Looked so simple, but making the artwork was way more involved than I thought it would be. Anyways, for the time being here is a screenshot of what it looked like a few minutes ago!

Progress is such a bully.

Progress is that mean kid who tormented you on the playground when you were little. Maybe you got good grades in school. Maybe you flunked. Maybe you were pudgy. Maybe you were scrawny. Maybe you had bucked teeth, or some weirdass mole, or big lips, or a speech impediment, or the ‘wrong’ skin colour — or, God help you, all of the above. The bully is constantly in your face with his bad breath and his snarly upper lip and his rudeness. He is unrelenting. He is derisive. He is cruel. He makes you feel like a pathetic crumb.

“What makes you think you can play on MY playground?” he says. “You suck! You’re a loser! You’re a freak! You’re nothing! You ain’t going nowhere!” And of course you want to say something cheeky, like “Ain’t going nowhere is a double negative, you big jerk, which means I am going somewhere. Na na na boo boo.” But you don’t say this, because he’s a bully and he might punch you. Instead, you say nothing. You let him get to you. Maybe you cry.

Progress, the infernal bully, is constantly there, cracking the whip, when I practise yoga. Even though I know, in theory, that every day is different for my body, progress (alias ‘ego’) is never happy. It never lets up. “You did this yesterday,” it says, “why can’t you do it today? You big SISSY. You call this progress? I call it anti-progress.” It chastises, it berates, it insults. “You suck! You’re a loser! You’re a freak!”

My expectations pipe up, too. “Why do we even bother? You call this an effort? We’re embarrassed to even be seen with you. Call us when you smarten up.”

And I feel like a pathetic crumb on my yoga mat.

Sigh.

One day my backbends feel like a million bucks. The next day I can barely hoist my arse off the mat – my biceps whine, my sacrum screams, my shoulders have a tantrum. What is going ON?

I find it helpful, when I am struggling with a posture, when I feel like I am going backwards, instead of forwards, to remind myself of where I’ve been. To reminisce, if it can be called that, about the struggles I faced in my practice in the past. Which helps put present struggles into context.

Take Sirsasana. In 2006, when I practised regularly with Rene Johnson, I could barely do headstand against the wall. My elbows skidded apart constantly. My legs refused to go up without a cattle prodder. My body was nowhere close to straight. My head felt like it was going to burst. I watched all the “good” yogis effortless float up into their headstands in the middle of the room. I envied/cursed their abilities, and thought, “My elementary school gymnastics days are over. I’ll never do that. I should just quit now.”

Progress constantly rides you, attacks you, brings you down. And yet improvements manifest themselves slowly but surely, right under your nose.

By 2007, when I was practising with Rameen Peyrow, I could do headstand in the middle of the room. OK, so my body was piked. I couldn’t hold the posture for very long. And I couldn’t float up with straight legs. But I could DO it. I celebrated that.

A year later, I could hold the posture longer. My head didn’t feel like it was going to explode. I was starting to be able to float up with straight legs.

Bit by bit. Bit by bit. Bit by bit.

I try to remind myself of this now, when I am struggling with a posture that last week felt like a cinch. I thumb my nose at progress

In yoga, I try to be present. To listen to how my body feels right now and practice bearing that in mind. But I also like to look back over my shoulder and remember where I came from. Because it puts things into perspective. Because it makes the challenges of ‘right now’ seem like peanuts.

Take that, you bully.

March 2008

October 2009

]]> http://michaelpetercarter.wordpress.com/2009/12/19/in-my-teachers-shoes/ Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:54:51 +0000 michaelpetercarter http://michaelpetercarter.wordpress.com/2009/12/19/in-my-teachers-shoes/

320 Alarm
329 Alarm
338 Alarm
347 Alarm
348 Crawl Out of bed
400 walk to Shala
430 open Shala
445 Practice
625 Rest
630 Teaching
1000 Cleaning Shala

Tomorrow again…..

Much more appreciation for my teachers!

I’ve been on my own for more than seven weeks now.

Well, not including an extra-long-weekend visit from my dear mom, who surprised me and celebrated her 60th in Boulder at the end of November. We had a birthday dinner (see below) at a place called  The Upstairs, the casual, louder sister eatery above The Kitchen, a fabulous restaurant in Boulder with to-die-for brussel sprouts and a yummy, crisp-not-sweet rosé.

Today, though, my personal retreat comes to a close when my husband arrives at 5 o’clock. Solitude, shattered!

It’s a good thing. The yoga training month, followed by several weeks devoted solely to writing, yoga practice and dare I say it, reflection (*derisive laugh at herself*) has been transformative, creative, productive and loads of other things that end in -ive.

But I’ve missed my guy, frankly. And although this getaway has confirmed that I like being alone and like my own company, I’m sick of myself. And sick of Skype, with its frozen images, sound delays and “connection lost” messages, as well as the lovely speculative/accusatory/frustrated/baffled “whose-wifi-is-to-blame” conversations upon reconnection.

