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As yoga practitioners, we frequently look to the The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as the first textual content for the elemental teachings and philosophy. However the part of the sutras that we hardly ever speak about is the third chapter, by which Patanjali particulars the magical powers that may be gained by way of our follow.
He warns that we shouldn’t be connected to those powers—but he shares them nonetheless. Intensive meditation, or samyama, can produce these magical outcomes, he explains. For instance, meditating on a feather can allow us to levitate, meditating on the form of somebody’s bodily type can enable us to learn their thoughts, meditating on an elephant can lend us its power, meditating on the solar gives information of your entire photo voltaic system, meditating on our coronary heart permits us to know our personal thoughts, and far more.
Up to date practitioners are in all probability much less eager about levitation than longevity. However there’s a magic right here that hasn’t been completely explored. The very fact is, yoga was designed to supply us efficient methods to work with our thoughts and direct our power, or prana. It asks us to have interaction with the important parts of life itself—power and consciousness—moderately than merely going by way of the motions.
On a regular basis Magic
It’s simple to neglect in regards to the magic round us. Our nervous system is designed to concentrate to what adjustments and principally ignore what stays the identical. We are inclined to overlook the on a regular basis magic in every breath and each step. Yoga helps heighten our consciousness and shift our notion in order that we will understand what’s particular within the seemingly mundane.
Chair yoga has a secular high quality about it. Most of us can simply think about ourselves working towards it. “I’ll simply sit on this chair and perform a little stretching and respiration.” It’s virtually too easy.
However that’s the place the magic exists—merely being open to the likelihood. As soon as we begin working towards, yoga takes care of the remaining. We do some easy actions whereas connecting the breath to the physique and swiftly we discover a way of calm has come over us out of seeming nowhere. Like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, peace appears to look from nothing.
The factor is, the rabbit was there all alongside, hidden contained in the hat. Our peace is like that rabbit. It’s typically hidden from us, but it surely’s all the time there beneath the floor, ready to be revealed.
What Makes Yoga…Yoga?
The problem is, how can we discover a yoga follow that successfully reminds us of that magic?
We regularly make yoga extra sophisticated than vital. The best way we will flip any exercise into yoga is by doing it with acutely aware consciousness that cultivates an inward focus moderately than an exterior focus. Strive it now. Merely lengthening the backbone on an inhalation or elevating an arm with consciousness of each sensation can domesticate the state of yoga.
After I’m coaching yoga academics to show chair yoga, I typically ask them what the distinction is between a chair yoga class and a chair train class. On the floor, they might look like the identical. The reply is how and the place we focus the thoughts.
The alchemy of yoga is the transformation that comes from altering our perspective. This could really feel particularly magical after we are caught or unable to see a means out of a troublesome scenario. By focusing the thoughts, we achieve entry to the facility of yoga in untold methods. We let go of the normal asanas (poses) and give attention to the extra important parts of follow. We will change into acutely aware of the methods we transfer, the methods we breathe, the methods we really feel, and the methods we act.
We then start to make acutely aware selections the place we might have beforehand engaged in a routine response. That’s when the magic occurs–by harnessing the facility of the thoughts by way of a targeted follow. And it’s out there to all of us.
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