Loving Your Eyes

The eyes, it is said, are the mirror of the soul. They are fragile and a very intimate part of ourselves - we communicate a lot, non-verbally, with them. They are also highly prone to stress and tension and it is valuable to develop a deeper awareness of them, their structure, and their needs.

I attended a Bates Method workshop recently that opened my eyes (no pun intended!) to excess tension that I stored unconsciously in my head. Read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bates_method for more information about the method and it's philosophy. I encourage you to explore this if you feel your eyes are weak, or if you'd like to explore ways to eliminate the need of glasses. A good friend of mine got rid of hers.

I'd like to share a few tips that I picked up from the workshop. We tried different exercises designed to strengthened the eyes in a number of ways, but the core point was always to treat the eyes with love. Rather than straining to gather information, the emphasis was on relaxing the eyes to allow them to receive information, like being a passive observer. To me, the idea complements our yogic practices nicely. We use our eyes consciously in yoga, very often in focusing on points that we hold with our gaze in order to reach deeper states of concentration.

So keep your eyes relaxed, let them sit in their couches that are your sockets, relax your optical nerves, your brain, and your mind. Remember not to stare at one object for too long - such as the computer screen - and instead, move your eyes quietly around the room, allowing your eyes to rest on different objects at various distances away from you. And don't forget to give your eyes enough oxygen. Take walks in the open air whenever you can.

Vidya and Avidya

In order to achieve a goal, one must do work. Effort usually encounters some form of resistance, inertia. On a physical level, we are bound by the force of gravity to start with. In order to raise a shopping bag from the floor, for example, we need to use strength. To walk, we need to overcome inertia and some amount of air resistance. Indeed this is the case with any effort, be it physical or psychic.

According to yogic philosophy, there are two forces at play in the universe that aid us or hinder us in our progress. Vidya is the introversive force, or the force of light, whereas avidya is the extroversive force, also seen as the force of darkness. An aspirant fights against the pull of avidya in order to achieve spiritual realisation through practice and effort.

Holy Pilgrimage

The body, according to the Indian yogic sage Patainjali, is a temple, and we are on a pilgrimage towards it. Hence it is important to maintain the sanctity of the body, through proper food, thought, word, action and exercise, so that we may reap deep spiritual realisation. Patainjali was wise and systematised yogic practice under the eight limbs known as Astaunga (Ashtanga) Yoga. More on the eight limbs of Astaunga Yoga in the future.

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti said that the earlier stages of realisation depend on nerve cells and fibres, and that the higher ones do not. This implies that there is great value in working on the body on the journey to self-discovery, rather than relying solely on meditation for self-development. The body is the vessel for the mind and the spirit, and vessels need to be fit for what they're intended to carry. Expansion of mind and realisation of spirit will depend on the state of the body.

The Absolute and the Relative

There is a paradox according to yogic philosophy as to what constitutes reality. There is an absolute reality and a relative one. The absolute is not subject to change, whereas the relative reality that most of us live depends on time, place and person.

Our bodies change according to age, our thoughts and beliefs change according to experience. But on a spiritual level, we don't. There's a side to us that is absolute. More after the weekend...