The Modern Yogi: A Guide to Living on Purpose and with Intention

Copyright © 2020 Brandi Cowl.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

You should not undertake any diet/exercise regimen recommended in this book before consulting your personal physician. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be responsible or liable for any loss or damage allegedly arising as a consequence of your use or application of any information or suggestions contained in this book.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Interior Image Credit: Doug Rowland

ISBN: 978-1-9822-5716-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-5722-4 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 11/12/2020

This book is

dedicated to Doug Rowland, who took the pictures for

this book, and with whom I would have loved to share this journey.

This book is also for my father, who would have been so proud.

And for Terry, my partner in work, play, life and love.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all — a Sanskrit mantra for compassion and peace.

Yogi Bhajan:

If you want to learn something, read it.

If you want to know something, write it.

If you want to master something, teach it.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Why Yoga?

Why Yoga?

Benefits of Yoga

Where To from Here?

Chapter 2 Foundations of Yogic Teachings

Purpose of Yoga

Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga

Five Paths of Yoga

Ayurveda: Yoga’s Sister Science

Chapter 3 Yamas and Niyamas

Limb 1: Yamas — Attitudes toward People, Animals and Our Planet

Limb 2: Niyamas — Attitudes toward Ourselves

Chapter 4 Pranayama and Meditation

Pranayama

Meditation

Chapter 5 Subtle Body

Prana and the Subtle Body

Vayus

Bandhas

Nadis

Chakras

Koshas

Gunas

Summary

Chapter 6 Physical Body

The Core: The Container of Our Being

The Three Bs of Balance: Base, Breath and Belly

To Twist or Not to Twist: That Is the Question!

Chapter 7 Asanas

Benefits of Asanas

Warm ups and Asanas

Personal Practice

Sample Sequence

Chapter 8 Sankalpa

Goal-Setting and Sankalpa

Afterword

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

About the Author

CHAPTER ONE

WHY YOGA?

Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life!

I imagine you are reading this book to deepen your understanding and practice of yoga, and I hope this book can be the beginning of a lifelong journey toward greater health, happiness and purpose. Thank you for taking this step with me.

My intention in writing this book is to offer the modern yogi a deeper understanding of the traditional yogic teachings and how to apply those teachings in a way that resonates with our current reality, infusing our everyday life with more meaning and purpose.

To be successful in your journey, embrace the joy of learning. The best part of yoga is the process, not the end. There is no such thing as conquering or mastering yoga. A core principle of yoga is practice, and your experience will be richer if you can acknowledge and accept your vulnerability within that process. Sri Pattabi Jois, founder of Ashtanga yoga, famously said, Yoga is 99 percent practice, 1 percent theory. In the case of yoga, practice does not make perfect. Instead, practice makes … practice!

Why Yoga?

Why are you here? What brought you to yoga and to this book? And why now?

People often think that yoga can be a way to:

o relax and reduce stress.

o gain strength and flexibility.

o get a good workout and deepen a physical practice.

o move toward greater health.

o cultivate inner harmony, peace and overall well-being.

o help overcome injuries, pain or suffering.

ο expand professional credentials and/or start a new career.

And it is all that … and so much more.

At one end of the spectrum, we see people drawn to yoga to become more bendy, flexible and strong. We see Instagram and other images of beautiful bodies in impressive shapes and positions, and many want to emulate them. At the other end of the spectrum, some are drawn to yoga in search of spiritual enlightenment and pure bliss or samadhi. In fact, the ancient yogic teachings do guide us toward this ideal of uniting with the greater consciousness as the ultimate aim of yoga.

For most of us in the West, our path lies somewhere along this continuum. When we start to delve deeper into our practice, we learn to identify, reconcile and resolve our place along this journey. And that place changes, grows and evolves as our learning and experiences shift. Being open to the experience is the beginning.

Benefits of Yoga

As we deepen our practice, we start to learn the value of slowing down. By slowing down our movements, our breath and even our thinking, we begin to develop a deeper mind-body connection. This connection can be very calming, restorative and healing. It is also sneakily strengthening. Just as it is true that if we try to force our bodies into a position they will tense and resist, so is it true that if we soften and slow our breath and movements, our minds and bodies will respond, strengthen and awaken.

