Yoga Psychology

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Yoga Psychology

• Understanding the connection between the body,
  mind and spirit

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What is yoga psychology?

• Systematized by Ashtabakra over 2000 years ago,
  called Raja dhi Raja yoga.
• Extensively developed by P.R. Sarkar -- Indian
  philosopher and spiritual teacher in late 20th
  century.
• Sarkar - known by the spiritual name Shrii Shrii
  Anandamurti.
• Revitalized ancient yogic understanding of how
  the chakras are related to our mental/emotional
  states and how we can use yogic practices to
  create balance.

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The Theory - Propensities and Yoga
Yogashcittavrtti Nirodhah - Patanjali
Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the
mind.
That is the Nirodha (channelisation) of all the
Vrittis (propensities) of the mind. Is it
entirely correct?
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Yoga is unification

• This cittavrttinirodha (i.e. suspension of
  propensities) is also a negative stage?
• The correct interpretation of yoga is
  unification.
• Unification by whom, with whom?
• Sam'yoga yoga ityukto jiiva'tma Parama'tmanah.
• Unification of the unit self with the Cosmic
  Self is yoga.

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Yoga is unification micro merges with Macro

• When your little I becomes one with your great
  I, that state is the state of yoga.
• The spiritual aspirant who has attained that
  state, that stage, is a yogi.
• That desideratum, the goal of life, is hidden
  within your I feeling. It lies covert within
  your I feeling.
• Microcosm ? Macrocosm

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Chakras
Subtle Psycho-Physical Centers
Mental/Emotional tendencies are located at
different chakras throughout the body.
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Glands and Sub-glands relationship to chakras
C - 7th pineal B - 6th pituitary A - 5th
thyroid D - 4th thymus E/F - 3rd pancreas/
adrenals G/H - 2nd ovaries/ testes 1st no
official glands
Science has recently discovered that not only
glands, but also different areas of tissue
throughout the body produce hormones.
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Propensities (tendencies of mind) Examples
Altruism
Hope

• Fear

Worldly desire
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Human Expression Through the Chakras
beyond expression
all knowledge
self-expression
compassion
drive
inferiority/superiority
longings
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50 tendenciesx 2 (internal and external
expression) 100x 10 (5 motor and 5
sensory organs) 1000 tendencies
Vrittis propensities or tendencies of mind
Sahasrara chakra
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Chakras the specifics
What is a cakra? It is a collection of glands
and sub-glands, and the location of these glands
and sub-glands differs from animal to animal. In
humans the cakras are situated at the
intersecting points of the id'a', sus'umna' and
piungala' psycho-spiritual channels. In the
human mind various thoughts are constantly
emerging and dissolving. Behind these psychic
phenomena are the underlying vrttis
propensities which are primarily related to the
inborn sam'ska'ras mental reactive momenta of
human beings. Propensities are formed according
to one's inherent sam'ska'ras, and the expression
and control of these propensities are dependent
upon the various cakras. - Shrii Shrii
Anandamurti
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Muladhara Chakra

• First chakra
• the root
• Solid factor
• Visualization color
• Gold

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Vrittis of the 1st Chakra

• Vrittis of the 1st Chakra
• - longings (propensities)
• Kama physical
• Artha psychic
• Dharma psycho-spiritual
• Moksa spiritual

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Svadhisthana Chakra
Second chakra
Liquid factor Visualization color Silvery white
(like moonlight)
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Vrittis of the 2nd Chakra

• Belittlement of others, indifference
• Psychic stupor, lack of common sense
• Indulgence
• Lack of confidence (in oneself or another)
• Crude expression, cruelty
• Thought of complete annihilation (defeatism)

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Manipura Chakra
Third chakra
Luminous factor Visualization color Red
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Vrittis of the 3rd Chakra
Third chakra Some tendencies Shyness
Fear Melancholy Craving
Attachments Irritability
What are all the vrittis or propensities of the
3rd chakra?
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Vrittis of the 3rd Chakra

• Shyness, shame
• Sadistic tendency, cruelty
• Envy, jealousy
• Lethargy, inertia, staticity
• Melancholy

• Peevishness, irritability
• Craving, thirst for acquisition
• Infatuation
• Hatred, revulsion
• Fear

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Anahata Chakra

• Fourth chakra
• Aerial Factor
• Visualization color Smokey gray/green

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Vrittis of the 4th Chakra

• Self-esteem, vanity, arrogance
• Anxiety, impersonal worry
• Conceit, egotism
• Greed, avarice, voracity
• Hypocrisy, deception
• Repentance
• Argumentativeness (to point of wild exaggeration)

• Hope
• Effort
• Mine-ness and attachment, love
• Discrimination, conscience
• Mental numbness due to fear, nervous breakdown

