DAY 21 : JUNE 2

Asteya

non-stealing, non-appropriation, honesty

अस्तेय

The third of the yamas is asteya (non-stealing, non-covetousness,non-appropriation, honesty). We are not to steal or covet others possessions. This extends to not taking credit for other peoples work, not dirtying up the city which we all pay taxes for, not stealing peoples time, and not ruining the Earth for future generations by stealing from nature.

“To aquire some insight from the sages or from the tradition without paying something back with a corresponding responsibility is theft.”

~ Ravi Ravindra

The opposite of stealing is giving. A yogi practices generosity. When grounded in asteya the yogi all precious gems (not necessarily material) come to the yogi.

“There is a kind of vegetable in Vietnam called he (pronounced “hey”). It belongs to the onion family and looks like a scallion, and it is very good in soup. The more you cut the he plants at the base, the more they grow. If you don’t cut them they won’t grow very much. But if you cut them often, right at the base of the stalk, they grow bigger and bigger. This is also true of the practice of generosity. If you give and continue to give, you become richer and richer all the time, richer in terms of happiness and well-being. This may seem strange but it is always true.”

~  Thich Nhat Hanh 

According to the Indigenous teachings I’ve received, being generous and charitable is a very important way of being. My elder said what every we give comes back seven-fold. Remember the Da Da Da story from the Upanishads (Day 2). In that story the human beings were told by the Creator to one thing: to practice Dana (to give, to be charitable).

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DAY 20 : JUNE 1

Our thoughts and prayers for all affected by the heartbreaking news in Kamloops.

Rest in Power and Peace little ones…

For those who don’t know… Canada’s last residential school (in Saskatchewan) closed only 25 years ago (1996). I feel ashamed of our Canadian government and the churchs, who ran these schools. Praying for the 215 children, their families and the residential school warriors who been re-victimized by this news.

You all are in my heart and I stand in solidarity with you.

Note: While you may need to create a free NY Times account to read this article, you do not need to have a paid account to access the article.

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40 Days of Practice Resources:

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DAY 19 : MAY 31

Keep practicing y’all. We have a great deal of work to do...

“We must become bigger than we have been: more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our fellow men within the human community.”

~ Haile Selassie I

image reads:

Until the philosophy which holds one race superior & another inferior is finally & permanently discredited & abandoned everywhere is war until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes… me say war until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race… there is war

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DAY 18 : MAY 30

Srivatsa Ramaswami was taught Yoga Sutra 2:47 by Krishnamacharya and his interpretation is worthwhile looking at when dealing with the breath particularity in asana.

2:47 prayatna-saithilya-nanta-samapattibhyam

By making the breath smooth and long and concentrating the mind on the breath, the perfection of the posture is obtained.

He states that 2:46 (refer to day 10) and 2:47 form the four main parameters of asana practice.

Asana practice: Steadiness (stability), relaxation (comfort), smoothness of breath and vigilant focus on the breath.

Sthiratva: steadiness

Sukhatva: comfort

Prayatna-shaitilya: Smoothness of breath

Ananta-samapatti: Unwavering focus upon the breath

BKS Iyengar’s translation is different:

prayatna saithilya ananta samapattibhyam

Perfection in asana is reached only when effort ceases, instilling infinite poise and allowing the finite vehicle, the body, to merge in the seer.

~ Source: English translation from Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (B.K.S. Iyengar)

Check out BKS Iyengar demonstrating the Ujjayi breath:

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DAY 17 : MAY 29

Homework: Pranayama

Simply watch your breath and work on lengthening your exhale and making it twice as long as your inhale.

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The next step in Ashtanga Yoga after Yama, Niyama and asana, is Pranayama

Pranayama has two different meanings: 

Breath Control - Prana (Breath) Yama (Control)

Life Force Extension - Prana (Life Force) Ayama (Lengthening)

Breath is life.  

Krishnamacharya and a student practicing pranayama.

