Intuition is defined in the dictionary as the faculty of knowing without the use of rational processes and represents immediate cognition. The Sanskrit word in the Yoga Sutras for intuition is ‘Pratibha’ and it refers to the transcendent spiritual faculty of perception which involves neither the senses nor the mind, but the consciousness itself. It is the flash-like quality of this type of experience that represents the consciousness, not something that comes through and is shaded by any sense perception or is subjected to the mind’s interpretation.
According to the fourth-fifth century sage Vyasa, the first commentator of the Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, intuition precedes the emerging of the discriminating intelligence in a practitioner. When the tendencies towards activity or resistance are becalmed and one is in a state of balance, the subtler levels of reality are open to perception. The dawn like quality indicated by the word pratibha represents the state between the fading aspect of night, the time of inactivity on the one hand, and emerging active aspect of the day. Intuitive abilities remain in latent states when one is entangled in the external, objective reality. Intuitive thinking occurs when a freer form of thinking replaces impulsive thoughts, which represent an unconditioned way of thinking. With intuition one gets the knowledge of the subtle, the remote and of the past and the future, things that are normally inaccessible to conventional means of knowledge.
Meditative practices are credited with the emergence of this attribute, an attribute that gets shrouded when one is under stress. As Vijnanbhikshu, the fifteenth century commentator, said: Intuition represents knowledge that is obtained without a teacher. In yoga tradition intuition is considered the inherent quality of pure sattva, the quality of discriminating intelligence, wisdom and peacefulness. Interpreted as reflection, the word ‘pratibha’ also indicates that the world as it is, without any interpretation attached to it, reflects itself to the practitioner with the sattva, which is the intelligence and wisdom of a tranquil mind.
An accident caused blindness in the French author, Jacques Lusseyran1 and it changed his perspective. He began looking from an inner place to one further within. This redefined his perceptions of things and beings around. He became aware of radiance within, both light and joy. His intuitive powers increased. On the other hand, negative emotions such as fear, impatience and anger had a blinding effect. This is a testimonial for the value of the introspective aspect of yoga techniques, an aspect that is accessible in asana, pranayama and most of all, in meditation.
Notes:
1. Smith Huston, 2001. Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. Harper, San Francisco, 290 p.
One of the impediments to a peaceful mind is our instinctive tendency to cling to life and what it means to us (Abhinivesha). It is the desire to hold on to one’s own state as a being, a unique being. The fear of being completely erased, of being annihilated is terrifying. Ceasing to exist means, to us, ceasing to exist sans all that we have experienced, enjoyed, and valued. The addiction to life experiences, to the gratifications that different life experiences present, have a strong hold. One cannot even imagine not being without them and as a result one stays attached to what is known and fear the unknown. The idea that there are things and situations beyond our control, the very control that has helped us stay in existence, is unsettling in the least. The instinct for self-preservation remains so strong that self-negation seems like an insult to our capabilities as autonomous individuals. Even the learned ones, with all their intellectual pursuits, are not free of this attitude to hold on to, to cling to life. As has been said, Halloween is the time to acknowledge our fear of death but making sure that we do it while having a good time. If the fear of death were inherent, unlearnt and untaught, it would not disappear for the enlightened individuals either. Perpetuating the ego through one’s lineage, through acquisitions and lasting structures is a common experience. Wilbur said: Our fixation to the past comes only from our fear of death in the present; we latch onto the permanence and fixity of the past as a substitute immortality project (1). When Yudhisthira, the wise Pandav prince in the epic Mahabharata, is asked about the greatest marvel, his answer was, ‘each day, death strikes and we live as though we are immortal. That is the greatest marvel’.
What is our real identity? The dialog in the Brihadaranyka Upanishad between Yajnavalkya and his wife Maitreyi is a classic example of paring down through the reasoning process of ‘not this, not this’ (neti, neti). It ultimately leads to the conclusion that the self is in all things, everywhere, and free. There is the universal dimension of the self and the individual dimension of the self. The individual dimension takes the form of individual dispositions and yearnings that spring from within, instead of emanating or being grafted from the external. Discovering the individual dimension in the context of its universal counterpart is a life-long process evolving constantly, and trying to hold on, to cling, to a phase thereof is what brings discomfort and imbalance.
