Lifestyle Choices

Like good breathing, yoga can also make you beautiful. And I don’t mean by simply trimming a flabby thigh or flattening a neglected stomach. Of course, it will do these things too. But what I mean is more fundamental. The meaning of the word yoga is “union,” or in modern terms, “integration.” Practicing yoga regularly can bring a sense of calmness, poise, and detachment that eliminates the negative effects of stress and clears away tensions that stifle the full expression of your individuality— intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It can also help bring together these four parts of a woman so she functions as a whole.

I first became aware of the potency of what is often considered a sophisticated form of physical education or rudimentary meditation—yoga —when I met a young British teacher named Geoffrey Triessman. Geoffrey, who had spent several years as a Zen monk before he began to teach yoga, made me realize that the yoga asanas, or postures, are much more than just a way of exercising the body and keeping fit. They are also a way of stilling the mind while making one aware of the particular psychic and physical energy blocks that chronically inhibit you, and then of gradually removing these blocks.

In many ways Geoffrey’s approach to yoga parallels contemporary psychology. Humanistic and bioenergetic psychologists maintain that our tensions and habitual thought patterns are manifested in our bodies. For instance, chronic tension in the muscles of the lower back can often be a sign of sexual rigidity—an armoring that has grown up in the body as a result of a fear of experiencing pleasure and the full flow of orgasmic feeling.

Similarly, a fixed smile on the face can be a kind of mask which in time not only distorts someone’s natural facial form and structure, but also hides her feelings and makes the face she shows the world false instead of true.

These habitual thought patterns or emotional restrictions that are locked into the body may be long-term, but they are by no means permanent. Change their physical manifestations—break down and free muscle tension, firm and tighten flaccidness through yoga practice—and you will change emotional, intellectual, and creative functions too.

The three Selves

According to yogic theory, there are three basic levels or modes of expression in human life: the subconscious or instinctive self; the intellectual or reasoning serf; and the mind from which intuition, inspiration, and real creativity spring. In order to be healthy on all levels, these three need to be balanced. In most of us they are not; one or another or even all three are undeveloped, overactive, or uncontrolled. For instance, you’ve met the kind of person whose intellectual life is particularly vital and interesting, but whose emotional or instinctual life is immature. Another person has a capacity for deep feeling but is unable to find expression for it. No matter what the imbalance, it inevitably leads to feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction since part of that person’s self is always lying dormant or battling against the rest of him instead of being freely expressed. Yoga works, through the body, to restore the balance, and removing energy blocks and chronic tensions is the way it goes about it.

One of the curious things about these blocks is that although we all buck against them, in a strange way we are also intent on preserving them. They seem to offer some kind of stability we can hang on to. In psychological terms they represent the bounds of our ego, which is familiar to us and, because of its familiarity, gives us a certain feeling of security. For we think we know ourselves and know what to expect. But the ego is invariably far smaller in potential than the whole person. By eliminating bodily tensions through yoga practice, one gradually enlarges the bounds of the ego so that one’s awareness and experience of life—the capacity for work and play—expands enormously.

Passive Awareness of Discomfort

In a sense this happens each time you practice yoga. You move into one of the postures slowly and calmly and you find yourself in a state of stillness. Your senses are sharpened to what is happening inside and out. It is a kind of passive concentration that is almost without thought or imagery. As you move slowly through the posture, the feeling in your stiff body becomes more intense. It can sometimes be very painful. One’s natural inclination is to get away from the discomfort by coming out of the posture, but the effectiveness of yoga depends on not allowing yourself to do this. Instead of either withdrawing from the asana or struggling hard to maintain it (the ways one would usually deal with discomfort) you simply allow yourself to go with the pain, to be in it until, surprisingly, it disappears. If you can do this, if you can keep your concentration on the posture itself, accepting the discomfort, then after it is finished you will feel exceptionally clear-headed, whole, and well- balanced.

But it takes a little discipline at first. Then after you’ve practiced yoga for a few weeks you realize you are feeling better all the time. And the effort of getting up that fifteen minutes earlier to go through a few new postures is no longer a chore but something you look forward to. You will also find that you are thinking in new ways and that lots of the energy which was once wasted in various internal conflicts is becoming available for you to use as you wish.

It is important if you take up yoga seriously that you find yourself a good teacher, someone who has a personal understanding of the richness and potentials the practice offers. And good yoga teachers, although more prevalent than they once were, are still not always easy to come by.

Meanwhile, here is a series of simple postures which Geoffrey taught me and which anyone can do at home even without previous experience of yoga. They will give you a feel for what yoga is all about and help you decide whether it is something that will be useful to you. In the process they will also help you sleep better, deal better with stress, improve your all-over physical condition, and help any menstrual troubles you may have. They are safe for anyone who is in reasonably good condition and not suffering from a slipped disk, but if you have any doubts, consult your doctor first. If you set aside about twenty minutes a session to practice them, they will also leave you revitalized. But as with all the tools for health and beauty, the secret of success is perseverance—repeating them day after day is what brings the real rewards.

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