Find your inspiration: “Plugging into the lineage” yoga practice
I love this expression my teacher uses when describing a way to connect to the yoga tradition: plugging in. When you plug an electric appliance into an outlet, the rush of electricity brings it to life and enables it to do whatever it’s supposed to do. When you are able to connect to the wisdom, insight, and depth of knowledge of your yoga lineage, you experience the same surge that brings in new energy and inspiration.
There are many ways to establish that connection, but chanting seems to work especially well. The meaning of the chant and its vibrational quality affect the energy and help you feel more like a conduit of knowledge. The short practice below uses several simple chants to help you connect to those who practice yoga around you, your teacher, your teacher’s teacher, and so forth, all the way back to Patanjali. This is an integrative practice that includes asana, chanting, and meditation.
Give it a try and see how it feels!
A traditional text, The Katha Upanishad, depicts the body as a chariot. In this material world, the body, or chariot, is pulled around by the five senses.
