How to develop compassion according to yoga philosophy. 

Socrates once wrote that "The people who are the hardest to love, need it the most". At times, when we come across a person who is more "difficult to interact" with, there is judgement created. Often people who seem the toughest on the outside, are indeed the ones who feel the most on the inside. This in my opinion can be a positive quality which creates a balance between dualities. But when this toughness is created as a protective shield, then over time, it can create internal and external conflict. 

At times, we pull away from those who seem to be "made of stone".  It seems that no matter what, they don't show any emotion and tend to hide in their cocoon to lick their own wounds. Yet we do not see this. We don't see their behind the scenes, but the mask they show to the world, for which they are judged. 

The yoga philosophy teaches us about different principles to be followed for a moral life. All come with significant importance, and I will present two main ones in this post. In my opinion, one is needed to be understood and practiced at the start of the yogic journey and throghout, whilst the other is the unfolding and progression on the yoga path.

Ahimsa (non-harm) is the first of the social moral code (yamas) in the eight limbs of yoga by Sri Patanjali. Here, the yoga journey begins. One who is able to think, speak and act with no harm towards others, the environment and all that is living, is a good example of those who are taking on this quest for truthfulness/true knowledge.

The other is Karuna which is compassion. The meaning of compassion in my opinion is understanding the pain and sadness of others. When one begins to open their heart to the true knowledge that we are all made of the same essence, another person's suffering is not only understood, but also felt. Because only when there is no sense of separation and comparison, true compassion is experienced.

Perhaps you have experienced Karuna in times of sadness. Both sadness and compassion can be called Karuna in Sanskrit, so they are closely related. When we face difficult times, and lose hope, we may realise that the only option we have is to open our heart; to surrender and let ourselves feel without judgement and allow this experience to occur with acceptance; and this is compassion towards ourselves

​If you've ever been through deep suffering, maybe you can relate to this. And when we finally come out of this darkness and rise, when we meet somebody who is facing the same experience that we have overcome, we understand. We feel it as if it were our own because we have been down that road. So we support, we listen, we hold that person with love and acceptance, knowing that all they need is somebody to be there, to give them hope and to listen. And this is compassion.

Yoga asanas variations using the chair .
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Using the chair as a prop for our practice can be super useful. The chair is often used and part of the Iyengar practice style, which always focuses on alignment and steadiness in an asana. This is actually what asana practice is about, finding our steadiness of posture and mind, and steady, regular breathing. Then we can remain focused, present, strong and flexible.
When the chair is used, it can provide support in developing strength of the muscles and helping with flexibility range of movement.
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It can be a therapeutic way of approaching our practice, both physically and mentally. Having the support of the chair means we have something to lean on and this can open our hearts to receive support and help both on the mat and in life. It can also help us create more stability in an asana whilst maintaining the correct alignment.
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These can be particularly helpful if you have an office job and you sit at a desk for long periods of time. Practicing the modifications using the chair can help to improve blood circulation, release tension & stiffness from sitting down and uplift the mood/energise the mind.

Always make sure that the chair is steady and does not have wheels. A blanket can be used to provide some cushioning for the body. Remember to focus on the breath because it is the fuel of our physical existence. When we focus on the breath, the body becomes more steady because the mind becomes more calm and focused.

These asanas focus on opening the shoulders, chest and side of the body. Using the chair can help us in opening these areas deeper with support and patience.

*If you are pregnant, have any injuries, past/recent surgery, check with your GP first.

A gentle yoga practice for stress relief and feeling burnout.

This is a beautiful and gentle restorative yoga practice which may help to relax the body and mind. It focuses primarily on two main energy centres, Swadisthana (the sacral chakra) and Anahata (the heart chakra). Both of these have influence on our emotional states and how we interact with the world. Anahata is the main energy channel for forgiveness, compassion and unconditional love and it is located in the centre of the chest. Therefore working with opening the shoulders and chest can help to open the flow of this chakra. Swadisthana helps us to face our emotions and let them go by focusing on the tension relief from the hips. When we have pushed ourselves beyond the limit, we need to learn to be compassionate and gentle with ourselves.

When feeling fatigued, stressed out or energy depleted/burnout, this is the body's way of telling us it has done too much effort and it needs time to rejuvenate and restore. Sometimes, although we notice signs of overwhelm and stress, we carry on through with our daily practices, motivated and determined to power through it. But we must always remember that in life, there is a need to find balance between being active, and also taking rest/pause.

A restorative practice can give us the time to pause and reflect inwards lovingly and in a safe and self-paced way. The most important aspect of this practice is to focus on giving the body support by using yoga props so that there is not much physical effort done. In this way, we can give the body the space to soften and just be effortless.

Start the practice with Supta Baddha Konasana (reclined bound angle pose). Use a bolster under the spine and if needed a yoga block or cushion under each knee. This asana helps to gently open the inner thighs and gives a soft stretch to the hamstrings. Your arms can be open to the side, or place your left hand in the middle of the chest and then the right hand on top. Rest your head gently on the bolster and focus on taking deep breaths. 
Hold for 5 minutes. 

From Supta Baddha Konasana, gently bring the knees together and turn them to one side of the body whilst keeping your upper body open. If comfortable, stretch your arms above the head. This twist variation helps to relieve the lower back tension as well as stimulate the digestive organs and cleansing the mind. 
Hold for 3 minutes on each side. 

Once you have practiced the twists on both sides, turn your body to face the bolster, come on your knees and stretch your arms forward whilst melting your chest area onto the bolster. Try to keep your hips in line with the thighs and if needed place a blanket to provide cushioning for the knees. Uttana Shishosana helps to open the chest, stretches the spine and back muscles and also opens the shoulders.
Hold for 3-4 minutes.

