Everyone has to listen!
Posted in ashtanga yoga, zen on 05/05/2009 04:33 pm by karenYup, it’s a requirement: go listen to this.
Hardcore teachings, yes. And hardcore speaking!
So. The three trainings: morality, concentration, wisdom.
Oh, I get it: 1) yamas and niyamas, 2) pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, 3) samadhi. Nice.
I love drawing these parallels; they amuse me. Hey, where’s asana and pranayama? I suppose you could make an argument for them as concentration practices.
This reminds me that I came to yoga via zen. I grew very curious about posture. How could I hurt so much when I was just sitting zazen? I was a healthy person, in good shape. Why was sitting kicking my butt? Were there “secrets” to sitting comfortably? Could my posture make me less sleepy (nemesis of my zazen: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)?
Finally I asked Sokai. He directed me to the Indians. Said they had the inside scoop on the physical body.
So I went. I loved the way yoga felt. I was hooked.
And now here I am, contemplating yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Before, I had precepts and zazen. Now I have precepts, zazen, and so much more.
