Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga: How I understand Yoga

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Discussion Forum: General Discussion: Iyengar Yoga:
How I understand Yoga

DamienL
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Nov 23, 2004, 12:18 AM

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How I understand Yoga	Can't Post

I'ld like to begin by noting that there has been much heated discussion on the meaning of Yoga.
I personally hold to the notion that Yoga means Union with God. I see yoga as an attitude or a focus pointed towards god realization whether you perform hatha,jnana,bhakti. I follow the Iyengar approach towards asana and pranayama with an attitude of dedication to God. The fruit that I am ultimately seeking is spiritual enlightenment. I understand the concern that Jot1 has with the way that many in this forum view yoga. The reason for my concern is that I see yoga(union) as an extremely important body of knowledge and that much of the knowledge that is yoga is absent in these views. But alas yoga is just a word, and the attitude and spirit of yoga is that which is important. Therefore I must not have such an attachment to the meaning that others derive from yoga. What is important is what I understand of yoga and the yoga that I do.

I for one don't believe that one can be an atheist and a yogi. I in my teenage years about 10yrs ago identified myself as an atheist(one who doesn't believe in god). I suppose I took this view then because I saw the hypocrisy and bad things people done in the name of religion. The Christian view of god was too small for me and couldn't understand why God would damn people to Hell. The reaction was to disbelieve in God altogether. I am an immensely spiritual person so atheism was very unsatisfactory which prompted me to looked into other belief systems. Finally I arrived at the system of yoga 2 years ago. I find the yogic view of God and the meaning of life to be broad and encompassing. I now believe in God but have redefined what God is in my mind and feel as though I am coming closer to the truth of God and Life.
I find that it is the ego which has trouble with devoting actions to a higher presence. Why should one be repulsed by the dedication of actions to God. I suppose it doesn't help if you hold God to be a neurotic inflated personality. One needs to see God as their lover and friend. It is easy to render service to someone you love and have great respect for. The ego will still attempt to impose its superiority but I believe with patience and love of God it will fade.
I hope that Yoga will be a light to guide all people towards liberation and I suppose that is the advantage of having it become popular even if somewhat misunderstood.

Nadia
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Nov 23, 2004, 1:47 AM

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Re: How I understand Yoga [In reply to]	Can't Post

Hi DamienL,

It is interesting that you talk about the ego in relation to yoga and god. I had already begun to think that letting go of one's ego was a very big part of practising yoga before all this discussion about god. I realised this because I hurt my wrists doing weight bearing poses. Every class our teacher says the same thing, "take it easy, yoga is about undoing knots in your body, not making them, work with your own body". But people go into a yoga class thinking they already know their body and its level and refuse to do anything below what they think that is. I was the same with my wrists. I wouldn't accept that even though they were hurting I shouldn't do the full pose because I thought I could do it. I needed to set my ego aside and trust what my body was telling me. Now I'm paying for it. That's just one example of how I think yoga is in many ways about defeating your own ego. I learnt that from actually doing yoga, not from thinking about it or have somebody tell me. Isn't that what life is about, experiencing and learning?

You know, I think that even the most "athiest" of people in this world are very spiritual, it depends on how you define the word spiritual. I think people who love nature and the earth and treat it with care and respect are just as spiritual as those who worship "god". And even with everything I'm saying now, perhaps after twenty years of practicing yoga I'll understand exactly where you're coming from and agree with you. Isn't spiritual realisation just as much about the process as it is about the final state of being? Do you just get to a point where you're as wise as possible and go no further? I'm not saying you're wrong about everything you've said, I think I'm just repeating in different words what you have stated about people's yoga practice being something indivual, something for which nobody should have to answer or explain.

jot1
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Nov 23, 2004, 7:28 AM

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Re: How I understand Yoga [In reply to]	Can't Post

Very nice post Damien,
Just like trying to use the Sanskrit word "yoga" accurately, we should be also be careful with the English word "God." In Hinduism/Yoga, there is actually no "God." Of course there are many peronal Spirit forms (each one of us is one in fact) such as Ganesha, Siva, Vishnu, Durga, etc. The purpose of any religion and certainly Hinduism/Yoga is to make the link to one's own Spirit/Soul and to, one degree or another, contact Spirits/Souls without human bodies--thus the defintion of "yoga" "union of Atmana with Brahman.
Again, great post!

DamienL
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Nov 23, 2004, 10:14 PM

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Re: How I understand Yoga [In reply to]	Can't Post

I do agree with you Nadia. Yoga is personal and the practitioner is the one able to differentiate whether they are performing yoga or not. I do see release of the ego an important part of Yoga. The trouble with ego that it is such a subtle thing. One needs to probe their motivations inwardly to discover if the motive is personal and egoistic or that which is of a higher consciousness. This higher consciousness I label God for want of a better word. I suppose what is important is that we realise that we don't know it all and need to humbly accept some other force or personality which has a greater understanding than ourselves. This could be a guru, deva, god, humanitarian, inner voice or ideal; label it what you will. I think we will know when the knowledge we arrive at is truth by the presence of peace that comes from within. I don't think this view negates the importance of personal experience, but entails that personal experience is most valuable when it originates from a higher aspect of yourself.

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