Some think that we do carry certain forms of awareness within us regarding previous experiences. Some forms of awareness may transcend from one lifetime to the next. The fear of death may have come from a previous life experience. Like matter, the mind is considered to be beginning-less, without any cause and it carries past impressions. Irrespective of the inevitability of death, we do face, throughout our lives, little deaths in the form of lost relationships, lost experiences and lost places. These little deaths are also times when we have to face the inevitability of changes that take place throughout our lives.
The world around us keeps evolving and the challenges that life brings to us always keep on shifting. There is upheaval and feeling of imbalance that a change can bring and one tries to grab on to what one has. It is the automatic, in many ways the inescapable tendency for looking for continuity of any state and situation. It comes from the comfort of being familiar with our environment, unaccompanied by fears, apprehensions, which usually come with change. As if, as Socrates said, one knows what happens with change is undesirable. Brain psychology tells us that whatever change happens, one adapts to it without realizing up front that one does and will. We are bad at ‘affective forecasting’, at predicting how we will feel in the future. We over-estimate the intensity and duration of our emotional reactions. It is change that contains vital information, not steady states. And when change happens we recalibrate, set new goals and pursue pleasure in seeking them (2).
How to get over this fear of uncertainty is the question. Patanjali’s solution to this is skillful action. That involves our idea of who we are. Our identity is a self-constructed edifice, reinforced by our likes and dislikes. We own our experiences, making them part of our selves. We ‘become’ something through a selection process of our likes and by eliminating, putting away what we have come to dislike. Our identity is conditioned and relative. We establish a phantom self-presence, magnifying the importance of our experiences and making them part of our existence (3). Misconceptions about the nature of reality tend to make our tendencies more rigid and magnify the significance of our perceptions. Skillful action involves seeing these aspects of our selves and through their evaluation liberating oneself from them. Freeing oneself from erroneous cognition is freeing oneself from disappointments. How does one gain the wisdom to access the form of skillful action? The answer that yoga philosophy offers is through quieting thoughts and going inwards. Weakening the tendency of clinging, holding on, does not mean that one should withdraw from the world, or withhold participating in all the drama that living entails. Withdrawal is very difficult to do and neither is it advisable. The Bhagavad Gita (2.48) says that yoga means maintaining balance or equanimity (samatvam yoga utchyate).
Patanjali’s point is that the main reason for suffering is our misconception about what life represents. While we rely on what we observe, experience and analyze and decide what reality is, we lose sight of its changing, transient characteristic. Our ability to control our circumstances is quite limited. But what happens to be in our control is how we react to the changes and disappointments. Instead of unquestioned submission, it is about achieving an enlightened engagement into the worldly affairs. We condition ourselves, our choices and remain rigidly fixed in the ruts of a familiar routine thus created and ignore other options. It works fairly well until things take a turn and change due to things beyond our control. A better option then is to evaluate the changes and, when they are unavoidable, letting go. It is an opportunity to discover unrealized aspirations and unrealized potentialities and growth opportunities.
Notes:
(1). Wilber Ken, 1998. The Eye of Spirit: An Integral Version for a World Gone Slightly Mad. Shambhala, Boston, Conn., 414 p.
(2). Haidt Jonathan, 2006. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom. Basic Books, Persus Books Group, New York, NY, 297 p.
(3). Hartranft Chip, 2003. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: A New Translation with Commentary. Shambhala Classics, Boston, and London. 149 p.
Do we know how to breathe? A newly born infant is an efficient breather. But as one starts growing up, one begins to forget how to breathe efficiently. One develops certain dysfunctional breathing habits as a result of over-active and stressful lives, in particular. Dysfunctional breathing habits are especially common in people with asthma. Normally, these habits can, in turn, affect our energy and stress levels. In people with asthma, whose numbers keep rising in urban environments, being able to breathe normally is an issue of vital significance. How does one correct dysfunctional breathing habits? What are the different forms thereof? These include the following:
- Chest Breathing: In this type of breathing the air exchange is more restricted to the upper and the middle chest. The lower areas of lungs, where there are blood vessels, are deprived of enough oxygen. One breathes in this fashion when one is stressed and in turn a stressed state of mind can result from this type of breathing. It is damaging to the heart and brain and the lungs hold on to the toxins in the lower parts, which then get circulated through the body. There is chronic muscle tension in the chest and abdomen, it increases our perception of pain and is tiring.1 Poor posture is also a contributory factor as it leads to tightness in the chest muscles that restricts the ability of chest muscles to expand and contract.