Technology is fabulous. But technology is no substitute for the real thing. Which did I mention arrives at 5 o’clock?

I just want to thank EVERYONE out there who donated to Brian Runs For The Cure! I am thrilled to announce that as of today, we have collected more than $4,000 for Susan B. Komen For The Cure. More than $4000! Who would have ever imagined that a 12 year old boy could bring it like that? I’m so proud, and so honored to be his mom.

YC

I think it’s funny and appropriate that it’s repeated three times.

Practice.  But I’m really tired!

Practice. But I am really busy!

Practice. But I am so sore!

Practice.

Chinese astrologists call this “The Year of the Ox.”

I call it THE YEAR OF THE YOGA.

The Year of the Yoga began exactly one year ago today. On Monday Dec. 15, 2008, I was in London, England, embarking on my first proper yoga course: a week-long intensive with David Swenson. What a character he is. David proved to be a fabulous teacher and great storyteller. An explosive start to the Year of the Yoga.

Because I am obsessed, and because I had both the energy and the time that week in London, I would go to see Hamish Hendry at his studio for an early morning mysore practice (2nd series) BEFORE David’s daily workshop sessions.

I love Hamish’s studio. It is TINY. Fits maybe 18? at a time – snugly. They have little stamp marks on the floor for each mat, in order to maximize space. There’s a waiting area, and when someone finishes, Hamish calls out, in his English accent “One more!” to let the next person know to come in. More on Hamish later.

Catherine Munro

In January, I began Yogaworks training at Shanti Yoga in Edmonton with the fabulous Catherine Munro (pictured above). She is a pragmatic, down-to-earth and funny woman, just the sort of person every aspiring yoga teacher should learn from. It made for an intense six months of training (three-day weekends, every other weekend for the first two months, then once a month), plus exams, essays, reading, etc. But it was so worth it.

Catherine Munro adjusting me in Supta Padangustasana

At the same time, I started teaching once a week at True Yoga, which is run by a lovely woman named Melissa Wasserfall. Not only has she taught me so much about the practice, she had more confidence in my ability to teach than me, throwing me in front of a class when I still thought “NO WAY I could do this.” Turns out that, with some practice, I could (ish).

In June, two weeks after my Yogaworks training (finally) ended, my husband and I travelled to Maui for a holiday. Jonathan (pictured below, hiking in the Haleakala Volcano) is one of the most generous people I’ve ever met and our trip to Hawaii demonstrates this. Because you see, while Maui was a holiday, one of the main reasons we decided to go there was so I could see Nancy Gilgoff. And while I was enjoying delicious mysore-style yoga practices at Nancy’s barn-like studio near Makawao every morning, Jonathan had to do ALL his long runs alone on north Maui roads – and that’s a royal pain in the ass. We were staying in a rented suite along the Hana Highway, in a rather remote area, so Jon had two running route options, both dangerous, both hilly, both dull as all hell: 1. the shoulder of the highway, or 2. the narrow, windy secondary roads, which are deadly because they have no shoulders AND people speed like crazy on them. Every day, during my yoga practice, I worried about him on his runs while I luxuriated in a fabulous studio with a fabulous teacher and fabulous assistant teachers. His sacrifice, his big-heartedness, meant the world to me and to my practice.

Jonathan hiking in Haleakala Volcano

Liz at Baldwin Beach, Maui (that's a real lei!)

All in all Maui was blissful. Two weeks reading novels on the beach (in the shade, I might add!), eating fresh pineapple, hiking in a dormant volcano, stargazing, and practising daily with Nancy, a mysterious, gentle soul of a woman (read a BIO). Her assistant Casie (read BIO) is also lovely– and, surprisingly, a full-on cowgal who you’d swear is from Alberta. Casie works with horses, rides in rodeos, wears jeans to teach and drives a big honkin’ trunk with the words “Ridin’ Dirty” in the rearview mirror. Ha!

Then, this fall, a month with Richard Freeman. Which you’ve read about on this blog. It was the icing on the cake. No, no, it was NOT the icing on the cake. I dislike that phrase because I dislike icing. Training with Richard Freeman was waaay better than icing. It was like…a whole EXTRA cake!

My first "yoga groupie" photo: Richard Freeman, his wife, Mary Taylor and me

All in all, the Year of the Yoga has been one HELLUVA GOOD YEAR.

I am so fortunate, 1. that I could afford it, 2. that my husband encouraged and supported me, 3. that my workplace said yes to my time off requests, again and again and again and 4. that my body withstood it all. I haven’t had ONE injury this year. In more than a year, actually. Touch wood, if you believe in that sort of stuff.

Have I got yoga training out of my system? Definitely for a while. (Breathe a sigh of relief, spouse.)

