The five states of the mind, Gregor Maehle, Ashtanga yoga practice&philosophy

The five states of the mind are the restless
(kshipta), infatuated (mudha), distracted (vikshipta),
one-pointed (ekagra), and suspended (nirodha) mind.
To explain these five states we have to look briefly at
the three qualities of the mind.
As mentioned before, yoga states that there are
two separate entities that are both real and eternal
— nature (prakrti) and consciousness (purusha). The
closest idea in Western science to describe prakrti is
the state before the Big Bang or the state before the
universe manifested. Prakrti has also been translated
as “creation” (although prakrti itself is eternal and
uncreated) or “procreatress” — the matrix that procreates,brings forth everything.
Prakrti is said to be stirred into action by the
proximity or closeness of consciousness (purusha),
and it manifests the world with the help of its three
qualities (gunas). They are:
Tamas — heaviness, inertia, mass
Rajas — movement, energy, dynamics
Sattva — light, intelligence, wisdom.
Together, the three gunas form all phenomena and
objects. We can compare them in some ways to the
elementary particles proton, neutron, and electron in
Western science, which miraculously form all 105
elements and thus all matter. We cannot stretch this
comparison too far, though, since the gunas form
also ego and mind.
With the restless (kshipta) state of mind, rajas is
predominant. This mind is associated with hyperactivity,
excess movement, and one thought chasing
the next. It is said that this type of mind can only
reach concentration through intense hatred, such as
in destroying one’s imagined enemies. The restless
mind is very unsuitable for yoga, and one dominated
by a restless mind rarely takes it up. If they nevertheless
do so, it is often only in the hope of gaining
magical powers to vanquish their enemies.
With the second, infatuated (mudha) state of
mind, tamas is predominant. This mind is often dull,
stupefied or deluded, and infatuated with the body,
wealth, family, tribe, or nationality. Because the
tamas guna makes the mind heavy, one cannot look
further than any obvious objects of identification
such as those just mentioned.
The infatuated mind is not suitable for yoga, and
the only way it can concentrate is through intense
greed. If somebody with such a mind-set takes up
yoga, it is usually for physical gain (so that the body
looks better) or monetary gain (to be able to work
harder or achieve more).
With the third state of mind, the distracted
(vikshipta) mind, no guna is predominant. Rather,
any one of the three (rajas, tamas, or sattva) takes
over, depending on impulse. This state of mind can
also be called confused or oscillating, and it is typical
of people who identify with being “New Age.”
They see everything as being true and meaningful
and believe that “all have to live according to their
truth.” If something happens it is “meant to be,”
although possibly we were just too unfocused to
achieve a certain result.
Those dominated by the distracted mind are
opportunist agnostics — believing there are many
truths and that the one truth cannot be known.
Rather, one’s mind-set is merely adjusted according
to circumstances in order to stay comfortable. The
distracted mind has glimpses of the truth, but with
the next obstacle it is thrown off track and holds
onto another idea.
When in the grip of the distracted mind we often
hold on to beliefs, since we cannot permanently recognize
deep reality or truth. This type of mind is
unsuitable for higher yoga, such as samadhi, as it can
achieve concentration only randomly and it loses it
quickly.
The fact that yoga is a science that enables us to
directly perceive and realize the deepest layer of
reality means that the holding of beliefs is contradictory
to yogic examination. If we hold on to beliefs,
we will always superimpose them onto reality and
so never arrive at the correct conclusion. Realis -
tically speaking, most yoga students start with distracted
minds and most of one’s yogic life is spent
attempting to transform the distracted mind into the
one-pointed state.
In the fourth—one-pointed (ekagra)—state of
mind, sattva is predominant. Through yoga, the mind
is made more and more sattvic. If the state of pure
sattva is achieved, that is pure intelligence. This intelligence
is necessary to see reality as it is. According
to sutra III.55,
When the intelligence is as untainted as
consciousness, this will lead to liberation.
Somebody who is born in a state of one-pointedness
can become free after a comparatively short phase of
practice and study. This state of mind is suitable for
samadhi-based-on-an-object (samprajnata samadhi),
which is the lower type of samadhi. It is through this
type of samadhi that many of the great masters conceived
and compiled their teachings. However, the
feat should not daunt us. As the master Vijnana -
bhikshu said, “Transformation of the mind can be
gained only gradually, and not all at once.”
The last state of mind is nirodha, “suspended.” In
this state there is no predominance of any quality.
