Yogic Traditions and Literature

Grace In Balance Yoga Program

Kenneth/ E-RYT/500, RYT/500, YACEP/ Certified TIY Instructor.

Though our entry into this world may seem arbitrary, the world that greets is not. What is the self-concept, where does it originate, how does trauma impact our self-concept and ultimately our lives? The goal of our trauma informed yoga program is to help students peel back the layers of trauma and begin to discover who they truly are and provide a pathway leading back home to self. Along the way there will be many discomforts, we will provide methods and techniques to help ease the mind, body and spirit through the darkness and discover the brilliant light within.

Our self-concept is derived by process of our patterns of thought. Too often, these intrusive thoughts become dysfunctional, and we implement negative self-talk in the form of mantras. For example, “I am not good enough, I don’t deserve love,” etc. What is a thought? At its most fundamental level, an interaction between electricity, chemicals, and tissue. We at GIB strive to utilize set standards as the foundational structure of thinking. This is critical in our delivery of methods of educational material and calming techniques to our students. These standards of thinking are:

1. All thinking has a purpose or objective, either conscious or sub-conscious

2. State the question to be answered… “Who am I?”

3. Gather information (Don’t take shortcuts, treat this as a forensic investigation)

4. Analyze inferences, does the interpretation make sense?

5. Be aware of any and all assumptions, valid or not.

6. Clarify the concept

7. Develop and understand Point of View, what are your perceptions?

8. Work through the implications, truth is not as painful as the lie created to hide it.

9. What are the consequences of arriving at this conclusion?

10. Can I accept the truth or trust in the lie?

The process we use to implement these standards of thinking forms the foundational basis of our Trauma Informed Yoga Program. It is a program that utilizes the ancient traditions of yoga dating back thousands of years. This is NOTa program where students show up do a few asanas (poses) go home and proclaim, “I did yoga.” This is a program that requires a tremendous amount of Mental movement, implementing breath work, meditation, journaling and self-reflection.

There are many interpretations of “ancient yoga” traditions. The following outline is what we have formulated based on our research, training and understanding of ancient yoga traditions.

Traditional, ancient or otherwise known as Vedic yoga consists of a multitude of structures. We focus on four and modify them to fit the needs of our students.

1. Mantra Yoga-Speech…(Earth-grounded-Mother) the five mantras we focus on:

   1. Contentment

   2. Release

   3. Acceptance

   4. Love

   5. Truth

2. Prana Yoga-Breath, control of…(Air-the yoke)

3. Dhyana Yoga-Meditation, mind…(Fire-Father)

4. Samadhi Yoga-Symbolizes the nectar of immortality, the soul…(Water-Child)

Mantra Yoga- Mantra Yoga is a tool that becomes alive in the transformation and analysis of

perception. Mantra helps the mind focus, allows deeper penetration into the mind to

discover inner meanings and provides a pathway to self-reflection.

Prana Yoga-A structure to work with our vital energy that connects us all. It is lightning, electrical force in the form of essence and manifestation of the energy of consciousness. Paradoxically breath is autonomic and controllable or (control-able) at the same time. Provides yet another avenue to help the mind calm itself and focus.

Dhyana Yoga-This is the yoga of meditation. Provides access to deeper understandings and nurtures intelligence by differentiating between innate wisdom and wisdom earned. 

Samadhi Yoga-Requires mastery of or at least knowledge and experience in the three aforementioned yoga practices. It incorporates the five pranas and 7 chakras working in harmony to achieve the experience of self-no-self. (At what point does a human being become aware that it is alive? At what point does a human being become self-aware?

Yogic Traditions and Literature:

We will NOT be teaching the religious aspects of this literature.

These yogic practices correspond to the Vedas: The Rig Veda, The Yajur Veda, The Sama Veda, and The Atharva Veda. The Vedas are a collection of hymns and divine inspirations received by the Rishis’ or Sages as Shruti, Divine Revelations. As hymns and mantras, they are used to praise and invoke powers from the spiritual realm. We will NOTbe teaching the religious components of this literature. Instead, we will utilize stories or similar stories as vehicles to deliver knowledge and techniques in the development of our yoga practice during our journey and time together in the studio. 

1. Rig Veda-The seeds of cosmic knowledge, the Veda of mantra

2. Yajur Veda-The Veda of sacrifice, application through ritual, both internal and external. Two different camps of thought here, like those of Captain Kirk and Spock. One is the idea to control our emotions, so they do not control us and the other “to deny our emotions is to deny the very essence that makes us human…”

3. Sama Veda-Yoke, unification or harmony of the mind, body and soul through insight and rapture.

4. Atharva Veda-Outlines daily formulas and routines for life utilizing the Upanishads. Upanishad is a Sanskrit word often translated as meaning “sitting down near”, referring to student sitting near the teacher. 

In addition to the four elements, these traditions correspond to the different types of light:

1. Fire-Like the science of Alchemy. Fire is necessary for transformation. It burns away the negative so the positive can be born of the ashes like the Phoenix.

2. Lightning-Electrical force that drives Samsara (the cycle of life and death) it is the current that drives the beating of our hearts, the formation of thoughts and the generator of e-motions. It is essential as it allows us to see in all manners.

   1. Synesthesia-The ability to hear light and see sound.

3. The Sun-Pure light and life-giving energy.

These forces operate in the various states of consciousness:

1. Awake-perception, consciousness, aware

2. Dream-sub conscious, creative, processing

3. Deep Sleep-un-conscious, restful, restorative, rejuvenation.

This four-fold yogic practice differs from the classical eight-fold yogic tradition as spelled out by Pentajali in the Yoga Sutras. Vedic yoga focuses on the Yamas and the Niyamas otherwise referred to as observances and restraints.  These constitute the first two limbs of Raja Yoga. Part of the Dharmic foundation of Vedic practice is “Living according to our higher power while keeping our lower power in check by living authentically according to our values, diet, and yogic pastures primarily in a comfortable seated position.