Patanjali’s teachings as one of the niyamas, or inner observances or self-directed duties. Tapas has many meanings including self-discipline and austerity, and in the physical yoga practice, it is often referred to as inner fire. I’m most familiar with it in the context of a spicy yoga sequence that makes you sweat and your muscles burn.

That day, however, my teacher was referring to passion, or inner discipline and determination, and how cultivating your tapas helps you to be impervious to the external. This felt like a message from the universe that I was excited to explore further as it relates to pratyahara and aparigraha - when we tune out external distractions and let go of what doesn’t serve us, we’re able to focus inward and access our inner fire. And, not gonna lie, I was also relieved that the objective of that yoga class wasn’t just to work really hard, because I was sore and tired.

The story was about Hanuman, a Hindu god known in yogic tradition as monkey king. Hanumanasana, or yoga front splits, are named after Hanuman and inspired by a story where he leapt from India to Lanka. Hanuman is captured by bad guys who try to set his tail on fire. At that point, Hanuman accesses his inner fire, and as the demons around him burst into flames, he frees himself. Hearing this, my first reaction was, “Why didn’t he just use his inner fire in the first place?” But perhaps it was like a pilot light, waiting for a spark to ignite its flame.

What if we all have an inner flame that gets reduced to an ember or pilot light burning within us? When our minds are full of clutter from negative thoughts or distractions, it can be harder to notice or access this flame but as we clear away the clutter, we are able to see the flame and begin to stoke the flame and intensify our determination and passion. All it takes is being an observer of ourselves. 

Self-observation also allows us to access our inner wisdom. When we feel stuck in a situation and don’t know what to do, we often turn to external sources for guidance. But if you think about it, who is the real expert on you? Who else has been with you for your entire life and knows all of your experiences and feelings that have made you who you are? 

Unfortunately, it can be hard to hear our inner wisdom when there are louder voices in our head like fear, anger, wisdom, blame, and doubt. Any of those sound familiar? When we are able to let those negative emotions and thoughts go, the voice of inner wisdom suddenly gets louder and more clear.

If you’re like me, you may be skeptical. Sure, maybe other people have inner fire and wisdom, but are you sure that’s everyone? Even me? But I can tell you with confidence that it’s true. As a coach, I’ve witnessed this in dozens of clients firsthand. Once you are able to quiet or set aside whatever is holding you back for a moment, the wisdom starts to flow. As a human, I’ve also experienced this.  Despite my own doubts, when I keep an open mind and give it a try, i’m surprised by the answers that come from within.

Let’s say you have a goal that you’ve set for yourself, but you are held back by fear of failure because you’re not sure if you are capable. The first thing to do is let that go, which admittedly is not an easy thing to do. Start by setting aside those feelings for just a moment, as if you could wave a magic wand and make them disappear, or that you are Hanuman, using your tapas to set them on fire. Then ask yourself what you would do if the fear did not exist. Or if that’s hard to imagine, what would a person who didn’t have that fear do? 

I highly recommend doing your thinking outside of your brain, either by writing down your thoughts, or saying them outloud (it can help to have someone else who is not directly involved, like a coach or objective friend or family member). Don’t think too hard about it; just write or say whatever comes to mind. You might be surprised by what comes out. Then because these are your ideas, use the inspiration as a spark to your inner flame and start taking action!

Yoga for Life: Inner Peace and Calm

Yes, it’s Friday again, and this week’s topic is especially meaningful to me. When I say that yoga changed my life, it’s the lessons of letting go and tuning out external distractions that have created my sense of personal happiness, freedom, and peace. I also attribute these yoga principles to shaping my personal leadership style.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

Sanskrit mantra: May all beings everywhere be happy (and free from suffering)

Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses

Several years ago, a yoga studio opened within walking distance of my home. This made it easy for me to attend classes, and I began practicing yoga on a regular basis. I already had a longstanding habit of working out first thing in the morning, so I started going to the studio a few days a week. One winter morning when it was still cold and dark outside, I remember lying on my yoga mat, resting in savasana (corpse pose). The peaceful feeling I had begun to cultivate was rudely interrupted by the sound of a truck slowly backing up behind the studio. Beep beep beep beep! 

