The Yoga rules

By Dustin Bartholomay

Yoga does not create balance. Yoga teaches that balance is the zero point that all dualities arise from. For example right and left directions are relative movements from a shared center point. Two sides of one coin is another way to understand balance. In this case there is two and one depending on perspective. Leaning to one side in a yoga asana is equal to the amount of imbalance from the center. Yoga does not deal with dualities. This is evident by instead of treating disease yoga corrects the imbalance that causes the disease.

Balance of the body's structure, in alignment to earth's gravity, is the primary concern of Yoga. Because of habitually poor posture most bodies are perpetually out of balance in relationship to gravity. If a body is slumped over for years then opposing muscles are overworked attempting to hold the body up. To bring your bodies alignment in balance with gravity sway lightly forward and backwards slowly coming to a center point were there is no tension.

Yoga teaches that when the body is in balance with earth's gravity the mind naturally becomes balanced. Patanjali describes this to be yoga's purpose by saying, "Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind." When the body is out of balance the mind is out of balance and vice versa. When the body becomes still the mind will naturally still. This is the same concept as Zen meditations "Just sitting."

Emotions are energy in emotion. Yoga teaches that emotions become balanced when the mind becomes balanced. As the mind becomes balanced forgotten suppressed emotions arise into perception. These repressed emotions naturally balance themselves in a balanced mind. A practice called stopping demonstrates this principle. To practice this technique get mad then totally stop all body movement and remain perfectly still. Emotions are dependent on the body's movement. When the body is held completely still anger is impossible. This is different then lying about emotions and repressing them. Rather this is the practice of non-reaction and non-attachment.

Yoga teaches that balance already here. To find your balance just stop. Not to say that stillness is the goal of yoga. Rather yoga teaches how to move into any situation from a point of stillness. In this way we always act from our full potential. Our wholeness is the balance point within us. This wholeness is our deepest self without all the extra programming. From our center point we have the potential to move in any direction at any time. As soon as a belief or an idea about how something should be like such and such then we have lost our center. Only let go and notice balance.

Dustin B. was born and raised in Mount Shasta CA. He has practiced yoga for over seven years and is a certified Ashtanga Yoga teacher.

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