YOGA IN DARKNESS

Exploring the way darkness can influence the psyche, the body and perception is at the heart of the practice of Andhakara Yoga (Darkness Yoga).

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Pitch Darkness

Eyes closed, dim light or being blindfolded is not pitch darkness. The practice room must be completely dark, not even a single dot of light is allowed. And the darkness should be not only for your physical eyes, must be dark for every cell of your body and particularly for your pineal gland, because the pineal gland is photosensitive, and when it is surrounded by complete darkness, it begins to produce melatonin and gradually it shifts the body and mind from an “active mode” into a “relaxation mode”.

This state makes you more sensitive, receptive and open, this is an ideal condition to achieve a deep yoga practice.

What if Your Body Disappears?

You are used to seeing your body when your eyes are open, you are used to seeing your body during your yoga practice.

In pitch darkness, this pattern of the brain is interrupted, because even with your eyes open, you cannot see your own body, the body “dissolves” in darkness. This action creates a shift in awareness, because your brain is used to this formula: being aware/see your own body; but in darkness it becomes: being aware/no body.

As a result, your awareness begins to detach from the physical form.

With continued practice, your awareness is no longer anchored in the body, and your perception changes, gradually you begin to experience yourself as pure energy and awareness.

When students of Andhakara Yoga reach this state, I call it Arupasana. It refers to a state of “yoga postures without shape or form”, when they reach this state means that they can easily detach the awareness from the body and move into subtler aspects of one’s being.

Dark Perception

People often believe that in darkness they cannot see, but in fact,darkness simply makes useless the physical eyes, as they function only with light. Yet in darkness, another kind of seeing becomes possible, a more subtle vision begins to emerge. Just as darkness activates the pineal gland, it also influences the third eye, Ajna chakra; gradually awakening your subtle perception. Over time, you learn to perceive reality beyond the physical eyes.

Light and darkness are two facets of existence. Neither is better nor worse, neither good nor bad. These are only labels created by interpretations of the mind. But these facets are simply different, that is all.

And yet, modern life conditions us to perceive almost exclusively through light, through the eyes, through the rational mind, and rarely through its opposite. Even when going to sleep, many people keep a source of light nearby.

True darkness is rarely experienced. For reasons difficult to name, people tend to avoid the dark facet of existence.

Darkness as a Mirror

During a yoga class, students often lose focus by observing others, in their minds they compare and judge each other or they are wandering in their minds,distracted by the visual stimuli around them. In pitch darkness, all visual distractions disappear. Even when during a yoga class you are sharing the space with others, in darkness they will “dissolve”, and eventually you forget them. At some moment during the practice you feel as though you are alone in an endless dark chamber.

In Andhakara Yoga, even the teacher is no longer a visual reference demonstrating the practice anymore. The guidance is given beforehand, in detail, before entering the darkness. Once the practice in darkness starts, you are only with yourself.

In light, you see yourself reflected through others, in darkness, you encounter yourself directly. Your awareness becomes your only reference, not the teacher, not even the space, not even time.

Darkness becomes a mirror, reflecting not your body, but your Being.

In essence, Andhakara Yoga is the practice of learning to perceive reality without relying on the physical eyes.