Four Gates to Health:
Eastern Ideas and Techniques for Vital Living
Julian Lynn
Copyright 2011 Julian Lynn
Smashwords Edition
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This book is a collection of ideas and techniques, which may serve as a source of self-help to individuals beginning or already enjoying a physician-approved fitness program. Application of the concepts and practices in this volume is completely voluntary and cannot replace the training provided by a competent instructor nor the guidance and care of a qualified, licensed medical or mental healthcare professional. This book is not intended as a tool for diagnosis. If you have concerns or reservations about the ideas or techniques presented in this volume, do not apply or practice them.
During the last summer of my teaching college-level yoga, I noticed my students growing and changing in ways which could not be explained by the practice of yoga's physical postures alone. This change was something I had observed over the course of many semesters, but only after enjoying a particularly successful, intensive summer class did I then acknowledge the relationship between class attendance and the visible changes in my students’ faces. Reflective awareness was taking the place of preoccupation. Around the edges of class, students talked openly about positive changes in their lives which they attributed to the successful application of ideas and techniques presented in class. Everyone had a glow about them. Despite the fact that most students were carrying full course loads, everyone was becoming more radiant.
Each class has its own personality. With the yoga classes I taught, students were able to enroll again and again. For some classes, especially those heavily populated with returning students, the regular practice of yoga’s physical postures is enough to pull an evolved and engaged group of souls back to center. The most advanced “swimmers” among them carry the beginning students into the calm, deep end of the still, meditative pool. This is one of the things that the practice of yoga is capable of doing.
As an instructor, I had already developed a profound faith in the practice of yoga and the power of Vedic tradition’s many and varied breathing techniques to transform lives. I had also come to respect my students as my most patient teachers. They listened to lectures that fell flat, showed me what real discipline can do and taught me to persevere on days when I was far from center. During that last summer class, we met almost daily, and I was finally able to correlate the most marked radiant facial expressions directly to the most regular class attendees.
At a semester’s close, it is not unusual to hear a student remark, “Thank you for the life lessons. They were helpful.” or “I really liked some of the ideas that were covered in class.” These comments are also part of formal academic review. On several occasions, I received requests for “the book” or “a book” that would aid with the review of ideas discussed in class. Truth be known, there is no single book, but there have been many books, articles, seminars and direct contemplative experiences over the years. The majority of these I read, reviewed, attended and had years prior to becoming a yoga instructor.
As a reader, it may be helpful for you to know that I personally read in the areas of Eastern philosophy, biography, cultural studies and, what some would term, esoteric studies. I also enjoy a good article in a "muscle magazine." What interests me is how different cultures and individual people relate to their experiences as they move through life’s passages. A trial by fire caused me to embark on additional reading in the areas of general wellness, nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine and alternative healthcare. Subsequent to all of this reading, I had a series of singular contemplative experiences which caused me to begin attending seminars in a variety of Eastern philosophical traditions. I was on an active quest to find accurately descriptive vocabulary and documentation of others’ parallel contemplative experiences.
Being a comparative-studies-style reader and groomed in the liberal art, I find this aspect of my character permeating all of my life. Whether I am looking for a new ethnic restaurant or a used car, my instinctual desire causes me to begin with a review of the literature, then to delve into comparative research and, if I am able, to test drive it all. This life approach leads to sampling the fare at as many Thai restaurants as is possible.
Writing is a labor of love. This compilation provides a selection of ideas and breathing techniques which my own students found transformational. The format is designed as an aid to individuals who are beginning or already enjoy an established fitness program but who may not have the luxury of time or means to attend seminars and to review stacks of literature. With the possible exception of the concept of the Four Gates, most of the material in this book is well documented in a variety of sources on Eastern philosophical theory and falls within the realm of popular psychology. (It is interesting to note that many of the twentieth century’s most innovative psychological concepts reframe ideas found in Eastern philosophical traditions.) To the purists in each of these fields and traditions, I offer an apology for the fusing of approaches and departure from traditional vocabulary. The few notes I chose to include on aspects of Vedic theory are there as points of interest and contrast. Read these notes with an open mind and the same intellectual curiosity that you would bring to a book on anthropology.
