The Core of Being

How We Journey Inward

Complete understanding is a progression through the human experience to integration. Whether we are exploring our physical body, our spirits, or something as simple as a new hobby, we follow the same path from the physical and mental, through the subtleties of senses and energy, to ease and proficiency, and finally to a sense of being.

Concentration upon a single object may reach four stages: examination, discrimination, joyful peace, and simple awareness of individuality.

– Swami Prabhavananda, Christopher Isherwood

Examination

When something is new we have to think about it. We have to consciously think about our alignment in asanas, do a thorough self-analysis of our behaviors, or look at our fingers to know where to put our them on the guitar strings.

Discrimination

Once we start to get the hang of something we can start making intentional decisions. We know where to place our feet or how to stay in alignment through transitions in asana practice. We realize what triggers us and what inspires us and we know and use tools to help us move forward through life experience. At this point we no longer have to look at our fingers and can begin to put chords together on purpose in a specific order. In this stage, we have synthesized our  understanding from all the observations we have experienced.

Then the object is gradually understood fully. At first it is at a more superficial level. In time, comprehension becomes deeper. And finally, it is total. There is pure joy in reaching such a depth of understanding. For then the individual is so much at one with the object that he is oblivious to his surroundings.

– T.K.V. Desikachar

Joyful Peace

Here the subject simply becomes fun. Our understanding and integration have deepened through practice, time, and equanimity. We no longer have to think about our asana practice or practice for hours at a time because we glean more out of every moment. We can play with our yoga practice and our poses support and expand themselves. We no longer struggle to make positive choices and we are naturally inclined to move with grace, ease, and playfulness. This is when learning to play the guitar is no longer practice, its sheer bliss. We can make the sounds we want with the guitar and they just come in succession on their own.

Simple Awareness of Individuality

This is merging with the subject. This is pure flow. Whatever we are concentrating on is the only thing that exists. There is no time, no hunger, no chitter chatter of the brain. We have moved into an absolute presence with the object of concentration.

Yoga philosophy offers us the Pancha Maya Kosha Model as one way to move from the gross physical body to the core of our being. When we make ourselves the object of concentration we begin by checking ourselves out.

Pancha – Five

Maya – Illusion

Kosha – Sheaths

There are five layers surrounding our purest form:

Annamaya Kosha (physical body), Pranamaya Kosha (energetic body), Manamaya Kosha (mental body), Vijnanamaya Kosha (wisdom body), and Anandamaya Kosha (bliss body).

I’ll be leading a retreat in McCarthy, Alaska this summer that aims to help gain an understanding of each of the layers of our beings. We’ll begin from the outside and move inward through our layers towards the core of our being.

It’s a continuous practice of discovery and integration. Changing the lens changes the perceptions and growth. When we practice regularly and with equanimity we progress slowly on through the four stages of awareness to ourselves.

Observe. Integrate. Play. Be.

“This is the gradual progress from the gross body towards the subtle mind, and from the subtle mind towards the source, the core of being.”

– B.K.S. Iyengar

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