Have I got yoga out of my system? NEVER! *evil laugh*

This is my first trip in taking to study Ashtanga with different teachers abroad. My teachers Heather & Prem are from the U.S., Los Angeles and Arizona respectively. I’ve never studied with any other teachers than the one I do with in LA so I didn’t know what to expect. I was recommended to Heather by my good friend Alicia. So I looked into their teaching and into Bali and that’s how I ended up here. And from what I’ve experienced so far in practicing with them, it is no mere accident that I chose to come here. They are amazing teachers who are respectful of each individual’s body & practice and doesn’t give more or less than what’s needed. Their adjustments are amazing and there’s a beautiful balance between the female & male energy in having them as teachers. Prem’s been studying & practicing for over 30 years and Heather, over 20.

My Shala in Bali

I feel so lucky that I’ve found this practice. Each morning when I go to the shala (studio) to do my practice, it reveals something new to me. Perhaps subtleties I hadn’t realized until something was pointed out. What’s amazing about this practice, is that you can go anywhere in the world, step into an Ashtanga studio and you can do your practice! The teacher may be different, but the fundamentals are there. It’s rooted deep in tradition and in its teachings. It’s almost like Catholicism, in that, you can go to mass anywhere in the world and know what to expect. It may be in a different language, but the fundamental teachings and the traditional practice is the same! The practice has been passed down from generation to generation.

So right now I’m up to Supta Kurmasana in my daily Ashtanga practice, and the other day my teacher told me “you know, it’s nice to see that you’re letting this pose happen instead of fighting for it like you did with Marichyasana D.”

I said “thanks.”

What I didn’t say was yeah, that’s because I’m not worried you’re going to kick me out of class anymore.

See, it took me six months to get Marichyasana D.  Half-a-year, practicing six days out of every seven including Christmas morning.

I spent those six months in constant anxiety that I was going to get kicked out of the studio.  In fact, I figured the only reason I was still in the studio was because There Was A Recession On and I was a paying customer.  At that point, despite the mythos that Ashtanga was a practice, not a pursuit, I was still afraid that it would turn out to be like the piano lessons that I took for sixteen years–at some point, my teacher would say “well, you’re never going to be a concert pianist, you have small hands, and I think we’ve reached the limit of how far you can go.”

(Yes, my piano teacher actually said this.  She was right on all three points.)

So I figured that the only real way to show my Ashtanga teacher that I really was taking this seriously, that I wanted to get this pose even though I couldn’t get the pose, that I didn’t want her to say I’d reached my limit, was to display the effort.  To Try Really Hard.  To stretch my hands around my knees and wiggle my fingers vainly in the direction of one another.

I didn’t end up getting the pose until I spent a week on vacation, away from my Mysore class.

Anyway.  Where am I going with this?

I’m stuck in this thought pattern right now of Excellence Vs. The Fear Of Getting Kicked Out.  And, as far as I can tell, if you don’t want to get kicked out of something, then you try to be really good at it; but simultaneously the only way you can become excellent at something is if you have the room to not be worried about getting kicked out.

(Mad Men again as my go-to example: when they wanted to make sure the show wouldn’t get cancelled, they worked at being really good; when it became obvious that the show wouldn’t be cancelled, it became excellent.)

And I know, if I can borrow Havi’s language for a moment, that being afraid of getting kicked out of something is one of the Stuff that gets me Stuck and keeps me from doing my Thing.

(Have you not clicked over to Havi’s blog yet?  Seriously what are you waiting for?  There is a whole post today about Interacting With A Stuck!)

On the plus side, knowing that my yoga teacher is totally cool with my taking half a year to figure out how to not try to do a pose has made my Ashtanga practice much more… I was going to say relaxed, but that isn’t quite the right word.  Maybe unfrustrated.  Maybe peaceful, although peaceful doesn’t exactly describe the sensation of having my arms and legs twisted into Souped-Up Kurmasana.

So… yeah, that’s all I’ve got for today.  Next post will either be Mad Men Episode 1.7 (Red In The Face) or Gatsby, depending on what mood I’m in after a round of holiday parties…

Recently got reacquainted with Ashtanga after many years off, not without a fair amount of trepidation regarding my stamina and ability to last through each session. My first Mysore session was such an epiphany, I was surprised that I had always avoided it, opting instead for the Led class where I constantly felt I was playing catch-up, both with the teacher and with my breath. For once, I actually left the shala feeling revived and not over-worked, despite the slightly achey muscles the next day. But it was a good, yoga-intense kind of ache.

I’ve been going back since, twice a week initially, and this week, everyday. Everyday!!! It wasn’t too long ago that the thought of waking up at 6am in the freezing cold to do yoga was such an incredulous idea, and now I’m doing it everyday?!

The upside is that my muscles ache less, sometimes not at all, after practice. The downside is the cold. But I guess increased flexibility and strength with a sense of tranquility makes it all worthwhile, doesn’t it?

We’ll see if I can keep it up. I hope to. I want to.

Couple of videos I’ve been meaning to post from Richard Freeman’s teacher intensive in November.

In the first video, Richard demonstrates how to adjust a student who is already comfortable with Sirsasana (headstand) using two long sticks. It’s a great assist, assuming your studio has long sticks available. My favourite quote, from a student: “If she does fall, would you drop the poles?”

