Practice
Module III Embodied Somatic Sensing Yoga Based Exercises
Asana
Pranayama
Mudra
Bandha
Mantra/Sound
Meditation
Mandala/Yantra
Mindfulness
Music links
Asana
Create Safety Through Familiarity
In teaching trauma-informed yoga, it’s important to make certain elements of class predictable. This doesn’t mean class has to be boring. We can include a variety of postures and practices, but we also want to balance this with ones that feel familiar because with familiarity can come safety, comfort, and ease.
Familiarity can also come from the way we set up our class. In addition to providing the ground rules at the beginning of class, it can also bring some students ease to hear a brief overview of the arc of class. For new students especially, it can also be helpful to clearly state all landmarks in the room they may need to know, including exits, restrooms, and where you’ll be teaching from. And although some styles of yoga encourage teachers to weave throughout the room during class, it can instil a sense of safety when teachers remain on their mat at the front of the room and clearly announce any movements about the room to adjust the music or lights. We can also inform our class that our style of teaching includes moving around the room to be of support. Be transparent, "Let all face the wall as I am moving the the outside wall to use the wall to demonstrate."
Learning people's names. Remembering details about their preferences of location in the room, or a certain prop. All create community and a sense of safety.
Relaxation Pose (Svasana), for many, is the highlight of each class. For others, relaxation pose brings us more stress than ease.
Svasana through a trauma-informed lens.
As a new yoga student, I discovered after an hour of sweating and flowing through picture-perfect shapes, we are supposed to lie down on our backs, instantly enter a state of deep calm, and wake up at the sound of the teacher’s voice feeling refreshed and spiritually enlightened. But personally, when Svasana was cued, my experience was to lie there looking around wondering what the point was. I assumed my aversion toward Svasana was a function of my over busy mind or worse that I didn't need to "recover."
There are many reasons why Svasana may not feel relaxing. Think about it. We are asking our bodies to become defenseless, often in a dark room full of strangers if we practice in a studio setting. Going from our fast-paced, modern lives where we can easily hide behind a screen, to being stretched out, vulnerable, and fully relaxed is a big ask that may not be possible for many, depending on the day. It was mind blowing to me that folx could fall asleep in this situation.
A Trauma-Informed View Of Svasana
Most of us have experienced some form of trauma, each experience creates an impression on our bodies and minds. Our unique experiences with trauma may influence our ability to unwind in the context of a yoga class. Therefore, viewing Svasana through a trauma-informed lens can aid teachers who instruct Svasana to a general audience and students who may struggle with this shape. The following trauma-informed suggestions provide a starting point for instructing and practicing a more peaceful Svasana.
Practicing And Teaching Trauma-Informed Svasana
- Ease into Stillness: Jumping from a fast-paced flow to complete stillness in Svasana can be jarring. To avoid the sensation of being thrown into cold water, it’s important to ease into stillness by winding class down gradually. Watching the clock to ensure ample time for relaxation can be challenging. This is especially true if sequences are built around a peak pose that requires time, preparation, and instruction to lead into. And yet, what may be more effective than rushing through a peak pose is letting go of expectations to build into a certain shape in favour of creating more time for integration.
- Dim, Not Dark: Some folx are uncomfortable in the dark. Being in a pitch-black room can be unsettling or triggering to many. Instead of drawing the curtains closed and shutting out all the light, consider dim lighting. You can create this by using a dimmer, keeping a soft glowing lamp or candles lit, or keeping a sliver of a curtain open to allow daylight or moonlight to illuminate the practice space.
- Soft Sounds: Just as darkness can be unsettling, silence can also be hard to warm up to. And yet, some teachers believe music serves as a distraction in Svasana. Instead of playing songs, I often favor chord harmonies or binaural beats—two tones of slightly different frequency in the delta to theta range, which is thought to be linked to deep sleep, relaxation, and meditative states of mind.
- Support the Body: For the nervous system to settle, the body should feel at ease. Lying unsupported on a yoga mat is simply not comfortable for all bodies. This is where props can be helpful. Either conventional yoga props (e.g., bolsters, straps, blocks, and blankets) or makeshift yoga props (e.g., sweatshirts, cloths, pillows, and towels) can serve in creating comfort. There are many ways to be creative with the placement of props. The following are a few suggestions to explore: 1) a thinly rolled blanket can be placed under the back of the neck for discomfort in the neck or back of the head; 2) cloth can be placed over the eyes for headaches or eye strain; 3) a blanket can be placed over the abdomen for warmth; 4) a pillow or bolster can be used under the knees for low-back discomfort, or 5) a thinly rolled blanket placed under the ankles for any discomfort in the feet or ankle joint.
- Alternative Positions: Lying on the back may not be the best option physically or emotionally for everyone. Instead of molding ourselves into a specific pose or setting expectations for what Svasana is supposed to look like, we can embrace relaxation in whichever position comes most naturally to us. This may mean lying on the belly, practicing side-lying Savasana, taking legs up the wall, or sitting in meditation in a chair or with the support of a wall.
