Generally when we think of cleanliness, our physical self first comes to mind. Because illness robs us of peace of mind and the ability to focus clearly, physical cleanliness is important. There are three main areas of purity. Of these three areas, physical purity is relatively easy, verbal decency is more difficult and to be virtuous of thought seems almost impossible. Below are several examples where one may experience the basic levels of Saucha, both on and off the yoga mat.

Saucha "on" the Mat

• Physical: Cleanliness of body, props and the physical space around you allows for increased concentration and a greater sense of freedom during practice.
• Vocal: Allow 'quiet' to be a vehicle that transports you into your own unique experience, and that also honors the experience of others.
• Thought: Be aware of the thoughts that come knocking on the door of the mind, but do not buy into them. Instead notice the bodily sensations that occurs from one moment to the next during yoga asana's, and how the sensations change from moment to moment. As you observe you may find that the mind clears and you have the freedom to explore the beauty of the Self.

Saucha "off" the Mat

• Physical: Clearing away the clutter or mess in our immediate environment provides a nice release of tension. Begin with a small area and notice the mental freedom it affords.
• Vocal: Any negative or hurtful utterance will cause harm. (to others and the self) To keep suffering at bay and purity in mind, we can clean up our speech habits – that is, what we say and how we say it. Saucha also means not to pass on any type of news that is disturbing or less than savory.
• Thought: Outside objects, people, things compete for our attention. Thought pulls us in every direction. Distraction keeps us in turmoil. Centering ourselves in neutrality and "letting go of stuff," allows an experience of peace in this very moment.

One advantage of having your own Guru, as in ancient times, is that you'd have support through the many stages of mental purification. To have your Guru exclaim, "Yes, you are on the path," would be music to the ears! As in dieting, one cannot expect to wake up tomorrow morning and be 40lbs lighter, mental purity occurs bit by bit.

You may practice not being attached to a certain outcome, and not being caught up in other peoples turmoil, each day. Two months down the road, you notice that a situation crops up that previously would have had you frothing at the mouth in blind rage. Now, you notice that a similar situation has very little effect on your psyche, that you are able to control your speech, and that you actually are able to step back and respond in an amiable and constructive manner. It is in these moments that you know you are progressing on the path of Saucha.

By bringing the mind back to neutrality, by practicing honorable speech, and health of your physical environment, equanimity, peace and serenity become available to you. Increasingly you are able to cope well in light of difficulty and with pleasure and gratitude, you come to know the deeper meaning of purity.

Heather Johnston is a Registered Dental Hygienist and Certified Yoga Instructor. She enjoys all aspects of health, is fascinated with anatomy and evolution, with yoga and meditation and is always looking for ways to strengthen the body and mind.

Your experience is welcome, please submit your comments below.

Patanjali explains in his Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, how to find peace and harmony in every day life and once again how to find the essence of who we really are. Brahmacharya, the 4^th Yama of the Eight Limbs suggests that after non-harming, truthfulness and respect for others, the next way to experience peace is to emulate the conduct of the Supreme Being. 

"Brahma" means the Absolute or Supreme Being, and "Charya" means behaviour or conduct. Brahmacharya then, is translated as "the behaviour or conduct of God." 

As you can imagine, this is not an easy endeavour. We don’t know the nature of God’s behaviour, so we must take a very broad and generalized view since the “Absolute” would oversee everything that exists.

Finding peace through Brahmacharya is to take a step back from the turmoil and to simply observe with as much compassion as one can muster, but without getting caught up in the crossfire of relationships.

In the Anu-Gita of the Mahabharata, a broad and majestic interpretation of Brahmacharya is given. It suggests that in order to achieve inner peace, to emulate the “Conduct of the Absolute,” we must gradually adjust the direction of our personality to greater dimensions of impersonality.

The Supreme Spirit is not partial or attached to any one thing. Only in our minds do we become attached and partial to things, especially when it comes to conflict.  If we could bring the mind to a place of non-judgment and of non-fragmentation, how would that feel? It would mean a great conservation of energy and as a result we would remain whole, intact and complete.