In the second video, Richard demonstrates how to adjust in Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge posture), for both the willing and the resistant. Favourite quote, from Richard: “I’ll show you what to do if they don’t co-operate.”

Interview with Lucas Rockwood: Yoga Teacher & Nutritional Coach

Lucas, you have an impressive background that combines personal practice with formal study.  After all that searching and research, what is your personal workout program?   

Lucas:  “My main practice is Ashtanga Yoga as traditionally taught by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in India. It’s a solid 90-minute practice, very athletic, physically demanding and somewhat complicated, to be perfectly honest. What makes it unique from other workouts including other forms of yoga are 3 key elements:  it is physically demanding, it flows sequentially through postures linked by breath, and it is primarily a self-practice done at your own pace.”

One of the things I love about Ashtanga is that the focus is on moving your own body without outside equipment or interference.  That said, what does the average person need in order to add the Ashtanga workout to their exercise program?

Lucas:  “I generally use nothing but an old yoga mat and practice rug, and I practice without any special clothes or gear with the one exception being my new Yoga Trapeze which I find invaluable for spine strength and flexibility.

I’ve always practiced loads by myself, at home. But I have discipline to burn. One of my greatest abilities is commitment and follow-through, and most people don’t have it. I don’t know why, but I know it’s true. And that’s OK. They should go to class. Find a hard-line teacher who keeps you working hard and go as often as possible. Five days per week is good at first. Three-to-four is OK, but five-to-six is better.

 As far as space goes, I just need enough space to put the mat down. In small hotel rooms, I’ll turn the bed on its side or stack furniture. I have nice sized studio in my flat now, but I’m not bothered by practicing in small spaces.”

The 7 Disciplines provide a framework for creating a workout that will make you truly fit.  Which of the 7 Disciplines are used in the Ashtanga workout?

Lucas:  “I do everything except coordination work. I suppose some of what I do involves coordination—but certainly not much. Since I’m terribly uncoordinated, perhaps that’s why I avoid it.”

Lucas! The Ashtanga workout – - and most forms of yoga – - are packed with Coordination work.  Under the 7 Disciplines, Coordination is defined as a variety of physical movements that train the body’s sense of timing, muscle control and accuracy. Coordination is not just the ability to balance a soccer ball on your toe—it is the ability to do so quickly, with little preparation. You can get better Coordination from practicing the rapid change of direction in soccer, but you can also get it from the complex movements in Sun Salutation B.

Ok, let’s break a 90 minute Ashtanga session down by Discipline. What exactly are you getting for your time?
 

Lucas:  Strength:  Sun salutations are great for building whole-body strength. I love them. I also do push-ups, pull-ups, long hold arm balances, and core work.

You know Lucas, Sun Salutation B is a perfect example of how Ashtanga is a complete 7 Disciplines workout.  You get Strength from the push ups and warriors, Cardio from the constant, flowing movement, Flexibility from the forward bends, Coordination from the complex movements shifting back and forth between warriors, Inversion from Downward Facing, Twist/Bend in the forward bend and Balance from Warrior and Chair.  Whew!  Do you think you use any one of the Disciplines more than the other?   (Watch Lucas demo Sun Saluation B http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8XuasdSpFU)

Lucas:  “Since my primary practice is yoga, it’s fairly integrated.”

Ashtanga sounds like a lot of work, why stick with it? 

 Lucas:  “I’ve had a daily practice since 2002, so feeling good feels normal—but I certainly feel more energy, lighter, more focus. I don’t bother doing anything until I do my practices because life is just not as juicy. Life is better when you’re fit. I’ve been unfit. So I know.

My advice?  Go nuts. Get obsessed. It’s your health. No one ever looks back and thinks, “Oh, I really should have exercised less.” It’s always time well spent.” 

Lucas is a yoga teacher trainer, nutritional coach, vegan chef, and writer. He studied raw food nutrition with Gabriel Cousens at The Tree of Life in Arizona, and later went on to run Caravan of Dreams, New York City’s long-standing, iconic vegetarian restaurant.

First in Los Angeles and New York City, than later in Bangkok and Hong Kong, he has studied, taught, and experimented extensively with Bikram Yoga, Hot & Ashtanga Yoga and nutrition.  In 2006, he co-founded Absolute Yoga & The Love Kitchen, a yoga studio and health food restaurant on Koh Samui island that is the retreat location for his trainings, workshops, and detoxification programs. 

He is also the founder and director of YOGABODY Naturals LLC, a nutritional supplement and education company catering specifically to bendy-bodied yoga students. LEARN MORE HERE

Sunday, Dec 13

12:30-2pm Led Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga ($20 or class card)
2-3pm Chill sesh.  Hang out, meet the peeps you practice next to durning the week, swap tales, etc.

Sign up for the led class
A great excuse to get together.  Old and new friends. Good times.