- Language Matters: Letting go in a group setting requires that we feel accepted and establish trust. Our language is one of the most effective tools in doing so. As we space and mood for Svasana, we can remind students it’s okay to change positions, to keep a soft gaze on a one pointed focal point rather than keeping the eyes closed, and to leave the room at any time if needed (reminding folx to do that quietly, so as not to disturb others.)
Svasana Transformed
What’s more important than how a yoga pose looks is how it makes us feel. If Svasana hasn’t been comfortable in the past, granting ourselves and our students permission to make the position our own can transform our experience into one that invites calm, ease, and acceptance at each moment.
Pranayama and Meditation
Watching the Gap and States of Mind
Patanjali, the author or group of authors of the yogic text The Yoga Sutras, describes the purpose of yoga in just 3 words: the cessation (nirodha) of the fluctuations (vrittis) of the mind (chitta). Chitta (mind stuff) is constantly undergoing changes. These fluctuations create thoughts and emotions leading to actions.
A classic goal of yoga is to reach a state of Samadhi where the mind is calm and undisturbed even in the most difficult circumstances. Think future proofing for trauma as well as managing past and present trauma. According to The Yoga Sutras, to reach this state of absolute calmness and balance, we first study or contemplate the different states of mind.
The 5 States of Mind, According to The Yoga Sutras
1. Kshipta — the Monkey Mind
In this lowest state of mind, a person will be restless and anxious. Kshipta is the monkey mind, constantly jumping up and down. When in this mind state, a person alternates between extreme states of love and hate, like and dislike, pleasure and pain, enthusiasm and boredom. Managing simple activities becomes challenging because there is no clear focus. It is the a common state of the mind while awake. Contemplate the prevalence of ADD/ADHD, the feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and stress.
Symptoms of the kshipta state of mind include difficulty making decisions, restlessness, anxiety, confusion, and lack of clarity.
Through yoga practice, we can develop an understanding that thoughts come and go. By managing and practicing paying attention to healthy, important, and constructive thoughts and observing without attachment the undesired ones, we give clear directions to your mind to stop wandering and focus only on what is required at the moment. This can seem like a distant goal for folks who have experienced trauma or are experiencing ongoing trauma. Practice is the thing.
2. Mudha – The Donkey Mind
This is the state when the mind is dull, lazy and sluggish. It is called the donkey state of mind because there is a lack of concentration, alertness, and energy needed to deal with different life situations. This state can be a result of the freeze state of mind that ensues from trauma. Because of this lack of drive, a person in this mind state will often give up and feel hopeless when situations are challenging, leading to failures and feelings of dissatisfaction.
Symptoms of the mudha state of mind include lack of energy and vitality, poor concentration, depression, sadness, and lack of connection with the self.
The practice of observing this state of mind is a path to activating the parasympathetic nervous system, resting the adrenals and building the neural pathways back to an energized, vitalized state of mind and body.
3. Vikshipta – The Butterfly Mind
In this state, the mind alternates between moments of clarity and distraction. When you’re in this state of mind, you are not fully in control of your thoughts. Sometimes the mind might feel balanced and joyful, but in difficult times it can get pulled back to states of agitation or sadness.
Symptoms of the vikshipta state of mind include calmness that is easily distracted. In this mind state you experience better concentration than that of the mudha and kshipta states, but you still need practice focusing. Knowing that it is a process, a path or journey to a different state of mind can be helpful - especially when teaching adult - we like to know why we are doing a thing. Understanding that the practices are like mental push-ups. That the more we practice, the stronger the mind becomes. Like the voice, the muscles, it is a organic structure that can become stronger and be taught to serve the cores self in its highest form.
Practice yoga with full awareness to keep your mind calm and focused. With practice, this calm state of mind will become stronger. Meditation will also foster calmness and help you hold it for longer durations of time, bringing your focus to peace whenever distractions and difficulties arise.
4. Ekagra — One-Pointed Attention
This state of mind is relaxed and focused. In one-pointed mind, one can completely focus, without getting affected by any external agencies.
Symptoms of the ekagra state include better focus, awareness, and clarity — a stepping stone to meditation, awakening intuition, and feeling happy and whole.
This is the state of mind that signifies yoga: union with the highest consciousness. When we are in this state, there can be a single-pointed focus in life that is unaffected by external factors. Awakening intuitiveness, we sense things beyond the five senses. Consistent yoga practice can help maintain this state.
5. Niruddha — Fully Focused Mind
In this state, the mind is not distracted by random thoughts but is fully absorbed. After embracing the state of ekagra, you will be able to hold on to a single point of focus. This can occur during meditation or when you are fully engaged in something. In this state of mind, nothing can distract from the point of focus and complete stillness. When the practitioner sustains the state of niruddha for long periods, the mind reaches a state of complete liberation (samadhi).
