Yes you teach Yoga but do you also practice it ?

In the last couple of weeks, I've been asking myself this question after watching some things happen in the name of Yoga. I hear a lot of statements being made about how Yoga is deeper than a physical practice but how many of us teachers have explored or rather, are exploring this depth in ourselves?

I mean, it's really nice, to say things like, "Ground yourself", "Go deep within" in class, but how often have we teachers looked deep inside ourselves and sought to ground ourselves in the principles of the practice?

It may seem as though yoga teachers are pretty 'sorted' themselves but I have to say it isin't always so. We, too, battle our 'human' emotions, sometimes with awareness and humility and sometimes with denial.

I recently encountered a teacher having or rather throwing a tantrum at the studio that I teach, over why a 'popular' time slot had been given to a new teacher who had just joined the studio instead of her. In her own eyes, she considers herself to be a 'senior' teacher who deserves priority over 'less experienced and knowledgeable' teachers (an obvious dig at the poor new entrant, who quite honestly, displays more maturity than the so-called senior ones!). As I heard this teacher going on and on about how some of the other teachers there really don't deserve to be there (as per her own lofty standards of evaluation) I began to think if this person, had any idea of how far her insecurity and greed for more had brought her. I wondered to myself if her envy at the gain of another was really invisible to her. And I'd really like to believe that it might be so for her sake! But this event started a dialogue within me about whether we teachers deserve an 'elevated' status (pun intended) that some students so generally give us sometimes. Are we teachers watching our thoughts, emotions and behaviour? Is preaching about Love, Peace and Yoga enough to establish ourselves as 'endorsers' of the practice? I'd like to think not. Simply because Yoga is a way to be and who we really are is reflected everyday in what we choose to do.
Let's take the example of this same teacher that I referred to earlier. When someone in her position who takes great pride in her 'accomplishments', 'experience' and 'certifications', starts to display her weaknesses so brazenly I start to wonder if at any point in their 'vast' experience, they have ever contemplated on the meaning of one of the less talked about Yamas -- 'Asteya' (Non-covetousness). The principle of Asteya reminds us to not seek what doesn't belong to us, and that could be a time slot, a material object, or even credit that is due to another. The practice of this very important Yama enables us to become more grounded, more accepting, more content with what Life has brought us, establishing a strong character that is not swayed by what we gain or lose (perceivably). Now, being content doesn't mean being satisfied. We can always work for more while being content in the present moment. Infact, what we have been given can always serve as an impetus to work harder, deliver more, seek more, if that is what we desire but the important question we need to ask ourselves is how far will I go to obtain what I want ? Am I willing to step on others or employ any means required to obtain it ? Am I willing to conveniently ignore the greater truths that I espouse in class so generously but find hard to apply in my own life? And the most important question of all: What has the practice of Yoga taught me? In the answer to this question alone can one find what the practice of Yoga has come to mean to us. So, if the practice is only about twisting oneself into a variety of poses, you might be exhibiting a great deal of flexibility on the mat, but none of it! Let alone inculcating or teaching the principles of self-acceptance and surrender, all of which contribute to building a stable personality.

It is very common today to see teachers counting how many students come to a fellow teacher's class, calculating the money generated, and then conveniently going up to the owner of the studio and shamelessly asking them to give them those slots. I know it may seem unbelievable but it is true. If a teacher's experience has earned them the title of 'Senior', then its a good time for them to reflect on whether those 'years' have brought them the maturity as well as the sense of responsibility that comes with being a senior teacher!

It also reveals to us another important thing: that most yoga teachers are just human beings and not necessarily 'elevated' ones. They possess the same weaknesses that someone in another profession would: insecurity about the future, greed for more, fear of losing what one has, etc etc. However, what does come with the 'title' of a yoga teacher is the expectation that one displays better control over their thoughts, emotions and actions. One also expects a yoga teacher to display balanced behaviour which comes from having a stable mind and stable emotions. And this is accomplished largely by employing the principles of Yoga (Yamas & Niyamas) and not necessarily by gaining mastery over a few asanas. Perhaps this is why Yoga was considered to be a science and a philosophy that brings about true transformation in an individual.

I think its a good time for us teachers to look within and ask ourselves if we have truly understood the meaning of the practice of Yoga and how much of it we choose to display in our everyday lives. And especially when we are faced with a setback or a challenge -- a time when we need to display the practice the most! At that moment does our practice manifest in our thoughts and actions?

As Swami Veda Bharati, a very well known saint in India says, "Just because you have a certificate, doesn't mean you are a teacher!" Amen to that!