It is in our best interest to live by the ethical and moral preferences we respect in ourselves, as well as others. What is challenging is that the values within a society will not always reflect our own, and this can cause some disturbance. Since most of us may need some help as to which ethical standards one may approximate, we may acknowledge Sage Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras as a worthy authority.

Written approximately 2000 years ago, this wandering-physician cleared a path for an enlightened state of being and forthcoming ever-lasting truth, harmony, and bliss: sat-chit-anananda. We begin in our quest for knowledge of our Self in waking life by adhering to the principles in the yamas and niyamas: moral guidelines for inner and outer conduct.

Dispelling with survival qualities will free us to co-create love, health, wealth and happiness. Struggling through the burdens of cynicism, laziness, or fear to get at the heart of any physical or mental impediment will take on various and individualistic degrees of turmoil. The health of our sense organs and discriminating mind should be maintained if we are to uncover the capacity we have as human beings to become fully cognizant of our habitual tendencies and the damaging elements these samskaras (sense impressions) are creating. How we choose to end or promote our suffering will depend entirely upon us. By relinquishing attachment to the emotive recoils that present themselves during moments of our semi-conscious existence, we may discover a more radical approach of being by adhering to our yogic path, both in theory and practice.

Choosing to address the deeply rooted samskaras—past lives, thoughts, events, or other past, present, or unavoidable future formative cognitive experiences—will free us from the ignorance that cultivates this disconnectedness. Acknowledging that we are not bound by such things as thoughts, emotions, occupation or marital status releases us from the fear that occurs from sustaining this image. Without embracing the pain, we cut off a part of ourselves, our spirit, and, ultimately, our connection to other sentient beings and the markets. Connecting to the root of our processes in order to understand how we work, why we chose to do so, and what we can do to change the elements that do not serve us well will bring us closer to our true nature, which does not include the suffering that accompanies a mind rooted in physical identity.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yug, which means “to yoke or harness,” as in the yoking and uniting of mind and body, and of individual and universal consciousness. Hatha yoga (“forceful yoga”) refers to a vast area of doctrines and practices concerned with harnessing the current of life force (prana) circulating throughout the human body. Focusing this innate life force and preventing its dissipation are said to awaken the body’s dormant psychospiritual energy. This body‐oriented approach to transcendence involves cleansing practices, postures, and breath control.
Ashtanga Yoga is the name given to the system of hatha yoga currently taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and yogi in Mysore, India. However, the historical definition of ashtanga yoga is “eight‐limbed yoga, ” as originally outlined by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Written between 400 and 200 B.C., the Yoga Sutras is the primary text of the science of classical yoga in which Patanjali collated and systemized existing techniques and knowledge of yoga.
Ashtanga Yoga as taught by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois began with the rediscovery, early in this century, of the Yoga Korunta, an ancient manuscript describing a unique system of hatha yoga practiced and created by the ancient sage Vamana Rishi. Under the direction of his guru Sri T. Krishnamacharya, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois helped decipher and collate this system of practicing asana (postures). Entrusted with preserving, refining, and teaching the system of yoga described in the Yoga Korunta, Sri K. Pattabhi Jois named this system “Ashtanga Yoga,” believing it to be the original asana practice as intended by Patanjali.
The Yoga Korunta emphasizes vinyasa, (meaning “breath‐synchronized movement” ), a method of synchronizing progressive series of postures with a specific breathing technique (ujjayi pranayama)—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind.
On a practical level, the vinyasa concept of continuous flow aids the practitioner in integrating the eight limbs of yoga described by Patanjali. Movement through postures (asana) purifies the physical body, while mastery and refinement of the breath (pranayama) through concentration (dharana) quiets the senses (pratyahara), preparing the practitioner for meditation (dhyana) and eventually, samadhi, the union of the soul with the divine. A balanced asana practice rests on ethical behavior (yama) and self‐discipline (niyama). Under the guidance of a qualified ashtanga instructor, the practitioner properly can begin to cultivate the eight limbs.
In Ashtanga Yoga, the first of six sequences of postures, or “series,” is commonly called the Primary Series, or yoga chikitsa (yoga therapy). Practice of the Primary Series is designed to cleanse and purify the internal organs of the body through prevention of the accumulation of waste products. Each asana has specific benefits. For example, forward‐bending asanas are helpful in toning the internal organs of the abdomen and relieving constipation. The Second Series focuses on back‐bending postures, and the remaining four series are very advanced. The Ashtanga Yoga system places equal emphasis on strength, flexibility, and stamina.
‐‐Source: Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute

I love this video of David Swenson flying through second series whilst telling a tall tale so very much. What a nut! (Thanks to Katie for the tip…)

Our association with the material world has consistently evolved since we were born. Should we not have let go of our favorite teddy bear, our dependence on our parents, our ideas about our sexuality our growth would have been stunted and we would not be functioning adults. The ability to let go of past ways of being has enabled us to adapt to our environment. Aparigraha suggests that we limit our possessions to what is necessary, let go of and, indeed, be generous with objects, thoughts, feelings, emotions, time, and effort.

