Consciousness in Our Yoga Practice

A yoga sequence to practice while keeping in mind the four aspects of consciousness: manas, ahankara, buddhi, and chitta

Time 80 minutes

Focus Backbends Shoulders Hips Neck Inversions

Level General

Contents

Introduction

According to yogic tradition, the consciousness can be divided into four aspects: manas (mind), ahankara (I’ness), buddhi (intellect), and chitta (cosmic intelligence). Mind is expressed through our thoughts, our reflections, our associations. The mind is always busy with details and connections. The mind, like a monkey, jumps from object to object.

Geeta Iyengar says that the mind sees only in terms of pleasure and pain, good and bad, right or wrong. The mind summarises. We can view this aspect of the mind as the surface of the ocean. But there are more layers. Just like in an ocean, the surface is turbulent. The lower we drop below the surface, the calmer the waters become. As you settle down and prepare for practice, the turbulence of the mind becomes especially apparent. Focus on the quality of your thoughts: what jumps to the surface?

Ahankara is about seeing the world through the lens of yourself. This is connected to the concept of manas: an action will provoke a thought, a judgment. We will internally voice our opinion as to how an action made us feel, and these arising thoughts will influence our further actions, maybe even prevent us from immersing ourselves fully in the practice.

When practicing this sequence, try to keep all this in mind. This way, you can begin to explore ways of working with your consciousness to enhance your yoga experience, turning it from a purely physical into a spiritual exercise. Remember: the goal isn’t to eradicate the mind, but to be able to quieten it, to bring it back into the present moment.

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Supta Virasana

Reclining Hero Pose

Lay on your back with your legs bent, your toes pointing backward.

Virasana Forward

Downward-Facing Hero Pose

Join your feet together under your buttocks and keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You can rest your forehead on the floor or on a block.

Uttanasana

Standing Forward Bend

Starting in Tadasana, exhale and reach down towards your feet. Let your spine release downwards. You can bend your knees or place your hands on blocks if you lack the necessary flexibility.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Press evenly into your hands and feet. The main aim is to elongate the back of your body and lift your hips up as high off the ground as possible without losing the stable foundation created by your hands and feet. If you lack the hamstring flexibility, bend your knees a little.

Prasarita Padottanasana (Concave Spine)

Wide Legged Forward Bend with Concave Spine

Spread your weight evenly between your feet and keep your back straight as you tip from your hips, placing your hands on the floor, blocks, or chair seat, depending on your flexibility.

Prasarita Padottanasana

Wide-Legged Forward Bend

Plant your feet as wide apart as you can. Place your hands on the floor and lengthen forward through your spine. Once you have achieved the concave spine, start to walk your hands backward to capacity, aiming to lengthen and release your spine as evenly as possible.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Parvatasana in Virasana

Mountain Pose in Hero Pose

Sit in Virasana, stretch your arms out in front of you, and interlock your fingers. Turn your palms outward and, keeping your shoulders down and ribs in neutral, extend your arms upward.

Vasisthasana I

Side Plank Pose I

Start in Plank Pose or Adho Mukha Svanasana. Shift your weight onto one side, rotate onto the outside of your supporting foot, and tilt your body sideways to form a diagonal line. Lengthen through the crown of your head and raise your arm up if possible.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana I

One-Legged King Pigeon Pose I

Bend backward as you reach out to take hold of your back leg. Use a belt if necessary.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Vajrasana

Diamond Pose

Sit in a kneeling position with the feet together right beneath the buttocks.

Salamba Sirsasana I

Headstand 1

Activate your shoulders and upper back muscles as you lift your body up into inverted balance. Use the wall for support if necessary.

Baddha Konasana in Sirsasana

Bound Angle Pose in Headstand

Headstand with legs in Baddha Konasana.

Parsva Sirsasana

Side Headstand

As you hold your balance in Sirsasana, tilt your feet to the side. Use your core to twist to capacity.

Parivritta Eka Pada Sirsasana

Revolved One-Legged Head Stand Pose

Go up into Sirsasana. As you hold in balance, twist your torso and take your legs wide apart, extending them in opposite directions. Repeat on both sides.

Eka Pada Sirsasana

One-Legged Headstand Pose

Start in Sirsasana and bring one leg down to the floor. The other leg stays lifted and steady.

Virasana Forward

Downward-Facing Hero Pose

Join your feet together under your buttocks and keep your knees far enough apart for your ribs to fit in between your legs as you fold forward. You can rest your forehead on the floor or on a block.

Adho Mukha Svanasana

Downward-Facing Dog Pose

Dvi Pada Viparita Dandasana (Over chair, hands to chair back)

Two-Legged Inverted Staff Pose Over Chair

Activate your legs and push your feet into the ground. Hold onto the chair legs: this will help pull your shoulders and chest open and deepen the pose.

Chatushpadasana

Four-Footed Pose

Lie down with your knees bent so that your feet are close to your buttocks. Grab onto your ankles and lift your hips up above the ground. Open your chest up and breathe.

Urdhva Dhanurasana

Wheel Pose

Root yourself through your feet and hands as you lift your body up off the floor. You can walk your hands and feet towards each other to capacity.

Dvi Pada Viparita Dandasana

Two-Legged Inverted Staff Pose

Keeping the feet and forearms firmly rooted, start to lift your hips up off the floor. Make sure your shoulders stay open: this will help you achieve greater opening in the chest and a deeper bend in the back.

Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana I

One-Legged King Pigeon Pose I

Bend backward as you reach out to take hold of your back leg. Use a belt if necessary.

Ardha Halasana

Half Plough Pose

Activate your shoulders as you lift your hips up overhead and place your feet on chair support behind your head.

Paschimottanasana

Seated Forward Bend

Make sure the backs of your legs are pressed firmly to the ground as you bend over to reach your feet. Release the spine. Use a belt if necessary.

Savasana

Corpse Pose

Lie down on the floor. Spread your arms and legs slightly at your side. Relax and concentrate on your breath.

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You are welcome to download the PDF of the sequence and print and distribute it freely. You may have to wait up to 30 seconds for the PDF to generate. Please credit the teacher who created it. All illustrations from Dona Holleman’s ‘Yoga Darśana’, RIMYI Institute texts and Yoga Vastu illustrators for original asana drawings.

By Alan Goode

23 June 2024

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Consciousness in Our Yoga Practice

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