Yoga Philosophy

Vulnerability, intimacy, and connection.

Vulnerability, intimacy, and connection.

Deep hip opening practice! Digging into some of that tension, bringing it to the surface, and letting it go! How quickly can you get passed the fear and resistance and go to the pain. Sit in that intensity. Feel that sensation. Let your stuff bubble to the surface. Look at it. Stay present. Don't distract yourself! Surrender. Let it go. Take the journey inward to the center of your Self. Stop running away. Yoga is about getting into deeper relationship with your Self. This is deep and profound work. It's not easy and it's not always fun. You've got to really show up for yourself. A spiritual practice is about vulnerability and intimacy and connection. It's not fake and phony and flowery and you don't get there by avoiding things. This practice is real and often raw and confrontational. If anybody is selling you rainbows and unicorns run away as fast as you can!

Focus on gratitude.

Focus on gratitude.

We started the morning with just sun salutations, a long savasana, and then meditation. Sometimes that's enough. My teacher's would say if you don't have time for a full practice, do some sun salutations. The sun salutation practice is a gratitude practice. Thank you to the sun. Thank you for this day. Thank you for this moment. Thank you for this life. You can choose what to focus on today. You can choose what to give your energy to. You can choose who to be around. Focus on the positive. Focus on the things you are grateful for in your life. Build on them. Shift your perspective.

Powerful opening circle ceremony!

Powerful opening circle ceremony!

Powerful opening circle ceremony! I've been leading these ceremonies for a long time and I think they are always so profound. We are losing spaces in our modern world where we are really being seen and heard, and we aren't encouraged enough to hold the spaces for others and really see them and listen to them share their story. Make space for someone in your life. Sit down with them. Look at them. Listen to them. It's time for us all to get a little more vulnerable with each other and to get a little more intimate with each other.

,

Are You Just Doing Exercise?

,
Are You Just Doing Exercise?

I was talking today before my event about the difference between practicing yoga and doing yoga exercise...

There's nothing wrong with a class that is simply a yoga exercise class but it's very different than a yoga class. The goal of yoga is to quiet the mind. In stillness, we have the opportunity to experience the deepest aspect of who we are. Yoga is really answering the question: Who am I?

Shine the Light on Yourself

Shine the Light on Yourself

When we are identifying with the ego we often judge others very harshly. We place expectations on people. We hold the world up to a very high standard and we punish those who don't meet that standard. The irony is that, when we are doing this, we often don't hold ourselves up to the same standard. When we identify with the ego, we want everyone else to change, and the world to change around us. We don't want to change ourselves at all, yet, often, we are the ones who need to change the most. When we are filled with judgment of others, we aren't really very far along on our path. Shine the light on yourself. Change yourself and your relationship to the world. If you find yourself judging and criticizing other people, know that this is not helping you on your journey. You're not only NOT helping the people you are judging, who would benefit far more from your compassion and kindness, but you aren't helping YOURSELF either.

The Light In You

The Light In You

I'm staying in this Airbnb apartment, here, in Shanghai. There is this sweet, little, old lady, who lives in the building. Her daughter, or granddaughter, has been taking her out for a walk each day, and I've been running into them. They both give me such a nice smile when they see me. When I practice my limited Chinese, and say things like, "Nihao" (hello), the old lady lights up, and grins from ear to ear. These little moments of connection have really made each day so special. So simple to just have an open heart and smile at a stranger and say hello. Each day, when I leave from these exchanges I am grinning from ear to ear too. The three of us have had a beautiful moment of connection. It's the "namaste" connection. The light in me recognizes the light in you, and it's the same. Life is so beautiful. So many incredible and meaningful moments. Grateful for each one! Namaste.

The Things That Are Working!

The Things That Are Working!

So often we complain about things that aren't working in our lives. It is so important to be grateful for the things that are working in your life too.

I was picking up some things at the grocery store tonight. One of the things I grabbed was a piece of garlic bread. They had individual sized pieces of garlic bread! I was so excited. Individual pieces of garlic bread! Incredible. You don't understand. They didn't used to do this and I asked them to make these individual pieces of garlic bread for me a few weeks ago. I have to explain this to you. A few weeks ago, I had asked the people at the bakery to please make some smaller pieces of garlic bread. I was always disappointed when I was shopping, finding only giant, family sized, pieces of garlic bread, when I just wanted a small piece, to heat up for myself. So, they started to cut some of the garlic bread into smaller pieces and began to offer this as well. It was such a small thing but it made me so happy. So, I started to add a small piece of garlic bread to some of my meals over the last two weeks. Perfect. Just enough for me to add to my meal without having to throw any away. Perfect!

