Category Archives: WELLNESS

Yoga – Is It a Religion? (Part 2)

Again – yoga means union! The word Yoga means union, and comes from "yuj" which means "to join," to bring together into union the various aspects of yourself that were never divided in the first place. From that comes the direct experience of yourself (Self) that is beyond the false identities stemming from the seemingly countless colorings of attraction and aversion. Another, more contemporary adaptation of this principle is the word holistic, meaning to become whole, or to realize your underlying wholeness.

Patanjali describes this in the Yoga Sutras (1.2) where he defines Yoga as the mastery or control (nirodha) of the modifications of the chitta (“stuff” of the mind or mind field), allowing the true Self to then come shining through (1.3). Patanjali also explains that the purpose of Yoga is discrimination (viveka) among the inner processes (Sutras 2.26-2.29). Similar processes of mastering and/or integrating the mind may be a part of some religions, but that does not mean that regulating your mind in this way is, in itself, a religion.

Yoga and religion both share many common virtues. As with many religions, yoga also recommends meditation on, and cultivation of lovingness, compassion, goodwill and acceptance, as well as non-violence, truthfulness, training the senses, non-possessiveness, and other such virtues (see Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras 1.33, 2.30-2.32). So although, religions and yoga both recommend cultivating such virtues, it is self evident that cultivating these ways of being or living are not themselves religion. When these are practiced in yoga, the subtler, finer, truer aspects of our being are revealed, and this may or may not be seen in the context of religion.

Yoga – Is It a Religion? (Part 2)

By definition, is yoga a religion?

1. According to Encarta World English Dictionary, religion posits that people's beliefs and opinions concern the existence, nature, and worship of a deity or deities, and divine involvement in the universe and in human life.

  • Yoga does not require the worship of any specific "deity or deities." The word divine is defined (in dictionaries) as coming from, or connected with God or gods. Yoga does not give specific instructions for the "existence, nature, [or] worship". Yet, yoga acknowledges that bhakti Yoga, the path of devotion is a valid aspect of yoga. Yoga does not tell you where to direct that devotion, or the specific methods by which you should do it. This “direction” of devotion is left to personal religious preferences.

2. Religion adheres to a particular institutionalized or personal system of beliefs and practices relating to the divine.

  • The word divine is defined as relating to God or gods, and yoga itself does not set forth any designation to what or whom one should direct their worship, nor does yoga require it. Although yoga definitely acknowledges the value of bhakti yoga, it does not dictate which form that should take for an individual person. Also, yoga itself is not institutionalized as a religious system, although some of the principles are contained within many religions or other religious systems (examples: kindness to other people, taking care of one's body, regulating breathing, or quieting the mind).

3. Religions establish a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that somebody lives by.

  • Some may argue that yoga is a religion by the very definition of religion as being a set of strongly-held beliefs, values, and attitudes that one lives by. This is not necessarily true since this could also apply to many other things as well, including governmental, educational, psychological, social, cultural, or familial ways of living.

Fortunately, most people have a working, day-to-day, common language sense of the meaning of a religion, and it simply does not apply to yoga.

Coming next, part 3 of "Yoga – Is It a Religion?"

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 16)

When do you think the point comes that yoga should no longer be called yoga?

A good analogy here would be to consider a car that has missing parts. Visualize a car and a friend asking, “What is that?” You say, "It's a car." Now imagine that this car is missing its wheels, an engine, and the doors and seats are gone and your friend asks you the same question. Still, you repeat, "It's a car.” Or you might say something like, "it’s junk." Although it may be hard to determine the exact point of change, but somewhere along the way, in removing the parts, you'd naturally have to stop calling it “a car.”

Now apply this to yoga – stripped of its higher goals, can it still be called yoga?

Imagine yoga with missing parts. At what point, and after how much adjustment and conformity to modern culture, does yoga cease to be yoga? When yoga is stripped of its higher goals and methods, can it still be called yoga?

