Why are we not teaching yoga how it was intended ?

Yoga is a gradual and progressive path to enlightenment that requires the resolute student to follow a regular, consistent practice under the guidance of a teacher - why are we not teaching it this way?

This opinion may not be favourable for yoga business owners, studios and teachers like myself, who teach yoga-by-the-hour for a living, however, after so many years of teaching yoga, I feel that this method of teaching is lacking in purpose and direction and is robbing our students and leaving teachers feeling dissatisfied because it isn’t being taught as it was intended by the sages and masters of ancient times who passed this precious legacy to us for the purpose of enlightenment.

The yogic path can be very confusing to navigate, both as a student and a teacher. The average person who shows up to a yoga class thinks it is an exercise, like a gym workout, only gentler with more stretching and hoping to increase their flexibility. Most new students will comment “I’m not very flexible” or “I’ve heard that yoga is very calming for the mind” when they show up to their first class. Not understanding what they are doing or why, because the hour-long classes taught in studios often lack the knowledge & philosophy for context. Students are confused with the different class names and styles of yoga (teachers’ are too) and they ‘drop-in’ when convenient, irregularly with no ultimate aim or direction for different classes with different teachers, for a work-out, stretch and relaxation or the occasional heightened experience that provides a ‘quick hit’ of adrenalin or dopamine. There certainly is a smorgasbord of choice and that is just one of the problems. This is the ‘culture’ of yoga in Melbourne, Australia today.

So, what is the problem with this?

Yoga is a gradual and progressive path. It is both, theory, and a practice. A scientific system and a pathway for self-exploration, transformation, and Self-realization. In order to keep this brief, I am not going into the details on the history, origins, or the hundreds of definitions on yoga.

At its pinnacle experience, yoga is a state of Being (Samadhi) and this experience is accessible to us all. Whilst there are multiple ways to experience this state, the science of yoga provides a systemic pathway for the aspiring student.

The teacher of yoga must be qualified in a methodology and the student must choose the right path for them or be guided by a teacher.

The Eight-limbed Path - The Yoga Sutras of Pathanjali

The yoga sutras of Pathanjali describe this entire system of yoga for the ‘householder’, this means people like you and me, not for monks or ascetics that choose to live in caves. It is a comprehensive body of work, a complete written curriculum on the system of yoga that will support the student and teacher on this goal. This text is one of the earliest written texts on yoga, because yoga is predominently an oral tradition. The Sage, Pathanjali, is known to have collated and codified all the teachings into 196 aphorisms providing us with a clear, summarised delineated path. A meta-analysis of sorts, in today’s terms. It is a sufficient curriculum for the transmission and teaching of yoga for the 'householder'.

The Yoga sutras deal with both the inner and the outer life of the yogi described in the eight-limbed path. The first four limbs deal with the outer life, called Hatha Yoga, and the remaining four limbs are concerned with the inner life, this is Raja Yoga.

Yoga is a gradual and progressive path that requires both knowledge (theory) and practice and where the subject matter is YOU.

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self to the Self ~ The Bhagavad Gita

Transformation in Yoga by Avril Bastiansz

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts" ~ Seneca

Introduction:

To comprehend how transformation occurs in yoga, it's essential to grasp the mechanics of the human body-mind-soul complex. While the medical field offers a universally accepted scientific understanding of human anatomy and physiology, Yogis have a model that extends beyond it. The Yogic model encompasses subtler aspects that exceed our current scientific comprehension, delving into the energetic or pranic body and our relationship with existence, encompassing inner and outer worlds on a continuum with our environment and the cosmos. Simply put, yoga asserts that we are consciousness experiencing itself as awareness.

The scientific community is progressively understanding these ancient yogic practices and teachings, aided by increased scientific research supporting the effectiveness of yoga for our benefit and well-being. A notable example is Dr. Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory, elucidating how certain yogic practices can regulate our nervous system. Yoga is widely acknowledged as a powerful tool for enhancing physical and mental health and is increasingly adopted as a spiritual & lifestyle practice.

