Table of contents
Introduction
Some people need the adrenaline from extreme activities like bungee jumping or mountain climbing. They feel alive and forget their worries only when engaged in such activities. We, the yogis, do not need extreme activities to feel joy. Asana practice can show us that there is joy in attending to simple activities, without extravagance or expense, and without relying on extreme stimuli or adventure. Releasing tension from the body and quieting the mind gives rise to spontaneous joy.
We can draw immense joy simply from a feeling of sound health and calmness. I often ask students to reflect on their state of mind at the end of class and compare it with how they felt at the beginning. Usually, worries and problems seem less significant by the end of the class. We become absorbed in the ‘here and now,’ and we do not give disproportionate and unrealistic importance to future worries. We can appreciate the health and happiness we have at the moment. Mark Twain has a beautiful quote: “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.” Yoga helps us to rest in the present moment and take care of what needs to be taken care of, without overdoing it.
We discuss this in the book The Psychophysical Lab – Yoga Practice and the Mind-body Problem. On the free resources page of this site I share a sequence that fosters joy and optimism.
Don’t miss Eyal’s books…
Vairagya – Non-Desirelessness
We learn to appreciate the subtle and refined joy of staying calmly and passively in a pose while observing the gentle touch of the breath in the membranes of our nostrils. We don’t need to jump from cliffs or dive deep into the ocean to be happy. While these activities are not inherently bad, being dependent on such things can disturb our happiness. When we are quieter and more focused, we can also enjoy the wonders of nature and the beauty of art. These are simple joys that do not require expensive means and do not generate more cravings.
Of the two means to restrain the Vrittis (the compulsive-reactive movements of our mind), the second one, Vairagya, is relevant here. Vairagya is the opposite of Raga, attachment. It means desirelessness, non-attachment, renunciation. When we are desireless, we do not crave anything; we are happy with what we have and do not feel that something is missing. It is the feeling that ‘everything is perfect, just as it is’—a rare feeling in daily life, but one we often experience after good practice.
How to Develop Vairagya?
In our practice, we can observe our tendency to want more or to want something we do not have. We may crave to do the pose as the student next to us is doing or as we see in a photo of someone else. Or we may wish there were fewer people in the class so the teacher could give us more attention. Or we may want to open the window for some fresh air, etc.
Observing our tendency to focus on what we miss and what we dislike is a big obstacle to joy and well-being. By observing this tendency, we can learn to focus more on the abundance we have and to worry less about what we miss.
Santosha and Aparigraha
This is the practice of Santosha (contentment), the second Niyama in Patanjali’s yoga sutras. Craving indulgence and depending on external, elaborate enjoyments create uneasiness in the mind. When we achieve the object of our desire or the experience we crave, there is temporary relief, and we experience joy. But this joy is short-lived, as our minds will soon start to crave something else. The relaxation we experience by attaining the object of our desire is only temporary.
Patanjali includes in the Yamas the practice of Aparigraha or non-craving, non-possessiveness, and non-hoarding. Aparigraha means living a simple life without unnecessary possessions and consumption. This opposes being consumed by the pursuit of success, fame, fortune, etc. There is a saying: “What we try to possess, possesses us”. In Hebrew, there is an adage that goes (in the best translation I can think of): “The more you have, the more you worry”.
Aparigraha and Santosha are two sides of the same coin. Aparigraha is a restraint, and Santosha is the positive practice of fostering contentment. It is a practice of gratitude for what we have, which helps us not to be over-agitated by inevitable losses, pain, failures, etc.
How to Develop Santosha and Apragiraha?
Both Santosha and Aparigraha are important components of asana practice. A mindful practice teaches us not to crave ‘success’ or be devastated by ‘failure’ in a given pose. Cultivating contentment with where we are in a given pose involves not being shaken by the fact that we are in a different place every day with our practice. Some days we can nail the arm balance, some days not; some days our balance feels perfect, other days we’re just off. When we relinquish (or lessen the strength of) the attitudes of attachment and aversion, a sense of equanimity naturally arises.
Summary
Yoga connects us to ourselves and quiets the endless scampering of our minds. From this quietness, we can derive great joy—not the pleasure of obtaining something or achieving a goal, but the simple joy of being alive and the basic appreciation of each new breath. A feeling of health, energy, delight, and tranquility is all that is needed to transform a moody mind into a joyful one.
You can read a relevant article here.
Don’t miss Eyal’s online courses…
Leave a Reply