Imagine holding a window, and saying to someone, "This is a house!" To demonstrate asanas (postures) saying, "This is yoga!" makes as much sense as saying that a single window is a complete house. Both are confusing a minor, although useful part with the whole.

Some of the most common comments used to justify the modern devolutions of yoga are saying things like, "But it's useful!” or, “It helped me!" When the true nature of yoga is pointed out to them they tend to feel that authentic yoga is somehow in opposition to doing other activities that are of benefit to human beings. Just because people more become flexible and less stressed, it doesn’t mean that the methods they use are necessarily called yoga.

The fact that physical postures (or modern revisions) are effective is not in question. Doing asanas is beneficial, but calling them yoga is a different matter. Almost any physical exercise, such as walking calisthenics or playing tennis is useful, but that does not make it yoga. Aerobics, jazzercise, Zumba, and kickboxing, etc. may also be useful, but that does not make them yoga. Massage therapy, physical therapy, and respiratory therapy are also useful, but that does not make them yoga. Psychotherapy and counseling are useful, but that does not make them yoga.

Some modern Yoga teachers are often found arguing that the yoga they are teaching is only a physical program supported by physicians and the medical community, and they place little or no emphasis or acknowledgement on the authentic spiritual goals of Yoga. Thus, we have a situation where modern Yoga teachers are usually ignoring or minimizing the spiritual goal of yoga.

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 16)

If you are a sincere student and are seeking authentic yoga it will be necessary to recognize the authentic vs. the adaptations: There are many challenges faced by those who are seeking authentic yoga as the path to Enlightenment or Self-realization, the path that it is intended to be. As with many endeavors in life, progress begins with understanding. Understanding the current situation within the modern Yoga community will help tremendously in sharpening one's ability to recognize the difference between modern adaptations and the authentic, traditional yoga of the ancients.

Once one sees the difference between the adaptations and the authentic, it then requires determination to be in a minority and to not just get caught up in the flow of the latest fad. That determination, followed by proper action will lead the sincere student of authentic Yoga to an authentic path.

It is good to keep in mind that it is said, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” It is also said that the ideal teacher will come for each student, depending on the aspirations the seeker holds in their heart.

This ends this series on the “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga”

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 14)

Teacher Training (TT) programs often avoid the spiritual aspect of yoga. Just a brief review of some of these schools and seminar offerings will reveal that in many modern yoga teacher training programs, only a small percentage of the curriculum deals with the spiritual aspects of Yoga, and these spiritual aspects are to be the true focus of yoga. Here again we see this modern focus leaning heavily toward the physical aspects of yoga and so limited compared to the authentic yoga of the ancients.

In many of these TT programs one can become a "certified" yoga teacher without having spent a single minute engaging the face-to-face instruction of a teacher studying the traditional yoga texts.

Do you really want to become certified with no face-to-face teaching of authentic yoga? The Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Yoga Sutras are two of the most authoritative texts in Yoga. Sadly, as a common example of the current state of modern yoga teacher training, the most well known agency in America (that claims certifying authority for yoga schools) has structured its standards with such a focus on the physical that it is possible for a student to become a certified yoga teacher without having spent a single minute in the face-to-face instruction of a teacher who is well versed in these texts or any of the other traditional Yoga texts.

About yoga in the US: Georg Feurstein, a well recognized scholar and teacher says: "It's a mess"

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 14) 

As if the state of yoga and yoga teacher training here in the west were not already bad enough, there’s an online company that has started to offer a $49.99 online yoga teacher training program. All you have to do is purchase their program via credit card, read their material, and take a written online exam, which consists of multiple choice questions. You can become a "Certified Yoga Instructor" and will also receive an online transcript that mentions your score, which can be used "to prove your certified credentials". Interestingly, their promotional material even explains that the certificate that you will receive does not even mention the word “online.”