We can learn to work with all kinds of distraction (deadlines, pressures, judgments, conflict) and to let go of our attachment to the outcome in these ways:

• Practice, during the quiet reflective times, one pointed concentration beginning with the focus on our own breath (meditation). Begin with 10 minutes, 2x each day.

• Looking within, we watch the sensations that come up, notice how long they last, and watch the sensations as they pass away. Eventually we come to realize that this is the nature of “all things.” Everything arises only to eventually pass.

We need not get caught up in spiraling conflict.

Gradually we are able to take on a broad sweeping view, where we can observe with impartiality and compassion. It takes dedicated practice to come away from these old patterns of reaction, but even the smallest practice will bring forth rewards that are evident and almost immediate. Practicing Brahmacharya, the behaviour of the Supreme Spirit, eliminates stress and conflict leaving one peaceful and accepting.  It is the purest form of love.            

Heather Johnston is a Registered Dental Hygienist and Certified Yoga Instructor. She enjoys all aspects of health, is fascinated with anatomy and evolution, with yoga and meditation and is always looking for ways to strengthen the body and mind.

Your experience is welcome, please submit your comments below.

Letting go of our own embroidered images and identities is a sure way to open the mind. The layers of amour we employ in the way of objects, roles, images (the right clothes, the right address, the right friends), all of these act to obscure our true nature. Patanjali tells us that even if these identities are part of our day to day life, they need not overburden us, and that they can never be a true reflection of who we are inside.

Who we are at the core has nothing to do with what we acquire on the outside. To place our happiness, or our sense of self in the hands of someone else is perilous.  What is it that people think you should be, how you should act, what you should have or enjoy? How could anyone possibly have the answers to your unique experience?

Imagine the lift in your spirit to be able to follow your own heart!

Grasping and clinging to some external form of security cannot offer a measure of peace. For example:

• Is it important that I hang onto the same job, my entire life, because in my father's generation that was the everlasting way to financial security? Elder members of the family may create undue pressure that has nothing to do with your own values, today. (Who am I trying to please in my life? Does it serve me?)
  
• Should I mow my lawn once in either direction and then once on a diagonal because that's the way it is in our neighborhood? (Is it necessary? Aren't I putting 3x as many fumes into the atmosphere? Do I want to?)
  
• I'm a salesperson, and like to appear successful but do I really need the newest sports car to demonstrate my power and influence? (Because really my success is no more than average. How do I justify another whopping monthly payment?)
  

Aparigraha means not clinging to anything that rings untrue.

Each time we live according to our own nature, and we release the tendency to cling to a particular facade we become a little lighter, a little more comfortable and can enjoy a boost of self esteem and self acceptance. Right away we realize that we've made an important step.

Grandma wants you to have 2 plates of dinner and a second helping of desert, but you really don't live in that space anymore. You haven't eaten like that since you were 14yrs old. She may be unhappy that you don't conform to her expectations or traditions, but when you offer the same love and appreciation while choosing your own path – a small light begins to shine from within.

Non-grasping, non-clinging means to be able to lift off the layers of inconsistency. Going against your true self causes depression and self loathing. We hurt ourselves by not being aware of the choices that we make. To practice Aparigraha, Patanjali says, is to be able to live life without undue burden, to be free to be who you are, and to be light, happy and free of suffering.

Heather Johnston is a Registered Dental Hygienist and Certified Yoga Instructor. She enjoys all aspects of health, is fascinated with anatomy and evolution, with yoga and meditation and is always looking for ways to strengthen the body and mind.

Your experience is welcome. Please feel free to share in the comment section below.

Aparigraha teaches both on and off the mat how to gradually let go of the many layers (physical, mental, emotional) that disrupt our authentic nature are and that clog up our ability to be true to ourselves. I’ve admitted this truth many times in conversations around my own body size and I say the following with respect and self compassion to myself and to you:

"The extra pounds or kilograms that I hold onto are simply the many hang-ups that I haven’t let go of yet."