“Ugh,” I thought,”how annoying! Now savasana is ruined.” But my teacher had a different reaction, gently pointing out that it was an opportunity to practice pratyahara and tune out the external distractions. In that moment, I decided to give it a try, to not let the noise bother me, and I was able to be present again. This was a lightbulb moment in my yoga journey.

Pratyahara is one of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in Patanjali’s yoga sutras, or texts. It refers to the withdrawal of the senses from the external. Without getting too deeply into the spiritual concepts, pratyahara enables peace and calm from within, regardless of what is going on around you, by decreasing mental stimulation. The ability to do so comes in handy because there are a lot of things going on around us that are outside of our control, many of which can range from upsetting to downright devastating. 

You can practice pratyahara by focusing on your breath, or on one sense at a time. I get gentle reminders to practice pratyahara to this day because both of the local yoga studios I attend are close to the train tracks and it’s not unusual to hear a train passing by, sometimes with the loud sound of the horn, at least once during a class. Maybe that’s more than coincidence.

Aparigraha: Non-attachment

I often associate pratyahara with another concept from Patanjali’s sutras, aparigraha, which is one of yamas, or moral guidelines of yoga. Aparigraha can be translated as non-attachment and non-greed, or simply letting go of what you do not need. It can refer to material possessions, but for today let’s focus on the non-tangible things. 

Take anxiety, worries, or guilt, for example - when have these negative emotions ever served any purpose beyond making you miserable? Often we fixate so much on the outcome of our efforts that we miss out on being able to enjoy the experience and the journey. And then there’s the mental baggage that we lug around with us, beliefs about ourselves that are no longer true, comparison to others, or concern about what others think of us. Negative feelings can manifest in stress that is stored in your body as tension.

What thoughts, outcomes, and goals are you gripping so tightly onto that it’s to your own detriment? Let it go. Or to paraphrase Marie Kondoh, what are you holding on to that no longer sparks joy? Thank it for serving its purpose and then get rid of it.

While pratyahara is about not letting external factors disturb you, aparigraha sets you free from dependence on external things for your personal happiness and peace, boosting your self-reliance. Both are about finding peace and steadiness within yourself, and for me they complement each other.

Both pratyahara and aparigraha are useful for the practice of being present and impervious to what is going on around you. The ability to stay calm and cool is something we expect from leaders during a crisis or other difficult situation, and we’ve had a lot of those lately. So the more you can be present, the more you are able to have presence, and this inspires confidence and calm in others.

The physical practice of yoga can be a great means to experience inner peace and calm. Here are a few free yoga channels on YouTube that I recommend:

• Yoga with Adriene

• Yoga with Tim

• Tana Yoga

• Yoginimelbourne

If you’re not interested in doing yoga, give meditation a try. I prefer the moving meditation of yoga, but do try to incorporate the occasional two-minute meditations, which are surprisingly effective. There are lots of great meditation apps like Insight Timer (free), and Headspace and Calm, which offer a free trial.

Yoga for Life: Start Where You Are

I’m already behind on my goal to publish a blog post every Friday, but for a valid reason. This past Friday was not a normal day. My employer announced a mass layoff spanning 12,000 roles. I’ve been through layoffs before, but not of this magnitude. I spent what was supposed to be my day off trying to find out who was laid off, talking with peers who remain but are stunned and saddened by the unplanned departures of so many people who are like family to me. As I continue to see new posts today from the talented, brilliant, committed, and amazing people who were affected, I know it could have just as easily been me, which is sobering. This week’s post is dedicated to everyone who has been impacted by layoffs, whether directly or indirectly.

