YogaJournalSingapore-February092018

34

february / march 2018

yogajournal.com.sg

THE INDIAN CONNECTION

You don’t have to be Buddhist or even know

much about Buddhism to learn the mindfulness

practices, but it’s helpful to know that yoga and

Buddhism have much in common. They are

both ancient spiritual practices that originated

on the Indian subcontinent, and they both aim

to help you liberate yourself from the small,

egoic sense of self and experience oneness with

the universe. The eightfold path of the Buddha

and the eight-limbed path of the yogic sage

Patanjali are quite similar: Both begin with ethical

practices and conduct and include training in

concentration and awareness. “Ultimately, I see

Buddha and Patanjali as brothers, using different

languages, but speaking about and pointing to

the same thing,” says Stephen Cope, founder

and former director of the Kripalu Institute and

the author of The Wisdom of Yoga.

One difference, however, is that the

yogic path emphasizes the development of

concentration on a highly refined object, like

the breath, to produce profound states of

absorption. The Buddhist path focuses on a

mindfulness of all events as they unfold in the

stream of consciousness so you can experience

what is happening without clinging to it or

pushing it away. So, that shaking thigh in your

standing pose? It doesn’t overtake your whole

experience, and you don’t have to change it.

With mindfulness, it just becomes one small

sensation in the whole fabric of a moment.

A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

Mindfulness has always been an essential

aspect of any serious yogi’s physical practice.

But today’s mindful yoga teachers say

that Buddhism’s comprehensive road map

to mindfulness has benefited them even

more. That’s not to say these teachers felt

something was missing from yoga. For most,

the integration has evolved naturally: As their

interest in, and understanding of, Buddhism

deepened over time, they realized that highly

developed mindfulness techniques could

complement their hatha practice.

“I had been practicing asana mindfully,

paying attention especially to my breath and

alignment,” Boccio says. “But when I heard

the Buddha’s teaching on the foundations

of mindfulness, the vista of asana practice

widened before me.” Instead of just practicing

“mindfully” in general, Boccio followed the

Buddha’s teachings, which provide detailed

instruction that can be applied within any pose.

By systematically approaching mindfulness, he

was able to identify specific behaviors of his,

such as grasping for the outcome of a pose,

avoiding a certain pose, or just zoning out. And

once he identified them, he was able to make

positive changes.

Now Boccio teaches the Buddha’s

foundations of mindfulness—mindfulness of

the body, of feelings, of the mind, and of the

dharma (truth)—on the mat. After he instructs

his students in a pose, he reminds them to

cultivate mindfulness by asking questions: Are

you bringing awareness to your breath? Are

you starting to create a mental formation by

wondering when this pose will end?

Boccio explains the difference between

practicing yoga mindfully and following the

Buddha’s mindfulness techniques: “While other

forms of yoga may teach students to practice

asana with mindfulness, I teach and practice

mindfulness through the form of asana.”

INVITATION TO GO DEEPER

The beauty of mindfulness training is that it

transcends yoga styles. Once you learn the

basics of the practice, you can apply it in any

class you take.

Sarah Powers’s classes often begin with Yin

Yoga—which consists of mainly seated postures

held for long periods of time—and move into

vinyasa flow. The long holds in Yin can bring up

intense physical sensations, not to mention an

often persistent, nagging desire to exit a pose.

Powers feels this is the perfect time to remind

students of mindfulness methods. “When we

are called to go into the deeper places of pain,

discomfort, or agitation, we need support to

integrate that experience,” she says. “Receiving

mindfulness teachings assists this process.”

By the time students are ready to begin the

flow portion of the practice, the stage is set for

mindful awareness.

instruction by

Frank Jude Boccio

illustrations by

Trina Dalziel

Savasana (Corpse Pose)

Savasana is one of the four main meditation postures taught by the

Buddha; do it to start and end your practice. Lie on your back with your feet

12 to 18 inches apart, arms at your sides a few inches from the torso

with the palms up. Surrender the full weight of your body to gravity.

Rest your awareness on your breath, wherever you feel it in the body. Let go

of any tendency to manipulate it; simply know an inbreath as an inbreath, an

outbreath as an outbreath. Open to the breath and its various qualities: deep or

shallow, fast or slow, rough or smooth, even or uneven. Scan the body. Is it fully released or still

holding tension? When the mind wanders, note any irritation

and judgment and bring it back to the breath and the body.

{ 1 }