The Experience of the External World and the Inner Self

The Sanskrit word sutra means thread. Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutras, written centuries ago

and the foundation for all classical yoga to follow, is a collection of one hundred ninety-

six aphorisms that, like threads, are woven tightly together into the fabric of a profound

way of life. Yogash chitta vritti nirodhah, or yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind is one

of those threads. In essence, yoga possesses the power to quiet an active mind. We

strive to have heightened awareness of the present moment in order to clear the mind

of thoughts that don’t serve in the here and now, including regrets of the past and

anxieties about the future. We establish a single point of focus on something that exists

in the present to enjoy the full experience on our mats.

Mindfulness literally means, “the state of a full mind”. To that end, we engage our

senses. Typically, we speak of the five senses that allow us to experience and

appreciate the external world around us. The sensation of the touch of a foot on your

yoga mat is an experience of something in the external world, as is true of a smell, a

sound, a visual image, or a taste. The five senses collect information from the external

world and constantly update us as to what is occurring around us. Focusing on that

information with a clear mind is at the core of the practice of mindfulness.

Along with the five senses that let us know what is happening in the external world,

there exists “internal” senses that relay signals to the brain, furnishing it with

information about what is occurring within the physical body. These internal senses

include stretch, pain and proprioception. Stretch receptors are a type of

mechanoreceptor that respond to the stretching or deformation of the tissue in which

they are embedded. They are ubiquitous throughout our muscles. They protect against

injury from overstretching. They also send information to the brain that, in part,

activates the pleasure centers of the brain. Quite simply, stretching feels good.

Breathing into a stretch intensifies that pleasure.

Pain receptors are present throughout the body and also protect against injury. We talk

of practicing yoga at our edge. The edge is the point of stretch where discomfort is

experienced. Progressing beyond one’s edge can lead to pain and injury. Once we

identify our edge, we ease off of it in order to experience the pleasure of stretch

without a mind clouded by physical tension and stress.

Proprioception is an awareness of the position of the body in space. Proprioceptors are

organelles that are ubiquitous throughout the muscles, tendons and joints of the

musculoskeletal system that react to and send signals to the brain about changes in

body position. They possess complex mechanisms to sense the forces of gravity on

the body as it moves. To experience proprioception, close your eyes, then raise your

right arm out at shoulder height and then above your head. Although you weren’t

visualizing your arm, through your sense of proprioception you know exactly where it is

in space.

By using our external and internal senses, we become mindful of our experience. In

yoga, however, arguably the most important sense that we possess is the sense of

insight. This sense lies in the ajna chakra or third eye. Unlike our two other eyes thatcan only see the external world, the third eye allows us to see inward with insight, with

the power to elicit emotions and thoughts that connect mind and body and, ultimately,

a connection to one’s true self. One ascends through six chakras before fueling the

energy of the seventh sahasrara chakra at the crown of head, the energy center for

spirituality. The sixth position of the third eye chakra just below the crown of head

implies that self-knowledge and wisdom are the final steps necessary to connect to

one’s true spirit. The sense of insight lets us create an intimate connection to the inner

self.

Yoga is a personal experience. We all try to establish a single point of focus that is

occurring in the present, but the choice of where you focus your attention is yours. You

can engage any of the senses to focus on physical sensations, And, with the sense of

insight, your focus can be an idea, emotion or thought.

Whatever your choice of focus, yoga is a practice of stilling the fluctuations of the

mind. We practice being in the moment. The hope is that through that practice,

mindfulness of the present moment will become habitual throughout our daily lives.

Once we are in the moment, we can then cherish every moment. Our lives can become

full. With gratitude, we can appreciate all of our blessings and all that life has to offer.

As you practice yoga, experiment with different points of focus, being deliberate with

your choice. The possibilities are endless, such that your yoga practice need not ever

be the same each time you arrive on your mat. The hope is that eventually you will no

longer need to be deliberate in being mindful. You will become like a camera with

autofocus that provides great clarity of all of the wonders of the marvelous world

around you and the inner beauty within you.

In yoga, we speak of a light that we each possess. May your light become so bright for

everyone to see and may others enjoy its warmth.