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Many Paths one Goal: Yoga and Vipassana

Kristin Russel 2 Comments

Vipasana means observing the movements of body and mind in a systematic manner as they are in the present moment.  It is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India before the birth of Goutama Buddha. Goutama Buddha re-established its importance of this path to get freedom from human suffering. The three foundations of vipassana are sila, samadhi and panna. Which means:

Sila :  Moral conduct

Samadhi: Observation and Witnessing

Panna: Wisdom of the ultimate.

Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, is well known. There are one hundred and twelve methods in Vijgana bhairaba, vipassana is one of them. Theravāda vipassana teachers like Mahasi Sayadaw emphasize the importance of examining the kalapas as a means to gaining insight.

Great Vipassana master Sri Amit Ray who wrote,  “Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style” , combined the vipassana and the eight limbs of  Patanjali’s yoga as follows:

  1. Yama and Niyama: Self Discipline and morality
  2. Asanas :  Observation of the movement of the body postures
  3. Pranayama : Observation of  the breaths
  4. Pratyahara : Observation of the senses
  5. Dharana : Observation of the thoughts, the movements of the mind.
  6. Dhyana : Witnessing the feelings of the pain and pleasure
  7. Samadhi : Union with the ultimate

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Frank Boccio, in his book  Mindfulness Yoga, agrees. “Patanjali talks about asana as stability and ease,” he mentioned, “and when that happens, there is the dissolution of the sense of separation, an overcoming of the pairs of opposites. That’s the whole practice right there: People feel more able to sit with whatever is arising.”

Click here to know more about the essence of yoga and vipassana.

Positive Visualization and Yoga

Kristin Russel 1 Comment

“Positive visualization has a wonderful role in yoga practices. Positive visualization helps you to prepare your body and mind. This helps you to accept changes that are required to your body. It provides more flexibility to your muscles and removes the blockages of the subtle channels in the nervous system.  There are many techniques to integrate yoga and positive visualization.  One such simple and effective method is to visualize the whole body as light energy.” — Amit Ray in the book “Awakening Inner Guru“.

Visualizing specific part or gland of the body as light energy increases blood circulation and sends an extra supply of vital energy to that part.  Particularly positive visualization around the Solar plexus area is very effective. Visualization works better when you are relaxed.

Steps to Integrate Yoga and Vipassana

Kristin Russel

Virtue, Morality, Compassion, Loving kindness is foundation of both yoga and vipassana.

You must give due attention to these aspect always.

Some of the simple initial steps for integrating yoga and vipassana are as follows:

  • Do free hand exercises (Asana) for one hour in the morning every day.
  • Do simple pranayam ( Vital energy channel purification process) for 30 minutes ever day after Asana.
  • Observe your breathing patterns from your nostrils
  • Put awareness on different componentss of your body from head to toe. For example, start from your eyebrow then come to forehead, then nose, ears, hands and in this way carry on till you reach your toes.
  • Observe sensation of each part of  your body. Avoid reaction to the sensations.
  • Do not pay attention to any one part of your body for a longer time
  • Do this observation activity daily at least  for 30 minutes.

Integration of Yoga and Vipassana

Kristin Russel 1 Comment

Vipassana: the art of mindfulness was practiced in ancient India before the birth of Goutama Buddha. Buddha re-established the importance of Vipassana.  Patanjali’s in his famous book “Yoga Sutra” described the art of integration of body, mind and soul in eight systematic steps. Compassion, joy and loving kindness are common ground for both the practices. When insight meditation (vipassana) and yoga practices like Asana (postures) and pranayama (breath and vital energy channel purification practices) are combined together, it provides tremendous benefits.

For details about Integration of Yoga and Vipassana click here.

Yoga Sutra

Kristin Russel

Sage Patanjali in his book “Yoga Sutra” explained the complete procedure for the integration of body mind and soul in 4 chapters as follows:

Samadhi Pada (51 sutras) :

Samadhi refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One.  Here, the sage Patanjali explained the nature and the means to attaining Samadhi. This chapter contains the most famous definitional verse: “Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodha” (“Yoga is living above the mental fluctuation level”).

Sadhana Pada (55 sutras)

Here, the enlightened Guru Patanjali describes “Ashtanga Yoga”  the eight limbs that together constitute the complete Yoga system.

Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras)

In Sanskrit the word “Vibhuti means “power” i.e. the Super-natural powers.  In this chapter Sri Patanjali explained that the attraction of these super natural powers should be avoided and the attention should be fixed only on realizing the ultimate truth.

Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras)

The Kaivalya Pada describes the nature of  ultimate freedom and the reality of the transcendental Cosmic Self.

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