Yoga teaches us how to let go of tension, of contraction, of pain, of illness. It does this in every single studio, by allowing us to practice in a welcoming environment and safe environment. What makes it welcoming and safe is that everyone is exploring the movement of their own body through simple asana’s (postures). Be sure that you’ve chosen a class to your specific set of needs.

Here we experience joy in the moment and during the postures we simply observe any thoughts that may percolate to the surface without judgment. How do we make this happen? It happens automatically because this is what yoga is.

The first things is to make it set your intention to observe Aparigraha (non grasping) during your hour of practice.

Exploring Aparigraha (non-grasping) ON the mat:

All yoga practice focuses on internal observances of the self, so we completely obliterate the self defacing exercise of comparing ourselves with another yogi  (ie) in terms of range of motion, flexibility, grace or ease of flow. Of course you may catch yourself peaking – and when this happens you 'peak' with love and compassion before homing back into your own experience.

Aparigraha questions that I ask myself on the mat:

• Where do I feel a free flow in my own body?
  
• Where do I feel obstructions to movement?
  
• Where in this practice do I feel the most joy?
  
• Where do I hold tension?
  
• Are there differences in sensation in the right side verses the left?
  
• Do I notice myself changing, growing, having more compassion, love etc. today verses last week during practice?
  

In Yoga the asana’s (postures) are the physical practice during which time the focus becomes internal. Here you rely on your own innate feedback . After the asana practice, your own thought and intuition begins to awaken. Soon, you come to see quite clearly the agenda of others, and come to make decisions based on your best interests. Over time this has a profound effect on the balance of the mind and body.

Exploring Aparagraha (non-grasping, non-clinging) OFF the mat:

Patanjali asks us to question the importance of external things that we sometimes buy into; (ie) the shine on the tires of my neighbors new car, the amount of /or lack of money that I bring home, the sleek and sexy fashion that I must keep up with.

Aparigraha questions that I ask myself off the mat:

•  Must I keep adding to (grasping, clinging) to all of these external things and more?
  
•  Am I holding onto anything that doesn’t serve me anymore?
  
•  Do I punish myself trying to live up to someone else’s ideals?
  
•  What do I need for myself?
  
•  How do I honour my own ideals?
  

“Radical self acceptance; Oh let shine the bounty of our own true nature.”  Heather Johnston, 1962-

On and off the mat, we ask questions which clarify how we may come into balance mentally and soulfully. As we come into balance, there are some things which we feel free to let go of. This can be anything from a destructive relationship to a destructive bag of chocolate chip cookies. There are some things which simply do not fit into our lives, now.

Yoga puts us in touch with our authentic whisperings. All it takes to set one on the path is to plug into those whisperings, those self observances, and to listen to ones own genuine truth. Answers bubble to the surface as we practice with patience and self compassion.

To support you in your yogic journey, it is helpful to ponder over the wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra's.  B.K.S. Inyengar seems to bring Patanjali’s spiritual teachings to life best, with grace and humour in an easy to understand format. Weight loss and many other types of balance can be achieved through self introspection and practice of yoga. Enjoy!!

Heather Johnston is a Registered Dental Hygienist and Certified Yoga Instructor. She enjoys all aspects of health, is fascinated with anatomy and evolution, with yoga and meditation and is always looking for ways to strengthen the body and mind.

Your experience is welcome. Please feel free to share in the comment section below.

1. How to install yoga wall hanging ropes
   
2. How To Mount Yoga Wall Ropes (without screwing anything into walls/doors)
   
3. How to Make Yoga Ropes
   

These videos are provided to you through YouTube Videos.  Wall ropes and other props are used in the Iyengar style of yoga and are a very effective means of getting people into difficult postures effectively and safely.

These videos are provided by the individuals who employ them. YogaRestores and video owners take no responsibility in the use or installation of these items.

