bess yoga

 *APPROACHING AWARENESS*

Awareness lies at the very basis of yoga and yogic technique. Often in our yoga sessions we are told to be aware of something, for example bringing your awareness to the breath, maybe a specific bodily sensation or part or maybe an energetic point. Some things have strong sensations so are easier to focus on than others, which might be part of a more subtle realm of experience. Awareness is not something taught at school where we are normally just told to concentrate, without any skills or mode offered for how we should go about this! Concentration is a way of channelling awareness towards a task or a focal point to the exclusion of other activities, often as a means to understand something on an intellectual level, problem solve or complete a task. With awareness this may not so- it is more broad and encompassing, rather than shutting other things out we are letting them be and observing them. Many people use the term mindfulness for awareness, yet it is still quite different to this.

And awareness is also different from knowledge or intellect, though through awareness you can cultivate both of these attributes to a high level. So you can see we need to approach awareness gradually and always with a fresh attitude- a beginners mind. Though you can become practiced at this it is also something to be cultivated over a long period of time and essentially at the start of each individual yoga practice.

An example of a low state of awareness could be when we are walking down the street lost in thoughts. We do not feel our body moving, notice particuarly the sights, sounds or smells that surround- the mind is out of the body day-dreaming, nor are we close to our true nature here, we are in a world made of past impressions and future desires. We spend lots of time in this awake dreaming state.

Awareness in a broad sense means to comprehend, to know, to FEEL what is happening around us, free of judgement. Most importantly for yogi’s and anyone looking to understand themselves further beyond the surface movements of mind and body, it means to know what is happening within us through self study, or observation by watching body, by watching mind and what they do- becoming a witness. This leads to an awareness that our true nature, our true Self is something other than the senses, the mind and its swirl of thoughts and the body.

So what is the point of this ? Well, increasing our Awareness helps us realise and relate to more things internally as well as externally, noticing the effect of action to reaction- liberating the mind from its patterns and limitations to help is see the underlying connection of everything in this world- that the appearance of differentiation is all rooted in the same beginning. It is this connection- unification, wholeness , natural intelligence ( soma ) of all things as manifestations of a great all pervasive consciousness , a cosmic mind and urge- that the yogi flows towards by expanding their awareness to feel experientially ( through experience and observation- observing your experience, is to be aware) how consciousness expresses itself through them, (through us human beings) and to realise this as the source of the soul. We are not lost in our actions, even though we can be absorbed by them and even enjoy them. In fact you may enjoy more through this added awareness! So another point here is that we heighten awareness, rather heighten consciousness. Consciousness is already expanded, it does not change, it is the basic nature, but the potential of that consciousness is expressed at different levels in different beings.

Asana ( bodily postures) , Pranayama (here meaning breath control), pratyahara (withdrawing of senses or actions or interfering) , mudra & bandha ( gestures imbued with attitude to influence energetic circuitry) , mantra ( chanting ) are all aspects of Hatha yoga that help increase awareness, other paths of yoga such as bhakti and karma do this also. What does an expanded awareness feel like? That is something for you to discover through a gentle persistent practice but generally we could say it is being more like an involved witness to our thoughts and movements. The great thing about this is that we realise we have more choices and control in life through this broadened perspective and this filters into our daily lives to help us make more informed and ethical choices. Rather than being at the mercy of our reactive emotions which impacts the energy of the whole system, there is more room to respond to what comes towards us in a way that serves the self and keeps is flowing to where we want to be.