That being said, it is because of the many words and acts of encouragement from my students that I decided to formalize a selection of my brief lecture notes. In the end, it was the chance meetings with various students from semesters long past that made the difference—whether it was a graceful bow at the dog park with a confession about how much someone missed my classes “because no one teaches yoga quite like you”—or an unexpected and respectful hug on a public street. Such expressions of appreciation come as a result of students’ having connected with their own immutable purity—their own sweetness. This is a gift that I wish everyone could have and hold—an experience of essence. I am hopeful that the offerings in this thin volume will draw you closer to your Self.
If you are able, read the ideas and attempt the techniques in the order presented. Think of the relationship between them as the parallel tracks for a single train. Sequencing is critical. I am hopeful that the book will act as a springboard to the wealth of literature, opportunities and practices in the fields and traditions represented. To that end, I have included a brief Recommended Miscellany.
Remember to support yourself with kind words and buoy yourself up, on the worst of days, with your own fierceness and tenacity. Please use only the ideas and techniques that you deem appropriate and release the rest.
Julian Lynn
Summer 2011
Incredible things happen whenever we commit to a fitness routine or an on-going exercise program. Most of us approach the health studio or center thinking we are simply working on physiological issues, such as maintaining bone density, improving flexibility, trimming off a few pounds or improving muscle tone. Then, one day, in the middle of our solo run on the elliptical machine or on the mat during a group fitness class, we find ourselves experiencing a greater joy than we have ever known or an unnamed sorrow that is baffling—origins unknown.
Whether or not we anticipate it, strengthening the physical body causes us to begin the process of shedding experiential and emotional shadows, once sequestered away in our body’s cells and tissues. During the strengthening process, our physiology actually begins to create space for new experiences and our individual essence. As a result of our dedication to our physical routine, forgotten moments of intense emotional range are presented to be reorganized and compressed into files of a smaller and more impersonal type. For some, old memories may push forward and require resolution. For others, a quiet review of behavior becomes part of our mental routine during a workout, fostering greater responsibility and thoughtfulness in our actions and manners than we previously thought possible. Whatever our experience may be, joy begins to express itself in an ever-intensifying and more frequent manner as we make a shift, seating the essence into the body. And, when joy becomes the predominant emotional experience during the course of everyday living, we know we have come to center. With this shift, we experience a feeling of wholeness—an integrated sense of Self.
Different traditions have their own descriptions and vocabularies for this process of unfolding that includes the peregrination of the essence into the body. In Vedic tradition, the physical postures of yoga are practiced to strengthen the body, so we can sit in meditation and prepare to hold the higher Self or Atman. In Sufism, an aspirant looks to connect with the Essential Self and destroy the false idol of the Commanding Self or ego. In Christian terms, one of the best parallel understandings of this same idea appears in Quaker tradition (Religious Society of Friends), where the essence is referred to as the Light of Christ. Like Vedic theory, Quaker tradition holds the understanding that the Light is present in each of us.
Whatever vocabulary we choose in order to describe the process of becoming integrated is of a secondary concern. What matters is that we have made the commitment to embark on a voyage of discovery. As a result of our commitment to strengthening the body, we will most likely encounter the Self and begin asking the twin questions: Who am I? And, why am I here? Our answers to these fundamental questions hinge upon our ability to connect directly with the body and the breath.
With the best of variables in place, such as support and personal discipline, pursuit of a dedicated fitness program may be life-changing. In connecting with our own life force, we are preparing to experience—potentially—one noteworthy moment after another. The pacing of breakthrough moments usually varies—sometimes coming like a cascade in rapid succession, followed by seemingly long phases of dry division. The ideas and techniques in this book are designed to smooth the pacing and ease the transitions during your process of transformation.
By relying on the descriptions furnished by other students of body and breath work who have gone before us, we know when we have had an experience of wholeness or integrated Self. Some students of this integrative process describe the experience as one of profound stillness or calm. Others describe this feeling as being "in the zone" or that place where there is no sense of time. Becoming fully centered and grounded causes us to realize our own strength or “power.” This is not a strength that needs exertion over anything or anyone else, but a feeling of solidness within one’s Self. Others, especially those who have not been able to express their own volition, may experience anger when the Self is uncovered.