In addition to coaching and working my day job as program manager, I teach yoga. I enrolled in yoga teacher training back in 2012 because the practice of yoga had changed my life, and I wanted to create and share the experience and benefits of yoga with other people. Much of what I’ve learned from the physical practice of yoga and yoga philosophy has carried over into other parts of my life, especially when it comes to growth, development, and leadership, and I love to share lessons and insights I’ve gained from yoga.

Even if you have no interest in yoga, I hope that you’ll be able to take something away that helps you in your life journey.

One of the first principles I learned in yoga teacher training was to Start Where You Are. It may sound like a no-brainer - where else can you start, right? But the idea is that there is no need to be anything, anywhere, or anyone else. 

Observe Yourself

In order to start where you are, it helps to know where you are. I like to start teaching classes with a brief meditation, inviting students to observe themselves in three dimensions - physical, mental, and emotional. Observation is about turning your camera to selfie mode, assessing your current situation, and creating awareness, without making any judgments. Maybe you’re feeling a little tired or sore, or you’re distracted, or feeling a strong emotion. All of this can impact your yoga practice, but this doesn’t mean you should quit. 

Observing yourself provides you with valuable information to help you determine how to make your yoga practice work for you. And it’s helpful not just at the beginning, but throughout your practice, as you see what starts to change in your mind and body as you move. Every body is different, from your natural flexibility to balance and strength and the shape and size of your torso and limbs. And it’s worth noting that even within the same body, every day is different, which is why taking a moment to observe yourself to see where you are in the moment can be valuable.

Bonus audio: 3 minute seated meditation to observe yourself

Work within your own ability

I’ve heard many people say they don’t do yoga because they’re not flexible. But one of the physical benefits of practicing yoga is that it helps you to build flexibility, so it’s great for inflexible people. If a yoga pose is not accessible, you can modify it. And sometimes there are other reasons why you might want to modify a pose, even if you can do it, because the modification provides you with more ease or allows you to feel it differently.  Let’s take a standing forward fold as an example, where you are bending over and reaching your fingers toward the ground. In the full expression of a forward fold, your fingers reach the ground. However, that’s not always going to be the best way for you to do it. Maybe you feel strain on your lower back or your hamstrings, or it forces you to round your shoulders forward. In that case, you can bend your knees, or use a prop like a yoga block that effectively brings the ground closer to your hands so they have something to rest on. 

Whether you are doing the full expression or a pose or modifying, you still are doing a forward fold, feeling the sensation of stretching, and getting the calming, stress-relieving benefits of the pose. And the more you practice, the more flexible you will become over time. In the end it doesn’t matter whether you actually reach your toes. 

Sometimes the support comes from other people, not props. One of my favorite things about taking a live class is the opportunity to get assistance from an experienced teacher. At my local yoga studio, you are given a Yoga Flip Chip with “no assists” printed on one side and “assist” on the other so you can choose to opt-in if you like. An assist can be really helpful for a pose that might normally be too difficult or scary (e.g., a handstand).

Taking yoga off the mat

All of these principles apply when you are off the yoga mat and out in the world living your life. When you run into something new or challenging, it may feel overwhelming at first, but don’t let that discourage you or become an excuse not to do it.  First, take some time to assess your current situation.

• What capabilities do you already have, and what do you need to develop? 

• Can you make the task or situation accessible by modifying it a bit, or by getting support or assistance? 

• Just give it a try, without making it into a big deal. Try things you’ve never done before - you might surprise yourself with what you’re capable of. In the worst case, it doesn’t work but you have gotten value from the effort - it’s not just about the outcome. 

• Be playful! Have fun, embracing the adventure and experience.

What matters is that you’re taking action and having new experiences. Like most things in life, if you’re persistent and work hard, over time you will see progress.

Closing thoughts

The Paradox of Change from the field of Gestalt therapy says that change happens when people become more fully themselves, not by becoming something or someone they are not. The more you try to be something you’re not, the more you stay the same. By being present, observing yourself, and starting where you are, you’re creating the conditions to grow and develop organically and authentically, which increases the likelihood of the change being truly meaningful and sustainable.