When asked by LA Yoga Magazine, “How would you describe Yoga in the US today?” Georg Feurstein elaborates:

“It’s a mess. And you can quote me on that. Anything that comes to America or the West in general, immediately gets individualized and commercialized. There has always been great diversity in traditional Yoga, and this diversity was based on the experience of masters. Today even beginning teachers feel qualified to innovate and create their own trademarked Yoga system.

"So, looking at the Yoga movement today, part of me feels very saddened by it, but then I also see that it contains the seeds of something better. Also, amazingly, Yoga can be beneficial even when it is reduced down to posture practice. But people shortchange themselves when they strip Yoga of its spiritual side."

It’s distressing that there are Asana teachers who say that they do understand the authentic goals of yoga, and would like to share these higher teachings with their students. However, some of them who teach at well known "Yoga Studios" around the country (USA) have privately confided that they have been directly told by studio owners to not teach this, and that if they do, they will no longer be allowed to teach there. This puts these teachers in an awkward position. Even though they understand and seek authentic yoga in their personal lives they’re discouraged (sometimes forbidden) from sharing this with students out of fear for losing students and their payments for classes.

Be positive, there’s a good chance the pendulum will swing back. Although modern yoga teaching may have gone far off track in recent years, there is some movement towards providing training that focuses on the authentic and every yoga teacher should be encouraged to head in that direction. It seems that the pendulum has swung so far away that it might slowly be starting to swing back to the real goals of authentic and traditional yoga.

Stay tuned, this series will continue – coming up next; “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 15).” This next blog article will illustrate some modern styles of yoga, their names and how they differ from the four traditional schools of yoga.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 13)

There are those who turn away from yoga as spiritual pursuit and seek elsewhere for meditation instruction and techniques. Even among some of the teachers, scholars, authors, and publishers who profess to be experts in yoga, more than a few turn away from traditional yoga meditation to “customize” practices of meditation and contemplation and call them their own. It’s almost unbelievable, but it’s not uncommon for so-called yoga teachers to recommend that their students practice yoga solely for the physical body, and instruct them it’s not always necessary to follow practices such as introspection, contemplation and meditation to learn yoga.

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 13)

As a result yoga in the West has only scratched the surface of authentic yoga.

It is true that yoga as a means for spiritual unfoldment is quite compatible with any religious orientation. It is common for people who have pursued the authentic spiritual practices of yoga to report that they become even closer to own their religious roots. Thus there should be absolutely no conflict. Although, the reverse is not necessarily true, not all religions bring their followers closer to the goals of proper yoga practice. 

It would be hard to imagine people walking into a restaurant and ordering a bottle of “Christian Communion” with their meal? Of course not, instead they order a bottle of wine. Otherwise, it would be taken as a joke. Similarly, we wouldn’t call eating bread with your meal “Christian Communion,” we’d simply call it eating bread? But people will walk into a health spa, gym or recreational center and call some of the physical practices people do there “yoga,” completely disregarding its true and full meaning?

Also, it is sad but true that some other teachers of yoga (both from the East and the West), teach in a way that worships teachers,deities, rituals and/or dogmas that are not known to their students, and this even further confuses the issue of what yoga is truly about. This is not to say that teachers should necessarily be forbidden to present their religion. Rather, the point is that by not clearly acknowledging the difference between their religion and authentic yoga, they are setting the stage for confusion about the true nature of yoga.

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 13)

So, is Yoga a religion? Answer: NO!

Yoga is contained within religions. Religions are not contained within yoga. Yoga means union. It is the joining together the aspects of ourselves which (in reality) were never divided in the first place.

Too many teachers and students are being deprived. There are modern yoga teachers who are missing out on authentic, traditional yoga because of their misunderstanding, and as a result, the higher yogic practices are not even followed by them. In other words, they cannot teach or learn the more authentic perspectives of yoga if they do not know about them and they remain deprived of much of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

David Frawley, is quoted in “Yoga Journal” as saying:

Yoga in the West "has only scratched the surface of the greater Yoga tradition," he says. "The Yoga community in the West is currently at a crossroads. Its recent commercial success can be used to build the foundation for a more profound teaching, aimed at changing the consciousness of humanity. Or it can reduce Yoga to a mere business that has lost connection with its spiritual heart. The choice that Yoga teachers make today will determine this future."