“…the ancients taught that each individual is allotted 21, 600 breaths per day in a life span intended to be one hundred years. We can draw our allotted breaths like a bank account. Through anxiety, short breaths and unnecessary exertion we may overdraw our account - and shorten our lives. Or we may use the breath wisely, with smooth, easy respiration, and store it up: in other words, lengthen our lives… We bring the breath consciously into a daily act of renewal.”

~ Sri T.K.V. Desikachar (Krishnamacharya’s son)

”When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. but when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.”

~ Svatmarama, Hatha Yoga Pradipika

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Tomorrow

[Sunday Session]
Exploring The 5 Layers of Self - Pancha Kosha Vidya
with Joshua Ramakrishnan

May 30, 7:00-9:00am PT / 7:30-9:30pm IST

A practice-based approach to help us explore our inner most self: peeling back the layers that cover our true nature and how to transcend them. This workshop will focus on an explorative practice and include a talk on Kosha.

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DAY 16 : MAY 28

Asana encourages awareness of prana by giving us an opportunity to put ourselves into the various shapes and patterns of existence and experience the dynamic force that animates all form. In the Celtic myth of Camelot, Merlin teaches the young Arthur how to become a good king. The wizard transforms the boy into various life-forms: animals, plants, and minerals. As Arthur experiences the perspectives of those over who he has lordship, he is better prepared to rule with compassion.
This is Yoga, the experience of the vitality of life in all forms of life.

~ Jivamukti Yoga, Sharon Gannon and David Life

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Sri Anandamayi Ma, an Indian Saint

“As you love your own body, so regard everyone as equal to your own body. When the Supreme Experience supervenes, everyone’s service is revealed as one’s own service. Call it a bird, an insect, an animal or a man, call it by any name you please, one serves one’s own Self in every one of them... Your sorrow, your pain, your agony is indeed my sorrow. This body understands everything. You may want to leave this body. But this body won’t leave you for a single day – it does not and never will leave you.”

~ Sri Anandamayi Ma

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DAY 15 : MAY 27

Santosha

The second of the niyamas is Santosha which is acceptance or contentment.

We want to cultivate the Old Farmer’s vibe...

An old Taoist story: The Farmer and his Son.

An old Chinese farmer had worked his crops for many years. One day his only horse broke through the fence and ran away. When his neighbors learned of it, they came to the farmer and said, “What bad luck this is. You don’t have a horse during planting season.” The farmer listened and then replied, “Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?”

A few days later, the horse returned with two other horses. When the neighbors learned of it, they visited the farmer. “You are now a rich man. What good luck this is,” they said. The farmer listened and again replied, “Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?”

Later that day, the farmer’s only son was thrown from one of the stallions and broke his leg. When the neighbors heard about it, they came to the farmer. “It is planting season and now there is no one to help you,” they said. “This is truly bad luck.” The farmer listened, and once more he said, “Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?”

The very next day, the emperor’s army rode into the town and conscripted the eldest son in every family. Only the farmer’s son with his broken leg remained behind. Soon the neighbors arrived. Tearfully, they said, “Yours is the only son who was not taken from his family and sent to war. What good luck this is…” to which the farmer replied “Good luck, bad luck. Who knows?

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Remind anyone else of this?

The Serenity Prayer 

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

~  Reinhold Niebuhr

Remind anyone else of this?

Kriya Yoga Ishvara Pranidhana (acceptance) tapas (courage) and svadhyaya (wisdom).

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TONIGHT:

pRACTICE WITH OUR FRIEND Sophie Grégoire Trudeau

Upeksha: Attach to the breath, Detach from the negative
Power flow with meditation

with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau

May 27th, 5:30pm PT / 8:30pm ET

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DAY 14 : MAY 26

Gossip Is The Devil’s Radio

The yoga Master Indra Devi would leave the room if she heard gossip.

George Harrison said, “GOSSIP IS THE DEVIL’S RADIO.”

Daily practice of mindfulness and yoga can help us to purify our speech.

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6 Steps to Recover From a Gossip Addiction

Here are some tips by Sarah Wilkins for monitoring and controlling your tendency to talk negatively about others.