From a physiological point of view, the most important thing that happens with the invitation of the essence into the body is that we begin making decisions that are consistent with the affirmation of our own vitality and uniqueness—without feeling the need to orchestrate, control or interfere with anyone else. For example, when the body needs salt to recover from a rigorous practice, we may choose to enjoy six salty snack chips instead of mindlessly eating an entire bag of snack food.
As time lapses and our physical body gains strength, we change our previous automatic agreement to or engagement in less-than-optimal habits or life patterns. Having developed a heightened sense of body awareness, old habits are replaced by new ones—whether in personal or interpersonal behavior. Anger dissipates. Grief is released. Joy unfolds. We develop internal steadiness. We actively begin to make thoughtful choices about the what, where, when and who in our lives and we may even set a distinctly altered course.
This breathing technique invites us into the body and helps build self-awareness regarding our abdominal muscles and breathing rhythms. Practiced in a fully reclining position, this exercise is extraordinary in its efficacy. If you are new to your physical routine, you will learn to recognize and feel your postural muscles in action. In a limited and gentle way, belly breathing also helps us strengthen the muscles of the lower belly. If you are not yet strong in terms of core strength, it is advisable to find a safe method for strengthening your abdominal muscles. Some of the seated exercises later in the book are best enjoyed with these postural muscles already developed. Be sure to have a light, mid-sized textbook, bean-bag cushion or telephone book at hand to use as an impromptu weight.
Caution: If you have pre-existing abdominal concerns, conditions or injuries, do not use any type of weight on your lower belly and consult with a physician before attempting this exercise.
Find a suitable location, where you may recline comfortably for approximately seven to twelve minutes. Blow your nose thoroughly before beginning.
If you need to support your head with a thin pillow, you may; otherwise, enjoy this exercise with your body laid out flat. Your spine is straight and long. Your toes fall away from the center or mid-line of your body.
Place the light textbook, bean-bag cushion or telephone book on your belly—below your navel. Inhaling through your nose, imagine bringing your breath all of the way down to the top of your pubic bone and observe the weight rising with your inhalation. As you exhale, observe the weight falling. The breath is steady and even.
Allow the length of the exhalation to match your inhalation. Adjust or change the weight you have selected until you find a prop that feels like a good fit for your body. There should be no strain on the inhaling breath and a comfortable level of mild resistance in working with the weight.
Observe each time as you inhale: the abdomen and ribs are expanding. With each exhale, your belly and chest are contracting. Continue inhaling and exhaling for five to seven minutes without pausing between breaths. If you are normally a shallow breather, reduce the time to three to five minutes and exercise caution when first trying this technique.
When you have completed this exercise, remove the weight and carefully roll to your right or left side, whichever is most comfortable. Pause here to take two or three additional cycles of breath. (A cycle of breath consists of an exhale and an inhale.)
Using your arms, come to a seated position. Remain seated and take three to seven additional cycles of breath to ensure that you are fully aware of your surroundings and grounded in your body.
As you work with this exercise, you may expand the length of time that you spend breathing with the same weight on your abdomen to twelve to fifteen minutes. Finally, you may work up to a total of twenty-one minutes. (Do not work to increase the size of the weight on your abdomen. The weight is there as a tool to build breath and core awareness, not muscle.)
Good or bad. Right or wrong. If we have grown up immersed in American popular culture or have even lived adjacent to it, we know how deeply engrained this manner of dualistic thinking can become and how difficult it can be to change.
Early in our childhoods, the conceptual dualism of good and bad is one of the first frameworks for thinking that we encounter. Our early behavior is labeled using this system of categorization. We choose sides and play games through the prism of this concept. This construct also appears consistently in children’s media. At its best, this framework for thinking acts as a simple sorting tool so that we, as children, may choose socially appropriate thoughts to entertain, words to say, actions to take and individuals to befriend. But, if this method of thinking still occupies an active place in our adult minds, it may contribute to our being overly simplistic in how we approach problem solving. At its worst, this manner of thinking may contribute to our being judgmental toward ourselves or others.