WhY Do YoGa?

Thanks to Mr Iyengar and the West who has popularised and mainstreamed yoga from its origin of an esoteric practice of yogis in caves in Himalayas.

Social media is filled with images of people in different yoga poses. The weekly yoga class is a way of coping with the daily stresses of work and modern life to disconnect for that hour, as a comfort zone to retreat to, to stretch out that stiff body huddled in front of the computer for hours, to help back pain etc.

Yoga can help one's physical body. Especially when one ages and all the ligaments and joints stiffen, to keep one limber and pain free. It can also minimise unnecessary doctor visits and improve quality of life.

But yoga is more than just physical If one wishes to delve into the ancient subject matter.

Many a times, we are but just skimming the surface of the practice.

The ability of one to get into more difficult or advanced poses is 1. inherited from our parents 2. training- dancers and gymnasts 3. in some cases, hard dedicated long hours of work. Some poses will prove impossible despite best efforts. However, it is important to note that the more advanced asana poses does no equate enlightenment.

So WhY Do YoGa?

To see things as they are. Truth.

The asana practice is just one part of the 8 limbs of Raja Yoga.

Yamas

Niyamas

Asana

Pranayama

Pratyhara

Dharana

Dyana

Samadhi

Asana practice must be set on a foundation of Yama principles of non violence, satya (truth telling), Asteya (non stealing), bramacharya (continence/right use of energy) and aparigraha (non-grasping). The observances (Niyama) of saucum (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), Svadhyaya (study of self/ test), isvara pranidhana (Surrender to a higher being/ power).

The yogic practice works with the gross (Sthula Sarira), subtle (Suksma Sarira) and causal body (Karana Sarira). Peeling the layers through annamaya kosha; pranayama kosha; manomaya kosha; vijnanamaya kosha to anandamaya kosha. To understand the Self, which is a wave manifestation in the vast ocean of Consciousness. For the Being to one day understand THAT, which goes beyond time and space.

The many years of pre-asana and asana work is to strengthen the body, release physical restrictions, allow us to sit comfortably in the seated postures/positions of padmasana/sukhasana/ swastikasana/ siddhasana to start breath practice and access energy flow. The increasing difficulties of the asana practice is for training of mind (which is subtle), how does the mind react when we can easily do something, how does the mind react when we struggle. The dance between Doing and Being. Watching the ego rise and hopefully abate with the full understanding of Sthiram Sukham Asanam.

The work of subtle body in terms of nadis/cakras with access to muladara cakra/ svadisthana cakra/ Manipura cakra/ Anahata cakra/ vishuddi cakra/ ajna cakra/ sahasra cakra to clear physical/psychological and pranic restrictions, allowing unobstructed energy flow, under an experienced teacher and start of Meditation practice. Pranayama is life force and energy & like how we follow instructions on use of household appliances to ensure proper functioning; similarly pranayama needs to follow specific safety precautions. Or else it will be like the Chinese saying in martial arts of 走火入魔. Importantly, as my wonderful yoga teacher Ramanand Patel puts in - continue pranayama but see that you are not 'doing' pranayama, you are just breathing, pranayama is happening.

That slowly brings the link to Self/ consciousness - Pakriti/ Purusha as elucidated in Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Psychic experiences/ clairvoyance/ heightened sensitivity to energy flow may 'entrance' some but one must be very grounded in the understanding that even glimpses of past lives/ clairvoyance is limited by time - but the real "I" is not subject to time. Who is the observer and the observed? When I am touching someone, I am also being touched. When the mind/ ego can no longer grasp and lies in the abode of being, instead of doing/grasping/ solidifying.

When every experience becomes one we can clearly see and be clear about what is Apparent Reality (which is necessary for functioning in everyday lives - with its drama/ positive/ negative experiences) and Ultimate Reality (that which does not change). By dropping the Duality of positive/ negative to see that it just is. Calls for lifetimes of practice.

Also it is so easy to get deluded in our practice that we think we are BECOMING something, when the process is about becoming NOBODY. So that asana practice, the pranayama and meditation practice requires a lot of careful observation of our mind/ego that we dont get caught up in Doing and Becoming, but more in Being. That's why my previous yoga teacher used to call it Razor's edge - so easy to get caught and fall off.

At the end, the physical body dies and we just become one with the Universe/ Consciousness one more time.

ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।

पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥

ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥

Om Puurnnam-Adah Puurnnam-Idam Puurnnaat-Puurnnam-Udacyate |

Puurnnasya Puurnnam-Aadaaya Puurnnam-Eva-Avashissyate ||

Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

May you be happy

May you be blessed

May you help others from the Authenticity of your Being ~ Jack Kornfield

🙏 namaste