1. Pick a gossip buddy.

One spiritual teacher suggests that you confine your gossiping to one or two people, perhaps your best friend, spouse, or significant other. If you have a designated gossip buddy, it’s much easier to practice restraint with the other people in your life. Choose someone who can keep secrets and who will support you in your desire to be more conscious of what you say.

2. Catch yourself.

Learn to notice when you’re about to make a snarky remark, and stop yourself before you do. If one slips out, apologize.

3. Notice the aftertaste.

Become aware of what it feels like after you gossip. It will be different for everyone, but for me the aftertaste of gossip feels like anxiety (tight shoulders, tight stomach) and what I can only describe as a worried, slightly sinking feeling that comes from sensing I might have said something I’ll regret. Note where you feel the tension in your own body the next time you engage in a gossip fest.

4. Just say no.

Turn down invitations to pick others apart. Try changing the subject when a friend wants to have a bad-mouthing session. Ask them (tactfully) to talk about something else, and tell them that you’re trying to break yourself of the negative gossip habit. You’ll find that many people will actually thank you.

5. Don’t rush to judgment.

When someone confides a piece of gossipy information about someone else, question it. Check the source. Don’t believe something unless you have clear proof—and the fact that a whole lot of people are saying something does not constitute clear proof.

6. Try a one-day gossip fast.

Decide that for one whole day you won’t talk about other people. Then, notice when that’s especially difficult. Observe what feelings prompt you to share news about someone or repeat something you’ve heard. Does your desire to gossip come from a feeling of emptiness or boredom? Does it come from a desire for intimacy with the person you’re talking to? What happens inside you when you deny the urge? How do you feel when you’ve gone through a whole conversation without once saying, Have you heard?

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BEGINNING friday:

ROOTS - 25HR VINYASA YOGA FOR YOUTH INTENSIVE

Immerse yourself in the practice, learn ways to integrate yoga poses, mindfulness and breathing and other aspects of wellness into the work you are already doing with youth. This is a training for anyone who works with youth - school teachers, school counselors, EA’s and ECE’s, coaches, community center employees, youth care workers, etc. In this training, along with a deeper understanding of the benefits for youth, you will be given tools that will teach you to care for yourself first! From our own self care we can  more effectively serve others.

Hosted virtually, on Zoom
May 28 - 30

All 40 Day participants receive 25% through this link:

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DAY 13 : MAY 25

The Three Gates of Right Speech

The Sufis capture this idea [of how to stand guard over the gate of the mouth] in a splendid metaphor. They advise us to speak only after our words have managed to issue through three gates.

At the first gate we ask ourselves, “Are these words true?” If so, let them pass on; if not, back they go.

At the second gate, we ask, “Are they necessary?” They [our words] may be true, but it doesn’t follow that they have to be uttered; they must serve some meaningful purpose. Do they clarify the situation or help someone? Or do they strike a discordant or irrelevant note?

At the last gate we ask, “Are they kind?” If we still feel we must speak out, we need to choose words that will be supportive and loving, not words that embarrass or wound another person. All of us understand what blows can do to someone, but we do not realize that words can create a more painful injury, one that can last for many years. Nor do we understand the terribly destructive impact words can have on the consciousness of the person who uses them.

~ Eknath Easwaran in Meditation

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DAY 12 : MAY 24

Satya: Truthfulness

Join Joshna Ramakrishnan this weekend for our Sunday Session, Exploring The 5 Layers of Self - Pancha Kosha Vidya, 7:00-9:00am PT / 7:30-9:30pm IST. Click through to the schedule below to save your spot.

Not lying, or always speaking the truth is the second of the yamas, but it should be consistent with the earlier injunction “Don’t harm.” A Sage dedicated to the law of always speaking the truth was walking along the bank of a river. There were a few urchins throwing stones at a turtle that had climbed up the bank of the river. It had managed to save itself with its hard back and by drawing in all its limbs. The urchins asked the pious sage how they could destroy the turtle. Being given to speaking the truth always (satya vrata), he said the obvious to the children. The urchins turned the turtle over and attacked its soft belly, whereupon it died. The sage had to bear the karmic effects of the turtles death in his next life. Even as he spoke the truth, the more import yogic injunction of not harming any being was transgressed. In situations where speaking the truth will be harmful, the yogi is advised to keep silence. According to yoga, “One’s communication is to be guided by ahimsa and satya.”

