Hey Pal,
Sorry for the length of this note, but here are a few thoughts on our discussion about a 20 minute workout; of course we’ll do that, but keep in mind:
Raja Yoga is a constant practice in trying to see yourself differently; specifically, trying to identify with your consciousness rather than your body/mind – and in that regard this practice doesn’t really lend itself to a 20 minute routine.
No amount of stretching, breathing or concentrating will bring about a sea-change in your life the way a change in attitude or paradigm will. That’s the endgame here: to see yourself differently.
Things to consider:
• Constantly strive to distinguish between your consciousness and thoughts. Consciousness is simply the awareness or perception OF your thoughts; it never changes. Everything else, including your thoughts and memories are subject to the vagaries of time and circumstance. Remember the “1+1=2” exercise: there are two things happening simultaneously: the counting, and the awareness of the counting. Subconscious thoughts (the consequence of interactions between your three non-cognitive mental functions: sensory, memory, and ego) percolate up into your conscious mind unless you override that natural involuntary process via concentration – just as you interrupt your involuntary breathing process when you practice controlled breathing.
• This is a simple yet difficult practice; it’s counterintuitive to identify with something you can’t see, smell, hear, taste or feel, rather than the face smiling back at you in the mirror. But think of it this way: if you were physically or mentally debilitated, that wouldn’t fundamentally change who you are, or somehow diminish you as a person – so why chose to identify with the fickle, constantly changing parts of yourself which will eventually turn to dust. Wouldn’t it make sense to identify with the part of you that’s consistent (so that how you see yourself isn’t constantly changing like your body/mind)?
• The most important general practical advice from the Yoga Sutras comes from the first chapter: don’t stop trying, and don’t beat yourself up when you slip.
• The first specific practical advice of the Yoga Sutras is introduced in chapter two: success depends on your mindset. Recognizing the difficulty of identifying with an aspect of yourself that you can’t even see, the practice promotes finding faith in something and devoting yourself and your practice to it. Is there something in your life that you’re willing to sacrifice everything for? Draw strength and determination from that which you have faith in; in short, remain determined, discerning and devoted.
• Chapter two of the Yoga Sutras goes on to introduce an eight-step practice to prove to yourself that your consciousness is distinct from your mind. While the steps are sequential, they’re also integrated; the first five settle your body/mind, preparing you for the last three purely mental, meditative exercises. The theory is that once you’ve virtually emptied your cognitive mind of thought – and btw, you can’t do that if your physical, energetic and mental aspects aren’t settled – your consciousness, then having nothing else to be aware of, becomes aware of itself. Regardless of whether you meditate, it’s comforting to know that when you need to, you CAN calm yourself physically, energetically and mentally – and it gets easier with practice!
• The other thing to remember is the energetic nature of all matter. Your entire physical/mental being – from your memories to your toes – everything besides consciousness – by its very nature is in a constant state of flux at a cellular or elemental level. The practice prioritizes personal conduct because physical actions generate greater energetic consequences than mental ones (actions speak louder than words). Remember, the first two preparatory steps (i.e., being a good person) get you 70% of the way to a settled mind. And thus, while the last three preparatory steps (i.e., physical, respiratory and concentration exercises) are helpful, don’t be misled; they are NOT the focus of Raja Yoga.
Btw – here’s some Raja Yoga nomenclature: “Self” (with a capital “S”) refers to your consciousness (aka awareness), while “self” (lower-case “s”) refers to your material body/mind. This is a practice in cultivating Self-awareness: recognizing the distinction between cognition and consciousness, ironically by mastering “self” control (i.e., you can’t control your “Self”; it just “is”), keeping in mind that your actions have the biggest impact on your state of mind (for one thing, every action has perpetual consequences)!
While everyone has a body/mind, cellularly or elementally, there’s nothing truly unique about them; however, while everyone also has awareness – IT is what makes you unique – since no one else perceives life as you do. In the Yoga tradition, THIS is the part of you worth celebrating, acknowledging, honoring, etc. – the unchanging enduring part of you which perceives, rather than the temporal parts of you which act but are fleeting.
So, what’s the most efficient use of your time if you’re going to set aside 20 minutes a day? My advice: exactly what you were doing when you thought, “it’s sort of like my body/mind is a car and my consciousness is a passenger” – THAT effort – to see your awareness as a distinct part of you – is the most productive way to spend any free time you have with respect to this pursuit of happiness.
That said, we’ll practice a 20 minute physical/energetic/ mental routine tomorrow that you can do daily! 😉 My best.
