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Studying Yoga Philosophy in Iyengar Yoga

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“Philosophy is not here to provide all the answers. What it can do however, which is more powerful, is ask the right questions.”

— Slavoj Žižek, philosopher, cultural critic at Institute for Sociology and Philosophy, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

 

We continue to life in the age of anxiety and of increasing complexity. The term “age of anxiety” was somewhat coined by W.H. Auden (1907-1973), an Anglo-American writer wrote a six-part poem in 1947. With the wide and instant access to information through smartphones and social media, tragic events such as terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut and mass shootings in America invade our mind and consciousness at the speed of light.

As a long-term practitioner of Iyengar Yoga, it feels natural to seek solace and mental strength through practice for I have learned and experienced the cumulative benefits of integrating yoga philosophy in my asana practice and in my life. As an Iyengar teacher, it is also my dharma (duty) to introduce and continue to remind my students that our root master B.K.S. Iyengar’s practice and teaching have a rich and solid base of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Therefore, a short discussion on the importance of yoga philosophy in Iyengar Yoga is much needed; it will help us ask the right question.

Inward Journey of our Bhogika Mind

Through his teaching and writing, B.K.S. Iyengar reminds us that our asana & pranayama practice has a mean to an end, which is to develop the “yaugika mind” (yogic mind). The dualism between the “bhogika mind” (outgoing mind) and “yaugika mind (inward mind) in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is historically rooted in Samkhya philosophy. In Samkhya philosophy, the dualism is between purusa (the Seer/Soul) and prakrti (the Seen/Matter). This is also an expression of a duality between the physical body and the non-physical body. In the second chapter titled Sadhana Pada, Patanjali defines kaivalya (liberation) as to the destruction of avidya (ignorance) through right knowledge. It occurs when the link binding the Seer to the Seen, the non-physical to the physical, is absent, or removed, or broken.

Through our uninterrupted asana practice and studentship, our yaugika mind is extended, spread, and expanded through the science and art of Iyengar Yoga. Our body is the instrument with which our bhogika mind works to shed its thick layers from eons of karma (cause-effect) and saṃskāra (subliminal impressions).

Our vritti-s (fluctuations of consciousness) and klesa-s (afflictions) often manifest themselves when we practice yoga asanas. Let us take the example of someone who just begins how to balance in headstand. There is a fear of falling as the space unseen remains unknown and scary. Often with fear for the unknown our mind begins to fabricate confusion in the mind and our senses become unstable. In a standing pose called Uttanasana, we can learn how to develop a deeper connection with the back of the legs (which remains invisible to us) as the head is released downward. So many Iyengar Yoga techniques then allow us to obtain a firmess of the outer legs and awareness of the back of our legs to help with balancing in headstand. This progressive method of postural alignment in Iyengar Yoga is then a technology to cultivate “upeksha” or non-attachment, indifference toward fear and anxiety from a deliberate and dedicated practice of asana alone.

Through the in-depth practice of pranayama, our five senses of perception (jnanendriyas) are drawn inwards. In this sense, our bhogika mind refines itself inwards for knowledge and space as no asana or pranayama in Iyengar Yoga ought to be performed automatically and without deliberate action. This conditioning or de-conditioning of our bhogika mind is the beginning of framing the “right question” on our yoga path.

 

Framing the Right Question

What would a yaugika mind handle the onslaught of information and news? How would a yaugika mind manage time and create space in our outer and inner life?

What is the real problem and how can our yoga practice help answer calls for help?

In Bhagavad Gita, the central theme was Arjuna’s dilemma. The dilemma involves whether Arjuna, a young warrior prince of the Pandavas, should fight against his kinsmen, the Kauravas army which usurped his kingdom. He then turns to Krishna for guidance by basically asking the question whether such killing is morally and spiritually justified. Krishna urges Arjuna to act with a caveat:

“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.
Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.”  (II.47)

Wait. Isn’t the question whether or not to kill? Aren’t we constantly being asked to do X or not to do X? To eat this or not to eat that? To choose and to be result-oriented?

Instead, Krishna points to Arjuna that the right question is not a simple choice whether or not to kill his enemy, but a much allegorical question on the inner conditioning of our mind and consciousness facing the challenges of the world.

In Yoga Sutras, Patanjali identifies nine timeless categories of obstacles and how each of them disturbs our consciousness and confuses the state of our mind. Patanjali then introduces the term: citta prasadana through the four heart chambers or four qualities: maitri (friendliness), karuna (compassion), mudita (joy) and upeksa (indifference) (I.33). B.K.S. Iyengar comments that this four qualities or attitudes help yoga practitioners cultivate a “graceful diffusion” in the “turbulent flow” of the world.