Born Owing Three Debts

Another beautiful day in our Shiva Yoga training!  Today is our last day of the first week.  It's been busy.  Long days, with barely time to eat and rest.  At the end of the day, I feel very satisfied and fulfilled, though.  I love sharing these teachings.  It is our responsibility to share what we are learning with others.  That way everyone can benefit from the teachings.  There's a story I shared with my students, that my teacher, Srivatsa Ramaswami, told during my training with him--

We are all born owing three debts... The first debt we owe is to our mother and father for giving us this vehicle for our soul to use for this lifetime.  The way we repay this debt is to lead a good life, and, if it's part of our karma, provide a vehicle for another soul, by having children of our own.  The second debt we owe is to the sun.  Without the sun, none of us would be here.  We repay this debt, by thanking the sun each morning for another beautiful day.  The third debt we owe is to our teachers, and to their teachers.  It is so incredible that we have (and can make use of) the teachings of our teachers.  The way we repay this debt, is by sharing what we have learned with others. We pass on to others the teachings, the same way the teachings were passed on to us.  Everyone can use this incredible yoga technology to find peace and achieve Self realization.

,

Go deeper!

,
Go deeper!

It’s through deeper concentration on an object that MORE is revealed. This process of concentration, meditation, and Samadhi can be applied to anything. You have to sit with something. You have to dig deeper. There’s MORE there. You just can’t see it yet. You have to do your practice, over and over again, and you have to be curious, open, and receptive. The ego loves to have us believe that we’ve got it, we’ve figured it all out, there’s no more to learn. The mind says, "I’m bored. What’s next? Give me something else. Give me something harder. What’s next?" There is NO NEXT. This is it! Right here. Right now. And you haven’t come close to figuring this out yet. You’re ready to move on already? You’re barely scratching the surface of this place. There is no place to go. And if you are constantly thinking about the destination, and what is coming next, you aren’t really right here and right now. Pay attention!

Focus on what matters

Focus on what matters

Yoga has taught me to hold my focus on what matters. There will always be distractions. There will always be people and things that cross your path that are challenging. Stay focused. Concentrate on what matters. There is so much noise. Don't get caught up in the noise. People who are connected to the most superficial aspects of themselves, and who are living a small life, will sometimes try to drag you down too. Don't let them! Rise up and fly high. Don't let anyone make you feel less than you are. This is your time to shine! Let yourself shine so brightly that you help others to see the light. This is your time!

The Vibration of the Universe

The Vibration of the Universe

There is a place where the inhale and exhale meet, where time stops, where there is stillness. In this place, if you listen closely, sometimes you can hear the vibration of the whole Universe. And in this moment, you feel a feeling of connection to everyone and everything, and your heart bursts open. In the stillness, when the breath stops moving, listen.

Darkness into the light.

Darkness into the light.

The Peacock is a symbol in yoga of Sattva, which means light, clarity, illumination. The reason the Peacock is a symbol for Sattva is because of its feathers. When the peacock opens its feathers it looks like a thousand eyes are looking at you. These eyes symbolize the light moving through you from within and your awakening. The Peacock pose is a great example of how hard it is to achieve this state of Sattva too. It requires a tremendous amount of strength and flexibility, and a tremendous amount of balance.

Take a Journey to the Center of Your Self

Take a Journey to the Center of Your Self

This past week I've been talking a lot in class about taking the journey to the center of your Self. This is really the journey we are taking in our yoga practice.

Do you know those wheels on the playground, or in a park? The ones for kids to play on, or that you used to play on when you were a kid? You get on the wheel and someone spins it and you are flying around on the wheel with the other kids. It's fun! It's exciting. There's lots of drama. Sometimes it's scary. You're out of your comfort zone.

Karma Yoga - Yoga is Skill in Action!

Karma Yoga - Yoga is Skill in Action!