Paying attention, focusing attention on how one is breathing is the first step as it tends to first slow down the inhalations and exhalations. For taking the breath lower into the lungs, lying down, with legs up the wall or on a chair seat, helps as the diaphragm’s downward move is aided by gravity. Inverted poses, such as shoulder stand, head stand, are useful if one can safely practice them.
2. Stronger Inhalations: If the inhalations are longer than the exhalations, one is over-breathing. Asthmatic persons have more problem exhaling. The inflammation in the bronchial tubes and accumulation of mucus narrows the overall space available for air exchange. There is more air left in the lungs than is exchanged and that affects the oxygen levels there. Breathing tends to be quick, and besides being inefficient is also stress producing. Weak abdominal muscles further complicate the problem.
First, instead of trying to lengthen the exhalation one should focus on shortening the inhalations. If one feels short of breath one can take a few normal breaths in between. One can work on lengthening the exhalations by exhaling through pursed lips. The abdominal muscles help in squeezing out the air over a longer time and when the inhalation takes place the air is pulled into the bottom part of the lungs. Engaging the abdominal muscles to squeeze air out is one such step. There is a device called peak flow meter that measures how much air one can force out with effort in a short time. One keeps a diary and determines a baseline. This helps the asthmatics recognize their own pattern and have awareness about when there may be an asthma attack. Relaxation and breath training help.2
3. Mouth Breathing: This dries the mouth and the throat and cold air is not good for the lungs and can exacerbate any inflammation there. The nose is a perfectly designed pathway for taking air in slowly instead of gulping it in when taken trough the mouth. The nostrils filter, warm and humidify the incoming air.
There are two options that one can use to correct this problem. One is to develop the awareness oneself about this and correct it each time. Or one can ask a friend, or a spouse, to make one aware of this habit.
4. Reverse Breathing: Normally the diaphragm descends with inhalation but with this type of breathing it rises. This is not conducive to taking a sufficient volume of air in as it constricts the lungs instead of letting them open up. The ribs contract on inhalation and expand on exhalation when it should be the other way around.
Devi3 says that this type of breathing is caused by the emotion of fear experienced frequently. The belly is sucked in as one holds the breath. When the danger passes, the breath and belly are released. It is obviously a restricted and insufficient breath and, instead of subduing the fear, it triggers one.
To remedy this one needs to lie down with the hands half on the ribs and half on the upper abdomen. This allows one to make sure that the diaphragm does not rise. The diaphragm needs to move towards the abdomen as a result of which the latter pushes forward. Intentional pushing of the abdomen is not advisable.
5. Over-breathing: Normally one takes 12 breaths per minute, but asthmatics tend to take many more breaths per minute. More oxygen is taken in but also more carbon dioxide is exhaled out. This makes the blood more alkaline and that way it tends to hold on to the oxygen. The cells are deprived of oxygen and this makes the asthmatic person breathe faster.
One can practice relaxed breathing either lying down or seated with the head resting on the folded arms on a table. By concentrating on taking slow breaths, the over-breathing tendency can be weakened.
Asana practices are especially helpful in dealing with respiratory problems, mainly through improving the awareness about the problem habits. One becomes more aware if one is holding the breath or engaged in any of the dysfunctional breathing tendencies listed above. There are pranayama practices and asanas that can help improve posture, lung capacity, strengthen the diaphragm and breathing efficiency in people who suffer from asthma and allergies. One can work on toning up the energy of the lungs. Some of the remedies may appear as being too simple, but as McCall4 says what is not so simple is maintaining a regular practice!
Notes:
- Cope, Stephen, 1999. Yoga and the Quest for the True Self. Bantam Books, 358 pp.
- Goleman Daniel, ed. 2003. Healing Emotions: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on Mindfulness, emotions and Health. Shambhala, Boston & London, 277 p.
- Devi, Nischala Joy, 2000.The Healing Path of Yoga. Three Rivers Press, New York, 238 p.
- McCall Timothy, 2007. Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing. Bantam Books, 568 p.