~ Based on teachings of Srivatsa Ramaswami

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Another definintion of satya could be:

"Thou shall not lie or give false testimony."

This same rule is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, in Jewish Scriptures, and in the Holy Quran.

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Sat means "true or real," and Ya means "ness."

Another way to look at Satya is to be real.

Be yourself and avoid deceiving others. Be careful that you do not use the truth to hurt others with the truth. Remember, Ahimsa is the basis of all action. The great Indian epic, the Mahabharata, states: “Speak the truth which is pleasant. Do not speak unpleasant truths. Do not lie, even if the lies are pleasing to the ear. This is the eternal law, the dharma.”

Satya (truth) is based on the understanding that honest communication forms the basis for any relationship or community.

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DAY 11 : MAY 23

Touch The Earth

The old people came literally to love the soil and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power.

It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth... The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing.

This is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its live giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly; he can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him.

~ Chief Luther Standing Bear - Oglala Sioux

Chief Luther Standing Bear wrote the book, ‘My People the Sioux’, first published in 1928, as an autobiographical account of his tribe and tribesmen. It remains a landmark in Indian literature, among the first books about Indians written from the Indian point of view by an Indian.

Born in the 1860s, the son of a Lakota chief, Standing Bear was in the first class at Carlisle Indian School, witnessed the Ghost Dance uprising from the Pine Ridge Reservation, toured Europe with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, and devoted his later years to the Indian rights movement of the 1920s and 1930s.

Click below to learn more and purchase ‘My People the Sioux’ from the publisher:

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DAY 10 : MAY 22

Asana

Homework:

Watch your posture and watch your mouth!

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YOGA SUTRA: Chapter Two Verse 46

स्वाध्यायादिष्टदेवतासंप्रयोगः॥४४॥

sthira-sukham-āsanam

Irresistible stability and alert relaxation.
(Qualities of an asana, yoga sutra 2:46)

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“Steadiness and comfort characterize a yogic posture”

~ Srivatsa Ramaswami

“Asana needs to combine qualities of steady attentiveness (sthira) and spacious clarity (sukha).”

~ TKV Desikachar

Patanjali states that, asana must have the dual qualities of: sthira / sukha (stability/comfort). Posture (asana) is grounded, alert and stable without rigidity and tension. It is calm, relaxed, joyful, agreeable and comfortable without dullness, sleepiness and heaviness.

“To straighten the crooked you must first do a harder thing — straighten yourself.”

~ The Buddha, Dhammapada

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DAY 9 : MAY 21

The Yogi Code

In his book the Yoga Makaranda, Krishnamacharya writes about the importance of the “Yogi Code” on the path to Freedom and Peace.

“Just as in order to climb the Tirupati hill one has to climb step by step and only at the end does one achieve darsanam of the swami and experience happiness, similarly everyone who follows the path of yoga sastra has to climb the eight steps of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi proceeding according to the given order. Whoever climbs these eight steps proceeding according to the regular order will experience bliss.

Let me summarize them succinctly: if one follows ahimsa, satya, astheya, aparigraha, and brahmacharya systematically without fail, one develops a relationship of affection and compassion not just for other people but equally for all living beings. This attitude of perceiving all living beings with total impartiality (equality) is essential for the welfare of society.

The five niyama are saucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya, and isvara pranidhana. If one follows them as krama (in order), then riots, anger, hatred and aversion will become illusory and will slowly disappear from society. When such attitudes disappear from society, we develop purity both internally and in our environments which leads to reforms without any obstacles and to the growth of the highest constant state of peace and tranquility.’”

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And from the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says:

‘Arjuna, one who practises yogabhyasa following yama and niyama is a superior atma to those who are tapasvi (ascetic) jnani (scholar) and those who practise nitya karma (rituals) etc. Hence you should follow the yama and niyama and conquer your mind and become a yogi.