Instead, one’s mind is reabsorbed into its source,
which is nature (prakrti). Somebody in this state of
mind permanently rests in his or her true nature,
which is consciousness. The type of samadhi
achieved here is objectless samadhi (asamprajnata
samadhi), which is the higher form. The suspended
mind (nirodha chitta) is the goal of yoga. Masters
who had this type of mind conceived the
Upanishads, which are the highest scriptures. It is
because the mind does not interfere with intelligence
that nirodhas can see to the bottom of their
hearts and hear the divine truth. For this reason the
Upanishads are considered as revelation and of
divine authority.

Mula bandha, Uddiyana Bandha from the book Ashtanga yoga practice and philosophy Gregor Maehle

The term bandha is related to the English word “bonding.” We bond breath, movement, and awareness together. The first bandha is called Mula Bandha,which translates as “root lock.” The root referred to here is the root of the spine, the pelvic floor or, more precisely, the center of the pelvic floor, the perineum.The perineum is the muscular body between the anus and the genitals. By slightly contracting the pubo-coccygeal (PC) muscle, which goes from the pubic bone to the tailbone (coccyx), we create an energetic seal that locks prana into the body and so prevents it from leaking out at the base of the spine.Mula Bandha is said to move prana into the central channel, called sushumna, which is the subtle equivalent of the spine.Locating the PC muscle might be difficult at first.It has been suggested that one should tighten the anus, or alternatively contract the muscle that one would use to stop urination, but these indications are not entirely accurate: Mula

Bandha is neither of these two muscles but located right between them.These suggestions have their value, however, offering some guidance until we become more sensitive and are able to isolate the PC muscle more precisely.For females it is essential not to mistake Mula Bandha for a contraction of the cervix. This con -traction tends to occur especially during strenuous activity. Should a woman do this on a daily basis when engaged in two hours of yoga practice, she could experience difficulty in giving birth.In the beginning we employ mainly a gross muscular lock, which works mainly on the gross body. Through practice we shift to an energetic lock,which works more on the subtle or pranic body.When mastered, Mula Bandha becomes exclusively mental, and works on the causal body.To become familiar with Mula Bandha, sit tall and upright in a comfortable position and focus on slightly contracting the perineum, which is the center of the pelvic floor. With the exhalation, visualize the breath beginning at the nostrils and slowly reaching down through the throat, the chest, and the abdomen until it eventually hooks into the pelvic floor, which contracts slightly. As the inhalation starts, there will be an automatic reaching upward.Since we keep the breath hooked into the pelvic floor through contracting the PC muscle, we create suction and an energetic lift upward through the entire core of the body. This is Mula Bandha. With this movement the first step is taken to arrest the downward flow of life force, which increases with age and invites death, disease, and decay like the withering of a plant, and convert it into an upward flow that promotes growth and further blossoming.Mula Bandha is held throughout the entire breathing cycle and during the whole practice. Every posture needs to grow out of its root. This is only finally released during deep relaxation in complete surrender.The second bandha is Uddiyana Bandha. It is sometimes confused with Uddiyana, one of the shat karmas or six actions, also called kriyas, of Hatha Yoga. This Uddiyana is a preparation for nauli, the stomach roll.Nauli is practiced by sucking the entire abdominal content up into the thoracic cavity. It is done only during breath retention (kumbhaka), and it is very different from the technique practiced in VinyasaYoga. The Uddiyana Bandha of Vinyasa Yoga is a much gentler exercise. It consists of lightly contracting the transverse abdominis muscle, which runs horizontally across the abdomen and is used to draw the abdominal contents in against the spine.To successfully switch on Uddiyana Bandha, it is important to isolate the upper transverse abdominismuscle from the lower part and use only the part below the navel. Doing other wise impinges on the free movement of the diaphragm. If the movement of the diaphragm is restricted for a long time, aggressive,boastful, egotistical, and macho tendencies can develop in the psyche. This is not endorsed by traditional teaching, however. Shankara and Patanjali provideus with the following explanations. True posture,according to Shankara, is that which lead seffortlessly to meditation on Brahman and not to pain and self-torture. Patanjali says that asana is perfected when meditation on the infinite (ananta) is achieved through the releasing of excess effort.Some have claimed that Ashtanga Yoga is warrior yoga, and that warriors used it to psych themselves up for battle. This is a very sad misunderstanding.Those who have had a true experience of the practice will have come away feeling tired and happy —and definitely not psyched up for battle. Rather, one feels more like hugging one’s enemy and, incomplete surrender, handing them whatever they demand — perhaps even imparting genuine adviceas to how to enjoy life and not waste it with suchbstupidities as aggression and warfare. There is no warrior yoga. War and yoga exclude each otherbecause the