SELECTED NOTE FROM AMMA’S SUMMER VACATION INTENSIVE CLASSES AT YOGNAT

[Guest guest]

SELECTED NOTE FROM AMMA'S SUMMER VACATION INTENSIVE CLASSES AT YOGNAT

(Courtesy of Yogacharya Maithili Sharan who is doing a great job in

his teaching practicals at Yognat)

 

Aum

 

Day 1

 

Discussing Sukha Asana Amma pointed out that sitting in a comfortable

and natural posture makes a significant and positive difference in

the way we think and feel.

 

Shedding light on Mudras or conscious hand gestures, Amma discussed

how Namaskar Mudra (a gesture of salutation where we hold palm

against palm, the fingers pointing up) aids in controlling of the

senses when we hold our hands in a conscious gesture such as the

above. Amma also spoke about how holding our hands in " Chin Mudra, " a

gesture where the tip of the index finger and the tip of the thumb

touch to form a closed circuit signifies the " triumph of the big self

over the small self. "

 

Amma said that our index finger denotes the ego or Ahamkara

especially when we point this finger at others and that this gesture

also helps us to " identify and separate " – which in turn aids the

process of understanding.

 

Amma emphasized on the importance of a regular and daily practise of

Yoga in our ostensibly busy and modern life and quipped on how we

don't seem to find the time for ourself as we bungle in the concrete

jungles. Amma spoke about how we are looking for happiness in things

outside of us instead of turning inwards and related this to the

modern day lifestyle, which evidently encourages mindless material

consumerism and sensory indulgence.

 

Amma stressed on the importance of smiling and being happy. Amma

discussed how laughing is taken up seriously as a Yogic practice

(Hasya Yoga) or the Yoga of laughter.

 

 

 

May 4, 2004

 

Amma's session

 

Yoga Nat's aim for the kids is to be happy. One can be rich and not

be happy. Rich man in the U.S dies of starvation (Howard Hughes).

To be rich doesn't mean to be happy. Santosha (contentment) one of

the five Niyamas is an important quality to cultivate in our lives…

 

Anandam is a goal in Yoga. Anandam is bigger than happiness - it's

inner happiness.

 

Importance of sitting straight…

 

Word " Sadhu " means " to go straight to the goal. " We tend to get

distracted, hence the importance of going straight.

 

 

May 5, 2004

 

Amma's session

 

Amma mentioned that her teachings are for the " good of the students'

life. "

 

Amma raised the question as to how many of them have a brain and how

they use that brain and what do they use the brain for….

 

The anatomy (forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain) of the brain of

discussed briefly…

 

The significance of let brain and right brain and how the left brain

governs the functions of the right side of the human body and vice

versa…

 

Some of things that are associated with the right brain – creative,

artistic, inspirational, male, Prana, heat, Shiva. Left brain –

analytical, calculation, logic, rational, female, Apana, cool, Shakti.

 

Discussion on how Yoga aims to create polarity; harmonious

interaction of opposites. Sanskrit word for polarities – Loma and

Viloma. In Yoga we're balancing opposites; right x left, up x down,

front x back, positive x negative, right nostril x left nostril etc.

 

May 10, 2004

 

Amma's session

 

Amma asked the student to give a summary of the previous class…

 

Amma raised the following questions:

 

What us humans have that the animals and reptiles (lower life forms)

don't have?

 

What is the one highest good for lower life forms?

 

What does Patanjali call the instinct to survive?

 

How many births does one takes before being born as humans?

 

What are some of the differences between an animal and a human body?

 

Amma discussed how " Yoga is about rising above the animal in us and

becoming more and more conscious. "

 

Doctor Sir quoted Swamiji and said " Yoga is a method of mind control. "

 

 

May 11, 2004

 

Amma's session

 

The meanings of words like " humane " and " humanist " were discussed…

 

Amma posed the following questions:

 

What's the real purpose of Yoga in the highest sense?

 

Do animals have consciousness?

 

Amma discussed the significance of Sanskrit words like Pasu, which

signifies any animal, and Pasha which signifies a noose (Lord

Ganesha's weapon) and also Lord Shiva who is also known as Pasu-Pati

or the Lord of animals…

 

Amma said that Gods are a part of our higher consciousness and Pasus

are a part of our lower consciousness or Chitta…

 

Amma discussed the importance of evolving by controlling our animal

nature and that conscious evolution is controlling our animal nature.

 

Amma discussed how the animal nature is hooked to eating and also how

the animal nature is afraid of being devoured or eaten. Amma related

this to conscious evolution and how we must evolve from lower types

of life to higher life.

 

 

May 12, 2004

 

Doctor Sir's lecture

 

Doctor Ananda discussed the difference between humans and animals and

how animals don't have ego and humans have ego, and that man is both

a social and conscious animal…

 

He also discussed the importance of weeding out animal qualities that

are largely Tamasic in nature. Qualities like stubbornness etc. and

to develop good qualities like endurance, strength etc.

 

He discussed Amma's favourite quote " Exercise to Exorcise " and

explained how Hatha Yoga practices help exorcise the animal qualities

in us.

 

 

May 17, 2004

 

Amma's session

 

Summary of previous class…

 

Animals are not conscious but are conditioned…

 

Animals are in the prison of their own impressions or " Samskaras " …

 

Q. What do people have that animals do not have?

A. Choice. Humans have sixth sense (Manas), animals can't

differentiate between good and bad.

 

Amma discussed the location of the reptilian (old) brain – back of

the head, animal or mammalian (limbic) brain – middle of the head and

human (neo-cortex) brain.

 

Amma discussed how we have these old impulses from our past and our

past lives and how life we're not conscious we won't harm another.

Inside each of us we have an animal brain and how life helps us

control the animal nature.

 

Amma also discussed briefly as to how functions like heartbeat,

breathing etc., is controlled by our animal brain.

 

 

May 18, 2004

 

Doctor Sir's session

 

Doctor Ananda spoke about the importance of realizing we have a back

and he also discussed how we tend to take people on " face value "

 

Amma's session

 

Amma discussed the three Cs that we must follow in life:

Consciousness, Control and Choice.

 

Amma discussed the aspects over which we don't have conscious control

(autonomic functions) like heartbeat, digestion, circulation, wishes

and desires.

 

Q. Where does desire come from?

A. Sub-conscious mind, reptilian or mammalian brain.

 

Q. Where does the desire to achieve and be on top come from?

A. Animal brain; the desire to control, to dominate, to survive.

 

Q. What is the cause of all desire?

A. The instinct to survive.

 

Q. Why do we want to be better than others?

 

Amma insisted on the need to be the best of what you are by conscious

choice and not by unconscious desire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 19, 2004

 

Amma's session

 

Q. What is your (students') biggest problem?

Amma spoke about the concept " You are your own problem " and the need

to realize that the problem is in oneself and not outside.

 

Amma spoke about the different types of mind – Ordinary mind,

Thieving mind and the Yogic mind.

 

Amma spoke about how if the fault is with us we can change it.

 

Q. Where do we get the power to change? "

A. " Your practices will give you the power to change. "

 

Some of the main sources of our problems namely unconsciousness,

unawareness, lack of control and our animal brain.

 

Amma said that our job in Yoga is to control the animal brain.

 

Amma discussed the first two steps of Ashtanga Yoga – Yama and Niyama

and said that Yama also means, " to leash. " With the Yama we control

our animal nature; to put a leash on our animal brain.

 

Saying no to the animal. Saying " no " to unconsciousness is Yama.

 

Amma said that Niyama also means to " unleash " – " to unleash the human

nature " and saying, " yes " to consciousness.