(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.