~ Krishnamacharya’s interpretation of The Bhagavad Gita 6:46

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DAY 8 : MAY 20

Saucha

The first of the niyamas is sauca.

Saucha means cleanliness or purity.
Cleanliness of body, mind and internal organs.

In every aspect of life, purity and holiness, cleanliness and refinement, exalt the human condition . . . Even in the physical realm, cleanliness will conduce to spirituality.

~ Abdu’ul-Baha

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DAY 7 : MAY 19

Join our guest teacher, Maitreyi, at this weekend’s SUNDAY SESSION: Arkaya Yoga and Cultural Appropriation, 7:15-9:45am PT / 8:15-10:45am CT. Head to MBO to register to get your class link.

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Niyama

स्वस्वामिशक्त्योः स्वरूपोपलब्धिहेतुः संयोगः॥२३॥

Yoga Sutra 2-32 sauca-santosa-tapas-svadhyaya Ishvara-pranidhanani niyamah

Cleanliness, contentment, austerity studies and surrendering the fruits of one’s action to the Lord - these are called “niyamas”

The Niyamas (ethical disciplines or attitudes toward ourselves) are the second part of the “Yogi Code.”

The Niyamas are basically the attitudes we take to ourselves. The niyamas are our individual discipline. This is how we are when no one is watching. They are comprised of Saucha (cleanliness or purity), Santosa (acceptance or contentment), Tapas (burning effort or daily practice), Svadhyaya (self-study or sacred study) and Isvara Pranidhana (Devotion to God or humility)

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DAY 6 : MAY 18

The Cobra + The Yogi

I really like this story about the cobra and the yogi

There was a big, mean cobra that lived in a village and he would bite anyone that would come too close to him. A Yogi came to stay at the village and one day decided to practice right beside a tree near the cobra. The cobra slithered over to the yogi and lifted up as if to bite him and the realized felt the yogi’s vibrations and knew that the yogi would never harm him, so he didn’t bite him.

The cobra loved the vibrations he felt and told yogi that he wanted to learn all about yoga from him.  The yogi told the cobra he would come back in a year to teach him if he could practice ahimsa (non-violence) for the entire year. 

So the cobra practiced ahimsa daily and became harmless, of course then, the village people started to get closer to the snake, as the snake was not harming them.  As humans often do, they began to abuse the cobra, and  to throw rocks and sticks.  Even still the cobra did not bite them. 

A year went by and the yogi came back, the cobra was near death because of the abuse from the village people. The yogi asked the cobra what had happened and the cobra told the yogi about the village people, but that he never bit anyone for the entire year.

The yogi replied – “I told you to practice non-violence, but I didn’t say you couldn’t hiss.”

Stand up for yourself, don’t be afraid to growl and hiss, just always remember that you musn’t bite!

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Today :

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DAY 5 : MAY 17

Ahimsa

Among all the yamas Ahimsa is the most important.

Ahimsa is non-harming in thought, word and action. Not to cause harm, but to live in harmony. Ahimsa in a positive sense can be considered; reverence for life, compassion and loving kindness.

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The Dalai Lama speaks often of the practice of Ahimsa:

Answering questions from the audience His Holiness said that ‘ahimsa’ doesn’t fall from the sky; it comes of cultivating a warm heart within. Asked if there were even situations when ‘ahimsa’ is inappropriate, he replied that ‘ahimsa’ non-violence and non-harm are the proper solution to any human problem. When a member of the audience asked how to respond to the rape and murder of her friends, he said:

“Ask yourself if getting angry would solve the problem and make it better. Anger and feelings of revenge only disturb your own peace of mind. The 8th century Indian master Shantideva gave advice that I find practical and realistic. ‘If there is a way to solve a problem, there is no need to worry about it and if there is no way to solve a problem, worry won’t help.’ “

~ From: Talks on Ethics and Ahimas, September 21, 2015

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Ahimsa takes tremendous strength. Jesus taught to, “love your enemy and turn the other cheek.” He also said, “be wise like serpents, and harmless like doves.”