1. Advanced Yoga Poses : Wall Ropes for Yoga Stretches
2. Yoga Kurunta (on the wall)
   
3. Mara & The Yoga Wall
   
4. Marbriel Yoga Wall Class- at Results
   

These videos are provided to you through YouTube Videos.  Wall ropes and other props are used in the Iyengar style of yoga and are a very effective means of getting people into difficult postures effectively and safely.

These videos are provided by the individuals who employ them. YogaRestores and video owners take no responsibility in the use or installation of these items. Use with care.

Difficulty brings us back to the drawing board. Having lost track of what is real, what is true, we stand once more at that fork in the road.  Often we are lead to the practice of yoga without even knowing how or why we’ve arrived. What is important is that we have arrived. Where difficulty brings us back to the path, intrigue keeps us marching, one foot in front of the other, into the light.

The ego, in times of conflict (being the protector of the fearful self) seems to get in the way of our own fulfillment, happiness and joy. It attempts to mask our fear by creating for us a false image and by spinning untrue stories to make us feel better. False images and false stories around the self only cause more confusion and deepening despair.

The answers, the secrets, and the advice you seek must be uncovered through your own experience of walking the path, testing, evaluating and coming to your own conclusions.

Yoga opens the mind and brings clarity.

If in a class, you’ve ever experienced a 10-15minute Shvasana, (deep relaxation) and felt the layers of tension peel off, you have also glimpsed how to uncover the layers of truth that exist within you.

In difficult times, understanding and truth first occur at the physical level of the body, then progress to the deeper levels of the mind (which I will describe later). Further development through practice reveals an experience of the actual self at the core, and brings an authentic peace and contentment. (whenever you need it)

“The 4 Nuggets of Wisdom” that I’ve experienced while enjoying a regular Yoga practice may have meaning for you, too. Here they are:

1.    Insights into ones own capabilities (Begins physically)

2.    Insights into ones own fortifications (eg, What you allow yourself to experience, or not)

3.    Insights into the conflicts of the mind (eg, The inner dialogue during postures)

4.    Moments of intrigue (an epiphany that has come up during a posture that is unexpected)

 Yoga speaks to the inner workings of the body and mind, and allows a journey of self discovery on an experiential level. You walk the path, you pay attention to the occurrences, thoughts, sensations that come up while on the path and your life takes on a different shape as a result of your own discoveries. Difficult times are much more manageable when unclouded.

Yoga opens up what is real and true, and lets go of false images and stories, causing a wonderful liberation and blossoming, inside and out.

Copyright © 2010
Heather L. Johnston, is a Registered Dental Hygienist and a Certified Yoga Instructor in Cambridge Ontario, who helps health oriented adults find rest and relaxation through the practice of yoga and meditation. Your experience is welcome; please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Purity of the mind, happiness of the heart, equanimity at the very core; this truth becomes obvious and even more precious as we delve deeper into the mysteries of the self. Through yoga we get a glimpse of the inner workings of the body as the postures are explored. We become aware of who we are at the physical level. Meditation ultimately clears the soot off the window of our very essence, offering a brilliant view of the self and the deeper connection to all of mankind. Combined, yoga and meditation provide a recipe for real peace, real harmony and real joy.

Being an A-type personality, I found practicing yoga first (and meditation second) a blessing because it allowed me to go deeper into the self by first eliminating excess energy. The postures of yoga can be at times vigourous, fast paced and challenging and/or it can introduce calm and poetic movement that also challenge, but at a different level.

Meditation, on the other hand generally requires sitting for some period of time. It’s challenge is to continue to focus inside, to view the mind going off on tangents and to lasso it back to the original focus, and to be able to sit upright and remain comfortable. For me, once the leg muscles become flexible enough to sit cross legged for a period of time, and the back muscles strong enough to keep me comfortably upright for some time, the mind seems to be less agitated and a seated meditation is more workable. Meditation is best guided by an instructor, as is yoga, until one has a routine that one can adhere to, and get results with ease.

