John's Letter Archives

SUMMER 2006

NAMASTE,

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

As is so often the case with the simple, familiar things we learned as children, this song is not just a sweet little tune we all know, but a succinctly wise piece of advice and powerful commentary on the nature of existence.

Before I expand on this theme, however, I want to caution the reader - and myself - not to get too ponderous with all this. I glanced at the internet and found weighty commentaries written about this song ranging from scholarly essays pointing out parallels with certain Buddhist sutras to full length books employing the lyrics as the ultimate guide for living your life. We would all do well to keep in mind to proceed merrily, merrily, merrily and not weigh our boat down by getting too heavy. Nevertheless, as a yoga teacher and practitioner, I find in these words some thoughts that might be worth sharing.

One relates to the concept of alignment. To practitioners of Iyengar Yoga, alignment is very important. We usually think of alignment in terms of positioning the body and its various parts during the practice of asana (posture). In a pose such as Utthita Trikonasana (Triangle Pose), for instance, the upper leg is brought into line with the lower leg by turning the thigh out while simultaneously pressing the inner foot to stabilize the lower leg. When the center of the front of the thigh aligns with the center of the shinbone, the knee joint is protected, the muscles of the legs and hips work in a more balanced manner, and energy can be drawn from the earth upward through the leg into the body. The value of alignment in balancing and protecting the joints, muscles, organs, vessels, and tissues of the body is well known to even beginning practitioners of Iyengar Yoga. What is less well known is the importance of alignment with respect to the flow of energy in the body.

According to adept Yoga masters past and present, we are constructed as an onion is constructed, layer upon layer called koshas (sheaths or bodies). The outer layer, annamaya kosha (physical body), is the most concrete and accessible to us. It comes into play when we walk, eat, drive our cars, or turn our legs in Utthita Trikonasana. It is also the starting point for the journey inward that constitutes the path of yoga.

Although they are described and can be experienced as two different layers, the physical body and the energy body are inseparable, contiguous, and interconnected. What happens in the one kosha is directly related to, affected by, and affects what happens in the other. This is where the importance of alignment comes into play once again, although on a different level altogether. Just as water takes the shape of the vessels through which it flows, so, too, does energy. Where there are blockages, the flow is impeded; where the paths are open, the flow is free and unimpeded. Aligning the body properly, therefore, allows for the free flow of energy in the body.

You can understand, then, that how we work with our physical bodies in our practice and in our daily lives directly effects how we experience and use energy. If you slump as you stand and sit, you will feel heavy and tire easily. Your breathing will be restricted and your energy blocked and diminished. Stand or sit upright with an open chest and relaxed diaphragm, and you will have much more vitality. The connection between our body and our energy level becomes more and more apparent and something that all yoga students become conscious of as we deepen our practice. The more we learn to tune in to the flow of energy in our bodies as we practice, the more we can reduce the amount of energy we use, and the more energy we will have at our disposal. Everybody wants more energy. All we have to do is align ourselves and learn to go with the flow.

"Go with the flow." Sounds so easy, so sweet. But as you’re rowing your boat gently down the stream, if you think that going with the flow simply means to take the path of least resistance, you just might wind up plunging over the falls. Or, if you carelessly paddle in the wrong direction, you may find yourself in an eddy, spinning in endless circles.

So, how do you "go with the flow"?

One excellent, time-honored tradition explained in some of the ancient scriptures is to begin by exploring the body, which is actually a microcosm of the vast and infinite Cosmos. In the Upanishads, which contain revelations of the deepest meditations of early sages, we are told that not only do the trees, mountains, and rivers, the wind, and the stars surround us, but that they are to be found within us as well. Our bodies contain the very essence of Nature - and the very essence of the Divine. By directing our attention inward, toward the muscles and bones, the organs, and the breath, by moving from the outer layers toward the inner layers, we can become aware of the subtle flow of Energy that envelops and moves through everything. We are literally as well as figuratively afloat in a vast sea of energy, and we can learn to navigate in this sea as surely as the skilled oarsman can learn to steer his craft through tricky currents. And just as the oarsman does, we learn this through practice and awareness.

By refining and charging the quality of our attention in our practice, we begin to confront, understand, and avoid the obstacles (viksepas) we encounter. And as we adjust and fine-tune the alignment of the body, we teach ourselves how to trim our sails, catch the wind, and guide our ship. With the development of greater sensitivity to our breath and its connection to our mind, we learn to read the currents of energy that surround and permeate us, correct our course, and steer our boats clear of hazardous reefs and stormy weather. Through practice and awareness, we learn how to do this in our bodies, in our heart and mind, and in our lives.

And when, with awareness, you begin to watch which way the wind within is blowing and, through practice, learn to align yourself with the cosmic currents that carry you along, you can begin to learn to go with the flow and row, row, row your boat gently and merrily - down the stream.

       

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