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Bikram
Yoga
The dramatic improvements you'll read about in these testimonials
can be attributed to causes besides the yoga itself: a deep
desire to get well, the effort of going to yoga day after
day, even when in pain, a desire to overcome fear of the unknown,
and the confidence the instructor has in the ability of Bikram
yoga to bring healing to the situation. All these are important
components of the healing process and should not be underestimated.
However, what is it in the yoga itself that helps produce
these results?
FIVE ASPECTS OF MIND
Hatha yoga, this thousands of years old practice, has been
called "the yoga of willpower." Just doing it strengthens
our will, an attribute of mind. When we have the positive
experience of being able to do more than we expected, our
confidence and self-esteem get a boost, fostering a more positive
mind. We begin including positive thoughts about ourselves,
and allow negative self-talk to fade away. Our practice strenthens
our mind.
According to Bikram, the mind has five aspects which as they
develop, bring equanimity to the mind. These are: Faith, Self-control,
Determination, Concentration, and Patience. Each of these
five develop by practicing Bikram's yoga.
Faith
The roots of Vedanta philosophy ask us to believe in ourselves
and believe in God. Karma yoga, the yoga of action, is knowing
your gift and using it. No one can force you to do what's
not for you. In the Bhagvad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna, "It
is better to follow your own calling imperfectly than follow
another's perfectly. If death should come while following
your own path, this is surely better than living with the
fear and anguish of following a false path." (3:35) When we're
forced to do something that is against our own nature, our
soul is unhappy, there is no peace. When the soul is unhappy,
pain begins to trouble the body as well. Rather than change
your ways to conform with the world, you must eventually find
a way to express your truth from your heart regardless of
the world.
What makes your soul happy? What is your goal? Since the
rest of the world doesn't care what your soul wants, it is
up to you to find out. If you are struggling with these issues,
engage in hatha yoga practice, and in the context of your
practice--asana, meditation--you will soon find the Faith--your
foundation or roots--to go in any direction in your life.
As Bikram says, "If you believe it, it will work better. If
you don't believe it, it will happen anyway. The longer something
takes to work, the longer it lasts."
Self
Control When we are lacking in self-control, materialistic
attachments, sexual attachments, and "fun" will divert your
attention from your path. Yoga practice, by developing a sound
body, helps us develop a sound mind which is more conducive
to positive thoughts. When we have positive thoughts, we are
more likely to be grateful, generous, and loyal. According
to Bikram, loyalty and gratitude are two of the most important
inner attitudes to have. They help us keep our priorities
straight--helping us to be supremely sensitive to others.
What is the connection between Bikram yoga and our emotions?
When we have receive messages from our environment, they are
conveyed through the nervous system via biochemical reactions
to all our cells. When we have no self-control, we will be
at the mercy of our biochemistry--good news stimulates "be
happy" and bad news stimulates "be depressed" reactions. However,
through asana practice, we begin to develop self-control ,
and whether the news is good or bad, a kind of stability is
established in our biochemistry that enables us to not overreact
to external events. We become able to "keep our cool," and
keeping things in perspective, we can develop an effective,
appropriate response.
The story goes that Jesus studied with a guru in Joya, India
from the ages of 12 to 30, then went to Tibet. After being
persecuted in Tibet for preaching self-realization and God-realization,
his disciples helped him return to Jerusalem, where he met
with even stronger challenges. Jesus still taught us to turn
the other cheek. People were jealous of him and tried to tear
him down, but no one could take Jesus' peace away from him
because he was living in higher cosmic consciousness.
Another example of living in higher consciousness is that
when Ghandhi was shot, he said "Jai Ram," which roughly translates
to "Amen." In other words, he had the equanimity of mind to
be in a state of love and devotion even upon being shot, and
died with God's name on his lips. And yet another example
of someone who has become imperturbable because of his devotion
is Ishar Chandra, the vice chancellor of Calcutta University.
Bikram once saw him hide himself behind a wall rather be seen
by, and therefore embarass, a man passing by who owed him
money. What love, what sensitivity, for a man of such power!
Determination
Bikram's talk about determination emphasizes "stick with
it." First, you have to know what your goal or destination
is. Then you have to keep working towards your goal until
you achieve it, without giving up. Yes, there will be bad
or difficult times. Life is like waves in the ocean--up and
down. If you wait long enough, the good comes. It's a matter
of finding skillful means to deal with the challenges.
For example, look at a difficult marriage. If the husband
is working hard for the family but isn't succeeding, the wife
shouldn't give up, but rather she should show moral support
so he doesn't give up. However, if the husband has alcohol
or drug problems, the wife should ignore him and let him burn
himself. Saying something in that event can make it worse.
Since one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel, there should
be a limit, a boundary in love. Beyond that limit, bad behavior
can not be tolerated.
If you lose your self respect, you're losing yourself. Bikram
recommends: never make yourself cheap or expendable. Don't
go "to the basement." Don't invite negative people into your
life. Ask yourself, "Who am I? Why have I come to this earth
as a human being?" and stay concentrated on the activity that
arises from your questions.
Concentration
Concentration is an important precursor to meditation. It
is difficult for many of us to sit still, it is even more
difficult to keep our mind on just one thing for even 10-12
seconds. Without hatha yoga, we normally use only 3-5% of
our bodies. With hatha yoga, we reenergize, revitalize and
reorganize the body and become able to use 100% of the body.
The ancients created hatha yoga to prepare the body to sit
still so the mind could be still. They modeled the postures
after animals, and endowed the postures with supernatural
powers. For example, the cobra posture was modeled after the
animal with the strongest spine in the world, therefore in
performing the posture, you develop a strong spine. The camel
posture creates space in the throat so that like a camel,
you don't need as much water. The tortoise posture brings
the body close and compact so the heart doesn't have to pump
as hard as normal, which relaxes the heart. In fact, if you
breathe like a tortoise--2 minutes for each inhale, 2 minutes
for each exhale, the tortoise endows you with long life. (Work
your way up to this.)
The word "Ha Tha" conveys balance of opposites: Sun and Moon,
right and left, male and female, warm and cool. Without the
sun, there is no prana or life force. Without the moon to
cool, there is too much energy and the object burns up. Once
body/mind is in balance, it becomes easier to sit still, concentrate
and enter meditation. These capabilities develop out of hatha
yoga practice, particularly Bikram's series, in which concentration
is aroused from deep within your most internal self to perform
the postures.
Patience
Determination and patience go hand in hand. Once you set
your mind on your goal, and work with determination towards
it, you need patience to ride the waves of life. With the
fruits of hatha yoga practice--a good body and a good mind--you
have the tools to reach your soul. In a Bikram yoga class,
your patience is developed, because you can't possibly accomplish
the postures in one session. You develop a sense that effort
over time brings the results that are truly satisfying and
nourishing to the soul. When you please your soul, it releases
more of itself to you. Then you become able to serve your
Self and God and accomplish what you were created to do in
this lifetime.
Copyright © 1997-2003 Bikram's
Yoga College of India®
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on Bikram Yoga?
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