Practiced together, yoga and meditation take us deep into the body’s experience. More and more is revealed the more proficient we become.

In my experience, regular yoga practice has generated:

1. greater spinal flexibility  
2. less postural pain,
3. more openness in shoulders and hips (equals less slumping, and more upright stance- therefore a more youthful appearance)
4. greater neck and back mobility
5. more joy, as a result of freedom of movement
6. the ability to continue to rollerblade, bike, hike, and to play sports that my peers do not necessarily participate in anymore.

Meditation practice has brought the realization that:

1. The subconscious (or unconscious) is what really controls 99% of our actions.
2. The subconscious reacts spontaneously and before I am consciously aware, thereby causing me to react a split second after, (a) a driver cuts out in front of me, (b) I am angered by something, (c) I am excited by something. (Because the reaction is so quick, I often wish that there was a pause button located somewhere in the area of my mouth.)
3. There is an antidote to #2 above. I can open the pathway between the conscious and subconscious mind, feeling the reaction, observing it, and releasing it before it manifests into something ugly. (And before the anger, hatred, or craving repeats itself over and over for years to come) This is easily learned through a Vipassana Instructor, and is an incredible gift! See www.Dhamma.org
4. The “I” of you and I, is really just a beautified image constructed by the ego. It hides the fear and insecurity that dwells within each one of us. Once we realize that the millionaire is probably more miserable than the poor person (or at least as miserable) due to endless clinging, craving and aversion, what is there to envy?

Yoga unites us through the common experience of grace and humility. Meditation reveals the universality of every being, no matter race or creed, no matter which religion one subscribes to, no matter whether one has financial wealth or not.

Together, the practice of yoga and meditation confirm that purity of the mind, happiness of the heart, and equanimity at the very core, is really and truly accessible. They confirm that the mysteries of the self are universal mysteries, the same ones that exist in each one of us, all across the world. Yoga and meditation together open our hearts to real peace, real harmony and real joy.

Copyright © 2010
Heather L. Johnston, is a Registered Dental Hygienist and a Certified Yoga Instructor in Cambridge Ontario, who helps health oriented adults find rest and relaxation through the practice of yoga and meditation. Your experience is welcome; please feel free to share in the comment section below.

Gautama Buddha, even as a young boy was aware of great suffering. He dedicated his entire life (~80yrs) to learning the workings of the mind through scientific experimentation. Eventually he teaches people how to purify the mind and to experience the ultimate in happiness.

Gautama was often found sitting under the bodhi tree, quietly in the open air, experimenting; observing the reactions going on within his own body.

While quiet, he comes to observe several things, related to his own mind.

1.  He notices "thousands" of thoughts coming up; random, scattered and often unrelated,  in a period of minutes – all having only 2 qualities: pleasant or unpleasant.
2.  He also notes that every thought has a corresponding feeling or sensation in the body. (example) If the thought is pleasant, the associated sensation is good.  If it is unpleasant, the associated sensation is bad.

Thousands of random thoughts in a period of minutes, all either sending good or bad sensations through the body every minute, of every day and all through the night (except in deep sleep). The random odd dreams that we have in the night, also occur all day long in our thoughts.

The question he asks himself is, "How can I stop this spiraling, confusing mess of thoughts?"

You see, misery does not occur with the unpleasant thought alone. For example you may notice something desirable, it leads to wanting; wanting leads to clinging, and clinging leads to craving. Craving something that you may or may not be able to possess leads to misery.

On the flip side, if the thought that has occurred is unpleasant, it is unwanted. You feel a repulsion, disgust or an aversion to it. You may start to generate heat, rapid pulse, your rate of breathing changes, and you feel anger or hatred.

Thousands of thoughts over the course of minutes, generating misery of either clinging and craving or aversion and hatred; non-stop. This, Buddha discovers, is the human dilemma. Gautama sits and simply observes. 

"How long will this sensation last, if I just sit and watch it."