The effect of our thoughts

Just as water, air, and solids are food for the body, thoughts are food for the mind. If we do not have healthy, positive, and spiritually illuminating thoughts we cannot sustain a joyful mind. The body and mind are the tools to attain the highest purpose and meaning in life. If these tools themselves are faulty, it is absolutely impossible to envision the meaning and purpose in life. In order to maintain a radiant body and a brilliant mind, we must pay attention to the sources that provide nourishment to our body and mind.

According to the scriptures such as the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and tantric texts, the quality of food is dependent on the quality of the soil. The quality of the soil is dependent on the quality of the water. The quality of the water is dependent on the quality of the clouds. The quality of the clouds is dependent on the quality of the air in space. The quality of the air is dependent on what we produce on earth and deposit in the air, and the quality of space is dependent on the quality of the sound we produce through our speech. Speech is a reflection of our thoughts. Therefore, the quality of speech is dependent on our thought patterns.

-- Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, The Himalayan Institute, Honesdale

Keeping the Vows

         (This article was written by me for the February 2013 issue of Complete Wellbeing magazine)

The core of thepractice of Yoga is not in the Postures that we follow in classes but in the principles that form the roots on which this mighty tree stands

Yoga science is said to be thousands of years old. Infact it is not just a science but also a philosophy, being one of the six systems of Indian philosophy. Originally, taught in ashrams or monasteries through a Guru-disciple medium, it later got popularised through mass teachings as traditions and lineages slowly started to fade into the background of a fast-developing modern world.

Widely believed to be a holistic and ‘well-rounded’ science, Yoga was always meant to provide an aspirant with physical, mental and spiritual benefits. In theancient times, it was a common practice, for those suffering physically or mentally to retreat to the ashrams of the yogis and build their strength through practices advised within the system of Yoga. When I say mental suffering,what I am referring to is disturbances caused by the ‘adhis’ such as anger,jealousy, insecurity, etc, that often lead to diseases or illnesses. The ancient Yogis, it seems, were well-versed with the effects of the Mind over theBody, what we commonly term as psychosomatic today. These yogis knew that inorder for a human being to live happily and successfully, he didn’t just require a series of exercises that would strengthen his limbs but also a systematic and healthy way of ‘being’ through mental and spiritual vows aimedat developing his character and personality, proving to us that Yoga was used as a form of therapy in the ancient times as well.

It is indeed saddening to see how this holistic and well-rounded science has been reduced to a ‘series of postures’ today. I often encounter practitioners who boast of aten or fifteen year ‘practice’, and upon my further inquiry into the nature ofthese ‘practices’, I am shocked to discover that it simply is an asana practice twice a day! I am almost always tempted to ask these great practitioners how well they are doing with the principles of Yoga and whether they have managed to incorporate these into their daily lives in order to refine their personalitiesand build character but often have to bite my tongue and hold back.

The  practice of Yoga was shared with mankind by the great sages as a roadmap to liberation and freedom from suffering. They seemed to understand the conflict that human beings struggled with to live both in the internal and the external world, hence they created practical methods to resolve these conflicts. Their main teaching to mankind, through the philosophyof Yoga, was that man’s true nature is divine, but he remains unaware of thisand believes his body to be the final reality. With the body being subject todeath and decay, he lives in constant fear of losing ‘himself’ at what he perceives to be the end. The practice of Yoga leads man to discover his true inner self, allowing him to rest in its infinite nature while performing hisduties in the external world bringing harmony to his existence. One can defineYoga in the words of a Himalayan sage as, “Religion tells you what to do and whatnot to do but Yoga teaches you how to be”.

In theBhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna mentions the word ‘Yoga’ on numerous occasions,presenting to Arjuna, the different paths of Yoga that an aspirant could choose from to find liberation. These main paths are Karma Yoga (the path of action),Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion), Jnana Yoga (the path of Knowledge) and RajaYoga (a combination of all the other paths) also known as the royal path. Thedifferences in these paths are only in the preliminary stages, the end goal of all being perfection and realization.

It is said that for those of us who live in the world, Raja Yoga is ideal as it combines the teachings of Karma (action), Bhakti (devotion) and Jnana (Knowledge) into a practical path that leads one to the development and mastery of the physical,mental and spiritual. Hence it is recommended for householders and non-renunciates.

The origin of Raja Yoga can be traced back to thousands of years and the wisdom contained therein is said to be of a ‘revealed’ nature and not created by man. Around 200B.C., these teachings were collated and systematized by a great sage called Patanjali, who felt there was a great need to present the teachings in an organized, easy to follow way. Patanjali wrote the well known Raja Yogatreatise called The Yoga Sutras, a classical text that guides an aspirant torealization of his true Self. In this treatise, Patanjali shared with aspirants the eightfold path or ‘Ashtanga’ (‘Asht’ meaning eight and ‘anga’ meaninglimbs) system which present a practical way to achieving liberation. These eight limbs are: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyanaand samadhi. These eight steps enable an aspirant to go from the gross to the subtle, systematically guiding one to deepen one’s practices in order todiscover the true Self.

