We are in the middle of our segment on cleanliness or "saucha". Last time we talked about how yoga practice can be like a shower for the inside of the body, gently activating the lymphatic system. Yoga practice is not just for cleaning the body, but for cleaning the mind as well.
So, what are we cleaning? Each day, we generate "sankaras" or little knots of craving and aversion. When we want something we don't have, or don't want something we do have - we generate a little knot that lives between the mind and body. Each night, when we dream, we also generate "sankaras" - each moment of life and experience, generates some sankara. When these sankaras build, we might feel intense emotions or pains in our bodies. We can address these sankaras from two ways - from the mind, through meditation - or from the body, through yoga. Eventually both practices lead to the same place, to the very subtle space, between mind and body - where are sankaras are stored.
Let's learn one of the basic series - combining Asana (postures) with Pranayama (breath) called the Sun Salutations.
Once you master this series, it becomes an opportunity for moving meditation - a chance to go into that subtle space where mind and body meet.
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