first yogic commandment is ahimsa —nonviolence.Richard Freeman says that Uddiyana Bandha is infact only a slight suction inward just above thepubic bone. The more subtle Uddiyana Bandha becomes, the more blissful, peaceful, childlike, and innocent becomes the character of the practitioner.I suggest starting by firming the abdominal wall below the navel and then, as awareness increases with years of practice, allow Uddiyana Bandha to slide downward. Again, the more subtle it becomes,the more influence Uddiyana Bandha will have on th esubtle body.As I have mentioned in the previous section, a lot of emphasis has been placed on abdominal breathingin our culture in the last forty years. This has its place in the performing arts — especially dance and theater — and for therapy. It is certainly helpful for singers and actors, and for someone undergoing psychotherapy. Abdominal breathing, with complete relaxation of the abdominal wall, is recommended a suseful when ever we want to connect to our emotionsand bring them to the fore. In the New Age movementin particular, emotions are seen as something sacred that one needs to follow and live out. Abdomina lbreathing is a good idea whenever one wants to intensify one’s emotions.In many other situations, though, it is not helpful to heighten one’s emotions. After all, emotions are only a form of the mind. To be emotional means to react to a present situation according to a past conditioning.For example, if I am rejected in a certain situation that is new to me, I will feel hurt. If i find my self in a similar situation again, I will become emotional even before any new hurt has been inflicted. I will emote “hurt” before I actually feel it. An emotion is a conserved feeling that arises because the original feeling has left a subconscious imprint in the mind. Patanjali calls this imprint samskara. The theory that being emotional is being more authentic is flawed, since an emotional person is as much in the past as a person who is constantly“in his or her head.”Besides the fact that it makes one emotional,constant abdominal breathing also has negativ ephysical repercussions. It leads to sagging, collapsing abdominal organs with enlarged, weak blood vessels and stagnant blood. Then follow a lack of oxygen supply, a decrease in vitality, and eventually the development of chronic disease.If the lower abdominal wall is kept firm and the upper wall is relaxed, the diaphragm moves up and down freely and the whole abdomen functions like the combustion chamber of an engine, with thediaphragm as the piston. This produces a strong oscillation of intra-abdominal blood pressure, and it is exactly this mechanism that produces healthy abdominal organs. When the diaphragm moves down and the abdominal wall is held, the pressure in the combustion chamber will rise. When the diaphragm moves up, all the blood is sucked out of the abdomen and blood pressure drops. This strong oscillation of abdominal blood pressure constantly massages the internal organs and leads to strong,healthy tissue.We look now at the subtle mechanics of Uddiyana Bandha. Uddiyana means flying up. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that, because of Uddiyana Bandha, the great bird of prana flies up incessantly through the sushumna. Sushumna is the central energy channel,which lies, albeit in the subtle body, roughly in front of the spine and originates at the perineum. It terminates within the head — some sources say at the highest point of the head, but more often it is described as ending where the head is joined to the spine. The sushumna is usually dormant. It is accompanied by two other nadis (energy channels), which wind around it like the snakes of the caduceus.These are the lunar (ida) and solar (pingala) channels.There are certain parallels between solar and lunar energy channels on the one hand and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems on the other, but we cannot say that the one is the other.The Hatha Yoga Pradipika explains that prana should be directed into sushumna by closing the ida and
pingala. The same text states that, by practicing MulaBandha, prana will enter sushumna. In a later stanza of the text a great truth is revealed: time (which we perceive as the fluctuation of night and day) is produced by the sun and moon.In other words, it is the illusion of time that prevents us from recognizing deep reality (Brahman), which is timeless and is fabricated by the moment of inner breath (prana) int he pingala (solar) and ida (lunar) energy channels.The stanza goes on to reveal the key to all physical yoga, which is that the sushumna devours time.In other words, if prana is made to enter the centralchannel it will devour time, which is itself a creation of the fluctuating mind and which keeps us from abiding in deep reality, the timeless consciousness(Brahman). Time is the operating system of th ehuman mind; to go beyond time is to go beyond mind. This is possible when the great bird of prana flies up in sushumna, and sushumna devours time.For this the use of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha is prescribed.Even the great Shankara says that Mula Bandha should always be practiced, since it is fit for raja yogins. In other words, even raja yogins — those who practice mind suspension and who are sometimes disparaging about Hatha yogins and their preoccupation with their bodies—should take up the practice of Mula Bandha, since it leads to going beyond mind.If we remember now Patanjali’s definition of yoga being the suspension of mind, we begin to understand the importance of Mula and Uddiyana Bandha.