Stay tuned, this series will continue – coming up next; “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 14).” This next blog article will look at how some yoga teacher training programs are missing the point of true yoga.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 12)

Yoga as a spiritual tool – For a student longing for spiritual attainment, the path of traditional, authentic yoga may be a perfect fit, including all of the many aspects that it may encompass. However, when an authentic seeker of spiritual truths starts to explore the landscape of paths, yoga is commonly not pursued as a spiritual tool because "everybody knows" (actually they assume – and incorrectly) that yoga is merely a physical exercise program.

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 12)

Of course it’s not true that yoga is a merely physical fitness program, although it appears that way to the majority of people who are reminded of the postures (asanas). Because of these erroneous appearances, many sincere seekers are not finding authentic yoga, which embodies some of the highest teachings and practices known to humanity.

Yoga focuses on the spiritual, right from the very beginning.

By following the path of authentic yoga the student/aspirant not only approaches the attainment of spiritual realization, but also benefits from a host of side-effects which might include physical health, the elimination or reduction of some diseases, and/or promotion of a state of health and well-being. The intent of yoga is to focus on the spiritual, right from the very beginning of practice. By engaging such an authentic orientation of yoga, many fruits will come, including the physical benefits.

The sincere student needs to re-affirm the true nature of authentic yoga. This is not a matter of changing the path of those who practice various “adaptations” of yoga, or small, isolated parts of yoga. They have a perfect right to do as they wish. However, by clearly re-affirming the true nature of authentic yoga and making this available to all true seekers, in a wide array of venues, people are more likely to be attracted. It is fortunate that at least a small percentage of teachers are trying to do this.

The journey of yoga to yoga is a Sacred Pilgrimage.

Imagine taking a sacred pilgrimage (Yatra) to a sacred place high in the Himalayas. During your journey you might fly on an airplane, ride in a car, and do lots of walking. The entire journey is one of a pilgrimage as long as you maintain a heartfelt conviction for the destination you are seeking.

The key that makes all the aspects of your journey; the airplane, the car, and the walking a Yatra is the intentionality in your heart for the destination being sought. It is this intentionality for the goal called yoga that makes the process leading there also called yoga, not merely the actions themselves.

The fact that you move your body this way or that, or do some breathing practices, doesn’t unto itself, constitute yoga. Yoga is the journey (Yatra) towards yoga, which is the union being sought.

If you are not working with relationships in the external world, with your personality, with your body, with your breath, or the levels of your mind with this intentionality towards the destination called yoga, then the process along the way is simply not yoga.

It is not hard to find practitioners and workshop leaders who provide breath training for health reasons, and do so without using the word yoga or making any mention of attaining or realizing the higher union that is at the core of yoga. These trainers are to be admired for not calling their work yoga, even though breath training is a part of yoga. This is as it should be.

So we must call into question those others who teach work with body, breath and mind and call their practices yoga, while completely ignoring the goal or destination of authentic yoga?

The destination of yoga is yoga, period. Any other use of the practices is simply not yoga.

Stay tuned, this series will continue – coming up next; “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 13).” This next blog article will continue this discussion about yoga and its use (and/or abuse) as a spiritual tool.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 8)

There is NO alternative word for “Yoga.” The whole of Yoga is called Yoga. The word Yoga is all encompassing, embracing all its various forms simultaneously, not separately. So, when people attempt to use an alternative word they are misunderstanding and there are reasons for this misunderstanding. This use of the term Yoga when they really mean “Hatha Yoga” (or, more accurately, Asana) has been a major reason for people mistakenly thinking that Yoga is a physical program that has a spiritual component, rather than a spiritual program that may include a physical component.