“Jesus recognized the need for blending opposites. He knew that his disciples would face a difficult and hostile world, where they would confront the recalcitrance of political officials and the intransigence of the protectors of the old order. He knew that they would meet cold and arrogant men whose hearts had been hardened by the long winter of traditionalism. … And he gave them a formula for action, "Be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” … We must combine the toughness of the serpent with the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.“

~ Martin Luther King 

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DAY 4 : MAY 16

Photo by Mallory Lupick

The Yamas

अहिंसासत्यास्तेयब्रह्मचर्यापरिग्रहा यमाः I

ahiṁsā-satya-asteya-brahmacarya-aparigrahāḥ yamāḥ

The five yamas or controls are: non-violence; truthfulness; non-stealing,sexual restraint; non-accumulation of possessions.

The sage Patanjali teaches:

Yoga Sutra 2 - 31. जातिदेशकालसमयानवच्छिन्नाः सार्वभौमा महाव्रतम् I

jāti-deśa-kāla-samaya-anavacchinnāḥ sārva-bhaumāḥ mahā-vratam

These five (ahimsa and the other four yamas, should be practiced (all the time and toward everything) without exception to species, please, time, occasion and at all levels.

This is the great vow.

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DAY 3 : MAY 15

A Yogi leaves the place a little more beautiful, more clear, than it was when they arrived.

Join Sarah Manwaring for our first Sunday Session this weekend, 8-9:30am PT - The Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga: Embodying the Yoga Sutra.

THIS WEEKS HOMEWORK: DECLUTTER

A Yogi leaves the place better than it was when they arrived.
(Declutter!)

~ Ahimsa and Sauca
(Yama / Niyama, The Yogic Code)

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The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two steps to Ashtanga Yoga. They are the prerequisites to asana.

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THE YOGI CODE 
(according to T. Krishnamacharya)

Yama

Ahimsa: non-violence, not to cause any harm to others

Satya: truthfulness, in thought, speech and action

Asteya: non-stealing, not to aspire after another’s wealth

Brahmacharya: mastery of the senses, fidelity to one’s spouse)

Aparigraha: non-coveting, not to possess in excess

Niyama

Saucha: cleaning/purification

Santosha: contentment/acceptance

Tapas: practicing, control of body, keeping fit, restricted food

Svadhyaya: study of self/study of sacred text

Ishvara-Pranidhana: surrender to God, offering fruits of actions/humility

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With out these foundations, true Yoga is an impossibility.

It takes practice and disciplined effort for most people get grounded in these ways of being. BKS Iyengar says, “Without firm foundations a house cannot stand. Without the practice of the principles of yama and niyama, which lay down the firm foundations for building character, there cannot be an integrated personality. Practice of asanas with out the backing of yama and niyama is mere acrobatics.” 

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40 Days of practice Resources:

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DAY 2 : MAY 14

Photo co: Brandon Morgan, Unsplash

What The Thunder Said

The children of Prajapati, the Creator -- gods, human beings
and 'asuras', the godless -- lived with their father as students.

When they had completed the alloted period of study the gods said,
"Venerable One, please give us instruction".
Prajapati answered with one syllable: "Da".

"Have you understood?" he asked.
"Yes", they said, "You have told us 'damyata', be self-controlled".
"Very good. You have understood", he said.

Then the human beings approached.
"Venerable One, please teach us".
Prajapati answered with one syllable: "Da".
"Have you understood?" he asked.
"Yes", they said. "You have told us 'datta', give".
"Very good. You have understood," he said.

Then the 'asuras', the godless ones, approached.
"Venerable One, please teach us".
Prajapati answered with the same syllable: "Da".
"Have you understood?", he asked.
"Yes", they said. "You have told us 'dayAdhvam',
be compassionate". "Very good. You have understood", he said.

The heavenly voice of the thunder too repeats this teaching:
"Da-Da-Da!". Be self-controlled! Give! Be compassionate!

"Om shanti! Shanti! Shanti:!

~ “The Upanishads” (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Part 5, Chapter 2)
Ekanath Easwaren

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