Yoga has physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components. When we allow our yoga to be more than just a physical practice, our lives open to greater possibility. We are awarded the potential to live a more conscious, thoughtful and ethical life. Guided by yogic teachings we become stronger in mind and body, with a clarity around what is truly important and valuable in our lives. We gain tools and techniques to live on purpose and with intention.

Physical

Yoga has great physical benefits for the body, both internally and externally. We become stronger, more flexible and more coordinated. Balance, concentration and even confidence are improved by a dedicated physical practice. Yoga asanas (physical postures) not only strengthen and tone our muscles, they also stimulate and improve the functioning of our respiratory, circulatory, digestive and hormonal systems. They also benefit our joints and connective tissues, fascia, glands and internal organs.

A committed physical practice can help one lose weight and improve metabolism. Asana practice protects the body and can help us heal from injuries. It can also improve athletic performance. Yoga is appropriate for all bodies at all stages of life, although it is important to find the right style and practice for you. The physical practice helps reduce stress and teaches the body to relax, strengthen and restore itself, increasing our stores of energy and vitality.

Mental

Ultimately, yoga is an ethical practice. It is a philosophy and a way of life. Those of us who truly practice yoga strive to apply a lens of compassion, mindfulness and consideration to all of our choices, actions and decisions. The Yamas and Niyamas — the ethical rules guiding our behaviour — are the yogic equivalent to the Ten Commandments, and they outline a path for us to move through our lives with intention and purpose.

Often, relationships with friends and even family evolve and shift as we deepen and grow a yogic practice and lifestyle. As our values change, so do our desires, priorities, choices and behaviours. We can no longer stay out as late or party as much; it’s hard to practice asana when you’re hung over! We eat less meat — it doesn’t feel or smell very good on the mat the next day. Plus, we now really think about the animals that gave their lives for us. Yoga offers a richer way of life by adding depth and purpose to our actions, guiding us along a more ethical and mindful approach to life.

Emotional

Yoga can elicit emotions in a number of ways, through deep and consistent breath work, a dedicated physical practice and/or an intention to infuse meaning into the practice. It is not uncommon to have emotional releases (crying, nausea, frustration, agitation, etc.) in an asana practice. This outpouring of emotion is one way that yoga helps clear and cleanse energy, by getting rid of what is old and stale while creating space for new and fresh air, energy and intention. By using our mat as a safe place to sit with and move through difficult and uncomfortable emotions, we are empowered to allow feelings to flow through us, resulting in greater emotional stability and bringing harmony to mind and body.

Spiritual

One of the beautiful features of yoga is that it allows space for all religions and all beliefs. While much of the teaching is rooted in Hindu influences, we are free to adapt the teachings and to take the morals and lessons and internalize them in a way that resonates for us. Yoga does ask that we believe in a force greater than ourselves. Beyond that, we are free to interpret that greater consciousness however fits us best. Through this openness to a power greater than ourselves, we humble ourselves to understand our connections to one another, to our community, to our planet and beyond. This is yet another way that yoga helps infuse meaning and purpose into our everyday actions.

Where To from Here?

Already we have begun our journey by considering the wide and deep array of yoga’s benefits. Next, we’ll explore the foundations of yogic philosophy, including the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga, the five paths of yoga and a look at Ayurveda — yoga’s sister science. We’ll dive deep into the Yamas and Niyamas, as they are truly the foundation, the nuts and bolts, of our yoga practice. These ethical rules guide our values and behaviour off the mat and in our lives.

From there, we’ll look at pranayama and meditation and consider some techniques and practices to help us slow down and quiet our minds. A chapter on the subtle body explores the energy that moves within our being, helping us to better understand ourselves and discover methods we can use to help influence our emotions, moods and actions. We’ll examine some key considerations around how best to move and protect our physical body. And of course, the practice. This book breaks down many common asana poses to help you understand how to practice and feel the poses in your own body.

Finally, we end the book with a beginning — a consideration of your sankalpa, your own deepest truth and intention, to help guide you on your way forward as you take your yoga deeper on your mat and off your mat and into your life.

CHAPTER TWO

FOUNDATIONS OF

YOGIC TEACHINGS

Where should we begin? At the beginning, of course. What is Yoga?

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj which means to join or to yoke. Yoga is the union of mind, body and breath, and ultimately it seeks to unite the individual self with the greater consciousness.

Swami Sivananda teaches that yoga is the integration and harmony between thoughts, words and deeds, or integration between head, heart and hands. This integration of head, heart and hands invites us to think of yoga as a method to connect