It often saddens me to hear people speak of Ashtanga Yoga as a series of asanas, whichit certainly is not. And neither was it conceived or created by a recent lineage. The real Ashtanga Yoga is simply eight rungs of a ladder (Asana beingonly one of them) meant to lead one to self-realization. I hope that this article will remove some of the misconceptions that people have about AshtangaYoga today. When I encounter people who tell me they practice Ashtanga Yoga I am always tempted to ask them how they are doing with Pratyahara (withdrawal ofthe senses) but then realize that they probably are just ‘parroting’ what they have been taught. Some people even mistake Patanjali to be the creator of Ashtanga Yoga and that isn’t true either. Patanjali only systematized the teachings for the benefit of mankind and these teachings existed long before him.

The first four steps of the Ashtanga system comprise the path of Hatha Yoga – Yama,Niyama, Asana, Pranayama – which is a preliminary path to the final stages ofRaja Yoga. If you practice asanas, then you are practicing Hatha Yoga. The manydifferent forms of asana practice that exist today are only different ways to perform the asanas and not a different form of ‘Yoga’.

Both Yama and Niyama comprise the principles on which the practice of Raja Yoga is based. They are vows that a practitioner makes to himself in order to let the practice manifest completely. Yamas are five observances that a practitioner isencouraged to follow: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-covetousness),Brahmacharya (continence) and Aparigraha (non-possessiveness). These five bring about behavioral modifications in an individual and enable one to form better relationships with others. The observance of the Yamas lead one to becomingaware of their imperfections and building virtues rather than further strengthening these imperfections. The five Niyamas that an aspirant is encouraged to follow are Shaucha (cleanliness), Santosha (contentment), Tapas(austerity to bring about purity), Svadhyaya (study to obtain knowledge) andIshwara Pranidhana (surrender to a greater reality). Observing the niyamas is said to enable the aspirant to build habit patterns that bring about purity of thought and action. Together both the Yamas and Niyamas allow an individual to overcome one’s imperfections and bring about true transformation. Given the reality of the times we live in this becomes vital as most diseases and illnesses are said to be caused by emotional and mental disturbances. Hence,the practice of yamas and niyamas remain a necessary and important part of the practice of Yoga.

The ancient yogis explain that if the mind is constantly full of unsettling thoughts and emotions, then no amount of asana practice will be able to help you. The asanasallow you to strengthen the external limbs and maintain the health of your physical body, but it is the mind that influences the body eventually, proving that asanas and pranayama have limited value when done in an isolated manner.

For example,the practice of Ahimsa or non-violence does not just refer to being non-violent in action, but also to being non-violent in thought as thoughts often manifest as actions and if you have a habit of thinking violent thoughts, chances arethey will manifest into actions one day. Additionally, being non-violent starts with being non-violent towards ourselves first – avoiding berating ourselves, and putting ourselves through emotional and physical pain by indulging in self-destructive behaviour. If you observe a physically violent person, you will always notice some form of self-destructive behaviour before he or she starts acting out destructively. I often see people venting their aggression on their bodies in an asana class and I wonder what sort of Yoga they are practicing if they have to punish the body by forcing it into postures that itis not ready for. The end result of such a practice is always injury and thelesson, unless explained by a competent teacher remains unlearnt. We must startwith ourselves first. We must observe how we think and act. We must observe ourselves in all our relationships. Where and in what scenario can we spot self-destructive behaviour? This is a good way to begin observing the principles of Yoga.

In additionto observing Yamas and Niyamas, Patanjali talks of the four brahma-viharas or right attitudes, which when followed in addition to Yamas and Niyamas bring about purification of thoughts and emotions. These four attitudes are:friendliness towards the happy; compassion for the unhappy; delight in the virtuous and indifference towards the wicked. When practiced together, all ofthese bring about chitta prasadanam, clarityand purification of the mind, thereby loosening karmic bonds.

Now I know that one may feel overwhelmed by all of these principles and the task may seem impossible, but it is doable and progress can be made if one takes it slow allowing for slip-ups now and then but remaining committed to building a firmer foundation. And once this foundation is made, the tree of Yoga will grow into a mighty one, bearing the fruits of tranquility, serenity and a deep inner strength that enables one to stand tall in the external world. Imagine what sort of a world we would be living in then! When each one of us is non-violent.When each one of us practices non-covetousness; when each one of us practices truthfulness; when each of us exercises self-restraint. We wouldn’t have to look elsewhere for heaven, because we will have created it right here, in our physical world.