Two weeks ago, I spent a session of my Intro to Communication Studies course analyzing with my students the front page of CNN. As we perused the offerings on the front page, examining the article titles, their relationships to one another, use of font and pictures, etc., one of the things that the students noticed very quickly was the frequency of items related to sex. In a time when there is war, poverty, national disaster, financial crisis, and so on in large scale around the world, the vast majority of headlines on the page were related to sex, popular culture stars, and the combination thereof. Students were simultaneously appalled and chagrined, as they noted that its horrible that this is how we think of news, but at the same time that they are as likely as anyone to read articles with such titillating headlines.
It’s easy to think that yoga news would be immune from this, but in reading many many blogs over the last couple of years, I would say that this isn’t the case. Yoga blog posts that appear to get the largest readership and comments are those that are either designed to provoke controversy among yogis or are somehow connected to sex. Posts promise better sex through yoga, detail the sexual behavior of various yogis, debate the extent to which yoga will give one a “hot bod” or “yoga butt,” contain mildly or extremely explicit photographs (typically involving young women in some state of undress… often apparently engaging in a style of partner yoga). And this all while we protest that others misunderstand yoga and think of it as being either stretching, a new age cult, or some sort of sex club. Hmmm…
Sexuality is certainly an important part of our humanity, but how does the use of sex to “sell” our yoga news connect to the yama of brahmacharya? Does it? Is there sexual restraint in this reveling in the sexuality of yoga? Is there something mutually uplifting about the gaze of the viewer on images of yoga bodies in sexual dress? Does any of this matter? I guess I don’t know. The people involved are all, apparently, adults, and no one is being forced to read. But, it’s certainly worth thinking about what the message is and whether it is what we want it to be.
What do you think?
p.s. I tried to find a cute cartoon to add to this post, but they were all a little too sexy!
I don’t really have a catchy song for this one, but I’m still traveling and still working on studying for my exam, so it is what it is. 🙂 The koshas can be understood to represent the layers or sheaths of the self. Many people liken this to Russian nesting dolls, with each kosha being a doll that holds within it the others and so on. I tend to have visions of those filmstrips we saw as a child that started with the image of the person, then the next slide would be the muscular layer, then the bony layer, then the organ layer, an so on (and on that note, if you’ve never checked out Google’s Body Browser, do – http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com). But the koshas go beyond that, because they are not concerned with just the physical self. The layers can be understood to proceed from the most “base” or physical to the most divine or spiritual.
Annamaya kosha is the most physically apparent layer composed of the obdurate stuff of the body (bones, muscles, blood, etc.). Literally translated, the annamaya kosha is the “food-apparent-sheath.” It can be thought of as all of self that is created/fed/sustained by the food we consume.
Pranamaya kosha is the layer of the body that is occupied by the breath. Literally translated (more or less) it would be the “air-apparent-sheath.” The pranamaya kosha represents the self that is created/fed by the air that we breathe.
Manomaya kosha is the functional mind. It is the mind that helps us process directions, take care of our daily tasks, etc. Manomaya kosha, or the “mind-matter-apparent-sheath” is not the seat of the self. I think of it as being something like the motherboard of the body.
Vijnanamaya kosha, or the “wisdom-apparent-sheath” represents the intuitional wisdom of our being. This one is a little hard for me, as the difference between intuition and instinct or true wisdom and social wisdom is not easy to determine. I can kind of get it (maybe with my vijnanamaya kosha?) but then it slips away when I try to really think about it (with my manomaya kosha?).
Anandamaya kosha is the “bliss-apparent-sheath.” This is the one we see often discussed as the goal of meditation, yoga, and more than a couple of religions. When I visualize this part of the koshas, I see it as the empty/every thing that remains when all else is peeled away. If we could completely peel away all the other layers, we would dissolve into oneness with the universal. I love that, in this way of understanding bliss or enlightenment, it is not something you have to find, because it’s already always present. What you have to do is to remove the masks that distract you from it, in a sense.
So, there you have it, the quick version of the koshas! Rockin’ on with the studies and the YIOM!
