Every story has a beginning and an ending. Beginnings can be exhilarating or paralysing, exciting or anxiety-producing, filled with anticipation or dread. Similarly, endings carry their energy and emotion, affecting us with relief or celebration, making us feel either bittersweet or downright sad.Yog, unlike a story, begins when everything ends. The union between the body and the mind can happen when vish, toxic elements, are eliminated in the former and vrittis, modifications, are eradicated in the latter. Vish, in the body, is eliminated through asan and pranayam, and vrittis in the mind are erased through yam, niyam, and dhyan. The body and mind cannot synchronise until the vish and vrittis are reduced. Harmony with nature or the environment can effortlessly occur when physical and psychological synchronisation occurs.Through each pose, we discover that the beginning and end present distinct benefits. In asan, the end of a pose can be seen as a transition to a new state of awareness or a new beginning. Yog encourages us to embrace transitions, both in our physical practice and lives, recognising that endings are often necessary for new beginnings. In the cyclical nature of life, endings are not necessarily final but points of transition and renewal. Every asan has a defined beginning and a defined end.The rest at the end is stillness, followed by a smooth transition to another asan. We begin in stillness, move through postures, and return to finish in stillness.Pranayam carries a similar philosophy. Each inhalation leads to exhalation through retention, antara kumbhaka, of the air drawn into the lungs. This facilitates gathering all toxic elements in the cells, which are then sent out through exhalation. As they are exhaled, the blood is purified; each cell is cleansed to create space for more oxygen. The bahir kumbhak is a transition to another cycle of inhalation and exhalation. So, in the end, we feel rejuvenated. Both asan and pranayam, accompanied by the ten virtues of yam and niyam, help facilitate readiness for dhyan. Until that point, distractions and fluctuations create disturbances. It is only through the process of purification that the body and mind can be aligned, which is essential for sustaining good health and dhyan.Final relaxation in Savasan becomes more fulfilling after fully engaging in our practice with both physical effort and mental focus. Yog reveals the cyclical nature of human experience, showing us that the more we immerse ourselves in an experience – its start, progress, and conclusion – the greater the rewards we take away from it. We find ourselves settled and at ease in our bodies, shifting our focus to our breath and appreciating the tranquill ity that simply being in the pose provides. We cultivate the skill of commencing and concluding as we navigate our practice.As one embraces this path, the transformation transcends physical prowess, blossoming into a holistic mastery that enriches every facet of existence.Authored by: KV Raghupati
