Samskaras

Samskaras

What Have You Decided About You & Your Yoga Practice?

BELIEF

SAMSKARAS

Even though we uncover a great deal about our bodies in our asana practice, we actually unearth much more from the other areas of our yoga practice. If we get the opportunity to delve deeper into the philosophy of yoga, it can take us places that will challenge our sense of self. In Matt’s 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training and in his recent The Power of Bliss immersion, he describes the teachings about samskaras. What are samskaras? He breaks it down explicitly in today’s clip by saying that they are patterns or grooves of the mind, developed through your life’s experiences. When something happens to you, your brain looks for similar circumstances in order to easily organize and understand them. What you’ll receive from today’s video is an opportunity to consider what patterns and beliefs you’ve developed in mind and body.

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    HOW DO SAMSKARAS PRESENT THEMSELVES?

    A good example might be that when someone says or does something we’ve heard before or recognize as familiar, the brain, or the ego aspect of ourselves, jumps in with the opinion that the outcome will be exactly the same as it was in the past. Unfortunately, if the experiences are negative, it’s easy to get stuck in the pattern and continue to expect the same results. This may cause a sense of hopelessness, making it difficult to see beyond our current circumstances.  

    The beauty of the yoga practice is that, as the journey unfolds, we come to understand that we have the ability to challenge and transform the samskaras that do not serve us but have still become “our story.” This ability doesn’t mean that the process is easy, nor does it mean that there’s an end point. We are always experiencing new things.

    WATCH THE VIDEO

    SAMSKARAS: WHAT HAVE YOU DECIDED ABOUT YOU & YOUR YOGA PRACTICE?

    WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY?

    Cultivating the awareness that we can be an observer of our thoughts is a step in the right direction towards transformation. Transformation itself, however, requires more than just changing our minds.  

    Taking command to cause an actual shift can be described as “burning samskaras,” which is a way to think about physiologically changing the neural pathways in our brain. This is also known as neuroplasticity:  

    Neuroplasticity, also known as neural plasticity or brain plasticity, is a process that involves adaptive structural and functional changes to the brain. A good definition is ‘the ability of the nervous system to change its activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its structure, functions, or connections.’”

    Puderbaugh M, Emmady PD. Neuroplasticity. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557811/

    When this has taken place, our new intuitive response is to access what serves us.

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    SAMSKARAS AND OUR BODIES

    As we age, we can fall into the pattern of thinking that we’re just too old to do certain things. We may also believe that if we haven’t been able to execute a particular posture or find more flexibility in the past, then this will always be true. 

    These samskaras are created through messages we’ve been told and through experiences we’ve had in our bodies, which convince us that this is our eternal reality.  

    In today’s clip, Matt skillfully walks us through the techniques to find greater access in Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana. This posture may seem completely reasonable and accessible already, or it may seem too difficult to attempt.  

    Consider for a moment that we actually have the ability to execute this posture by taking step-by-step action with Matt’s techniques. It’s possible to transform our experience and thus change our belief about what is possible.

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    EVOLVING OUR BELIEF SYSTEMS

    So, what is it that you believe about yourself? Asking yourself a question like this can be scary.  

    We might encounter confusion and resistance when we first begin to probe.  

    Having the guidance of a teacher to assist us in gaining a deeper understanding of what it means to burn our samskaras and evolve our belief systems about our minds and bodies can provide a more fluid pathway.

    For example, Matt’s upcoming online workshop, called The Shoulder Reset, is a great entry point to learn more about what is possible in your body. Shoulder injuries are common, but when we learn more about anatomy, technique, and biomechanics and about how to apply this knowledge to our own bodies, we can explore new possibilities.

    New information may present itself as access to new postures, less pain after an injury, and a new story to believe about ourselves. 

    The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

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    Article by Trish Curling

    Videos Extracted From: Power of Bliss Immersion

    lotus pose online yoga classes

    ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

    • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
    • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
    • Appropriate for both teachers and students
    • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
    • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
    • Release aches and pains
    • Learn how to avoid common injuries
    • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
    • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
    • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
    • Lifetime access

    Continue Learning

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    Take Action In Flying Pigeon

    Take Action in Flying Pigeon

    Asana and the 5 Powers of Consciousness

    EKA PADA GALAVASANA

    TAKE ACTION IN FLYING PIGEON

    Interesting about seeking and incorporating a yoga practice is that the entry point is quite different for everyone. There are many reasons you may be drawn to certain aspects of the practice, and they may satisfy you for some time.  What usually happens though is an unfolding you don’t expect. The purpose or reason you went to your yoga practice shifts the more you delve into what it has to offer. It’s not uncommon to be drawn to the physical (the asana) first, but as you continue to have the desire to learn and the willingness to take action, your relationship with your yoga practice will change and deepen.

    In today’s video, Matt demonstrates how to take action in Flying Pigeon, but when you examine it through the lens of the 5 Powers of Consciousness, your perspective opens up.

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    WHAT ARE THE 5 POWERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS?

    If you study with Matt in any of his yoga teacher trainings or immersions, you’ll gain access to these teachings, which come from ancient Tantrik Yoga philosophy.

    Christopher Wallis, author of Tantra Illuminated, outlines the 5 powers of consciousness:

    1. Consciousness/Awareness: Cit-Śakti
    2. Bliss: Ānanda-Śakti 
    3. Will: Icchā-Śakti
    4. Knowledge: Jñāna-Śakti
    5. Action: Kriyā-Śakti
    6. Freedom (encompasses all 5): Svātantrya-Śakti

    Each on their own have profound meaning, but it’s important to understand that they all exist within each other.

