Will The "True
Yoga" Please Stand Up
v0.1 - Tanya Lee
Dear Tanya, I'm the owner of a female fitness studio franchise
and
my members keep requesting that we have yoga classes because
it's such a popular workout. I want to hire the right
instructor and type of class, but
the more I research about yoga the more confused I become as to what is 'real yoga' and
what is not. Is it exercise or is it religon? And how do I
choose from all the different styles of yoga classes?
Your Weekly
Yoga Class Is Only A Small Sampling Of "Yoga"
[insert text diagram]
Yoga is a highly interpretive concept which has spawned many
theories/practices all designed to encourage an ideal lifestyle
which values physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and
universal unity. Asana (aus-ana) is the name for meditative exercise
found in one path of Yoga. Of four main Yoga paths, one of them has 8 limbs but only one of
those 8 limbs represents the Asana that we see in studios around
the world.
For the most part people don't have the time, patience, need, or
resources to study Yoga through volumes of text, scripture and
gurus required to realize the broadest scope of "Yoga".
Many will never understand that weekly yoga class is only
teaching one of hundreds of styles of yogic exercise (Asana).
Many will not learn that all of these asanas makeup only one of
8 original "limbs" branching from just one of "the four paths"
of Yoga called Raja (which is known to
also include Hatha). In "yoga class" we are moving through
exercises/poses that in the broader scope really makeup 1/100th
of 1/8th of 1/4th of "Yoga".
This makes asanas seem to be a pretty insignificant
aspect of a whole system of being/understanding. But
why then would so many millions of studios/teachers around the
globe invest so much focus on moving the body through meditative
exercise poses? Perhaps this might indicate that Asana
may well be far more significant - perhaps central -
for the entry-level students of "Yoga" as well as lifelong yogis
and gurus to practice. Maybe moving the body through Asana
provides a fundamental "body-first" foundational awareness to
alignment of body heart mind, self awareness and acceptance no
matter what that might be.
1Path 1Limb Yoga As Seen in A Yoga Studio Near You
Busy cultures around the world have found multi-layered benefits
from Asana offered in "Yoga class". Asanas are the core
offering and financial base of survival for most "Yoga" studios.
With such popularity, Yoga became defined by the masses as peaceful/blissful
meditative exercise - confusing Asana for
Yoga.
This misinformation has presented many hurdles
including self-proclaimed "spirit-first" Yoga teachers judging
'Asana based Yoga' as shallow and
undesirable.
This has put many "Yoga" teachers on the hot-seat to do their
best to infuse 1Path-1Limb Yoga with as many elements of the
other paths, limbs, chants, symbols of Yoga as they can dose
into a physical workout session to emulate a more complete
representation of "Yoga".
Is all of this fair to yoga teachers, students, and the
understanding of how Yoga and Asana are related? And is everyone
who goes to a "Yoga" class coming for the full package deal
complete with chants, symbolism, customs, rituals, theology and
the works? Or do a majority of people just want to do Asana
(exercise) and learn a trustworthy system of movement
that might help them sustain a healthy body, release stress, and
just be okay with who they are and wherever they may find
themselves in their lives?
Now
fashionable in mainstream studios are spirit-first temple-like
atmospheres, spiritual libraries and Sanskrit symbols with words
like love and compassion embroidered on clothing, mugs and
handbags. Is this an attempt to communicate that Yoga
isn't just about exercise, or is it just another brand strategy
and profit booster for the latest lucrative workout trend?
If Yoga class was known as a safe space to do Asana, then the
general population might have a clearer idea of the many
inter-related pieces and parts of the wider "Yoga" system and
how some of these pieces might even feed into the evolution of
their Asana practice. More people might feel safer to
engage the exercise practice if they knew that they were only
stepping foot into the smallest fraction of "the Yoga system"
and did not have to participate in prayers, language or rituals they may
never comprehend.
People would not need to feel overwhelmed with doubt or confused
with hesitation at the slightest hints to the other paths, limbs
and styles of "Yoga" that more intimately involve the doctrine,
philosophy, wisdoms, language, music, chants, symbols,
scripture, prayers and theosophical nature of Yoga.
Yoga Is A Journey,
Not A Badge.
"Yoga Certification" tends to be misleading. Many studios offer
lucrative Yoga certification courses. Students pay $2000+ to sit
through approx. 200 hours of instruction that is mostly anatomy
and physiology peppered with some basic Sanskrit scripture,
doctrine, chakras, history, philosophy and meditation.
When you really think about it, to think one can be certified in
Yoga in a studio this way is almost comical. Yoga is a journey,
not a badge.
No Name
Change In Sight
As a culture we are indoctrinated to follow the trends and
patterns of those from whom we learn. And for business to
survive it is much easier to piggy back and build on familiar
terms and proven formulas already firmly established than it is
to attempt to modify behaviors that require unlearning. In this
case Asana studios have been labeled as Yoga studios with no
hint of it being corrected anytime soon.
To backtrack and redefine lucrative labels from the business
vantage is far too involved for no apparent return on the
investment of time and effort.