Yogis! It doesn't matter what your pose looks like. We are all subject to different conditions. You're driving around in a different car than me and I'm driving around in a different car than you. The asana is just a tool to be used to go beyond the mind and the ego.

One definition of yoga from the Bhagavad Gita is that, "yoga is skill in action". This refers to karma yoga. This is the yoga of action. What is karma yoga? Karma yoga is offering your actions to the Divine. Not focusing on the fruits of the actions or the results. How does this translate on our mat? Do your best. Your effort and the quality of your effort is far more important than the results you obtain, which are largely out of your control.

There are three types of karma:

Parabdha karma which is the karma that is playing out for us in this life. We don't have control over this right now. We did in the past. My actions in previous lives led to the manifestation of the Garth-body and my current life.

There's new karma that I'm creating in this life with every new action. This karma is called agami karma. I can control this karma. I can choose my actions. I can put forth my best effort and not worry about the results or focus on the goal, which is out of my control.

The third type of karma is called sanjita karma and this is the karma that is stored in my sub-conscious, waiting to play out in the future, later in this life or in a future birth.

The idea of replacing old patterns in yoga with new patterns and eventually replacing even positive samsaras (mental impressions) with samadhi is the journey of yoga and addresses the cause and effect principle found in the karma theory. If you do something positive there will be a positive effect. If you do something negative there will be a negative effect. What are you doing by offering your actions to the Universe? You're really practicing focusing on the Divine. You're creating a pattern of shifting your awareness to the pure consciousness part of yourself. You're moving beyond the ego and mind. Offering your practice is another tool to go beyond the ego and mind and reach a state of Samadhi.

Do your best. Put forth your best effort. The quality of your effort is the most important thing. Don't worry about the results. Judgment and criticism are products of the ego and the mind. Move beyond your ego. Make everything you do an offering. Let the Universe move through you. Trust your intuition. Move with "skill in action"!

,

The Five Restraints from Classical Yoga

,
The Five Restraints from Classical Yoga

Yogis! One of the things I've been talking about in class this past week comes from classical yoga and the 8 limbed practice of astanga yoga, written down by Sage Patanjali around 2000 yrs ago.

Classical yoga gives us our description and systematic approach to concentration and meditation practices, leading us into a state of samadhi, a state in which the mind is quiet. When we say we are looking to "go inward" and "quiet the mind" in yoga, we are referring to classical yoga. When the mind is quiet, the classical yogis tell us, we are able to experience the most subtle aspect of who we are, the pure consciousness part of ourselves, the part of us that is beyond the body, mind, thoughts and ego.

Savasana, Sense Withdrawal, Taking the Mind Inward.

It’s one of the most important poses in a yoga class and often one of the most misunderstood poses. The Final Resting Pose. Savasana.

My teacher, Sri Dharma Mittra, includes savasana in the category of the eight essential poses in yoga. Dharma is well known throughout the world for being a master teacher and having created the asana chart, which hangs on many studio’s walls, featuring Dharma in 908 asanas. According to Dharma, though, there are just eight ESSENTIAL poses: Head Balance, Shoulder Stand, Fish Pose, Lotus Pose, Cobra Pose, Seated Forward Fold, Seated Twist and The Final Resting Pose.

,

The Cell Phone!

,
The Cell Phone!

Yogis! We’ve been talking a lot in class this past week about Vedanta Philosophy and Non-Dualism and the influence of this philosophy on our modern yoga culture.

Vedanta gives us the idea that we are ultimately connected to everything and everyone and any separation that exists between us is only an illusion that is only in our mind.

Classical Yoga philosophy tells us that in the stillness, when the mind is quiet, we have the opportunity to experience the pure Consciousness part of ourselves. This is what the yogi’s call Self-realization, the realization of the Self, the experience of the pure Consciousness part of our self.

Samkhya Philosophy - Tamas, Rajas & Sattva

Samkhya Philosophy - Tamas, Rajas & Sattva

I’ve been talking a lot in class this past week about how Samkhya philosophy informs our yoga practice.

Samkhya philosophy is all about numbers. This philosophy is very mathematical and very scientific in how it views the world.

According to Samkhya philosophy -- the world is divided into two things: Consciousness and Nature.

Call 310.800.8614
mail@garthhewittyoga.com