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Vishuddha Chakra
Fifth chakra
Ethereal factor Visualization color Multi-colore
d/shaped
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Vrittis of the 5th Chakra

• 1-7 feelings inspired by the musical scale
• 1st note, vibrancy
• (peacock)
• 2nd note, relieving
• (bull, ox)
• 3rd note, quieting
• (goat)
• 4th note, peaceful
• (deer)
• 5th note, joyful
• (cuckoo)
• 6th note, sweetness
• (donkey)
• 7th note, tender longing
• (elephant)

• OMN - creation, preservation, destruction
• HUM - movement of the divine force (sound of the
  kundalinii)
• PHAT - fruition or inspiration, theory into
  practice (practication)

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Vrittis of the 5th Chakra (continued)

• Expression
• (for mundane welfare)
• Altruism
• (for psychic welfare, subtler sphere)
• Universal welfare (noble actions)
• Surrender to a higher power
• (Supreme Entity)

• Poisonous quality of voice/speech, repulsive
  expression
• Attractive quality of voice/speech, sweet
  expression

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Ajina Chakra

• Sixth Chakra
• Beyond the factors and colors
• 2 propensities (vrittis)
• mundane knowledge
• spiritual knowledge

mundane knowledge
spiritual knowledge
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Sahasrara Chakra

• Seventh chakra
• - thousand petalled
• Devotion
• Surrender
• Love

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Why are some people born happy, others sad,
others scared, others outgoing?
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Samskara a seed of reaction

• We all enter the world with our own samskaras
• often called karma
• (but karma is action
• while samskara is the reaction in
  potentiality and karmaphala is the results of
  action or the spent reaction).
• Samskaras are accumulated from past lives, and
  are also imposed and acquired.
• Samskaras determine our chakra symphony.

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How can Yoga Help?

• If we can strengthen the chakras, the mind will
  become more balanced.
• Yoga in its entirety is holistic.
• Diet, therapy/counseling, exercise, etc. help
  create a holistic approach.
• Yoga postures can contribute some are very
  specific, others help balance several chakras at
  once.

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Synthetic system

• Yoga Psychology or approach to yoga - is a
  synthetic approach.
• Systems approach never separates one element
  from another, sees all as interactive
• asanas, meditation, diet, ethics, service.
• Tuning/cleaning the mind/body instrument in order
  to harmonize the symphony.

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Yogas 8 limbs (Ashtaunga)

• Yama
• Niyama
• Asana
• Pranayama

• Pratyahara
• Dharana
• Dhyana
• Samadhi

Let us briefly look at asanas and meditation
(pratyahara, dharana, dhyana)
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Whats special about asanas (poses)?

• Postures are held in order to put sustained
  pressure on the specific glands.
• Breath is controlled.
• Postures are repeated to maximize their
  effectiveness.
• Postures are done when you are cool.
• Postures are followed by self-massage to help
  with the assimilation of the glandular effects.

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Whats special about meditation?

• The wave of Supreme Consciousness is attained in
  the process of meditation (sadhana).
• If anybody does this sadhana with great
  determination, they will move on towards that
  Supreme.
• They will become one with that Supreme form of
  Bliss (Ananda).
• Human beings will have to dive into this wave of
  the Supreme.
• This is the true success in life this is the
  Ananda Marga (Path of Bliss).

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Aspects of Yoga Psychology

• Asanas Meditation
• glands nerves
• hypothalamus
• nerves glands
• mood
• behaviour

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Adaptation(physical, mental/emotional, spiritual)
environmental stimulus

• Affects
• Limbic system
• Hypothalamus
• Endocrine glands

readiness
heightened mental state
altered physiology (blood sugar, adrenalin,
temperature, immune cells, electrolytes)
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Integration of Internal and External Stimuli
Environmental stimuli
Limbic system
Cortex - memory
Limbic system correlates with past experiences
hypothalamus
pituitary
Hormones released
defense
digestion
reproduction
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Adaptation

• SUCCESSFUL ADAPTATION
• Relaxation, efficiency, focus
• Subtle, higher mind/ propensities

• FAILURE TO ADAPT
• Sickness, stress
• Crude, lower mind/ propensities

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Adaptation and Evolution

• Sustained demand for adaptation

Psychic urges (hopes and fears)
Psychic transmutations
Genetic transmutations (changes in DNA)
New species
Vibrational energy
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Spiritual Evolution

• Spiritual practice begins with the body and
  towards the end it culminates in spiritual
  evolution.
• In the first phase, sadhana (meditation /
  spiritual practice) is physico-psychic, and in
  the second stage it is only psychic.
• In the third stage psycho-spiritual and in the
  fourth stage it is entirely spiritual.
• These are the different stages of
  physico-psycho-spiritual practice.

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• Baba Nam Kevalam