relax the tongue and throat, you know how to relax the brain, because
there is also a connection between the tongue and the throat and the
brain. The throat, according to yoga, is the region of vishuddhi chakra,
a purifying wheel. As long as the throat is tense inside, not relaxed, it
is an impure wheel. Tightness suggests an intoxication that induces a
more general impurity. Look at the Soul, not the Ego. If your throat is
tense while doing an asana or pranayama, you are doing it with your
egoistic brain instead of your body. Do not clench your teeth or you
will also be "clenching" your brain. These are things that you can no
tice when you are sitting in your office working as well as when you
are doing the yogasana practice.
Notice your eyes as well, as you hold the stretch. Tenseness of the
eyes also affects the brain. If the eyes are still and silent, the brain is
still and passive. The brain can learn only when it begins to relax.
When the brain is tense and nervous, chaos sets in, and the brain does
not understand anything. The eyes are near the brain, and their be
havior reflects the state of the brain. When one is confused, one's brow
wrinkles, and the eyes show instability and grow narrow. Compressing
the eyes locks the brain and increases stress. When the eyes are wide
and open, the brain is eager and receptive. If you are straining the eyes,
it means you are living in the world of stress. If the eyes are tense, the
brain is doing the asana, not the body. If we look with tension in our
eyes, it means our nerves are already exhausted, and we are unneces
sarily straining, which causes us to lose energy. In asana practice, we
are trying to generate and stabilize our energy, to maintain it and not
waste it unnecessarily. Relax the eyes as you look, otherwise you are
wasting a great deal of energy.
The eyes should be soft and sunk in. Keep the eyes open and re
laxed and at the same time looking backward during your practice.
This looking backward educates the eyes to look within and allows
you to observe your body and brain. Let your eyes be like flowers,
II K S I Y 1·: N (;A I(
IU