Ironically, there are some students and even teachers of modern Yoga that want to ignore (sometimes completely remove) the spiritual orientation of Yoga. This happens for a variety of reasons; these people think they will benefit by dropping the word Hatha from the term Hatha Yoga. By dropping the word Hatha, and calling it only Yoga, it’s much easier for them to avoid the fact that the ancient texts (such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika), clearly state the spiritual priority inherent in traditional Yoga. This way they can avoid the fact that “Ha” and “tha” refer to the subtle energies of Ida and Pingala, the process of Kundalini Awakening, and subsequently attaining Samadhi.

Getting the whole and the parts confused … The "whole" is "Yoga.” Not only has Hatha Yoga (the "part") commonly been labeled as "Yoga" (the "whole"), the whole process and scope of Yoga as been affected in regard to our collective perceptions of Yoga. One way of seeing this clearly is to remember that Yoga is the whole, of which Bhakti Yoga is a part, Hatha Yoga is a part, Jnana Yoga is a part and Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Laya Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Nada Yoga, Raja Yoga, Tantra Yoga, etc. are all parts and “Yoga” is the whole.

In his commentaries on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, B. K. S. Iyengar, a well known teacher and author writes:

"… Through the discipline of Yoga, both actions and intelligence go beyond these qualities [gunas] and the seer comes to experience his own soul with crystal clarity, free from the relative attributes of nature and actions. This state of purity is samadhi. Yoga is thus both the means and the goal. Yoga is samadhi and samadhi is Yoga …"

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 8)

B. K. S. Iyengar goes on to say:

"… Usually the mind is closer to the body and to the gross organs of action and perception than to the soul. As asanas are refined they automatically become meditative as the intelligence is made to penetrate towards the core of being. Each asana has five functions to perform. These are conative, cognitive, mental, intellectual and spiritual…."

The entire purpose of Yoga is spiritual: The entire purpose of ancient, authentic, traditional Yoga, including Hatha Yoga, and all the others mentioned above are spiritual in nature. Following are a few points from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a 13th century text outlining the practice of Hatha Yoga. This text is possibly the best known and most authoritative text on authentic Hatha Yoga.

Click HERE to read the Hatha Yoga Pradipika

The last chapter of this text is entitled Samadhi (and it is significant to note that of the four chapters of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the last chapter is entitled Samadhi, the higher state of consciousness). This should make clear that the focus of Yoga is Samadhi.

The following few references from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika should make the true nature of Hatha Yoga clear, (note how the emphasis shifts away from postures to breath, kundalini, raja Yoga, and Samadhi):

  • Chapter 1: The purpose of Hatha Yoga is to be a stairway to Raja Yoga, the higher Yoga (1.1-2). Postures are the first part of Hatha Yoga (1.77)
  • Chapter 2: After postures, one should practice with breath (2.1)
  • Chapter 3: The energy of kundalini is the support of all the Yogas (3.1). Kundalini is awakened and travels upwards (3.68-69). Kundalini opens the door to enlightenment (3.105)
  • Chapter 4: Samadhi leads one to the eternal and highest bliss (4.2). Mind and the eternal merge like salt and the sea (4.5). Those who do only Hatha Yoga without realization of Raja Yoga derive no fruits for their efforts (4.79) (It does not mean that no physical benefits are derived; rather, since the goal of Yoga is spiritual in nature, when only the lower practices are performed, the intended goal is completely missed, yielding no fruits). All of the practices of Hatha Yoga and Laya Yoga are means to Raja Yoga, samadhi (4.103)

And finally, this quote from Swami Chidananda Saraswati, head of the internationally known Sivananda Ashram (Divine Life Society) in Rishikesh, India. He explains that:

"Yoga is not mere acrobatics. Some people suppose that Yoga is primarily concerned with the manipulation of the body into various queer positions, standing on the head, for instance, or twisting about the spine, or assuming any of the numerous odd poses which are demonstrated in the text-books on Yoga. These techniques are correctly employed in one distinct type of Yoga practice, but they do not form an integral part of the most essential type. Physical postures serve at best as an auxiliary, or a minor form of Yoga."

