Get to to Know your Mind
Yoga is a way to study our behavior and mind, including conscious and unconscious phenomena, as well as thought
The Psychology of Samskara & Avidya
The concept that has helped me see the most healing is that of Samskara or what in Western Psychology is referred to the unique psychological impression. This is the way we perceive things or our habits formed around them. Our mind takes a mental or emotional snapshot about people, events or ideas and clings to them. If we can recognize these Samaskaras then we have the ability to move past them and change or rid ourselves complete of them. When I work with students I liken the mind or psyche to an old fashioned pin cushion. The Samskaras are like pins that form and are stored in the cushion. Through the process of Yogas contemplative practices and the expansion and contraction of the breath/diaphragm the cushion starts to expand and push out the end of the pin. Once the head of the pin is visible we can actually reach/remove the pin/samskara.
For example: For many years I smoked cigarettes and would have tremendous difficulty quitting. The mind would constantly tell me to “smoke a cigarette and I would. Sometimes up to fifty times a day. Pranayama was a great way to replace the breath centered habit of smoking with sometjing similar yet I would start to have visions of Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney and Warner Baxter who were never without a smoke.
Understanding Avidya
Somtimes described as incorrect comprehension, describing a false perception or a misapprehension. Avidyā confuses the gross with the subtle. The opposite of avidyā is vidyā, “correct understanding.”1
Now what is this avidyā that is so deeply rooted in us? Avidyā can be understood as the accumulated result of our many unconscious actions, the actions and ways of perceiving “that we have been mechanically carrying out for years. As a result of these unconscious responses, the mind becomes more and more dependent on habits until we accept the actions of yesterday as the norms of today
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The Five States of Mind
Kṣipta - Agitated, Distracted, Scattered
Yoga teaches us about five primary states of mind. The lowest level is commonly referred to as monkey mind: thoughts, feelings, and perceptions come and go wildly racing through the mind from one to another. This state of the mind is called kṣipta.
Mūdha - Dull & Sapped
The second level of the mind is called mūdha. Here the mind is dull, heavy, lethargic and down. Some medications can cause this state of mind
Mūdha - can also be a reaction to a deep disappointment or tauma, when something that was deeply desired cannot be reached. And it sometimes arises in people who, after many unsuccessful attempts to make something of their lives, simply withdraw and do not want to know about anything anymore
Vikṣipta - Shifting between focused and unfocused
Vikṣipta is the third level of the mind. In vikśipta, the rays of the mind are starting to be more gathered but usually on a given topic. The mind encounters obstacles and doubts. It alternates between knowing what it wants to do and uncertainty, between confidence and diffidence. This is the most common state of mind.
Ekāgrata - Focused or direct concentation on one object
The fourth level of mind is called ekāgrata. Here the mind is relatively clear; distractions have little influence. We have a direction and, most important of all, we can move forward in this direction and keep our attention on it. This state corresponds to dhāraṇā. By practicing yoga we can create the conditions that gradually move the mind from the kśipta level to the ekāgrāta level.
Nirodha - Complete and total Absorption
When ekāgrāta is fully developed, it peaks at nirodha. This is the fifth and final level at which the mind is not distracted by random thoughts but is fully absorbed in the object of focus. This can occur in meditation or when a person is fully engaged in something.
How does Yoga affect Brain Waves & Function?
You've probably heard of the different types of brain waves, or at least some of them.
Beta waves, for instance, are what we generally move through our waking day in - and yep, you guessed it, it's related to stress. This is the fastest brain wave frequency, and associated with work, concentration, and all things stress-related.
When we engage in creative activities - such as painting, art journaling, making music, writing, dancing, etc. - and shift into states of creative flow and spontaneity, we move into a slower brain wave frequency known as Alpha waves. Alpha waves are associated with creativity and insight, calmness and a sense of effortlessness or joy. This is the creative zone or flow.
This transition is likened to what happens in meditation, which has also been studied well. As we dip into this creative flow, our parasympathetic nervous system takes the reigns... our whole body rests from the work of sympathetic response and being "on-guard", and our cells begin to thoroughly digest and deliver nutrients, release toxins from the body, and do their innate healing work within.
When we are in Creative Flow, our body is literally in a mirrored state of flow throughout. Healing only occurs in an environment that nurtures the natural exchange process with open flow - literally and figuratively.
You've probably also heard of Theta waves, which are the next slowest waves, and also in a resting parasympathetic rhythm. This is the brain pattern that is directly linked to shamanic work, deeper meditation, and spontaneous ideas or a-ha moments where solutions seem to just drop into your lap from nowhere. This is the state you are most likely in when you receive direction or ideas in the middle of the night, or just before waking.
Studies indicate that in moments of intense creativity, we have actually dipped into the mysterious insight of consciousness that comes with theta patterns.
Research has shown that yoga and meditation practices can have a positive impact on brain waves and function. Both yoga and meditation have been shown to increase alpha brain waves, which are associated with relaxation and a state of calm. Alpha brain waves are often present during periods of relaxation, daydreaming, and meditation, and they are thought to play a role in reducing stress and anxiety.
Yoga and meditation practices have also been shown to increase the production of gamma brain waves, which are associated with higher states of consciousness and feelings of happiness and well-being. Gamma brain waves are often present during periods of intense focus, concentration, and meditation, and they are thought to be involved in the integration of information from different parts of the brain.
In addition to their effects on brain waves, yoga and meditation practices have also been shown to have a number of other positive effects on brain function, including:
Increased grey matter volume in brain regions associated with learning, memory, and emotion regulation
Increased blood flow to the brain
Improved attention and focus
Reduced stress and anxiety
Overall, research suggests that yoga and meditation practices can have a positive impact on brain waves and function, and may be beneficial for improving mental clarity, reducing stress, and promoting overall well-being.