Yoga and the Art of pratipakṣa-bhāvanam

Nature's annual fall phenomenon created the beautiful colors of the Ukrainian flag. Even though there is darkness coursing through the foreground, there is brightness and brilliance dominating beyond. This is pratipakṣa-bhāvanam in action.

Many years ago, when I was studying Thai Yoga Massage, my teacher would say to us: “always look to the positive!”  She was referring to the yoga practice of pratipakṣa-bhāvanam. Little did I know at the beginning of this month that this would be one of my main yoga practices for the month.

On Oct 11, I was running to an important event. Suddenly, I found myself flat down on my side. Darn, my right foot found an opportune time to fall in love with a crack in an NYC sidewalk! Having been physical all my life, I knew this injury was different. After looking at the x-rays the next day, my doctor summed it up by saying: “it’s not serious, but it’s serious.” The doctors’ orders are for me to wear a boot and use crutches for 7 weeks, and not work (teaching yoga, in my case) during this time period.

I immediately felt a sense of loss. Physical loss of function. Loss of my ability to earn a living. And a loss of the sense of “who am I” that I’d come to identify with. I like being independent and in control of my life, and now I felt myself more dependent on others and less in control.

But, after a few days of moping around trying to figure out my new reality, there also emerged the question of “what are the bright sides to all of this?” Several answers arose.

 In my teaching, I work with people with all sorts of disabilities, and one of my first thoughts was “Now, I know a bit more of how they feel.” Empathy arose within me.

I now know a bit more how it feels to not be fully and easily mobile, and to be forced to slow down and take life one step at a time. Surprisingly (though it should not have been to me who practices meditation daily), I found myself being a little more present in each moment. That in itself has been a gift.

I know how people with disabilities feel when they have to negotiate the subway system. Some of those elevators leading down to the train platforms smell absolutely foul, but when you have no choice, you do what you gotta do. The upside for me is that I now have a better understanding of some of the challenges people with disabilities have to face living in this city.

I’ve mentioned in recent blogs that I moved recently. At this point, I still have a good number of boxes to sort through and either save/organize or discard the things in them. Suddenly, I have the gift of time to do this major project. I count this as a positive.

While loss is loss, perhaps the bigger gain is the realization that I do have the resources to get through this and I’ll be OK. My losses are nothing compared to the people who lost their homes and livelihoods after Hurricane Ian hit. My injuries are not permanent and compared to folks with life-long disabilities, my situation is mild and will pass.

Human beings have an incredible ability to adapt to new situations. I like figuring things out, and I gained new ways of doing things on three usable limbs.

As far as my physical yoga practice is concerned, since I can’t do vinyasas and downward dogs, I now do chair yoga, yin yoga, and restorative yoga. These practices have important benefits too, and I’ve gained the time and space to engage with them more fully.

I also gained an admiration for people I know who persevere on despite their disabilities. I think of my friend David who renovated a house even as his Parkinson’s grew worse. I think of my student Martin with a neuromuscular disease who needs to get around in a scooter yet always seems happy and makes me happy when I see him. Martin’s physical ailments didn’t keep him from going white-water rafting in Oregon earlier this month. I think about my brother Francis who lost part of several fingers, yet never complained and continues to do important space research for the U.S. Air Force. These people all inspire me, and they give me the gift of how to have a positive perspective and live a good life after loss.

So that’s my yoga practice for this month: pratipakṣa-bhāvanam, always look to the positive. Are you ready to give it a try? Perhaps you’ll find it harder to do than that crow pose or bird-of-paradise pose you may be currently aspiring to achieve. But in the end, I think you just might find it far more beneficial.

May you be happy, …
May you be healthy, …
May you look to the positive, …
May your positive attitude inspire one person near you, … and from there ripple out for the benefit of ALL Beings everywhere.

Aloha and Metta, Peace and Positivity,
Paul Keoni Chun

Practicing my favorite yoga pose for this month: viparita karani or legs-up-the-wall pose. Whether injured or not, elevating one's legs is a great way to refresh after a long day of work. Try it and see!