Stay tuned, this series will continue – coming up next; “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 9).”

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Has Your Mind Made You Its Slave?

Our minds are particularly affected by the following 3 things:

  • Our Concept of Time
  • The Company We Keep
  • Our Diet

Our body changes with time. Time can have a powerful impact on our mind, and subsequently, our body.  Our state of mind and the accompanying feelings tend to fluctuate, and quite often, even multiple times throughout a day!

Patterns of thought also get affected and occasionally overwhelmed by time. Each of the seasons: winter, summer, spring, and fall all affect the mind differently. People from several ancient civilizations did in-depth studies about time, including how the movement of the moon affects the mind, and how it moves around and through the different constellations. They learned how the different degrees of the moon in relation to the cosmos can have a definite impact on the mind. That’s why some used the words “Tara-bal” and “Chandra-bal” (“Tara” means star and “bala” means strength. When Vedic Astrologers refer to Tara Bala, they are referring to the placement of the planets in certain relationships with that of the Moon), and (“Chandra-bal” is lunar strength and represents the positive or negative effects of the moon on human bodies). The moon is typically in one constellation for two and a half days and then it moves to another constellation. So in those two and half days changes are likely to occur in our mind, affecting our mood.

So with all this in mind, the question arises; “Has our mind made us its slave?”

We can emphatically say, “No.” There is stronger influence beyond our mind and that is our intellect. When our intellect exercises its strength, it overcomes the impact on our mind. When our intellect weakens, then our emotions exert their force on our mind. Now, what if our intellect also becomes affected? Then we must realize that something that is beyond our intellect and that is the Self and that Self is Shiva Tattva. 

Has Your Mind Made You Its Slave?

Shiva is the master of the time. So when we take refuge in the Shiva Tattva or higher Self, then the impact of time is minimized, both on our mind and on our body.

So time impacts our mind and time has definite measurements. Similarly the company we keep, the people with whom we spend time also affects us. What we listen to impacts our mind. When we are in good company then it has good impact on us. When we are in bad company then negative emotions like anger, jealousy, etc., affects us in a negative way.

Then the third thing that affects the mind is the food we eat. Food choices are secondary and are not ultimately that important? If the first two (time & company) are positive and in balance, then they can take precedence over the problem of bad dietary choices.

According to Hindu scripture, those who know time are called Devagya (one who knows God). They know about time and all this in accordance with the Divine will of time. Rule of time is Divine, thus those who know time are called Devagya.

Above God is Brahma-gnan (one who knows the Self). A Brahma-gnani is considered above a Devagya. Brahma-gnani is created by being centered in the Self. What I am is what you are, and what everything else is too. When you are established in the firm experience and faith that brings Brahma-Gnan nothing can shake you. Brahma-gnan is bigger than all other gnan (knowledge).

Stay tuned, coming up next we will continue with the series “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga” (Part 7)

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Within Your Inherent Nature, Yoga Is Already Being Established

Remaining aware of your inherent nature will always keep you on your toes. If you're like most of us you may feel like you’re always running toward something or away from something. If we use pleasure as an example we will see that at first pleasure motivates you to run towards it and then it prompts you to run away from it. On the other hand, yoga enables an awareness that helps you stay balanced and stable. Yoga will bring stability to your life.

Within your inherent nature, yoga is already being established

A yogi is someone who strives to be strong and stable in his body, mind and emotions. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. If your emotions keep fluctuating up and down it is most likely because you are running towards something. So if you question what it is that you’re running towards and you’ll find it is pleasure, and once you’ve found it you reach a saturation point and then you feel the need to run away from it.

By remaining aware you can see in your life that it’s not only pleasure, but whatever you run towards, at some point or another, will push you away from it because you can’t (or won’t) handle it anymore. So when you reach that point or time that you feel the need to run away, you should know that it is because you were first enjoying it. So when you are enjoying something, keep in mind that the time will come when you’ll definitely want to run away from it. The solution is for you to change that attitude of your mind from seeking (pleasure, or anything you might desire) and just focus on remaining stable, then nothing becomes overwhelming and you won’t feel the need to run away.