The concept of upeksa (see above) deserves a deeper look. It is akin to Krishna’s word to Arjuna on non-attachment. It also refers to another central tenet of Iyengar Yoga based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras: vairāgya, renunciation or detachment. Unlike the English translation of indifference, upeksa does not mean “I don’t care.” On the contrary, B.K.S.Iyengar comments that upeksa is a “mental attitude” for the ups and downs in life while remaining serene and pure. It is also a stabilizing aspect of the mind with one’s own power for liberation. It is to loosen our attachment to all the likes and dislikes, to be alive, alert and active without losing faith.

 

SIYS Philosophy Study Group meets every Thursdays from 5:50pm to 6:20pm.
Free. All levels are welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

Celebrating the First International Day of Yoga

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A survey back in 2012 indicated that more than 20 millions people who practice yoga in the United States. Although the number of practitioners in various yoga methods has been increasing around the world, June 21 of 2015 was the first time the world celebrated the tradition of yoga.

The declaration of this day came after the call for the adoption of 21 June as International Day of Yoga by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on September 27, 2014:“Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. This tradition is 5000 years old. It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.”

With much excitement Seattle Iyengar Yoga Studio (SIYS) joined the world to celebrate this special day with more than twenty students. For 90 minutes, the owner and main teacher Shaw-Jiun Wang led a practice consisting of almost all the poses that Geeta Iyengar provided for the Iyengar Yoga community including chanting and the invocation to Sage Patanjali. Another teacher Huijung Campbell concluded the practice with a couple of inverted poses and Svasana (Corpse Pose). After the practice, we mingled at a casual community potluck. The spirit of friendliness and sense of community showed how significant the day meant to all of us.

NAMASTE!

Watch Mr. Iyengar’s earlier asana practice

 

Guruji’s Final Photos

http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/06/21/bks-iyengar_n_7540242.html

 

Celebration in India


http://www.ndtv.com/cheat-sheet/sushma-swaraj-addresses-the-united-nations-in-new-york-on-international-yogaday-highlights-773899

 

Celebration in France


Celebration in China

           

 

Celebration in other parts of U.S.A

 

 

 

Yoga Practice For the Mind

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Yoga Meme

So are you saying that we’re all just, like, really excellent sheep? 

In his 2014 book titled “Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of America’s Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life,” the Yale professor William Deresiewicz candidly speaks from his own experience of the “façade of seamless well-adjustment” and the “toxic levels of fear, anxiety, and depression, of emptiness” beneath it. Our society values measurable success and high level of performance in various aspects of our life: education, career, relationships, and especially physical fitness. These somewhat paradoxical realities (viveka in Sanskrit) drain the sap of our spirit. Because of this increasingly unmanageable expectation, it is of paramount urgency for us not to “lose it,” or not to examine why we persistently choose to ignore what really matters – the health of our mind and inner peace.

In a casual conversation with a stranger at a store, upon learning that I teach yoga, she quickly remarked, “Aw. I need to do yoga. I am out of shape… you know… the core.. I feel like 20 pounds heavier now that I have my kid. I had some yoga before and it kicked my butt. It was a total workout.” I kept thinking about her comments and her mental attitude toward yoga. How is yoga different from EVERYTHING ELSE we do in life? Trying to be perfect. Trying harder to be someone else or somewhere else? Trying to fit in one more thing to do? Shouldn’t yoga practice be something different? More like a refuge for the mind to come home? Or a critical time and space that we can meet our inner self, face to face, without judging or ignoring it? A meaningful encounter without artifice?

ATTENTION NOW. I may be biased but having been a gym junkie and practiced in other styles in Hatha Yoga such as Bikram and Ashtanga, Iyengar Yoga makes me pay attention for the first time in a seemingly physical regimen. The intellectual mind has to work for the body for a change. In a typical Iyengar Yoga class, students are asked to pay attention to a variety of their body parts, how they move and relate to other parts of the body, rather than how their body looks like. The poses are not the “machines” to make us fit or lose weight; they invite us to a meaningful encounter with ourselves, to unite with our inner self. To set the intent to feel better and stronger is not the end of story; it has to be coupled with a practice that continues to attract our attention.

DON’T LOSE IT. The psychological benefits of paying attention to our body, breath and awareness help us to cope with stress and anxieties. Many research projects have shown that regular practice of Iyengar Yoga reduce mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and neurotic symptoms. (Yoga as a Practice Tool” by Amy Novotney, American Psychological Association, 2009). Another publication “Mood Changes Associated with Iyengar Yoga Practices: A Pilot Study” by David Shapiro & Karen Cline, International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 2004) further affirms a significant improvement in positive moods after a 90-minute Iyengar Yoga class. Because Iyengar Yoga is well known for its creative and therapeutic sequencing, participants in this sample group practiced three series that consisted of standing poses, forwardbending, backbending and inverted poses. While standing poses seem to be more somatically activating (building confident), backbending poses followed by cooling inverted poses relaxed muscular impulses and alleviated negative emotional arousals.

Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.”

— B.K.S. Iyengar