Practical Use of Yoga Powers

Certified Ashtanga Yoga teacher David Garrigues discusses the concept of infinity and how it plays out in the asana practice, nirodha, and creates yogic powers (siddhis) in the practitioner. EXTRA NOTES The 8 famous Siddhis Siddhi (special) power: peculiar skill, mastery, perfection 1) ANIMA SIDDHI Ability to become small, size of an atom In your pose: ability to perceive the minutest detail; subtle, fine discernment; isolating the actions of different parts of your body; supra sensory perception In your life: attention to details; sensitive; perceive subtleties 2) MAHIMA SIDDHI Ability to become large like the monkey God, Hanuman, who grew to colossal size when he leaped across the water to Lanka from the tip of India. In your pose: ability to perceive your entire body all at once; seeing many layers of context for activating your body; harmonizing the different parts of your body, causing Life Force to flow freely throughout all the channels. In your life: see the big picture: more all encompassing perspective 3) GARIMA SIDDHI Power to increase in weight infinitely In your asana: power to connect to your body (feet, hands, legs, and arms) with the ground beneath you and strike the Immovable Spot; ability to send weight into specific parts of the body: ability to wield your weight skillfully; able to sustain your attention where you choose. In your life: grounded; able to place weight on what is important, meaningful, and prioritize what is valuable; supportive, steady, constant, reliable like a rock 4) LAGHIMA SIDDHI Power to become lighter than the lightest In your pose: power to make your body light, buoyant, float, leap, float, and fly; buoyant light spine; nimble, swift, cheerful, ebullient In your life: lightness, able to let go of or avoid heavy states depression, despair, lethargy or pessimism; forgiving not holding grudges swift minded sharp, light on your feet responsive. 5) PRAAPTI SIDDHI Ability to acquire anything anywhere In your pose: knowing how to get the best from your body and mind; able to work with your weaknesses and limits instead of against them; thinking creatively; able to utilize whatever is at hand—props or modifications-- to attain your objectives for doing a pose. In your life: knowing what you want and then making the best of whatever you have in all circumstance to succeed. Knowing how to compromise, make concessions, and set priorities; knowing how to sacrifice the things that are least important to you and retain what is most important to you; faith that the universe somehow provides whatever you need. 6) PRAKAMYA SIDDHI Willfulness, freedom of will, power of will 7) ISHITVA SIDDHI Lordship over all creation 8) VASHITVA SIDDHI Ability to control the entire creation, especially the 5 elements Extra Siddhis Relevant to your Pose and your Life DURA SRAVANA SIDDHI Hearing far; masterful listener both external and internal; ability to quiet and still and hear communications from the creative, higher source within DURA DARSHANA SIDDHI Seeing far; visionary; penetrative outward and inward gaze; living your life according to dharma; in touch with what represents the ‘Ultimate You’; seeing the pith of your life and life. MANOJAVITVA SIDDHI Swiftness of mind and body KAMA RUPA SIDDHI Ability to attain the desired form—power to strike the asana as you envision it.