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Attitude

Bhava

Creating harmony of mind,
body, and spirit through attitude.

It is said that a Native American shaman can tell everything about a person by looking at their footprint. The traditional Chinese doctor feels the pulse and examines skin tone, eyes, and tongue to determine the physical and mental health of a patient. The yogi observes breathing patterns and posture to understand a person’s state of mind. These are simplifications but are examples of how healing traditions take a mind-body-spirit approach to wellness. As in other (typically Eastern) practices, yoga teaches that the condition of the mind is reflected in the body and vice versa.

The state of the mind in yoga pose practice is known as “posture,” “attitude,” or “conscious mental pose.” Whether a student is feeling depressed, joyful, upset, or enthusiastic, an experienced yoga teacher will be able to see it in the alignment and physical expression of the yoga pose. And while a student’s posture in a pose reflects his or her emotional, psychological, and spiritual condition, yoga can actually transform these aspects. (Note that while posture is reflected in physical position, the idea of posture here includes more than just sitting up straight.) In other words, attitude is something that you have naturally throughout your day (positive or negative), and it’s also something that you can consciously cultivate through yoga pose practice. Yoga poses are a way of purifying your attitude as well as physical body. Many yoga students notice a subtle or obvious energetic shift after practicing yoga, often described as a balanced state of mind, a heightened feeling of physical or emotional well-being, or just a general uplifted feeling toward life.

case study Mary the Mother

Everyday posture reflects attitude toward life.

Let’s consider Mary’s posture, the woman we introduced in Step One, who is 36 years old and has come to class to lose weight. She has just given birth to her second child and feels unattractive. Mary has been carrying a baby on her right hip for the last four years, while holding groceries and other things in her left arm. She feels tightness in her shoulders, confounded by sleep deprivation, lack of time to exercise, and forgetfulness concerning her eating habits. Mary used to be an energetic woman who exercised regularly, ate three balanced meals, and was very attractive. As a result of her current lifestyle, she has gained thirty pounds, causing her body to curve forward, her back to ache, and her belly to soften.

All this can be seen from Mary’s posture. Previously, her looks and robust health fueled her self-esteem. With less vitality, she feels beaten down, and the initial glow of motherhood has passed into the difficult years of chasing children. Her self-esteem was never strong in the first place, as it was reliant on external approval. She feels overwhelmed and has allowed her fears of being unattractive to make motherhood an unappealing chore. If Mary learns to understand herself more clearly, she can realign her posture as a form of self-esteem that comes from within. She will start to feel proud to be a mother and reclaim her self-respect.

As Mary takes control of her attitude toward life, her posture automatically straightens without her even trying to align her back and shoulders. She doesn’t look weak or feel quite as heavy in her body because she’s straightened up. As her self-respect grows, she isn’t as fearful that her husband is going to leave her. Most profoundly, she becomes more attractive by respecting and loving herself, regardless of her weight.

Alignment of Yoga Poses Is Influenced
More by Attitude than by Physical Effort

The teaching of proper alignment in modern yoga is largely dominated by a physical approach based on anatomy and physiology (we will cover physical alignment in Step Three). Yet in its truest nature, yoga is a psychosomatic (body-mind) practice. This means that the mental and spiritual components are as important to yoga as the physical ones. If we are to fully appreciate the benefits of yoga, we must go beyond the anatomy and physiology of a yoga pose to explore the mental and spiritual aspects of yoga. Remarkably, our physical practice is transformed when we approach yoga holistically. This helps to explain why practicing yoga is such a different experience from one day to the next. While a pose may come easily on certain days, on others you may find it quite challenging. The attitude of a student is so important to proper physical alignment of a pose that I believe it’s actually more relevant than physiology.

case study Laura the Professional

Attitude before practicing yoga influences the experience.

When Laura enters a yoga class, laughing with her friends on a Saturday morning, she practices yoga in a very free-flowing, relaxed way. On the other hand, when Laura joins a class after a stressful day at work, rushing to change into yoga clothes and missing the opening breathing exercises, it is a very different experience. No matter what suggestions the teacher makes about her physical alignment, she’s tense in every pose for the first fifteen or twenty minutes of class. No amount of anatomical instructions can change Laura’s attitude and that attitude is manifested in her physical posture.

Imagine, instead, that as Laura hurries into class from work, feeling pressured from the rat race, the teacher gives a short talk about non-violence. This gives her a chance to adjust her attitude. It doesn’t take her long to balance her emotions and choose a more positive stance. As a result, Laura is able to concentrate in her poses and leaves class feeling invigorated.

Yoga classes that include a brief discussion of yoga philosophy at the beginning of class inspire students to adopt a positive attitude prior to practicing poses (one of the many reasons yoga philosophy needs to be taught in class). Fewer instructions on alignment are required, providing the students with a quieter experience and thus the opportunity to cultivate inner observation and wisdom. Students who come into a yoga pose in a relaxed, open-minded manner will often grasp the proper alignment just by observing and mirroring the teacher and be able to experience the attitude of the pose from within.

States of Mind
(The Bhavas)

Classical yoga theory divides attitude into four major themes, each reflecting a positive feeling, state, or mood: duty (dharma), knowledge (jnana), non-attachment (viaragya), and mastery (ishvara aisvarya). Every yoga pose helps us to develop one of these four major attitudes. It may be helpful to think of attitude as simply your state of mind, known in Sanskrit as the bhavas. As you cultivate the attitude inherent in each pose, you will begin to integrate your body, mind, and spirit, leading to greater health and well-being. The following section explains these ancient categories of attitudes from yoga philosophy. We’ll consider the philosophy initially and then later in the chapter, we’ll explore how to cultivate these attitudes through yoga poses.

Duty (Dharma)

The first attitude is duty, which has to do with our priorities and roles in life, including responsibilities to self, family and friends, work, society, and all of humanity. Neglecting our duty leads to conflicts and problems in daily life. Some typical examples would be over-working, having poor eating habits, not resting sufficiently, not exercising enough, or emotionally neglecting our families. Duty includes such concepts as routine, discipline, self-direction and responsibility, inner control, and desirable character.

When we integrate the attitude of duty in our lives, we are able to restrain from impulses, regulate desires, accept internal authority, and achieve internal mastery. Duty is a means through which we can achieve self-realization (i.e., the true Self, which we will discuss in greater detail later in this book). We acknowledge the importance of discipline and moderation in helping us carry out routine and our commitment to others. Through practicing yoga poses that have duty as their central attitude, we develop a conditioned and still mind, as opposed to being lethargic and unfocused. Ultimately, the path of duty saves us from pain and suffering.

The attitude of duty corresponds to meditative yoga poses. The original purpose of all yoga poses was to be seated comfortably in meditation. Pose (asana) literally means “seat.” The Yoga Sutras (2:46) tell us that yoga poses should be “comfortable and steady.” While all yoga poses have a meditative quality to them, some poses are defined specifically by their meditative nature. Balancing poses such as Tree Pose are also good for cultivating duty. Following is a list of the meditative and balancing poses, good for cultivating the attitude of duty:

Connecting to the Poses

Balance

Meditative

Tree Pose, page 256

Dancer Pose, page 258

Boat Pose, page 260

Easy Pose, page 298

Half Lotus Pose, page page 298

Knowledge (Jnana)

The second attitude, knowledge, begins with self-awareness and includes the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. Central to the concept of knowledge is a deep realization that we can find everything we need within ourselves. The external world (maya) pulls at our attention, keeping us busy looking for purpose and meaning, but usually leaves us confused and frustrated. By practicing the attitude of knowledge, we can stay grounded within ourselves regardless of our circumstances.

Knowledge is acquired through concentration, coordination, sense training, breath awareness and control, and balance. This attitude corresponds to poses involving upward and sideward stretches, extremities, and breath control (pranayama). Through these poses, we develop body consciousness, starting with awareness of the muscles, breath, and then internal organs. More advanced students may begin to feel shifting energy in their energy centers (chakras), or particular emotional and spiritual qualities of each pose. The following poses can be practiced to cultivate the attitude of knowledge:

Connecting to the Poses

Upward

Sideward

Extremities

Balance

Palm Tree Pose, page 262

Triangle Pose, page 276

Butterfly Pose, page 284

Pigeon Pose, page 286

Tree Pose, page 256

Dancer Pose, page 258

Boat Pose, page 260

Knowledge refers to the wisdom of the body. Rather than just following a yoga teacher’s instructions, be sensitive to your own experience in the poses and aware of tension in your body. This simple awareness sends a signal to the nervous system and tells it to let go of old tension patterns. If you pay attention to your body and do what feels right for you, your body will respond and heal itself. With this level of awareness, you will be able to detect imbalance or dis-ease in the body before it escalates into something worse. During the first six months to a year of practicing, new yoga students often comment on how their health has improved.

Benefits of Body Awareness for Beginners

A sore throat can be a reminder to drink more water, get more rest, reduce sugar consumption, and limit other immune-suppressing actions.
Tenderness in the low back or shoulders is a signal to evaluate and correct daily posture, or to avoid lifting heavy objects.
Relaxation reduces sinus, back, and jaw tension, and the host of psychological problems that come with them.
Cultivation of a positive mood decreases impulsive emotional eating and improves dietary discipline and health and normalizes weight.
Unusual soreness in yoga poses motivates a student to see her doctor and learn that she has a disease (for example, Lyme disease). The early detection of many diseases greatly reduces the severity of symptoms and shortens recovery time.

Non-attachment (Viaragya)

Non-attachment is the third attitude. Traditionally, it was the renunciation of worldly or material attachments, but people living in the world today must fulfill their duties to family. In current times, it may be most appropriate to think of non-attachment as a state of being in the world but not of the world. Non-attachment involves humility, objectivity, faith, ego reduction, acceptance, and surrender to a larger reality.

Non-attachment confers the ability to step back and view our lives as an objective witness, seeing everything but suffering nothing. When we cultivate the attitude of non-attachment, we’re able to live with our struggles but not be defined by them. Non-attachment also involves being ready for the teacher (spiritual or otherwise) to appear, and, once that happens, cultivating humility and learning to receive the guidance and light required for self-development and self-actualization. In daily life, this is the practice of learning to say we’re sorry and helping those who are less fortunate than we are.

Non-attachment is the attitude through which we can see how we are related to one another. It is the practice of karma yoga (the yoga of action described in a sacred scripture of Hinduism known as the Bhagavad Gita), where working, especially the most humbling acts like washing the dishes or cleaning the toilet, become the path to serve, worship, and reduce the ego. We make contributions to others without the desire for reward, without attachment, leading to a balanced state of mind.

In yoga poses, non-attachment corresponds to letting go in relaxation poses, forward bends, and head-low postures. Twisting poses offer a chance to look from a new perspective, one we may not have seen in our everyday, forward-moving tunnel vision, while forward bends provide an opportunity for reflection. Non-attachment offers us an experience of forgetting our self. The following yoga poses are conducive to the attitude of non-attachment:

Connecting to the Poses

Relaxation

Forward

Twists

Inversions

Corpse Pose, page 296

Wheel Pose, page 264

Seated Forward bend, page 266

Child’s Pose, page 268

Partial Seated Twist, page 280

Supine Twist, page 282

Shoulder Stand, page 292

Plough, page 294

Practicing non-attachment frees us to live with robust vigor by living in the present moment rather than being attached to a desired outcome. This can be mistaken as being aloof, uncaring, distant, or not invested in life. Quite the opposite, non-attachment allows us to live a richer and deeper life because we’re not consumed with worry about how the future will play out. Through cultivating non-attachment in yoga practice, you’ll find that you can focus on the immediacy of the present task. The pressure of accomplishment is removed, so you’re able to concentrate on what you’re doing, which actually improves the outcome. As a result, you may enjoy new and unexpected results that create more harmony in your life. This is true for experiences both “on” and “off the mat.”

Mastery (Ishvara Aisvarya)

The final attitude, mastery, refers to a stepping forward or achievement. When we truly understand the first three bhavas of duty, knowledge, and non-attachment, we arrive at mastery with a humble feeling of achievement, satisfaction, and knowledge. This adds a subtle confidence to the personality, as opposed to being superficial and showing off to others. This path is easiest to cultivate through experiences of self-reliance, perseverance, and faith.

Mastery makes us stronger in mind, body, and spirit, helping us to rise above our human nature and protect us from undesirable impulses. The practice requires willpower and the cultivation of positive thoughts and actions, resulting in self-efficacy, positive body image, competency, and high self-esteem.

To cultivate the willpower necessary for mastery, I suggest practicing poses for attaining strength, steadiness, relaxation, and higher awareness. These might include backward bending poses as well as the backward bending aspects of Sun and Moon Salutations included in Part IV. The following poses correspond with mastery:

Connecting to the Poses

Backward

Inversions

Extremities

Cobra, page 272

Bow Pose, page 274

Downward Dog, page 290

Warrior I, page 288
(Warrior II and III also)

You realize the power that mastery confers when you align with the higher Self. Mastery involves the ability to view life from a larger perspective, beyond the small vision of limited ego perception. Rather than imposing our will onto something, we let go and trust in the divine order of the universe. In simpler terms, this is what we mean when we say “go with the flow.” This is the intention of Sun Salutations, to salute the sun and all of nature by flowing through a series of poses with a sense of surrender, gratitude, and reverence for life. It is like paddling a canoe in a lake with gentle currents. By understanding the currents, we can paddle in such a way that the current carries the boat. When we work against the current, we make little to no headway, sometimes moving backward instead of forward. The quiet time during yoga pose practice can be used to align the body and mind in such a way that the currents of life are revealed. Then we can better navigate our relationships, work, and health. Practicing a yoga pose literally opens us to the flow inside our own bodies. By understanding the microcosm of our minds and hearts, we become more connected with the macrocosm that surrounds us.

Do you remember how you felt after taking your first steps? Most of us don’t, but if you have ever seen a baby take the first few steps of its life, you may have noticed that it expresses a sense of mastery. And rightly so, as it’s quite an accomplishment! Think of the number of muscles involved in walking and the coordination between those muscles to make it possible. To further our abilities in yoga, it’s important to acknowledge our achievements just as a baby delights in walking. As you practice yoga, feel uplifted by the mastery you have over your body. As you do, you’ll find yourself less inclined to compare yourself to other students and much more satisfied with your own practice.

How to Integrate Intention and Attitude

Let’s now consider intention in light of our discussion on attitude. Attitude is our state of being at any given time, yet it’s an intrinsic quality
found in each yoga pose that can be used for self-development. We may go into a yoga class grumpy and tired, yet through consciously practicing the attitude within each pose, we can come out of class feeling energetic, peaceful, and content. In order to transform our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, we must create an appropriate intention and then practice poses that focus on the specific attitude we are seeking to cultivate. Intention lights the path to follow and attitude gives us tools for setting the journey in motion.

Let’s take a look at a few examples:

case study Steve

Steve recognizes that his stress response is causing him lower back pain, and he wants to transform his reactions to stressful situations. Steve’s balanced intention is self-care and illumination. He focuses on poses that have duty as their primary attitude to help him develop a routine of taking care of himself. Steve asks his family to help him have fifteen to thirty minutes of quiet time every day to practice self-reflection and meditation. By cultivating a meditation practice, Steve achieves clarity about personal goals and direction, including a desire to become more focused on his responsibilities as a father. His spiritual discipline also affects his work life, causing him to feel more focused, productive, and at ease.

case study Laura

Laura recognizes that she has spent most of her life seeking the approval of others to the detriment of her own self-exploration and development. Though she’s in her mid-twenties, she still doesn’t have a real sense of who she is and what she wants in life. She identifies her balanced intention as spiritual growth and clarity. Laura decides to focus on yoga poses that share the attitude of knowledge to expand her self-awareness and inner wisdom. While in upward stretching poses, she identifies with her desire to “reach for the highest” within herself. While practicing poses that focus on the extremities of the body, she becomes aware of muscles that she didn’t even realize she had, giving her a greater understanding of how her body functions. As she observes the massaging of her internal organs in the sideward stretch, a desire grows within her to nurture and feed her body with nutritious foods. Through balance poses, she practices the art of balancing her own needs with those of her friends and family. Laura’s life takes on new meaning as she connects with her intention and develops a rich sense of self.

case study Mary

Mary recognizes that caring for herself will help her become more confident, and she identifies her intention as self-care and love. She explores poses that have non-attachment as their inherent attitude so that she may release old thought patterns, including feelings of fear and low self-esteem. Mary practices forward bending poses to surrender fears and old habits, and to cultivate faith. Twisting poses provide a different view of life and give her a sense of self-assurance. In relaxation poses, Mary connects with the perspective of being a witness to her own life, helping her to see that regardless of life’s ups and downs, everything will work out as it should.

From these examples, can you identify the type of bhava, or attitude, that best suits your intention? If you need to, reread the descriptions of each attitude and take some time to contemplate which is most appropriate for you. If you’re still not sure, that’s okay—we’ll come back to this later in the chapter. We’ll now take a closer look at each pose category and the attitude that they emphasize, and give you further direction on integrating the awareness of attitude in your yoga practice.

Practicing Attitude in Yoga Poses

When we practice yoga poses mindful of their inherent qualities of duty, knowledge, non-attachment, and mastery, we integrate our body, mind, and spirit. This integration, or lack thereof, affects overall well-being. As we’ve now realized, yoga poses can be practiced in order to cultivate the various feelings, states, or moods, and to bring an overall balance and harmony into being. The following is a quick reference list for the qualities each pose category provides:

Qualities Outline for Practice

Pose Category	Attitude	Bhava
Balance	Knowledge	Knowledge
Upward	Striving	Knowledge
Forward	Surrender	Non-attachment
Backward	Vigor	Mastery, Knowledge, Duty
Sideward	Flexibility	Knowledge
Twist	Openness	Non-attachment
Extremities	Self-reliance	Mastery, Knowledge
Inversion	Inward	Mastery, Non-attachment
Relaxation	Non-attachment	Non-attachment
Meditative	One-pointed	Duty
Salutations	Devotion	Elements of each

Note that each specific yoga pose has its unique expression of an attitude. There are no absolute rules or regulations for the attitude of a pose. For example, if the famous Tree Pose represents rootedness to you, then you may receive an attitude of groundedness. It is equally correct to feel the heart in the Tree Pose and feel a sense of love as the attitude as you extend your arms like the branches of a tree. The key point is to be aware of the relationship of your attitude while in poses as well as the inherent attitude of that pose.

Let’s figure out which set of poses best suits your chosen intention. Keep in mind that just as your intention will change over time, the attitude that you work with will also shift according to your needs. Remain aware of your subtle changes and allow your yoga practice to address your specific needs. Otherwise, yoga practice may grow stale and boring, but more important, you won’t be achieving optimal health in mind, body, and spirit. This is not to say that you will need to change yoga routines on a weekly basis. However, re-evaluating your intention and attitude each season would be appropriate. You may also consider going on a yoga retreat once or twice a year for further reflection.

Before we move on to the exercises, here’s one final note about intention and attitude: While the intention serves as your guiding light throughout your practice, don’t complicate your yoga practice by trying to force the simultaneous expression of your intention and attitude. Focus on the attitude you’re exploring and as it feels natural to do so, simply reflect on how the attitude (your daily approach to yoga poses) relates to your intention (your ultimate goal for doing yoga). For example, if you practice relaxation poses, then relax. Don’t superimpose your intention for inner peace onto relaxation. Simply notice how relaxation relates to inner peace. You’ll learn more from the poses by not overcomplicating your practice and being receptive to learning what the wisdom in each pose offers.

Connecting to the Infinite

Body posture expresses attitude and attitude governs posture. This step bridges daily life and yoga poses as attitude accompanies every action. Attitude of yoga poses is a key place to recognize your perspective on yoga. With attention focused on attitude, the mind-body benefits of yoga poses are immediately recognized. Your physical alignment is positively impacted by understanding proper attitude. To further delve into alignment or how to perform yoga poses, continue on to Step Three.

Exercises

For this exercise, use the pure intention you chose in Step One.

1. As you think about your intention, consider again the reasons why you chose that intention. Examine your intention in terms of the four bhavas:

a. How does duty expand your understanding of your intention?

b. How does knowledge expand your understanding of your intention?

c. How does non-attachment expand your understanding of your intention?

d. How does mastery expand your understanding of your intention?

Which of the attitudes can give you the tools for living out your intention? It may help to review your notes from the exercises in Step One as well as the descriptions of the attitudes in Step Two. Choose the attitude that feels like the best fit for your intention. You can always change your mind, so don’t worry too much about it being the “right” choice.

2. Focus on poses from this attitude category while including other poses for a well-rounded practice. If you’ve chosen the attitude of non-attachment, focus on relaxation poses, twists, and inversions. You’ll still practice other ones, like strength and balancing poses, to round out your practice. It’s a matter of emphasis on your time
and effort.

As you practice yoga poses, focus on the attitude of each pose and contemplate how this relates to your intention. Practice each pose in a steady and comfortable manner, pay attention to your breath, and let go of tension you are holding in your body. The goal is to center the mind on a spiritual intention and be receptive to the positive feeling of the attitude of the pose. The effort is in being effortless. Allow your thoughts to organize by letting go, similar to the effect of a restful vacation.

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