The more we learn the more connections we have, but these associations are still made as subjective, formative experiences. We should try to detach from our former beliefs and at least allow new experiences to broaden our perception of our world, if not make entirely new impressions of it.

The ability to interpret new information as adults—without responding with preconditioned responses—has decreased with age and severely limits our creativity.  Disassociation from an identity embellished with material goods may not be something we would consider. However, we may look at our attachments and reevaluate the necessity of them: food is essential, another designer hand bag is not. The time required obtaining, preserving, and disposing of these material objects could bereserved for friends or family. The same could be said of television, internet, overworking, or over-trading; although, we must remember not to deprive ourselves due to guilt or shame at our ability to acquire them.

Aparigraha and Trading

In New Trading Dimensions (1998), Dr. Bill Williams explains how most of our knowledge is accumulated: “The universally most common and most prejudiced way to handle new information is to fit it into old categories.” He goes on to say, “Attempting to fit new incoming information (Chaos) into old categories distorts both the information and the trading.” In contrast, Williams suggest that allowing the “new information to organize itself” will allow for greater trading efficacy, rather than clinging to the trading parameters that we feel possessive of.

To adhere to fear, anger, or hope as a result of past experiences will debilitate our ability to see a new opportunity. Each day will require the release of yesterday’s state of mind and events to allow the new, yet seemingly similar, set of market conditions to be evaluated and acted upon. The indicators of our trading strategy allow us to identify high probability set-up’s, but we may misperceive the opportunity of a trend if our confidence is shattered by an insecurity from an unprofitable trade the day before. Should we choose to label, distort, or define new experiences into yesterday market action, we will narrow outcomes to only those we are familiar with and further our self-imposed limitations.

Clinging to professional identity is also of concern, especially when our position is threatened. The inherent probability of loss within trading will deeply decompose the moods of market participants who deem their success on the profitability of each trade. As traders, speculators in the marketplace, we need to disassociate from beliefs which do not allow for failure. The law of probabilities is at play and while we may control our losses, we cannot eradicate them. As we know, most trades will be profitable not in degree, but in value: a few highly profitable trades will exceed the smaller losses taken on a greater number of entries. The goal of trading is to identify chart patterns that lead to profitable trades through use of communication tools, which turns the chance of a profitable trade to a higher ratio in our favor, minimizing our losses in capital and maximizing our profit.

Disengaging our discerning mind is not the goal—quite the opposite. Being able to allow, as yet, unrecognizable variables to enter the stream of information, unmitigated, requires an alert, focused, and open mind. Broadening our perception to dispel with values and temperaments we “possess” requires courage, strength, and conviction, all qualities necessary for the prospective trader, yogi, or self-realized being.

At its best, moderation produces the highest individual vitality. Nothing is wanted by us if we seek to develop moderation in all things. Too much of anything results in problems. Too little may be inadequate.

~ Connie Desikachar Habash, “Mastery of Your Energies.”

Brahmacharya was historically interpreted by some to refer to celibacy and some continue to carry on with this tradition.  However, “walking with god” or “prayerful conduct” also suggests discipline and moderation.  This could be attributed to sexuality, but may also include attention to food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, exercising, gossiping, or other harmful states. Sensory gratification must be restricted to refrain from an unhealthy body and mind. Modifying our indulgences to reflect a satisfied appetite, without allowing our desires to run rampant, is pivotal in brahmacharya.  This contrast must be judiciously imposed to find our inner balance. As Ayurveda suggests, what is right for some may not be right for others.

Brahmacharya: the disciplined trader

In consideration to our trading strategies, we should adhere to a predefined set of principles to allow for the freedom of operating within our strategy. Without these parameters we would undoubtedly fall prey to the senses’ insatiable desire for risk, opportunity and reward. By restricting our mind’s desire to follow its own course, we will lose time and money while it searches for the fulfillment of its own agenda. This discipline may be said for all applicable knowledge. We should allow intuition to direct us on our chosen path, not the greed of the sense organs.

Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin. Only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. When you kill a man, you steal a life. You still his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing.

~Excerpted from The Kite Runner (2003), by Khaled Hosseini.

Thievery may be broadly interpreted beyond material property, such as the inclusion of copyright infringement, taking a friend’s time through tardiness, or using the carpool lane and denying the rightful users a smoother passage. Asteya may also refer to gratitude, not to consume more than we should, and to not covet the possessions of others. Asteya does not, however, refer to the zero-sum game of trading, as all participation is equal, fair, and voluntary. Selfishness, entitlement, jealousy, and envy are all insidious emotions related to asteya, and we should remain alert to indulging in them. Ensuring our needs are met will decrease our susceptibility to unscrupulously act to acquire the possessions others.

A life full of pain and anguish is a life nonetheless and should be worthy of our gratitude. This appears unjust to those whose suffering seems insurmountable. Reminding ourselves of the intransient state of being is the only way out of this misery, and not by coveting or appropriating the factors that we assume will contribute to our own happiness, as it seems to do in our neighbour.  If our appreciation of success is defined by the ownership of material property, titles, and distinctions, then we may needlessly engage in thievery to acquire them.