Want To Know The Details? Let's Break It Down
YOGA IS ONLY ONE THING:
A
JOURNEY TOWARD PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL AND
UNIVERSAL UNION
Figuring out how to authentically embody this concept tends
to involve a fusion of paths and approaches. The percentages
of each path you walk is a personal choice based on what you
need at any period of your life.
PATHS of
Yoga
1. Bhakti Yoga (devotion, worship)
2. Karma Yoga (selfless service)
3. Jnâna Yoga (knowledge and wisdom)
4. Raja/Hatha
Yoga (8 limb system through behavior, body, breath,
mind)
Optional practices that may be used in any Yoga path
- Tantras
(symbolic
acts, ritualistic worship, rites, secret doctrine,
stimulation of full body energy)
- Yantras
(worship of an
object, sacred geometry/architecture, drawings, images,
shape, color)
- Mantras
(sounds,
chants, music, mystic syllables, slogans, words)
- Kriyas
(purification
techniques for circulatory and nervous system, thoughts
and energy)
- Mudras
(symbolic
gestures, usually with the hands.)
Raja/Hatha Yoga
Path to American Asana Classes
North Americans have barely touched the surface on the other
3 paths of yoga that have no set structure of exercises, but
are based on other focal daily practices such as scholarly
studies, selfless service and devotion. Some of the most
inspiring "yogis" have never even stepped foot on a yoga
mat. I have met men and women who are so uniquely and
authentically "devoted to deep unity" that simply being in
their presence and sharing space is worth any amount of
classroom study.
Raja path originates from a doctrine (Yoga Sutras) said to
be interpreted/translated from palm leaves centuries ago by
an Indian sage named Patańjali. The doctrine presents eight
branches of practice that lead to realization and conscious embodiment
of universal interconnectedness (aka samadhi).
Yogic exercise
(asana) is one of the eight limbs of the Yoga Sutras
Asana is designed to strengthen, balance, open and cleanse
the human body in order to sit still so that the mind can be
observed without interruption and so that the body can stand
strong through a healthy spiritual journey. Different styles
of Raja/Hatha Yoga may differ slightly in their
interpretations of each limb and also in the percentage of
focus toward each one.
[insert limbs, style, spin diagram]
Raja Yoga
roots from a Sage's interpretation of an
8-Limbed
System toward Peace
Limb #1. Yama: points of focus and control, key virtues.
nonviolence (Ahimsa), truthfulness (Satya), nonstealing
(Asteya), continence (Brahmacharya), (noncovetousness)
Aparigraha
Limb #2. Niyama: development of ethical personal discipline,
routine, and observations.
cleanliness (Saucha), contentment (Samtosa), heat and
spiritual austerities (Tapas), self study (Svadhyaya),
surrender to a higher power (Isvara pranidhana).
Limb #3. Asana: a
system of physical exercises and routines.
Limb #4. Pranayama: breathing consciously which often
increases present moment awareness and objective
observation.
(tends to be accompanied by posture, locks, retention and
patterns.)
Limb #5. Pratyahara: awareness and control of the physical
senses.
(identification and emancipation of cravings, habits,
relationships, patterns and beliefs).
Limb #6. Dharana: development of intense mind concentration.
(object
focused meditation)
Limb #7. Dhyana: living in the flow
(using skills learned in Dharana to focus on trust and
alignment to the universal energy)
Limb #8. Samadhi: understand and consciously embody the
interconnectedness of all existence.
(a
state of ecstasy, often referred to as an enlightened
state).
Now we can start to see the forest and the trees - how large
the umbrella of "Yoga" really is and where our weekly yoga
exercise classes fit into the bigger picture.
Name brands of
Raja/Hatha Yoga
8-limb Path
(asana style and founders)
1. Ashtanga Yoga
(athletic,
dance like flow, uniform non-stop pose sequence)
- Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, student of Krishnamacharya
2. Bikram Yoga
(room
heated to 105°F (40.5°C) with a humidity of 40%, 26
poses)
- Bikram Choudhury
3. Iyengar Yoga
(precise
alignment, prop use)
- BKS Iyengar, student of Krishnamacharya
4. Kripalu Yoga
(3 stage progressive approach)
- Yogi Amrit Desai
5. Kundalini Yoga
(more focus
to subtle energies, Tantra)
- Yogi Bhajan
6. Sivananda Yoga
(uniform
pose sequence)
- Swami Sivananda
7. Viniyoga
(individualized practice, less focus on asana than
others)
-T.K.V. Desikachar, student of Krishnamacharya
Some yogic exercise regimes have a strict order in which to
do the poses such as Ashtanga and Sivananda which tends to
be organized around a systematic purification of the body
and cultivation of energy. But this is an example of how
everything is theory vs. theory, where Ashtanga ends the
routine in headstand, Sivananda style begins the routine in
headstand.