 Yoga: Union of Individual Consciousness with Universal Consciousness:

According to Sage Patanjali, renowned for compiling ancient yogic knowledge into the Yoga Sutras, the goal of yoga is the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness - Samadhi. Patanjali outlines the path leading to this union through the eight limbs of yoga:

 1. Yama – precepts

2. Niyama – disciplines

3. Asana – physical poses

4. Pranayama – breathwork

5. Pratyahara – mastery of the senses

6. Dharana – focused attention

7. Dhyana – meditation

8. Samadhi – union with consciousness

Holistic Integration of Body, Mind, and Soul:

Conventional philosophical thought divides humans into the small self, consisting of body, mind, and soul, and the big Self, representing the one indivisible whole from which all life forms emanate. The spiritual pursuit involves a lifelong yearning to unite with our separate parts and integrate them, becoming complete and re-uniting with the one whole. Carl Jung termed this the "process of individuation". This is not a linear path but akin to the Hero’s Journey described by Joseph Campbell. Yoga offers a holistic path for this transformative journey back to wholeness through its eight-limbed path described by Patanjali. The first four limbs address outer worldly life and the union of the small self, while the latter four limbs are more concerned with the inner quest and attainment of unity consciousness.

Yoga: An Alchemical Process of Transformation and Integration:

Yoga practices such as asana, pranayama, create the inner conditions and alchemy, to transform and meditation to integrate the seemingly separate parts of ourselves along with all of the other limbs of yoga. These practices generate inner tapas, or transformative energy, which acts as a catalyst for change. Similar to how heat melts ice into water and then vapor, tapas transforms our being, necessitating integration. The Pancha Maha Koshas, or five-energetic sheaths  may help to further illustrate this transformation from gross to subtle states of consciousness and show how yoga is holistic in its application.

These energetic sheaths are described below, in order from gross to subtlest and outermost to innermost layers and apply across the whole system from the smallest of molecules and cells to the whole organism:

1.      Annamaya  Kosha - the physical, gross, material body and sense organs

2.      Pranamaya Kosha -  the breath body, linked to the nervous system & physiology

3.      Manomaya Kosha – the mental sheath, the psychological

4.      Vigjyanamaya Kosha – the intellect, the ‘I’ self,

5.      Anandamaya  Kosha – the bliss body or the essence of being

Thus the benefits of yoga can be experienced on every level of our being from physical, physiological, psychological, intellectual and at the level of Being.

Although yoga is often perceived as a physical practice focused on flexibility and strength, its core essence transcends the realm of asanas (poses) or any single limb of this eightfold path. At its heart, yoga is a profound journey of self-discovery and transformation, guiding practitioners towards a state of wholeness and unity.

To undergo a true metamorphosis transitioning from one state or way of being to another, necessitates an alchemical process that involves transformation and integration on all levels of being. According to sutra 1:12, Pathanjali, stipulates two important requirements : "Abhyasa" – consistent, dedicated practice or disciplined training  and "Vairagya" – non-attachment to the outcome or results of the practice, a surrender that allows for this alchemical process to unfold.

In conclusion, while yoga may begin as a journey to improve physical well-being, its ultimate purpose lies in facilitating profound inner transformation. By engaging in the eight-limbed path with sincerity and commitment, practitioners embark on a sacred journey towards self-realization and union with the higher Self.

‘Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self’ ~ Bhagavad Gita

Jai Guru Dev, Jai Devi Ma

with respect to the holy tradition, the masters & all my teachers

Bibliography:

·       Campbell, J. (2008)  The Hero with a Thousand Faces

·       Iyengar, B. K. S. (2014). Light on Yoga.

·       Jung, C. G. (Year). The Collected Works of Carl G. Jung

·      Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (1967) On the Bhagavad-Gita

·     Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation.

. Shearer, A. (1982) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

·      Stern, E. (2019). One Simple Thing

·   Swatmarama (1972) The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika·     

2020 The Year that's been & Christmas is coming

We are all Seekers and what we are seeking is an end to this Seeking!!

According to Vedanta, the sacred texts of yogic wisdom and knowledge, we humans see ourselves as deficient. Our constant compulsive pursuits to improve ourselves and our lives is evidence of this. We ‘seek' to escape from this …we 'Seek’ to become whole, complete and content. In Vedanta, this is known as the ‘'fundamental problem’'.

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