Then it’s possible to realize that you are here to give comfort to others, not to seek comfort for yourself. This one simple attitude change will deter that tendency to feel “Oh, this is too much, I have to run away.” Only by indulging in what you have sought (and found) will cause you to feel, “this is too much, I need to get away.”

When through yoga practice you become stable, you’ll always tend to give what you can. You’ll never hear the sun say, “I am shining too much, now I need to run away.” A diamond will never say, “I am glittering too much.” The sun and a diamond are excellent examples of things that are stable in their nature. They have no need to go out of their niche.

Stay tuned, next article will be: “Has Your Mind Made You Its Slave?”

After that, the series “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga” will continue, resuming with Part 7.

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 6)

The human body is a fascinating and beautiful instrument, and should be properly taken care of, however, according to traditional yoga the body is an instrument, and is not itself the goal.

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 6)

This is not meant to imply some anti-body perspective. And, it is not a conflict between philosophies. Instead it should be seen as a misunderstanding of goals and tools.

Again, as has been stated before, the goal of Yoga is Yoga, period.

As a matter of fact, none of the lower levels is the goal. In authentic, traditional yoga, the student works with and trains all levels of their being, including relationships, self-exploration, senses, body, breath, and mind. However, none of these are themselves the final goal of yoga.

The aspirant following a path of authentic, traditional yoga balances their training of the following:

  • Relationships: The aspirant builds relationship with the world through practices such as non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, remembering truth, and non-possessiveness. Building better relationships with the world is not itself the goal of traditional Yoga.                                                                                                         
  • Senses: The aspirant trains the senses so as to be able to consciously regulate them in positive ways, although working with the senses is not itself the goal of traditional Yoga.                                                                                                                                                                        
  • Body: The aspirant works with the body so as to make it flexible, strong, and steady, but working with the body is not itself the goal of authentic Yoga.                                                                                                                                                                                                               
  • Breath: The aspirant trains the breath so as to make it smooth, slow, and serene, but training the breath is not itself the goal of traditional Yoga.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
  • Mind: The aspirant deals with the mind at all of its levels, although exploring and dealing with the mind is not itself the goal of authentic Yoga.      

It is important for the student to realize that the single goal of Yoga is beyond all of these, while these are to be considered obstacles or “veils” that block the realization of the Self, Truth, or Reality that is being sought. Because they are the obstacles, they are emphasized in regular practice so that they may cease to cover the eternal center of consciousness.

Swami Rama writes about the comparison of traditional Yoga and modern Yoga in his text, “Path of Fire and Light”:

"The majority of people view Yoga as a system of physical culture. Very few understand that Yoga science is complete in itself, and deals systematically with body, breath, mind, and spirit.

"When one understands that a human being is not only a physical being, but a breathing being and a thinking being too, then his research does not limit itself to the body and breath only.

"For him, gaining control over the mind and its modifications, and the feelings and emotions, become more important than practicing a few postures or breathing exercises. Meditation and contemplation alone can help the aspirant in understanding, controlling, and directing the mind."

In his opening paragraph of “Lectures on Yoga,” Swami Rama explains:

“The word Yoga is much used and much misunderstood these days, for our present age is one of faddism, and Yoga has often been reduced to the status of a fad. Many false and incomplete teachings have been propagated in its name, it has been subject to commercial exploitation, and one small aspect of Yoga is often taken to be all of Yoga. For instance, many people in the West think it is a physical and beauty cult, while others think it is a religion. All of this has obscured the real meaning of Yoga.”

In the second volume of Path of Fire and Light, Swami Rama goes even further, where he flatly declares:

"The word 'Yoga' has been vulgarized and does not mean anything now.”

So again, as an important reminder, the goal or destination of Yoga is Yoga itself, union itself, of the little (separate or egoic) self and the True Self.