Other names of Yoga tend to be modern versions blended from
these seven.
some modern
blended styles from the 7 above (asana style and
founders)
Integral Yoga
(various
hatha poses and routines)
- Swami Satchidananda, student of Sivananda
Jivamukti Yoga
(athletic,
dance like flow)
- Sharon Gannon and David Life, students of Ashtanga
ISHTA Yoga
(chakra and
element focused routines)
- Mani Finger and son Alan, blend of Hatha Tantra
Ayurveda
Kest Power Yoga
(plain
language no dogma blend of modified Ashtanga)
- Bryan Kest, student of Ashtanga
Bender-Birch Power Yoga
(modified
Ashtanga)
- Beryl Bender-Birch, student of Ashtanga
Power Vinyasa Yoga
(blend of power yoga in a heated room)
- Baron Baptiste, student of Power Yoga
Anusara Yoga
(alignment
focused postures)
- John Friend, student of Iyengar and Tantra
Hidden
Language Yoga
(archetype
explorative postures)
- Swami Sivananda Radha, student of Sivananda
From these styles, more and more are spawning everyday. With
so many teachers co-branding their style of Yoga, this name
system has become somewhat of a wildfire. But no matter if
your yogic exercise class is called joe yoga, ultimate bliss
yoga, rockers yoga, or some Sanskrit name in front of "Yoga"
- it all originated from some form of Raja or Hatha Yoga.
Something of interest: T.K.V. Desikachar who originally
branded Viniyoga, was the last student to study with T.
Krishnamacharya (one of the main fathers of Raja Yoga).
Desikachar has now revoked the use of any brand name for the
style of Yoga he teaches. It's just Yoga. Only Yoga.
There Is No "Best" in Yoga
Yoga is interpretative. It doesn't have a particular look,
language or way of dress. Yoga is a journey of natural flowing
unity - feminine and masculine, earth and sky, body and
nature, sun and moon, body-mind-heart-soul, individual and
universal consciousness. Whatever feels like a journey
toward that is your Yoga path. The system of rituals and
details and practices that form your journey is your style
of Yoga. It may have a name attached to it and may not.
There is no one structured path that can hold all the right
answers for each one of us. We are too complex for something
that absolute to be universal for everyone at each stage in
their life.
You may run across a few absolute teachers who are bent on
their style being the one an only "True Yoga", stating that
all others don't measure up. More commonly is a weekend
warrior mentality "my teacher/ideology is best", often
talking out their ass with jargon and lingo that sounds
enlightening and intelligent and may even develop into what
Wolfgang calls "neurotic loop logic". But this is not a
unique behavior to yogic studios, it's found everywhere from
elementary schools to political boardrooms.
Confusion and competition over the "True Yoga" just may have
stemmed from modern Yoga's root lineage. Krishnamacharya is often
considered "father of modern of yoga" who taught four
main students, each developing their own brand based on what
Krishnamacharya taught them. Yoga is a lifetime practice and
study and each of Krishnamacharya students studied with him at
a different stage in his life, so each student has a
different interpretation approach to "True Yoga".
Three
main styles known today which developed from Krishnamacharya's
teaching:
[insert timeline drawing
from david]
1. Ashtanga Yoga
(by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, first to study with Krishnamacharya as a
teenager)
2. Iyengar Yoga (by BKS Iyengar, Krishnamacharya's son-in law)
3.
Viniyoga (by T.K.V. Desikachar, Krishnamacharya's son and last to study
with him)
From
just these three brands of Yoga, each has a large following of
devoted students where many have debated for decades as to which is
the 'real Yoga'. This often just ends up in a crazy "he said/she said,
right/wrong"
whirlwind of misinformation caught up in fancy lingo and
sage quotes that sounds good, but teach no tangible real world method
of 24-7 application/embodiment.
Since
Yoga is ideally aimed at complete union, the product of branding
as 'the best' has become a mass Yoga hypocrisy.
Asana Can
Be Good for You :: Learn To Discern
 During a
YogAsana routine my mind sometimes becomes quiet, and sometimes
I can feel stress release and energy renewal, and
often I will finish with a deep sense of
gratitude and balance. Asana presents a method of exercise
that makes sense and routines that address all body systems -
neglecting nothing. No equipment required. No distractions. Just
you.
Asana
can serve as doorway to strength, space, release, balance and
concentration (to name a few). The focus on breath creates a 'be
here now' environment and when practiced over time a student
will often experience a mirror reflection insight into the true
nature of their relationship with themselves and the world
simply by being present and by observing
patterns/reactions/feelings as they move through the Asanas.
The
important thing to keep in mind is that Asana was created within
a framework of Yoga which is a concept of unity. In order
to unify the complexity and uniqueness of ones whole-self there
needs to be room for creative expression. Good/bad and
better-than mentalities, rigid structure and
no-questions-allowed doctrine all limit ones potential for
unity/balance. Balance/alignment is also an essential
precursor to power, flow, contentment and healing.
Titles, badges, authoritative voices, trips to India, memorized
doctrine/chants, ability to wrap foot around head, and/or flashy
advertising may not be the best avenues to discern who teaches
the 'true Yoga'. Be alert and keep an open mind that is willing to understand
from various angles.
And above all else - take care of your-whole-self first.
Self-care is not selfishness as we can only be with others
through how we relate with ourselves.
Tanya Lee
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