With that being said, ambition is not greed. Ambition is the development and expression of our body, mind, and spirit, while valuing yogic principles. Everyone has a right to fulfill their dharma, the unique expression of the gifts and talents of every individual, and pursue opportunities that lead to love, health, wealth, and happiness—this is the best we may, arguably, hope for in the bounds of our phenomenological reality. Our path to contentment should be undertaken while upholding the yamas and niyamas. We should not take more than we need; we should not take away the rights of others, nor should we let them do the same to us. We should remain the ever watchful warriors and peacefully protect our necessary interests.

Asteya and Trading

Monetary value is implicit within the markets and we may, therefore, be at a heightened risk for overvaluing the importance profit plays on our contentment. Asteya may be ignored for many reasons—most of which hope to lead to a life of happiness Desperation may cause overexposure of risk capital. Over-trading may result from the need to attain self-imposed quotas. Comparing our performance to others; allowing self-deprecating thoughts of anger or frustration, as well as, perhaps, ingratiating ones when greed is met with short-term fulfillment are all states attributed to those of us who place their identity in material worth.

A unified decision-making process will be impeded by internal dialogue that creates emotional disturbances and fatigue. If the focus is not one of relations with the markets, but with the “keepin’ up with the Jones’ mentality,” then we will not see chart patterns from an unbiased view. Gratitude for the cognitive capacities we have to engage in the markets and in life should be remembered. Our priorities should be focused on the appropriate acquisition—rather than taking that which is not ours—of health, wealth, and happiness.

Maya, the veil of illusion, will always deceive us if we fail to see the underlying interconnectedness between all things and enter the advaita, non-dualism, inherent in a liberated state of consciousness. First, however, we should instill a cohesive sense of honesty that only we can moderate through the ever-analytical mind. Our knowledge will ascertain our intentions, thereby requiring the need for the cultivation of ethical principles. If we make an error in judgment, the dishonesty need not lie with ourselves as we made the decision in truth. Conversely, if our goal is to deceive, then we are denying the integration of our beliefs with our reality.

The untruths we may allow ourselves to live with are not always apparent. These discrepancies may manifest as physical or mental blockages preventing us from healing and moving on—refusing to accept a bad trade will make us susceptible to making the same mistake in the future. A polygraph test is usually not necessary to find the truth. It is often quite apparent, if we aware, through detected variances in eye movement, nervousness, body tension, or other more individualistic tells to detect deception in those we know well. This disconnection between intention and action is what we seek to eradicate by allowing our conscience to guide us.

Just a Little White Lie

At times, the truth does indeed hurt. White lies are often viewed as inconsequential and may be overlooked by arguing the observance of ahimsa. Perhaps they well should be; a bad impression of someone or something is just that, an impression and not the absolute truth. This may be a good example of how different interpretations may lead to different outcomes, and why criticism should be withheld: it is merely the projection of our belief systems upon maya’s delusional quality.

Faith and belief is often upheld by identifying with groups of many. Therefore, we must always keep our discerning mind and inquisitively engage with the constant call for recognizing truth in education, media, and the markets. Creativity will thus spring forth from assessing a problem from a variety of angles and finding alternate solutions that resonate well with our conscience.

Truth of Trading

The global markets are a composite of a variety of belief systems all attempting to seek fulfillment of their reality. The outcome, however, of those shared beliefs is limited to a two-sided consensus of that community. A bull or bear market will be entered depending upon the criteria we have given weight to in measuring the probabilities for placing a trade. If we position ourselves to show support for bears, we cannot punish our lack of clairvoyance for an up-trending market.

The fragmentation, the antithesis of yoga, begins if we inaccurately assess a sense impression, either in dishonesty or ignorance, because of psychological or physiological barriers. The subconscious may manifest in discreet ways giving rise to a variety of anxiety or stress-related disorders. A trader may refuse to address these somatic markers with a deniable or unmanageable response. This lack of honestly must be uncovered to get to the direct cause of the problem. We must become the non-discriminatory observer of our mind, body, and emotions in order to find truth in the relations between ourselves and our environment.

Research from Johnson, Tellis, and Macinnis has identified common issues in trading performance and has often detected that traders will misidentify market conditions to support their bias or disposition. “When applied to a stock market context, a consistent finding is that consumers prefer to buy past winners and sell past losers even when neither should be preferred.” Learning to recognize fictitious interpretations of market analysis will allow us the opportunity to become more conscious participants.

If we take a position in the markets, even though there are no indicators present that would validate entry, then we are deceiving our trading principles by breaking our rules and losing control of our responses. Manipulating the current market environment to avoid pain in the hopes of feeling pleasure is not a sound trading strategy. If the trade proves to be profitable, then we are cultivating distrust in our trading indicators. Conversely, if the trade turns in our favor, we cultivate distrust in ourselves. Either way, we lose: we do not seek to gain anything by straying from the value of satyam.