So, if you watched a lot of Sesame Street in the past, you probably get that little joke. If not, here is a fun video to watch, but it has nothing to do with this post except that it amuses me (and the protagonist and said lama are, in fact, practicing some of what I will discuss below):
In Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga, the first two limbs are yamas and niyamas. Yamas are basically our ethical code, how we should behave in interactions with others. Niyamas are necessary personal observances to maintain the path. Each of these are part of yoga that can be observed in our daily lives, on and off the mat.
Yamas: Universal Moral Code
Ahimsa — Non-harming. This can include avoiding harm to self, others, and the world around us. Harm could mean something physical, psychological, emotional, etc. Some yogis practice vegetarianism or veganism as a part of ahimsa, while others do not.
Satya —Non-lying. Satya is about maintaining an intent to not deceive. This does not always mean we will be correct in information we give, but honest mistakes are a different thing than intentionally misleading someone. Satya does not suggest that we be brutal in our interactions with others, as the principle of ahimsa is primary. Sometimes we may need to present a different truth, or present a truth in a different way to avoid violating satya while also maintaining ahimsa.
Asteya —Non-stealing. This could be about physical objects (i.e. don’t steal from Target), monetary units (don’t cheat on your taxes) or even less concrete things like time (don’t be late for all your meetings, thereby stealing the time of others). In an academic setting, always much on my mind, this also is about not stealing the ideas or words of another (plagiarism).
Bramacharya — Sexual responsibility and restraint. In the most restrictive sense, this yama could be about celibacy. But, for most of us, it’s more about treating each other with sexual respect. Don’t objectify others. Don’t guilt/push/connive others into sexual activity. Behave in such a way that all sexual thoughts and acts are mutually uplifting (thanks for this phrasing, Beth) for all involved.
Aparaigraha — Non-grasping, non-coveting. To some degree, coveting what we don’t have or what others has seems to be a natural part of our animal natures, but it’s not something we have to give into. We can cultivate a sense of contentment with what we have that reduces our greed and allows us to be truly happy for what others have, without feeling the desire to possess it ourselves.
Niyamas: Personal Observances
Sauca — Cleanliness/purity. Sauca refers to the idea that we should maintain physical and emotional cleanliness. We should maintain a clean and healthy body, both inside and out. This can be promoted by eating a healthy diet, utilizing pranayama and asana to remove toxins, engaging in external cleanliness habits, and working toward removing the “ick” of jealousy, anger, greed, pride, etc. from our minds.
Santosa — Contentment. As you can see, the yamas and niyamas are intertwined with one another. Santosa is much related to aparigraha. Can we be content with what we have and where we are? Can we accept this moment for itself and not yearn for something more or different, the past or the future. Can we find ease even in the midst of difficulty, accepting that everything passes?
Tapas — Turning up the heat. It’s easy to get passive in life and in our yoga practice – to fall into patterns and habits and fail to challenge them. Tapas relates to utilizing our energies well to push our practices a little further. This might be through more vigorous or regular asana. It could be through a daily 5 a.m. meditation. It might be a process of fasting that energizes. Establishing what is tapas will be different for each individual, as it is relative to the current pattern.
Svadhyaya — Self-study. For some people, self study comes more easily. For many, however, it is quite difficult. Svadhyaya involves turning a light on the self and engaging in analysis of one’s own patterns in thought, behavior, emotion, etc. Svadhyaya includes examining both our “positive” qualities and our limitations and challenges. Through understanding and accepting where we are, we create room for change.
Isvara pranidhana — Surrender to a higher power. Taken literally, this niyama could be said to mean “laying it all at the feet of God.” That might be a perfect way to see it for you, or maybe it isn’t. But, that’s ok. This niyama does not specify what god or what divine we should be giving up our efforts to. That leaves room for each of us (perhaps in the process of svadhyaya?) to determine what “greater” being/principle/? we see as divine to which we can devote our actions.
So, there you have a very brief summary of the yamas and niyamas of yoga. They can be practiced every day, any time, anywhere. You don’t have to “twist into a pretzel” (my extended family/friend network understanding of yoga) or worship a certain god to do these things. Looking at them, you can see the underlying tenets of behavior for pretty much all religions or moral codes, and it’s hard to find fault with any of these ideas, even if you don’t see yourself as a yogi at all. You can do yoga 24 hours a day! Sweetness!
same time that they are as likely as anyone to read articles with such titillating headlines.