Come to Your Senses

Sleepwalking through yoga these days? Shake up your practice and your life with the animating force of rasa.

By Shiva Rea

Shanti rasa is a conscious cultivation of inner balance, equilibrium, wisdom, and serenity; it is the fruit of living yoga. Establishing and maintaining a steady, even breath and a meditative rhythm throughout the practice is key. Frequent, reflective pauses through postures such as Balasana (Child's Pose), Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose), Tadasana (Mountain Pose), and Savasana allow the nervous system to unwind, the fluctuations of the mind to relax, and the internal equilibrium to deepen. But shanti rasa can be applied to all asanas and in life when a relaxed, nonaggressive approach is taken. The asanas associated with shanti rasa are forward bends, hip openers, inversions, and meditation. Pranayama (breathwork) techniques that encourage shanti rasa are Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (alternate-nostril breathing), Sama Vritti Ujjayi Pranayama (Equal Breathing), and Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath) with an emphasis on increasing the exhalation for relaxation.

Sringara rasa is best represented by the archetypal union of male and female, but it can be seen in the union of other opposites as well: sun and moon, stillness and dynamic movement, inhalation and exhalation. It is a cultivation of the heart and sensuality of yoga that helps us feel and generate loving energy toward ourselves, others, and ultimately the Divine. You can invoke sringara rasa during any asana by visualizing the communion of opposite poles of the body. Instead of simply breathing, drink in the breath and allow it to travel from the base of the spine to the heart or to the crown of the head. Another breathwork technique is Viloma Pranayama (Interval Breath), which requires you to inhale and exhale in stages. Chanting can also help lengthen the exhalation and awaken the heart center.

Balance Your Bhava

We all have the ability to cultivate bhava-rasa as a way of connecting to the inherent energy of life. The next time you step on your mat, try experimenting with bhava-rasa. Begin by observing the natural energy of the season, the time of day, the weather, or other influential aspects of the environment around you. Become aware of the current state of your body-mind-heart, your own inner bhava. Without getting lost in the sea of your emotions, simply ask yourself how you feel: lively, agitated, lethargic, stressed, light, grounded, open, distracted, joyous, content?

After getting a sense of the bhava both within and around you, choose how to balance or enhance your energy. Your bhava can inform your choice of rasa—vira, shanti, or sringara—to tap into. The rasa, in turn, will affect your choice of asanas, pranayama, sequencing, lighting in the room, and music to play, all of which will form your own energetic approach to the practice.

Let's say you're going through a period in which you are getting enough sleep but still feel sluggish and heavy. Instead of downing cup after cup of java and struggling through each day, you could recognize this state and work with it directly. For example, you could practice during a bright time of day in a well-lit space, play invigorating music, and wear bright colors. Focus on a cleansing and stimulating pranayama like Kapalabhati Pranayama (Shining Skull Breath) and choose poses and sequences that create circulation. This is a vira approach that awakens the courage to transform your lethargy in a way that is empowering and satisfying—as opposed to pushing yourself into a powerful practice out of a sense of duty. You can take the same balancing approach to other moods. When you are feeling the effects of stress, you might cultivate shanti rasa; when you're feeling emotionally shut down, try developing sringara rasa.

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