by Premadasa Gangadeen
When we think about the word ‘Yoga’ what comes to mind?
Is it a posture? Is it a fashion statement? Is it a total retreat from our social circle/society to redefine ourselves or is it something that remains to be defined or misunderstood? Perhaps it is nothing at all? My late guru used to remind me that “once you place your toe into the ocean of yoga, forever shall you swim.”
Yoga means many things to many people yet somehow after careful analysis and distillation, the meaning of yoga can simply be viewed as a vehicle to inspire or remind you to stay connected to yourself in a state of peace, love, and joy, otherwise known as bliss. In the literal sense the word has been translated from Sanskrit to resemble the sentiment of joining two things together or to simply unite as One. Yoga can be seen as a journey conducted either with great ease or with great strife to bring one to a greater understanding of themselves than they had previously. This creates a pattern by allowing one to dive deeper for even greater exploration and meaning. Yoga is a perpetual and cyclical action of this thirst for awareness through the ages.
In the classical sense one could reference the great sage known as Patanjali and his compilation manual known as the Yoga Sutras (the thread of yoga) for a literal meaning and guide for practice. As yoga is an ancient system of philosophy, it is still unknown whether Patanjali was a single person or a group of sages who pooled their collective meditative experiences into a living and ever-evolving guide for yoga practice.
Another perspective of yoga can be derived from the study of Samkhya philosophy. This is one of 6 schools of Indian philosophy, founded by the Sage Kapila containing 25 principles or tattvas which ultimately forms a dualist perspective of Nature (feminine) and Spirit (masculine) leading to a union of Ultimate or Absolute awareness.
The study of any one of the many great spiritual epics of India will also provide deeper insight to what yoga is from a philosophical or moral point of view. The three main epics to consider would be the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad Gita (which is a smaller component of the Mahabharata), and the Ramayana. The five aforementioned references for yoga come in many translations and interpretations across multiple lineages or schools of yoga and can range in target audiences from preschoolers to scholars. My suggestion would be to simply pick any one of these up and allow the mystery of yoga to unfold for you as it will naturally.
For basic context, the practical philosophy or ashtanga yoga (ashta – 8, anga – limbs) according to Patanjali is as follows:
1.Yamas – ethical principles or social restraint such as non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, continence, and non-hoarding
2. Niyamas – ethical principles or self-discipline such as cleanliness, contentment, purification, self-study, and surrender to a higher power
3. Asana – the physical practice of postures
4.Pranayama – the lengthening of the breath
5.Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses
6. Dharana – single-pointed focus
7. Dhyana – meditation/contemplation
8. Samadhi – cognitive absorption or Self-Realization
Long ago yoga as above was taught by one teacher to a single student. The first limb, the yamas, once mastered, informed the second limb, the niyamas, which once mastered informed the third limb and so on. In this way the depth, accuracy, and subtle aspects of yoga practice weren’t lost on the student thus preparing them to develop their own mastery toward Self-Realization to then pass down to someone else. A Self-Realized being or yogi would teach a burgeoning student or yogin and this spiritual transmission ensured an unbroken link back to the origin of yoga, which is available to all, a connection to Source Energy.
This method of one teacher to one student was known as Guru-shisya parampara in Vedic culture, a tradition where a teacher took sole responsibility for a student’s spiritual knowledge, attainment, and well-being, to pass down the teachings or lineage preserving the knowledge for changing times. Paramapara denotes the meaning of chest-to-chest implying a private and direct initiation. Slowly over time this Guru-shisya tradition has become lost as schools were developed placing one teacher in charge of many students thus reducing the focus and attention to each student’s individual needs according to their style of learning.
Today this is reflected in modern yoga studios where there is usually one instructor in a room full of students all performing the same uniform action and rhythmic breathing while each student may have their own set of individual physical, mental, and emotional needs and challenges. Where one posture or sequence facilitates great healing, awareness, and acceptance on many levels for one, the same posture or sequence may elicit injury, emotional upheaval, and disparity for another. This disproportionate ratio of teacher to student can also be seen among various schools, lineages, and traditions of yoga where there is a large global contingency of adherents following a specific system or dogma.
Ultimately and unfortunately it has been shown many times over that these lineages or schools of yoga where there is a sole teacher, guru, or leader that they invariably fall prey to the sundry and low human qualities of ego, greed, and insecurity which lead to scandal, harm, and disgrace. It is important to feel a natural resonance toward a potential teacher or to put it another way, allowing your conscious to be your guide. My teacher of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga, Satchidananda, used to quote his teacher, Yogi Ramiah by saying, “don’t follow the teacher, follow the teachings instead.” The true teachings come from a pure source whereas the teacher is merely an advanced student moving toward that same source.
The value placed on proper technique is paramount as though our very existence depends on it, a sentiment which seems more true now than ever before.
My personal view based on experience as a practitioner of 20+ years and a teacher coming up to 20 years is that it is integral to keep a heart-centred approach to yoga. Anything less than that wouldn’t pass through the first and second limbs of yoga as per Patanjali which ultimately would create a weak foundation and a collapse of great proportion as we’re all coming to realize.
What is yoga? Perhaps the Iso Upanishad below will clarify.
pūrṇamevāvaśiṣyate
Completeness is that, completeness is this
from completeness, completeness comes forth.
Completeness from completeness taken away
completeness to completeness added,
completeness alone remains.
– translated by Swami Dayananda
