The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind

If we allow ourselves to merge into the sensations that chanting can awaken within the body, then we can begin our yoga and meditation practices within a context of intelligence and kindness.

Just as a jewel within the net of Indra reflects the entire interconnected net, so too any point upon which the mind rests is seen as a reflection of all of the body, all of the mind, all of creation.

In a sense our saṁskāras are quite functional because they allow us to process and react to our perceptions without having to exert the energy and presence of mind required to observe and assess whatever is arising anew.

tantra and haṭha yoga alike are organized around the principle that all things are sacred.

Using the mind, the senses, and the ego to realize yoga is like asking a bull to fix the porcelain it just knocked off the shelf; there is a very real danger that the bull will make an even greater mess.

Our very own body, which is immediately available to us, becomes a laboratory of consciousness, a field of exploration into the truth of our own existence so that, figuratively speaking, our body becomes a temple for open awareness.

Whatever tradition captures our mind, whatever ancient, medieval, or hybrid form of yoga we find that works for us so that we may dig deeply into the nature of the direct experience, that is the starting point. If it allows real work and authentic inquiry within our own unique circumstances, it is the tradition to follow enthusiastically.

When we practice yoga we cultivate the ability to concentrate the mind so that as we move into various physical postures, we begin to notice our habitual patterns of holding within our own body, just as we might observe physical patterns of holding in musicians as they perform.

Gradually we train both body and mind to be awake, and, little by little, we decondition ourselves from the habits that keep us dull and stuck in the routine of our own suffering.