    For today, we’ll look at Flying Pigeon primarily through the lens of Action (Kriyā-Śakti), but there is no action without the discussion of Will (Icchā-Śakti) and Knowledge (Jñāna-Śakti). It’s not that the others are not present, but we can start to gain some insight into the system as they apply to what it means to take action in Flying Pigeon Pose.

    WATCH THE VIDEO

    TAKE ACTION IN FLYING PIGEON: ASANA AND THE 5 POWERS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

    FLYING PIGEON PREPARATION

    Hip opening is one of the key components of Flying Pigeon, and this is what Matt demonstrates in today’s video. Matt guides you through the Chromatic Yoga process by layering postures that will prepare your hips and facilitate your ability to “take action in Flying Pigeon.”  

    Keep in mind, however, that the action takes place throughout the entire process. The fact that you have the will to do it, that you take the time to learn more about how to do it, and then actually show up to practice—these are all part of taking action. Looking at it through the lens of the 5 powers of consciousness, you might become more aware of your reasons for wanting to do the pose and of how you respond to the process. 

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    GET CERTIFIED & DEEPEN YOUR YOGA PRACTICE

    • Deepen your yoga practice
    • Build confidence speaking in front of groups in person and online
    • Learn foundational class structures and templates
    • Learn techniques for a wide range of yoga postures
    • Get certified and highly qualified to teach yoga
    • Yoga Alliance Globally Recognized Certification Program

    THE 3 STEPS TO FLYING PIGEON

    In the first step, Matt starts you off by practicing a hip opener at the wall, and he begins to pattern your ability to evert your ankle. This knowledge can change your experience of Flying Pigeon altogether. When you add in the aspect of balance, it can be challenging to open your hip to the required degree without your foot wanting to naturally invert as a result, which may cause it to slip off your upper arm.

    Without balancing, you still begin to position yourself similarly to the peak posture. For example, you get to practice just how close you need to bring your shin to your armpit, along with leaving space between your foot and tricep.  

    The third step is the “preparatory peak pose.” Here, Matt offers the option of practicing Flying Pigeon in a shape similar to Boat Pose. This again helps with patterning.

    300 hour teacher training online

    300 HOUR ONLINE TEACHER TRAINING

    GET 500 HOUR CERTIFIED AS A MASTER TEACHER

    Master your skill set as a teacher through refined techniques, anatomy, biomechanics, sequencing, philosophy, meditation techniques, theming, yoga business, and much more!

    • Get 500 hour certified
    • Learn anatomy, biomechanics, asana techniques
    • Expand your teaching skills
    • Masterful sequencing and verbal delivery
    • Learn meditation and breathwork techniques
    • Transformative tools: theming, dharma talks, satsang

    MAKING SENSE OF IT ALL

    Within this system, the understanding is that in order to take action, there is an awareness that there is some desire (will) present to pursue a particular action. If will is present, the acquisition of knowledge must follow. What’s intriguing about understanding all of this is that the pursuit of a particular asana is done with the removal of the part of the ego that wants to prove, for external validation, that it can be done.

    Bliss, as discussed in Tantra Illuminated, helps you be simply appreciative of the exploration, no matter the outcome of achieving the posture. Being conscious of this experience is also Bliss.  

    Making sense of it all requires much more than barely skimming the surface. Matt’s next immersion, Power of Bliss, will take you on the journey of understanding.

    The 200 Hr. Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

    The 300 Hr. Advanced Teacher Training: Click Here to See the Next Start Date

    Article by Trish Curling

    Videos Extracted From: Chromatic Yoga 15-Hour Immersion

    lotus pose online yoga classes

    ONLINE ANATOMY COURSE

    • Accessible, exciting, and easy to learn
    • Anatomy and biomechanics for yoga
    • Appropriate for both teachers and students
    • Learn joint alignment vs pose alignment
    • Demystify yoga poses and transitions
    • Release aches and pains
    • Learn how to avoid common injuries
    • Caters to all levels with modifications and props
    • 20 hours Continued Education Credits with Yoga Alliance
    • 20 hours toward Chromatic Yoga Certification and 300 Hour
    • Lifetime access

    Continue Learning

    Arm Balance Transitions

    Arm Balance Transitions

    Arm Balance TransitionskakasanaARM BALANCE TRANSITIONS Arm balance postures can be challenging enough without attempting to layer on a smooth transition in and out of them. However, fluid transitions are a natural progression in our yoga practice; they also provide...

    read more
    Hanumanasana Hints

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    Hanumanasana HintssplitsHANUMANASANA HINTS Applying intelligent techniques to a posture like Hanumanasana is crucial—simply hoping for the best is definitely not the way to go! That mindset leaves us vulnerable to injury. Hanumanasana is also the type of pose that can...

    read more
    Chin Stand

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    read more
    Postpone The Stretch Sensation

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    read more
    Wake Up Your Wheel Pose

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    Wake Up Your Wheel Poseheart openerWAKE UP YOUR WHEEL POSE We don’t have to question it—we know whether or not we’re feeling open, free, and strong in Wheel Pose. There’s a lightness and expansiveness that takes over when everything falls into place: From the initial...

    read more
    Spinal Spaciousness

    Spinal Spaciousness

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    read more

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    When You Subscribe, You Will Get Instant Access to

    • the Technique Pack: 15 yoga pose breakdowns
    • exclusive online course discounts
    • exclusive blogs and videos
    • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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