Riding the Inward Current by gabe hopp

There are two directions of energetic flow in the yoga system; one which moves energy from the inside out and one which directs energy inward. The outward current is called vama. It’s an extroversive movement which helps us to engage with the world. Through our sensory experiences, our command center, also known as the nervous system, guides us in our personal interactions.

The inward flow of energy, called the jyestra helps us to take our attention inside. This is such a valuable skill that we learn through the yogic arts. The importance of tuning inward cannot be overstated. This is how we learn our habit patterns, thought-tendencies and desires of the heart. Through quieter internal practices, we can grow as humans and yogis. In this post, I will outline 3 practices that I think are integral to riding the jyestra wave more internally.

MANTRA

Mantra is another word for chanting, though this type of chanting is internal (silent) and does not make an outward sound. Mantra meditation gives the mind a focal point, as the mantra is repeated throughout the length of the meditation. You can hold the energy of the chant in different spaces in the body, like chanting from the heart or the third eye. In instruction, my teacher Cindy simply says "favor the mantra” meaning that your mind will wander and other things will come up, but when you re-emerge, return to the repetition.

PRANAYAMA

Pranayama is breath work. We spend lots of time focusing on the breath in yoga. However, most of the time in yoga class we are simply breathing naturally and expansively. In pranayama, we are much more specific. Yoga Sutra 2.50 speaks to the process of controlling the breath: “when the movement of breath in and out and stopping of breath are observed, according to time, place and number, breathing becomes deep and subtle.” This means that pranayama practices include inhales, exhales and retention as well as breathing for a specific timeframe, number of times or to a specific area of the body. Pranayama helps calm the mind and nervous system and moves us into a more subtle inner realm.

MEDITATION

Meditation engages with the mind to take us into quieter spaces. There are myriad ways to meditate, but in the yoga tradition, you choose a point of focus (dharana) and do your best to hold your attention there. The mind will come and go. Thoughts may speed up or slow down. You may become physically uncomfortable. All the while, the mind returns to that focal point and tries to stay there. This trains the mind toward presence. When you choose your focal point, you want it to be sattvic which means that it’s pure and positive. Examples are the breath, a divine inspiration or a mantra.

Yoga is a great tool to begin to train us to spend time with ourselves. It’s like an on-ramp for the practices outlined above. When you are ready to dive even deeper inside, you can ride the jyestra current through mantra, pranayama and meditation.