Swami Sivananda Saraswati (founder of Divine Life Society of Rishikesh, India) writes of Ashtanga Yoga:

"It is said that the original propounder of classical Yoga was Hiranyagarbha Himself. It is Patanjali Maharishi who formulated this science into a definite system under the name of Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga. This forms one of the Shad-Darsananas or Classical Systems of Philosophy…. Patanjali's Raja Yoga is generally termed the Ashtanga Yoga or the Yoga of Eight Limbs, through the practice of which freedom is achieved."

Many people work with diet, exercise and interpersonal relationships. This may include physical fitness classes, food or cooking seminars, or many forms of personality work, including support groups, psychotherapy, or confiding with friends. When done alone, these are not necessarily aimed towards yoga, and are therefore not yoga; however beneficial they may be.

And yet, combining work with the body, food, and relationships may very much fall under the “domain” of yoga, when yoga is ultimately the goal. The key to understanding this concept lies within that which one holds in their heart and mind, plus their degree of their conviction. Without that being directed towards the state of yoga, these methods can hardly be called yoga.

Stay tuned, this series will continue – coming up next; “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 7).”

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 3)

Most respected Western publishers acknowledge authentic, traditional yoga, this is quite unlike many of the so-called modern and highly competitive yoga teachers and yoga schools.

The following definition of yoga is excerpted from Funk & Wagnalls New Encyclopedia: YOGA (Skt. yuga, “yoke”), one of the six classic systems of Hindu philosophy, distinguished from the others by the marvels of bodily control and the magical powers ascribed to its advanced devotees. Yoga affirms the doctrine that through the practice of certain disciplines one may achieve liberation from the limitations of flesh, the delusions of sense, and the pitfalls of thought and thus attain union with the object of knowledge. Such union, according to the doctrine, is the only true way of knowing. For most Yogi (those who practice Yoga), the object of knowledge is the universal spirit Brahma. A minority of atheistic Yogi seek perfect self-knowledge instead of knowledge of God….

There are currently two main perceptions of yoga which have recently shifted a great deal in the past century, particularly the past couple decades. Most of this is due to changes made in the Western hemisphere, particularly in the United States, although these shifts are not solely an American phenomenon.

The gist of these shifts can be summarized in two perspectives, one of which is modern and false, and the other of which is ancient and true.

  1. False: Yoga is primarily a physical system with a spiritual component.
  2. True: Yoga is primarily a spiritual system with a physical component.

Unfortunately, the false view that Yoga is primarily a physical exercise program is now the dominant viewpoint. This false view is spreading through many institutions, classes, teachers, books, magazines, and then on to millions of students of modern Yoga. These students often have little or no knowledge (or interest) in the spiritual goals of ancient, authentic, traditional yoga and yoga Meditation.

Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 3)

To understand the recent “devolution” that asserts yoga is only a physical exercise program is an essential step for the modern seeker of authentic Yoga.

Using a common Christian point of view as an example of this devolution; many Christians are of the belief that Yoga is merely attaining and maintaining a higher degree of physical fitness. This is as false as saying that Christian communion is merely drinking wine and eating bread with a meal or that baptism is as simple as taking a shower or bath. Remember, the goal of Yoga is Yoga.

This article will close with another definition of yoga from the Columbia Encyclopedia (Sixth Edition, 2001-07) – Yoga: [Skt. = union]: A general term for spiritual disciplines in Hinduism, Buddhism, and throughout South Asia that are directed toward attaining a higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance, suffering, and rebirth. More specifically it is the name of one of the six orthodox systems of Hindu philosophy. Both Vedic and Buddhist literature discuss the doctrines of wandering ascetics in ancient India who practiced various kinds of austerities and meditation. Also, it’s the basic text of a yoga philosophical school; the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali (2nd cent. B.C.), being a systematization of one of these older traditions.

Stay tuned, this series will continue – coming up next; “Approaches to the True Goal of Yoga (Part 4).”

Rae Indigo is ERYT 500