You won’t make it on your mat everyday. If you do you can give us advice about how you find the time, motivation and discipline. The rest of us who want to keep that sense of peace even when life threatens to make us feel like maniacs are looking for tips, but realistic tips. In order to keep the flow going we asked Jean Koerner to explain some of yoga’s simple truths that apply to everyday life. Here are her top three philosophies for today.


What's your vibe?
We are all made up of vibration.  It is my experience that most people in the world are not aware of their “vibe” and therefore not aware of the effect it has on others either.

The Explanation
Yoga is a science, but more than that it is about mindfulness. The way that any of the techniques will work is to experience them directly. We have to do it to feel it. The more we feel it, the more we can change our actions. That does not mean break into downward dog when the grocery line is endless and the cashier is moving at the pace of molasses. We can come back to the breath or use other techniques in the line to bring us back to the present. The more we are in the present and directly experience yoga, the more we notice the way our actions ripple out and the more we can possibly change the way we act before we act in order to change the way others perceive us and in fact, change our vibe. This takes practice and awareness. But what doesn’t?

Modern Day Example
After teaching a yoga workshop of mine, the desk assistant was helping me clean up the studio. As we cleaned up together, he proceeded to tell me what he thought about all of my students who attended the workshop as well as the ones that were not there but that attend group class regularly. These impressions were not based on fact but rather the one minute impression that students made upon him while signing into class and all that it entails: renting a mat, identifying yourself, as well as comments made relating to the class or studio (comments on smells, logistics, others).

The Practice
Whether or not we feel like his opinions are valid or not, this is the way he feels and therefore his truth. It occurred to me that we should be more aware of our vibration. For us we can think more about how we are acting. Are we aware of how we are perceived? Are we aware of our actions but choose to behave this way intentionally? I ask you to be aware of your vibe and remember it is always in flux. Some questions you can ask yourself regularly are:
*Is your vibe something that you can change from one circumstance to the next depending on who you are with?
*Is your vibe strong enough to change the vibe of others around you or do you get sucked into a less character-building vibe?
*If a stronger vibe is present is yours enough to challenge it when necessary?

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SAMSKARA
(sounds a bit like mascara. SAHM-SKAR-AH)
Samskara is an imprint from past experience that makes an impression in the unconscious mind. These later create our experiences and cause a person to automatically behave a certain way.

The Explanation
Samskara is an imprint from past experience or memory that gets remembered. One guru named Swami Satchtananda equates Samskara to a pot boiling with garlic in it. The longer the garlic stays in the pot, the more the pot retains the smell of garlic. Interestingly, the impression can be positive or negative. Smoking and drinking can create a samskara as well. Every time they are done (or we do anything) they create a subtle imprint and the more they are done, the more profound the imprint and the more likely that in our next lives we will be drawn to that again because of the deep rooted impression it has left—thanks to the repetitiveness.

Modern Day Example
A few years ago I was watching my son in gymnastic. From where we all stood, we could see the swirl of classes as well as the gymnastic teams. As we were watching a team of 6 to 8 year old young boys, one child was clearly leaps and bounds better than the rest. He had everything going on: perfect form, advanced moves like a miniature Olympian. We would say today that he is a "natural" at this.

In yoga, this natural ability is samskara. The samskara in this case would motivate the boy to be drawn to the class or to show his parents that they should sign him up, that this is something that he should pursue and then he would continue to excel because of the familiarity from the samskara which is the memory in the unconscious mind of being done so many times before in a past life. Everything we do creates a samskara and the more we do anything, the deeper the impression, the more likely we will be drawn to it again.

The Practice
We cannot consciously erase the thoughts, memories and patterns stored deep in the subconscious and unconscious mind. But, through yoga practice and mainly meditation, the brainwaves literally slow down and when they move into dream sleep or the mind moves from waking state to falling asleep to dream sleep. It is here where the unconscious mind begins to release its samskaras. In the releasing, this can bring up a lot so the idea is to let it go and not get all involved in the thoughts etc. but to let them gently come up and go. When the unconscious is totally clear, the brainwaves slow down to deep sleep and we experience bliss.

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ATHA YOGA NUSHANUM
(ah-ta yoga NEW-SHAH-NUM)
Sanskrit does not have an exact translation but an apt meaning is “now begins the exposition of yoga.” Other nuanced understandings include: “now the instruction of yoga,” “let the teachings of yoga teach,” and “yoga is in the now.”

The Explanation
To me, this means that everything is yoga--especially when we step off the mat and out of the classroom. Really, where does the yoga begin and where does it end? Class is merely a microcosm of the rest of our lives and it is "designed" to bring up all that comes up in life. The whole range of emotions as well as why certain people push our buttons and why we repeat the same patterns. By range of emotions, we mean that through life’s experiences, we will feel many different emotions and we tend to categorize them as either “good” or “bad.” When we suppress the feelings that are uncomfortable, we push them deeper into the seat of our unconscious where they take hold tighter us.

When we go through a typical yoga practice it brings up all of the same feelings that come up in life not only the joy and freedom and feeling of harmony but it brings up frustration, pain, jealousy and the more vulnerable side of our selves that might be harder to deal with. When we can find peace and a sweetness in all of the yoga poses even the more difficult poses are easier. We meditate and experience peace of mind on a daily basis. This helps us be with the discomfort that can come up in life. It also helps us move through those difficult situations with ease and clarity.

Modern Day Example
With regular practice and daily time to check-in or rather check out of the daily minutia in our mind, it gives us the space to make decisions and choices from this place where our mind is clear and our heart is open. It is then that we can begin to see what might not be so apparent at first like sometimes the nasty people on the subway are just the ones that are suffering the most so rather than gear up for a fight we open our hearts and feel compassions for them and even muster up some kindness that can possibly make a difference in that person’s life.

The Practice
One way to do this whether you have any yoga practice at all or not is to find a comfortable chair or seated position where your back is straight and you are sitting tall. Close your eyes for 2 or 3 minutes and observe the thoughts that arise without getting involved in them. Imagine you are stepping aside and watching your mind from a distance. To practice this helps us to see that the mind is changing all the time and as the old thoughts pass and new ones arise, you see the mind is working. Identifying the type of thoughts you are having can be a helpful tool. This helps you gain perspective on our selves to see that thoughts and feelings come up and pass. We tend to get so caught up in the mind that we don’t take time to sit and look at it and check in. What is bubbling up in your mind today? Are you thoughts today the same as yesterday?

As we cultivate this ability to sit longer, like a boiling pot of water, when we turn off the flame, the mind quiets. (There are many techniques we use to help to do this like the kriya breaths). We touch a part of ourselves that is our true nature and we experience a feeling of sweetness and bliss where we are completely content and feel unconditional love for no reason at all.

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