Yoga
employs different positions to help relax mind and body; however, perhaps the
strongest influence yoga can produce is when you’re not doing anything at all.
Silence
or Mauna isn't just the practice of withholding speech but also in controlling
one’s senses. For yoga to be effective, a person must take his time clearing
his or her mind of all troublesome thoughts and refocus his energy on the
stimulus of serenity. After all, you practice yoga to relax, not to think of
solutions to everyday problems; the latter will come eventually.
There
are many stories regarding the efficacy of Mauna. In an account by Catherine
Ingram for the Yoga Journal, former Indian PM Indira Gandhi consulted a
Shankaracharya, a title for the head of a Hindu monastery, and confided her
reservations regarding administrative work. As the only female to hold the
position so far, Gandhi felt the pressure.
After
a closed-door session, a rejuvenated Gandhi returned to her plane bound for New
Delhi. Despite asking so many questions, neither Gandhi nor the Shankaracharya
spoke a word. The lesson learned that day was that answers would come to the
curious or troubled someday by way of "innate intelligence."
Perhaps
this is the reason for yoga spas being located in serene areas. Soundproof
rooms are a start, but some spas situate themselves well away from bustling
cities. The remoteness of the location allows the person to become one with
nature, just as yoga intends to.
