Meditation (dhyana) according to an "Old Irish Prayer" is the source of power. Learning Eastern precepts has helped me understand Dhyana for following through with intentions (sankalpa). At Yoga Training (Touch) the sankalpa is perfecting peace, celebrating life and harmonizing responsibilities, values and principles. Responsibilities are learned as the Eight-ways (As(h)tanga) of Classic-practice, values via Plexus-sentience/Energy-system (Chakras) and principles are an Illusory-protection within the Bio-enviro-psychi-socio-philisophical (Panc(h)a-maya-kosha) model of care.
The responsibilities are civility (yama), politeness (niyama), posture (asana), breath (pranayama), holding-tension (pratyahara), attention (dharana) meditation (dhyana) and with an awareness of the eighth practice beyond the seventh value correlation of stillness and being a living-meditation (samadhi) as eight ways (Ashtanga) of teaching the Classics including and not limited to Physical-body (Hatha), Causative-energy (Karma), Mindful-knowledge (Jnana), Cultivated-ideas/wealth (Raja) and Reverent-devotion/love (Bhakti). Often people begin meditating (dhyana) by noticing the breath (pranayama), then thoughts brought back to the breath for quieting the mind (pratyahara) allowing for present moment attention (dharana). In western culture these preparatory practices have become known as meditation (dhyana). The importance of breath awareness (samadhi) is a Classic Karma practice when breathing (pranayama) is living utilized for power during Physical-practice (Hatha)!
The most commonly known values of the Sentient-plexus/energy system chakras are: 1.) having 2.) feeling 3.) physical activity (PA) 4.) loving & being loved 5.) listening & speaking 6.) thinking & knowing 7.) stillness & being of the subtle body as well as the less commonly known gross body practices of twelve systems recycling around such as 8.) privacy 9.) intimacy/optimacy, 10.) ultimacy 11.) efficacy/advocacy and 12.) agency. The chakras are located at the 1.) coccygeal plexus (muladhara) 2.) sacral plexus (swadishtahna) 3.) solar plexus (manipura) 4.) cardiac-pulmonary plexus (anahata) 5.) brachial plexus (vissudha) 6.) cavernous-cerebral plexus (ajna) and 7.) coronal plexus (sahasrara) as well as 8.) above 9.) beyond 10.) connecting 11.) helping and 12.) holding. To give attention (dharana), the precursor of dhyana, according to Nischala Joy Devi spoken at a 2020 IAYT Conference author of Healing Path..., "visualize (plexus-sentience) chakras". A Hatha meditative practice holding or flowing between chest expansion and contraction poses (asana) and or movements (vinyasa) noticing diaphragmatic expansion and contraction breaths (pranayama) inhaling for a count of four and exhaling for a count of 12-16, visualizing the cardiac-pulmonary plexus (Anahta chakra) and the color green thinking "the right to love and be loved with equanimity', studying "free and responsible ways of understanding (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi)", affirming (mantra/japa), "an attitude of gratitude and generosity, graciously thankful to lead and follow the heart, soul searching for True-self-arising (Brahmin, Atman, Parusha)!
By following principles of the life-force, source, essence, sheaths and or veils etc. known as, Pancha-maya-kosha, five protections from illusion for longevity, vitality, mentality, intellectuality and spirituality a person can practice the Bio-enviro-psychi-socio-philosophical model of (Self)care provided by yoga therapists. Subtle breaths are mindful (udana), bodily (asana), core sustaining (sanyana), ever present (vyana) and nose only (yoga) without mouth breathing breaths keeping the locomotive 'steam energy' within without displacement, naturally filtering the air helpful to safety, especially important when social distancing is not intact, energy (prana) in from the environment breaths are also a subtlety. (Emotional) breaths are noticed as normal, according to the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Outdoor Guide in a ratio of 1:3, therefore becoming yoga-relaxation pranayama by elongating the exhalation providing parasympathetic responses in a 1:4 ratio. Energizing breath examples include alternate-nostril (nadishodhana), guttural-throat (ujaiiy), abdominal-work (bhastrika), skull-cleansing (kaphalbhati), pelvic floor/perineum holding and deep-diaphragmatic. When attentive (dharana) to power from vitality there is an environment of subtle, emotional, energy (prana) sustained by oxygen optimized by breath (pranayama) known as the Prana-maya-kosha; specifically connected to the power of pranayama is an ability to hold-tension (pratyahara), provide-attention (dharana) and meditate (dhyana) when instructed to practice Hatha Yoga; movement-meditation!
Meditation (dhyana) examples include hand, gestures (mudras) whereas mudras can be expressed with the entire body for holding in pose (asana)! When utilizing a hand gesture while easy sitting (sukhasana) choose a thumbs up mudra indicating Hatha, for indicating Karma, place the thumb pad to the ring finger, 'lovingly-married' may be a helpful thought to remember thumb and finger placement. The Jnana Mudra is practiced with the thumb and index finger pads touching with all other fingers facing up, a similar Mudra with palms facing up and fingers forward is often seen in sukhasana or easy sitting pose with legs crossed when meditating (dhyana). Other mudras include thumb and middle finger pads touching to signify Raja and thumb and pinky fingers touching denote Bhakti with a held fist being the sign of complete control*!
Seed-sounds (biju) are Sanskrit terms whereas one sound summarizes a set of affirmations (mantra). When strung together mantras are known as japa (visualizing the islands of Japan to remember the sanskrit term). For example the seed sound "Yahm" affirms (mantra/japa), "Air, Alive, Arrive, Live, Love, Survive, Thrive; Pranayama". Simply, holding-attention (pratyahara) specific to air, attentive (dharana) to life and surviving, meditating (dhyana) about love and thriving connecting around to the responsibility of noticing the breath (pranayama); "Meditation (dhyana) is the source of power" - An Old Irish Prayer!
- Yoga Training (Touch) with Kathryn Ann (Katie A.) Campbell C-IAYT, YA-CEP, E-RYT 500 A Yoga Therapy [C(h)ikitsa] General Practitioner specializing in Lifestyle Medicine, specializing in Performance and Prevention during Physical Rehabilitation and Energy Facilitation addressing Metabolic and Immune Function, a Continuing Education Provider, and Teacher with thousands of hours of experience. Yogatrainingtouch.com (2009-present), Helena Montana 59601; US
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