This is not an actual yoga posture but I gave it the name of "Loving hero" because hugging the bolster is a beautiful way to feel the love that is within. It helps us to soften our hearts and melt away any cold feelings such as guilt, shame, anger, jealousy, sadness etc. Virasana provides a gentle stretch to the quadriceps and grounds the body. If you feel any discomfort in the knees, use another bolster to sit on.
Hold for 3 minutes.

Then melt your back down unto a bolster and practice Supta Virasana/recline hero pose. If the knees are uncomfortable in this position, open the knees further away from one another or just extend the legs. This is the final asana before Savasana, so let yourself relax, breathe and just be.
Hold for 5 minutes.

Satya in the highest state is being able to make clear discernment of what is real and what is unreal, from which we can understand the Supreme/Infinite consciousness, the union of all is the truth, the true Self as That.
This is what yoga philosophy teaches us through Sat Chit Ananda -Infinite Consciousness Bliss.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provides clear information on what yoga is and its practices. As one of the most popular texts for yoga teachers and yogi aspirants who want to reach self-realisation, the Yoga Sutras is comprised in 4 different sections, each one offering information on the different levels and ways of practice, explaining clear methods and the outcome of it. Note that when I write practice, I refer to all the Raja yoga practices, not just asana.

Amongst all definitions of Yoga, one of the most popular and clear (in my opinion) is found in the Yoga Sutras text and it is the second sutra, in part 1. Sri Patanjali defines yoga as "Yoga Chitta Vrtti Nirodha" which can be translated as controlling or stilling the modifications of the mind. To put it in simpler terms, it can mean "Learn to control the thoughts and emotions which create disturbances and movement in the mind". But how do these happen and what exactly is Chitta?

So first, we need to understand the word "Chitta". It is not the mind, it is called the mind stuff or sometimes the heart mind. There are quite a few different ways it has been refered to, however we can understand that it is that which includes all the mental faculties. Chitta is the way we are able to function and be present in the external world and experience both the external and the inner world. The faculties that come under it are manas (the mind) and indriyas (the sense organs), Buddhi (the intellect) and Ahamkara (the ego). It is through these that thoughts and emotions (vrttis) are created, processed and acted upon depending on the balance between these each individual has.

It is also useful to briefly introduce to you the gunas. In Samkhya philosophy (which is one of the major Hindu philosophies from which yoga philosophy has much influence) the gunas are presented as the three qualities of everything that is manifested in material form. So anything that comes as material existence is said to be in one of these three states, constantly interacting with one another, changing and fluctuating. The concept of gunas is used in Ayurveda also. The three gunas are tamas (darkness, laziness, dullness etc), rajas (active, movement, restlessness) and sattva (calm and serene, the highest state).

In one of the Yoga Sutras versions with commentary by Swami Vivekananda, he provides information on the three states of chitta based on the gunas. These can change for an individual depending on their practices and behaviours, habits, learned mental patterns, emotions, moods etc.

1. TAMASTIC STATE
The first state he describes it as tamastic. In this state, there is darkness, dullness and no good action that stems from the faculties of chitta. A tamastic state of mind can also be considered as lazy and sluggish. In another way, it can also be seen as a state in which actions that are influenced by this state bring darkness, no good deeds, or even unkind thoughts and actions towards one self and others. Tamas can also represent like a low vibration state.

2. RAJASTIC STATE
The second state mentioned is the Rajastic state, which refers to activity. In this state of chitta, there is desire of power and the seeking or experience of pleasure or pain. When there is desire, there is always an outcome for it which enhances the hunger for our reason of the desire. Usually this is for pleasure. We desire something to feel good from which leads to empowerment/feeling powerful. But desire can also bring pain if the object of seeking is not reached. Even when it is reached, we continue to seek outward for the pleasure, which ultimately leads to pain/suffering because the cycle of constant chase for true joy and knowledge of the Self is not received from the external world. Rajastic state can also refer to one who is very driven and determined, seeking success, power, fame etc. It is the state when the mind is very active.

3. SATTVIC STATE
The third state of chitta Swami Vivekananda mentions in the commentary is the sattvic state, which is calmness. The thoughts are still there, but mind is no longer overpowered or distracted by these or anything else. A state of serenity is easy to understand but much harder to practice. This is because the mental faculties continue their functioning at all times. Unless we completely shut out from the external world (which is not the message of yoga), however even then we will have the internal world to face. We cannot stop the mind from thinking, this is its job. But we can learn to be in a state of awareness without reaction to thoughts. And eventually, through the commitment to our Sadhana/spiritual practice application in our life, the mind becomes more calm and more clean of these impurities.

​Therefore a sattvic state is considered as having a pure mind. It comes with no judgement or desire, no seeking for anything. This is not to be confused as laziness or ignorance. A sattvic state is one in which the desire is not there because inner peace has been experienced. And when one attains true inner peace and joy, they don't need to achieve anything for it and understand this is not something that can be received or experienced from the external world.

This is (in my opinion) what yoga ultimately teaches us. It does not mean to learn to control or ignore unkind thoughts or a burning desire for something, or replacing laziness with productivity etc. It is about living in wisdom, which is the real test of practicing yoga in our day to day life. When we sort out through all our mental faculties and learn how to create a state of balance and peacefulness through this experience we call life, then love will be the only experience we have and give to the world. Therefore, in this state, even the faculties although still functioning, still doing their job, are in a state of peacefulness and harmony.