Australian_Yoga_Journal_2016_08_09_downmagaz.com

Dedication, transformation,
august/september 2016 yogajournal.com.au
40
ELATION
Yogi Duncan Peak delves into the chaos of
our consciousness in a bid to help us foster
new behaviours, find clarity, and forge a
path of flourishing spiritual progression.
WE ALL SEEM TO BE on an endless search for
transformation, but the real question is, do
you have the clarity to know what habit,
tendency or trait – yogis call it vasana – you
are trying to change? Without clarity,
transformation is a spiritual ghost.
The modern yoga practice has seen so
much evolution; some would argue it has
even diluted the real message. Perhaps it
has. Others would argue that the evolution
of yoga has given rise to a large movement
in consciousness … maybe so, too? The
choice is yours to make, but when it comes
to our own personal practice, what exactly
are we trying to transform?
We all know that pure physical
transformation is limited in terms of
spiritual progress, but can you do one
without the other? We certainly can do the
opposite – a vibrant mind but not so
vibrant body – any dedicated meditator can
attest to this. And there is a case that just a
physical practice will change our minds. Is
this true? Sure, it will make us happier for a
bit, enjoying all those hormones buzzing
around. But do we want to simply make a
flawed character happier? Or do we want to
address the cause?
We spend a lot of time trying to change
factors about ourselves such as, for
example, our personality. We might move
to a different city, change cars, get a new
job, eat different food, listen to new music,
dress differently, even study new topics and
suddenly, we have a whole new persona!
However, if you put that same person under
pressure, then they will react in the same
way as they would have before. Why?
Because they have not effected their
character. They may feel they have evolved
because of the new life they have created
around them, but mostly they have just
avoided being triggered due to the
distraction of their new adventures. They
have still not actually dealt with the causes
of any of their anguish.
In yoga tradition it is said we have a
predominate tendency for one of the three
following vasanas (character traits or
tendencies): lust, greed and anger.
Commonly called the three gates to hell, we
either have a tendency for lust, a tendency
for greed, or for the most popular tendency
which is anger. When we are not present,
mindful, conscious and aware, we react on
autopilot by playing out one of these
tendencies or interchanging all of them at
times in a gamut of behaviours. We try to
suppress these traits, avoid and deny them,
but it’s finding clarity about this character
trait that’s so important to spiritual
progress, instead of adopting a head-inthe-sand
attitude. So it has to be studied!
It’s not the personality we are trying to
change. Let’s think about it: there is no
ideal spiritual personality. That is a
contradiction in words. It’s the self we are
trying to rid ourselves of, isn’t it? No self,
no problem, as the Chinese proverb says.
It’s our character that we need to
transform, our natural tendencies when we
are not present or conscious. In some areas
of life, you already act from love
unconsciously, so why not always? Well, it’s
simple: vasanas (engrained character traits)
possibly form over lifetimes. So think about
now. Imagine the amount of work that it is
going to take to transform yourself; your
character, and you, now understand the
immensity and discipline it will take to
practice true yoga. Suddenly doing a
handstand sounds a lot easier – maybe
that’s the reason for so much of its recent
popularity!
Are we of good character? First, we have
to get to know our character. What are our
dominant tendencies? How are they
triggered? How do you behave towards
things, what presses your buttons, and can
you be conscious enough to begin to break
down the karmic hold the dominant
tendencies have deep within you?
PHOTO: LEEROY TEHERA, LEEROYT.COM