Yoga From the Inside Out: Response 2

Also it is important to learn how to work on our bodies to continue to create opening. Not just to say, ‘Oh my body doesn’t like to do that I am not even going to go there.’ But to work in a way that you continue to grow. (Sell 43)

I like the words ‘create opening’ because I think it has two meanings. On the one hand, you are creating a physical opening of your muscles, joints, bones, etc. by trying the pose, no matter how terrible you are at it initially. Each centimeter you put into the practice, creates some sort of new opening.

On this path, no effort is wasted (Bhagavad Gita)

I also think of this opening as mental, and the opening of a new journey in your life. It’s effective to think of yoga this way as an opening of a door to a new journey, not the destination itself.

I relate this to research I am doing on the Jesus Prayer right now. The prayer is,

Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner

It is a deceivingly simple prayer yet it is the cornerstone of Eastern Orthodox monastic thought. Just like you can practice a pose “wrong” when you are first beginning yoga, you can say the prayer without really knowing its true depth and significance. The Jesus Prayer creates an opening to deep prayer of the heart and communion with God. It is often said that the entire gospel is found in the Jesus Prayer. I won’t bore you with the details but essentially, both the fall and redemption are found in this prayer. This is similar to when Sell discussed how all the Universal energies were found in the body,

Through the body we are connecting and seeing that the Universal can be in this little individual package (Sell 41)

When you start practicing the Jesus Prayer, you are just saying the few words. They are located just on your lips. As you practice more, the words move from your lips to your mind, where you begin to contemplate what each word means. Finally, after years of practice, the words move from your mind to your heart where you commune with God when you understand what these words really mean. This is where the command from Paul to “pray ceaselessly” (1 Thess. 5:17) is brought to life. Once the prayer enters your heart, you will constantly be focused on God, and will stand in prayer with Him without ceasing, in waking or sleep. 

Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind (Sutra 1.2) 

Using the asanas we align the mind, the body and the spirit in the present moment, becoming more aware of what we find inside ourselves right now (Sell 61)

In the same way, Yoga focuses and aligns your mind and body so you can connect with the “winds” of the Universe inside of you. The more you practice yoga, the more aligned you are and the more you are in communion with yourself.