Churning the Sacred Fire
Yoga Philosophy: The second limb of yoga is Niyama. Niyama means “rules” or “laws.” The five niyamas describe the type of rules we should place on ourselves. They are the code of conduct we hold ourselves to in order for each of us to live soulfully.
Of the five Niyamas, the fourth is svadhyaya. Sva means “self,” adhyaya means “inquiry” or “examination. Therefore Svadhyaya means self inquiry and refers to any activity that cultivates self-reflective consciousnes. Svadhyana means to intentionally find self-awareness in all our activities and efforts, even to the point of welcoming and accepting our limitations. (For a discussion on all the eight limbs of yoga, check out the following quick summary: http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm).
Ayurveda, which is a holistic approach to healing, practiced in India for over 5,000 years, uses a classification system based on the five elements, to create greater self understanding and awareness.
Therefore, one way to practice Niyama, specifically svadhyaya, is to learn about how Ayurveda classifies different human psychophysiological systems and to apply this to ourself. According to ayurveda, the five fundamental elements that make up the universe–space (akasha), air (vayu), fire (agni), water (apu) and earth (prithvi) — also make up the human physiology. Ayurveda describes three psychophysiological energies called doshas. Each of the three doshas, called Vata, Pitta and Kapha, is mainly a combination of two of the five elements listed above.
Vata Dosha is made up of space and air.
Pitta dosha is a combination of fire and water.
Kapha dosha is made up of water and earth.
Each of these doshas is said to carry with it personality traits, tastes in food, biological needs, etc. For example, I am pitta dosha. Pitta is known for its hard-working, competitive, passionate and entrepreneurial tendencies.
The truth is I am pretty new to ayurveda, and looking at myself through the lens of the doshas is a relatively new practice. However, when I first heart about the doshas I immediately resonated with the pitta dosha and felt its truth long before it was confirmed that I am pitta. In all honesty, I adore my pitta tendencies to work hard and be competitive. The trick for me is finding healthy outlets for this intense energy. My asana practice today was specifically designed with fire in mind and doing my best to harness this energy for my body’s greater good.
Asana Practice: I applied principals from my athletic background to my yoga practice today to create a fusion of opening and grace with repetition and power generation. Specifically I did many repetitions of chair pose (utkatasana) and high lunge, often pulsating in the pose. This mimics squats and lunges in athletics.
In addition I did several sets of chaturanga pushups and balancing poses such as side plank (Vasisthasana).
I kept the energy high, often jumping between poses and I incorporated dance throughout my practice. My heart rate remained high and I created a ton of internal heat. This practice truly satisfied and fed my Pitta nature. Right now I feel pretty balanced, but I will keep an eye on myself to assure I don’t become overly intense and controlling.
For now, as the sun barely makes it through the overcast sky and the days are short, I think its fine for me to cultivate my inner fire through churning actions in my daily asana practice.
Lesson Learned: So long as my pitta dosha tendencies aren’t overbearing, a high intensity asana practice can help me feel my inner flame and trust my natural desire to accomplish goals and remain motivated.