He knows that each thought leads to a corresponding bodily sensation (ie) (breath shortens, heart rate increases, sweating, hands clenched, etc.) He also discovers that every sensation has three important qualities. It is given birth, it stays for while, and then it passes away; every single sensation.

So he observes some more, "What happens I wonder, when I react?"

If I react, my mind seems to circle into a never ending spiral. Sometimes I hold onto these worn out thoughts (emotions and physical pain) for years upon years. It hurts me, it has devastated at least a quarter of my life so far. If I react to the unpleasant thought, the seeds of this sour fruit land in the fertile soil of my mind, more sour fruit trees sprout in this fertile soil as I continue promoting this unpleasant thought. More of these sour trees produce hundreds of sour fruit, and the unpleasant thought begins to take over my mind. I do not know how to stop promoting all of this sour fruit AND it keeps on getting bigger. Sooner or later, it becomes overwhelming and I realize that I cannot deal with it anymore.

So I simply observe. Every day I sit in silence for an hour or so and I come to see in my own body the thoughts that come and go, the sensations, emotions and pain that comes and goes. I conclude with a smile that nothing is eternal.

Here might be Buddha’s observation if his roundish body had bothered him.

“My body has a size and shape; that is the nature of all bodies. I notice that some thoughts make me feel unhappy or angry. I will watch those thoughts come up, I will notice how long they stay (while sitting quietly) and I will notice them pass away, for this is the nature of all things. Yesterday during this meditation, I felt pain in my upper left shoulder probably related to my habit of slouching, but today the pain is not there. I notice that pain causes me misery. I can watch the pain come up, stay for a bit, and pass away too. I can actually sit in practice and notice myself becoming more content, as the days go on.”

Of course, another barrage of thoughts will come up because that is the nature of the mind, along with other emotion and feeling because that is the nature of the body (sensation). On behalf of the Buddha's teachings, let us use our moments of silence, not for despair but for quiet internal observation. Let us experience absolute equanimity within ourselves and around all issues that will come up. Let us know the contentment of truly living and letting go.

Heather Johnston is a Registered Dental Hygienist and Certified Yoga Instructor. She enjoys all aspects of health, is fascinated with anatomy and evolution, with yoga and meditation and is always looking for ways to strengthen the body and mind.

Your experience is welcome. Please feel free to share in the comment section below.

Some of the fundamentals of the teachings attributed to Gautama Buddha are:

• The Four Noble Truths:  a) Suffering is an ingrained part of existence; b) The origin of suffering is craving: c) Suffering can be ended, and d) Following the Noble Eightfold Path is the means to accomplish this.

• The Noble Eightfold Path: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
• The mind creates suffering as a natural product of a complex process.
• Teachings should not be accepted unless they are borne out by our own experience and are praised by the wise. See the Kalama Sutta for details.

• Anitya: All things that come to be, have an end.
• Duhkha: Nothing which comes to be is ultimately satisfying.
• Anātman: Nothing in the realm of experience can really be said to be "I" or "mine".
• Nirvāna: It is possible for sentient beings to realize a dimension of awareness which is totally unconstructed and peaceful, and we can end all suffering (due to the mind's interaction with the conditioned world.

1. According to tradition, the Buddha emphasized ethics and correct understanding.
2. He questioned everyday notions of divinity and salvation.
3. He stated that there is no intermediary between mankind and the divine;
4. Distant gods are subjected to karma themselves in decaying heavens;
5. And the Buddha is only a guide and teacher for beings who must tread the path of Nirvana themselves to attain the spiritual awakening (bodhi) and to understand reality.

The Buddhist system of insight and meditation practice is not claimed to have been divinely revealed, but to spring from an understanding of the true nature of the mind, which must be discovered by treading the path guided by the Buddha's teachings.

Credits:  
Photo description:  Seated Buddha by Gandhara, 2ndCentury. Source: Photographed at Ostasiatische Museum, Berlin, 2008 |Author= PHGCOM  

Excerpted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha