How can that be? Taking Adho Mukha Śvānāsana (downward facing dog pose) our hamstrings resist the full extension of our legs and generally our arms easily lose the correct actions and begin to fatigue. The resistance of the body is inescapable - even for particularly pliable students.
However, we can interpret this quote both physically and figuratively.
We have a lot of imprinting and conditioning from our previous experiences and habits. These limit our possibility of observing in the present, in a fresh way, what must be done in the asana. This conditioning is so strong that we often do not have complete sensitivity but have dullness. Instead, we go into the grooves of our habits.
Often the student is unable to feel anything, and the teacher notices this tendency and tries to make them notice. As the students are trapped by their conditioning, it is important for the teacher to notice what the student cannot see and feel. So, by trusting the teacher, the student can recognize their conditioning and to gradually break what is ingrained. In this way, sensitivity and awareness can be created and the student’s experience will not be polluted by their conditioning.
Another situation occurs when the student thinks that they already know everything. This is a form of conditioning in which the student does not have the freedom to discover new things, therefore they cannot increase their sensitivity. This person is always working the same pattern. Additionally, when someone thinks they already know everything, they are not listening to the advice that the teacher is giving. They do not take heed of what is instructed.
Going back to the quote, “The brain is the most difficult part of the body to adjust in asana.” In this sense, at the same time, if you are not adjusting the brain, then the other parts of the body cannot be adjusted. This is because they are not sensitive enough to know how to make the adjustments yet.
Applying the actions to the different parts of the body helps the student recognize the types of attitudes that are limiting them. Once the negative attitudes are eliminated, the sensitivity further develops and becomes sharper.
In sutra I.30 - Antarāyās (impediments) are mainly attitude problems. They are styāna (mental resistance), saṁs̀aya (doubt), pramāda (carelessness and lack of concentration), ālasya (laziness), avirati (lack of renunciation leading to always being pulled outside by bhoga or enjoyments), and bhrāntidars̀ana (confused understanding). They make it impossible to allow any changes within the yoga path and they contribute to (vyādhi) spiritual disease.
Considering this, it is easy to understand how these attitudes often create obstructive conditions. There are people that are hopeless to understand because they are stuck in vyādhi. Others are too strong in their conditioning, they can’t listen, so they can’t change.
For even others, some limitations are spiritual impediments that determine the other antarāyās.
The last two antarāyās are more technical conditions that take place when the other seven antarayas are active: alabdha bhūmikatva (makes it very difficult to reach any result) and anavasthi tattva (anything that is reached can easily slide back).
So, in this sense the brain is part of the mind and consciousness is the container of the mind. Consider the brain as an organ. For example, consider that the anatomical parts, the joints of the limbs and the spine, are connected through physical action. This starts from the periphery of the body and can create extension in the spine. Then only after that, there is the possibility to create release in the organs starting from the pelvic floor, the abdominal organs, the diaphragm, tongue, throat, ears, eyes, and brain. To adjust and release the brain, first the other parts of the body need to be adjusted. In addition, the breath must flow in such a manner that the limbs and organs can be released and adjusted. So, by connecting the different parts of the body through physical actions, gradually all the parts of the body in the above list must be adjusted until the brain releases. This can be experienced in each and every asana.
Each asana is an archetype for life. In life, before each event, we have our pre-existing attitude with which we face each situation. The brain filters everything through the lens created by our conditioning. In addition to physically thinking about the quote, we can look at it in a figurative manner.
As in Guruji’s approach, you can reach the core only through the periphery. The core is not only the spine, but also the brain. One has to be very precise in the connections and have a level of sensitivity to be able to see what you need to change in the actions, so the connections can take place until you can reach the core.
So as Guruji laid out the actions for us, if we can apply the actions with precision and sensitivity, we will be able to experience physical adjustment to the brain itself. From that softening away from the push and pull of the vrttis (fluctuations in our consciousness) we can begin to modify the grooves in our habits and live more consciously - a means to a fuller, more vibrant existence.