Symptoms of niruddha include complete focus, stability, and calmness.
The niruddha state of mind is a goal of yoga that builds resiliency and strength of mind. Through the practice, we are enabled to turn inward and begin to reconnect with the eternal peace that lies in the heart of the lotus - the seat of the soul.
See below for a script that you can use to guide folks through a pranayama experience and explore the states of mind as expounded by Patanjali in the yoga sutras.
Mandala and Yantra
In colloquial terms they are both geometric patterns but in effect they are different.
A yantra is a principle, while a mandala is an expression.
For example, my life is a mandala but my DNA is a yantra.
When we draw a yantra we harmonize our own life to the energy represented by the yantra. When drawing or constructing a yantra as a community (like the Siri Jyoti technique of Sri Amritananada) we are aligning the entire community to that source energy.
When drawing a mandala it is a self reflection — we are drawing what is in us. It is a mixture of spiritual energies, personal struggles, and environmental stresses all expressed in a picture. One of the amazing benefits of mandala meditation — not colouring mandalas from a pre-fabricated book, which I am sure has its own benefits, but drawing from your imagination — is that it brings a type of conscious focus to subconscious problems holding us back.
In theory, if our spontaneous mandala drawing meditation yields a yantra, then it implies you are aligned with that energy.
A yantra expressed as a 2 dimensional shape is a projection and not really like that. It is a multi-dimensional construct outside of time which is mapped by our mind in the process of trying to comprehend it. A yantra shapes the environment —it shapes our mind during comprehension and we see the 2 dimensional geometric shape.
Beyond 2 dimensions
A mandala expressed as a 2 dimensional shape is just the beginning. The sun salutations are a yantra, and each practitioners practice thereof is a mandala. When a dancer performs learned steps to a tune she is manifesting “yantric” energy in the form of a mandala.
So the root is the yantra and the attempt at expressing the yantra into human life manifests as a mandala. But it doesn’t stop at spiritual esoteric concepts.
Sports games are mandalas, performances are mandalas, speakers shape mandalas with their stories. When you see a point in mundane life when a supernatural force seems to take hold of a situation to drive it towards a specific end, that’s a 4 dimensional mandala.
Application
The Sri Yantra is well defined; drawing it, meditating on it, has documented benefits. Below you will find an image that you can meditate on, a colouring sheet you can print out and colour and a recording of a meditation using the image here.
You can draw it with water or arrange it using whatever materials you like, or simply draw it with a pen on paper. Use it to thank the Mother Goddess or just to relax.
In the central dot you plant your intention to connect and be aligned with the universe, in the triangle you see the three points of time — in the trapezoidal areas around the triangles you see the tools (“weapons”) that you can apply, and in the six stars what type of transformation it yields.
The triangle moves from the past (apex) to the the future. A single past, yielding multitudes of futures. We transform from our past experiences/stories to usher in or co-create a future by design. This doesn’t mean time travel — it means understanding our experiences in a new light, and particularly as formative experiences that are directly enabling the future we desire. We could. not be who we are at this moment in time without them.
In the six sided star we are imagining 6 transformed futures:
Peetha — the ancestors and our past in general. We are drawing strength from the lessons of our past and the genealogy we descended from - healing from generational trauma as well. We endeavour to understand that they need to support our vision of our future. You might create a list of place names. These place names signify a shared history. In our mediation we can make your own, for example the place where you first fell in love; the place where you first went to school, etc. When doing that, it is important to recall positive places, not the places of trauma as a starting practice.
Rasi — the ecology in which we exists. We are part of an ecosystem, and understanding our role in it is important.
Yogini — the transformed relationships to the communities we are a part of. Each home has a yogini, and as we walk through a neighbourhood, theoretically yoginis float around as spiritual forces protecting the homestead, or cursing passers by, or inviting them in. This is the reason why some people feel inherently unwelcome when walking into a room while others feel at home despite never having met anyone in the room. That is the story.
Naksatra — the legacy we want to leave behind. Experiment with writing your obituary.
Graha — the transformed home. This is not the physical house but the home we create. We need to know what we want to discard out of it and what we want to draw into it. It is the place in which we find rest and energy to recharge.
Ganesa — the transformed self. This is our own self, trapped in old habits, released thereof, free to transform into anything new we desire.
In Sri Vidya this is formalized as “Laghu Shoda Nyasam” but for the rest of us we can simply use this diagram and the meditation as a baseline for transformation.
You won’t magically transform the environment and eradicate decades of pollution and wake up overnight with ridiculous amounts of money in your bank account. But over time you and your environment will become more aligned; and happiness in life is really nothing other than alignment with your environment and the spiritual energy that courses through it. It is our misunderstanding that has led us to believe that we are separate from our environment that is responsible for most of our frustration — understanding that this world is part of our body helps us be responsible and your life can become a source of inspiration and happiness to others.