by robert birnberg

lift your arms, breathe deep and close your eyes: asana, pranayama and pratyahara
article 7 in a 10-part series

View a PDF of the entire series on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Sounds Familiar
As repetition, review and integration (ksema) is the key to understanding, let’s review. So far, we have presented yoga as one of India’s six formal philosophical systems, derived from the ancient Vedas. We have seen that, far more than a group exercise class, yoga is a holistic, multi-layered spiritual psychology, or ‘sarva anga sadhana’, (practice for all parts). We have seen yoga’s roots in Samkhya, a dualistic philosophy fundamentally different from Hinduism and Hinduism’s source, the non-dualist Vedanta.

Yoga’s Samkhya divides the universe into two separate but connected parts. One is the seer, the unchanging observer, the conscious core; the other is the ever-changing material world, which includes all of nature and the human mind. The mind, according to the Sutras, has certain innate tendencies, or klesas, which distort our perceptions, diminish our joy, occlude our natural intelligence and cause us to re-act inappropriately to present-time events. As a result of this misperception, we often confuse or combine two things that are very close together, such as love and lust, need and greed, devotion and obsession, habit and choice, form and spirit. In the end, we mistake that which creates joy with that which promotes suffering.

Yoga states that to reduce suffering, we must learn to distinguish between two things so close they appear identical. To cultivate this discernment, or, viveka, we need a mind that is satvic, i.e. clear, calm, balanced and stable. The eight limbs, or astanga (pronounced ash-tana-ga), are Yoga’s multi-layered strategy for cultivating a more satvic mind.

Patanjali’s astanga refers to both the areas in which we can create positive change and the specific tools for transformation. The eight limbs translate into six areas (three are about the mind); they are: relationship, lifestyle, body, breath, senses and mind. As we are social creatures existing in a physical environment, the first two areas, which need to be “satvified”, are relationships (yamas) and lifestyle (niyamas).

How To Be Together
For stable, satvic relationships, the sutras prescribe honesty, kindness and fairness in equal measure. This translates as telling the truth in a way that can be heard, and understanding that, in relationships, any attempt to take more than we give will ultimately result in suffering. A qualified Yoga teacher (or therapist) can help implement these principals in an area, which for many, is fraught with problems.

It is important to remember that Yoga’s guidelines are more like science than religion. They are simply what has proven to be most effective for achieving mental stability rather than moral, ethical or shame-based directives.

With regard to lifestyle, the sutras suggest cleanliness, enoughness (the sense that we have enough and are enough) personal refinement, reflection and release. Unless we continually observe our habits, taking steps to clean up our lives and discard the unnecessary, we become heavy and confused by the internal and external clutter, which tends to accumulate over time.

Moving Still
The next limb, asana, is familiar to most students of Yoga. Oddly enough, for many, Yoga and asana are synonymous. However, as very few teachers have actually done an intensive, guided Sutras study, asana as described by Patanjali and as it is currently taught is often strikingly different. Let’s take a look at the guidelines for asana presented in Yoga’s source text.

Sutra II: 46 says “stirha sukham asanam”. Asana means “to sit or to stay”, and is defined not by form, but by two qualities: stirha and sukha, stability and comfort. If the goal in Yoga is a stable mind, then asana must be more than just stretching, which any gymnast or dancer, calm or not, can easily do. According to the Sutras, asana must aim toward balancing stirha and sukha on three levels. The kaya (body) must be free of trembling with no physical pain, the prana (breath) must be smooth and comfortable, and the manasika (mind) must be fully alert, yet free of agitation or fear. As no percentage is mentioned, stirha and sukha should be in every posture, equally and entirely.

A Deeper Truth
To this end, the Sutras suggest using slow, deep breathing as an indication of the true quality of the asana. The breath is more apt to be long and smooth in a posture that is firm, but not hard (stirha), soft, but not slack (sukha). While the body can be forced into postures, and a mind embracing the “no pain no gain” myth perceives discomfort as enjoyable (it’s the good pain), the breath never lies, and is therefore the most accurate indicator of the quality of practice. Only children, who lack the necessary attention span, were taught to focus on perfecting physical form in asana, instead of a more subtle breath-centered practice.

No specific postures are mentioned in the Sutras. This is because everybody is seen as different and unique. Therefore, as the great Yogi, T. Krishanamacharya taught, asana requires individualization and appropriate sequencing to achieve the desired effect.

The third and final sutra on asana provides additional incentive to twist one’s spine or stand on one’s head. Sutra II: 48 promises that correct practice of asana will help the individual weather extremes, endure opposites and experience calmness and stability in the face of sadness or joy, disease or health, dire poverty or abundant wealth. It makes you want to hit the mat right now.

From Gross To Subtle
Once we have attained a familiarity with the body and breath through asana, we are ready to put our attention entirely on the breath. Pranayama is defined as replacing unconscious breathing with a more conscious focus on the inhale, the exhale and the pauses in between.

Sutra II: 50 elaborates, describing pranayama as manipulating the length and manner of breathing (through the throat, nostrils and mouth), as well as the ratio and number of breaths. The aim of pranayama, though there is no mention of specific techniques, is to make the breath long (dirgha) and smooth (suksma). To this end, pranayama was always taught one-to-one and adapted to the individual’s capacity, needs and goals.

Breathe Happy
The Sutras stress the link between the breath and mind. The saying “cale vatam cale cittam: as the breath goes, so the mind goes”, explains Yoga’s emphasis on breathing. As every mental and emotional state reflects a change in the breath, (an overwhelmed sigh, nervous, anxious panting, holding the breath in fear or under duress), the link between breath, mind and emotions is easily observable in everyday life. Yoga teaches that breathing slowly and deeply, as we would if we were truly relaxed, healthy and focused can, over time, create the desired effect.

Always offering the carrot with the stick, Patanjali promises that consistent practice of pranayama will remove the cloud of misperception and allow the inner light of intelligence to shine through, thus preparing the mind for meditation.

The Yoga Sutras is primarily a psychology text aimed at inward refinement. Therefore, all Yoga’s strategies, including asana and pranayama, were originally designed to cultivate a clear mind capable of deep emotion, reflection and insight more than gross athleticism or the perfect body. Again, viveka is the ability to distinguish between the dramatically different results of two very similar objectives.

Who’s The Boss
The next limb, pratyahara, literally “diverting the senses from their usual diet”, follows naturally from pranayama. Having refined our attention by focusing on the breath, we are now able to control the senses, when formerly they might have been in charge.

For example, while standing in line at the supermarket, we might have been drawn to the tantalizing pictures of bloated film stars and starving models on magazine covers; or perhaps the savory smell of barbecued meat threatened our commitment to vegetarianism; or the time the sweet sound of friend’s laughter in the next room all but obliterated our desire to study for a test.

Greener Pastures
My teacher’s teacher, T.K.V. Desikachar warns that pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses, has its own rhythm and cannot be forced upon oneself or another. Rather, through correct practice and values clarifying reflection, we find ourselves effortlessly de-linking from the obstacles to our goals. Then, the stable mind is able to direct the senses toward the chosen object, instead of the myriad splendid distractions. There’s a saying, “When one door closes, many others open”. Pratyahara is that closing door.

Next month: Yoga, Meditation and the Mind.