What is Kaya Sthairyam?
Experiencing, and then abiding in a state of stillness, is one of the biggest challenges of meditation and even for those who find a state of physical stillness the mind can often remain in constant movement around sensory impressions. The aim of Kaya Sthairyam is to induce a deeper sense of physical stillness that can then lead to a natural stilling of the mind. The practice is often used as a preliminary or introductory meditation practice, however, it is far more profound than just forcing stillness upon the physical body and it can become a potent meditation practice in its own right.
Although translated as ‘body steadiness’ or ‘bodily stillness’, the purpose of Kaya Sthairyam is to encourage the stilling of all the senses through focussing primarily on physical experience. The stillness that can be encountered through the practice of Kaya Sthairyam is not one of a forced, or false, stillness of the body and mind but a gradual releasing of any need to make physical movement and, through the potential stillness that arises, a loosening of the impact of all sensory impressions.
Why is stillness important in life today?
In today's modern world there is a never ending stream of sensory impressions, in fact it could easily be described as a torrent. From the moment we awake to the noise of the alarm, the first check on the phone for messages, social media stories, the radio playing in the background on the way to work, a podcast in our ears on a morning run …. the list is endless and often does not cease until we lay our head on our pillow again at night. Even our yoga practice can be experienced through the same medium - our teachers' voice and visual instruction channeled through an online screen.
Learning to acknowledge and experience deep stillness allows us the possibility of being able to meet the busyness of life whilst not being so fully identified with, or carried away by the busy-ness of life. In fact, the deepening of our practice, and experience, of meditation allows us to participate more and more in the rich tapestry of life whilst remaining conscious of the deeper stillness that lies veiled at the core of our being and at the core of all that is.
Through the regular practice of the techniques offered in Kaya Sthairyam we open ourselves to the possibility of the experience of meditation and that can lead to a greater ease and steadiness as we ride life's waves.
Meditation and the relevance of Kaya Sthairyam
Meditation is a fundamental aspect of Yoga and, at the same time, one of the most misunderstood of all practices. It can help if we are clear about what meditation is not. It is not an exercise in fighting the mind. It is not an expectation that the mind will be continually peaceful and free from fluctuations. It is not an exercise in pretending that we are better than others or more ‘spiritual’ because we happen to practice yoga.
Meditation is a core element of a system of practices, Yoga, that evolved as a path that can allow the realization of deeper levels of our being – of our essential nature. This is quite a bold statement to make however it is what it is.
“Yogas chitta vritti nirodhaha.”
Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutra, describes Yoga happening, when through the cessation of fluctuations of mind, there arises that state of meditation – where Consciousness is realised as our essential identity.
It is clear that for meditation to bear its fruit there must be a quietening of the mind – the fluctuations of mind must cease even if only temporarily. Yet this is not something we can force.
So what do we do? We give the mind something to do, something to be occupied with. This is the beauty of so many meditation techniques, especially those that are found within Yoga. There are some who find practices of focus and absorption easy, where the mind is made one pointed through attention, however for so many of us the most effective practices are those where we have ‘more to do’.
These methods offer a frame work, or clearly marked pathway if you like, for the mind to follow. For the mind to quieten our practice creates the conditions where, quite naturally, we become less and less identified with those aspects of experience that we so completely assume ourselves to be defined by – the physical body, the play of the mind, the dance of emotions and feelings etc. We don’t for a minute diminish and deny these levels of our experience – far from it, we can use these so obvious levels of our moment to moment experience as our meditation practice so that we can open up to levels of our being currently hidden from view by being so caught up in those aspects previously mentioned.
Kaya Sthairyam is one such practice.
As mentioned earlier, in Sanskrit kaya means ‘body’ and sthairyam means ‘stillness’ or steadiness. The intent of the practice is to encourage a stillness of the body – again we recognise that it is not an exercise in forcing the body to be still. We can all sit in a rigid, forced position where we are in pain and discomfort. I’m not sure what the benefits would be however a deepening of meditation is very unlikely. As the old saying goes – ‘any fool can be uncomfortable.’
The practice of kaya sthairyam ‘uses’ our embodied experience as a way of cultivating a stillness within the body that can then encourage a stillness in the mental and emotional sphere.
Kaya Sthairyam, with its focus on stillness within the physical form, has often been considered a preparatory practice for further meditation practices however it is also of profound value as a stand alone practice.
It would be easy to continue to describe what is or is not possible through the practice of kaya Sthairyam however, as the old Asian proverb says, ‘talk does not cook the rice’ so here is a variation of the practice – highlighting its simplicity, and through regular practice, its effectiveness. It’s the doing of our practice that is the key.
The practice of Kaya Sthairyam
Kaya Stairyam is usually practiced from a comfortable sitting posture using any props, chairs etc that are needed to be comfortable and still. But there is no reason why it cannot be practised from lying if sitting is not appropriate, although there is then the risk of falling asleep rather than actually doing a practice. In fact, once you know some of the techniques for cultivating stillness then they can be a great way to settle for any meditation, relaxation or Yoga Nidra practice.
Kaya Sthairyam uses the experiences of the physical body, the most gross and easily recognised experience of our sense of identity, to gradually let go of movement, and maybe more importantly identification with the body alone, and then uncover a deeper sense of underlying stillness. Techniques in the practice can include imagining, or sensing, ourselves like aspects of nature that are still and steady such as a tree or a mountain, or even visualising ourselves in front of a full length mirror. The main focus of the practice however is rotating awareness around different parts of the body a number of times fairly quickly. In the first rotation we just bring awareness to each part of the body, during the second rotation we notice the sensations experienced at each body part and in a third rotation we can begin to recognise a stillness that pervades the entire experience of each part of the body - a stillness that underlies all other sensations etc. From there the experience of the whole body is explored with the potential of gradually recognising that this stillness is more fundamental than all the other sensations or phenomena of which we are still conscious.
The practice can then develop further to once more revisit the qualities of the tree or the mountain for example, that allow us to sense or connect with that stillness that can underlie all the experiences of nature as well as of our own being. Another development of the practice can be to experience the movement of the breath which can appear to arise from and return to that state of stillness.
Over time, once the experience of Kaya Sthairyam arises more readily it becomes easier to move on to practices such as Antar Mouna (inner silence) where we can, from that place of stillness, begin to notice and witness the fluctuations experienced as thoughts and memories, feelings and emotions. As importantly, as we become more conscious of the presence of this deep stillness we can remain aware of this presence even in the midst of the ups and downs of our busy lives.
Conclusion
Kaya Sthairyam is a preparation for other meditation practices and, at the same time, is a profoundly effective meditation in its own right.