Patañjali stresses ahimsa in accordance with the humanistic principle of non-violence. “Do unto others and they would be done unto you,” is an exemplary example of Christianity’s recommendation of how to treat our fellow sentient beings, as well as develop a sense of empathy. This is also acknowledged by ahimsa’s strict adherence by Jainism—avoiding harming life forms, however small, such as ants as we walk—to the broader humanistic belief in preserving our own species while avoiding the torture of other sentient beings.  This sentiment was echoed by eighteenth century Scottish philosopher David Hume in An Enquiry concerning the Principles of Morals: “We should be bound by the laws of humanity to give gentle usage to these creatures.”

Scholars, and humans, have differed as to how this should be interpreted: Is violence permitted when the safety of humankind is put in jeopardy? This issue was addressed by Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi (an online copy of which can be found here) when he asked Mahatma Gandhi what his reaction would be to a cobra threatening a child. Gandhi upheld his commitment to ahimsa, but added I must confess that, “I could not serenely carry on this conversation if I was faced by a cobra.”

Defensive rather than pacifist approaches are, arguably, sometimes seen as necessary, but eventually, if enlightened, this issue is said to subside when we become aware of the congruences between apparent polarities, such as pain and pleasure. If we view pain as something which is not only unavoidable, but something that need not be avoided, then we would not hurt another in our defense if pain and fear do not concern us. This may be a bit advanced for most of us. Nonetheless, ahimsa reminds us to cultivate awareness of the negative states of an aggressive mind to maintain control over our faculties: calm the mind, calm the body, and be at peace with ourselves and our environment.

Trading without agression

The markets will provide ample opportunities to challenge our equilibrium.  Intra-day market watchers may be most exposed to the fluctuations that can cause a marked degree of mental unrest, should one be at the mercy of a hostile mind. Dr. Brett Steenbarger has noticed this unfortunate trait amongst traders: “Many active traders lack an emotional thermostat. They don’t know their temperatures. They are like heating systems that get the room hotter and hotter, until the house is unbearable.”

A malicious intent or reaction will not produce sound trading results. Anger, part of the fight-or-flight response, will redirect the rational decision-making processes of the frontal cortex to the brain’s attack, defend, or flee motor responses. The redistribution of blood flow will ultimately end in a decision that is not our intent. To establish more appropriate methods of interpreting stressors, we may commit ourselves to ahimsa and develop more positive ways of approaching our behavioural trading tendencies.

The yamas were the first of Sage Patañjali’s eightfold path he introduced us to as the Ashtanga system of the Yoga Sūtras. Considered social modes of conduct, likened to the Ten Commandments, these principles encourage us to think, speak, and behave in ways which encourage healthy relations with both ourselves and our environment.

The strict discipline necessary to cultivate balance may also be reflected in our ethical practices in the markets. The financial markets are a compendium of mass human behaviour, and, as such, a public place. The yamas aim to purify our thoughts so we may communicate with our environment in a healthy way. If we see the markets as a projection of our inner character, we must ensure that it contains the courage, generosity, trust, respect, understanding, and confidence we hope to see in ourselves. The yamas and niyamas will improve our inner dialogue and develop the qualities required for a life of contentment from an unfettered mind.

For over five millenia, yoga has sparked interest throughout the world in those searching for a cohesive approach to transformation. Translating as “to yoke”, “to unite,” or “to control,” yoga has been found to nurture a holistic state of well-being. True yoga arises with the use of meditation and purification techniques enabling us to experience the non-dualism between such perceived polarities as us and others; body and mind;  pain and pleasure; knower and the known.

Yoga encourages intense and devotional study of our underlying consciousness, promising personal insights that will prove inspirational. The language expressed through ancient wisdom traditions has been subjected to a wide variety of interpretations. Although we may not choose to identify with themes expressed by yogic philosophy, we will, nonetheless, benefit from studying its recommendations on the study of Self. The truth we may glean from past endeavors to transmit the feelings, beliefs and prejudices past cultures identified with may or may not resonate with today’s humanistic and linguistic struggles to communicate the ineffable qualities of spirit. The stillness enlisted in the mind through meditation is only possible once our body is cleansed, ridding the body and mind from suffering caused by bondage to negative feelings and emotions.

As a student of both Patañjali’s Ashtanga Yoga and the futures markets, I have observed the synchronicity between the two philosophies. Both methodologies place an emphasis on a gaining a holistic understanding of the reality we’ve created; the power we have within to sever the unnecessary distractions that keep us from our goals; and the awareness that sheds the layers that conceal our true potential. The self-knowledge we strive to attain may be coloured with a different vocabulary, but it is the same non-dualistic state of consciousness that we seek within and without our bodies and minds. While the final culmination of yoga will transcend the success of trading, or any other endeavor related to our phenomenological world, the steps leading us toward samādhi may merge with a path that reveals the true nature of the markets.