Yog(a): the basic approach
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The basics
Explained by Prashant Iyengar, son of BKS
Learning All About Yog, Yoga And Yogaa, December 14, 2018: The Times of India
Interaction: Prashant Iyengar
You say that yog has become ‘yogaa’; it has gone global but but has it lost its essence?
It all started when the word ‘yog’ came to be spelt as ‘yoga’ and pronounced as ‘yogaa’ in the west. It came to mean trying to get your wellbeing from the body source alone. Yog is classical and yogaa is just a pop version.
Everything has good and bad sides. Propagation is required to draw people’s attention towards it, but it cannot be done at the cost of its essential features. Trying to propagate it on a huge scale and in a rapid process, will only spoil it.
Who can learn yoga?
Who should sleep? Everyone should sleep. Similarly, anyone can start doing yog; the teacher must have the skill to impart suitable kind of yoga according to the condition of the person. If you are considering physical yoga, it is best to start young, 7-8 years of age. As a disciple, one has to just present with an open-mind and without any ego.
What is the link between yoga and karma?
Krishna talks about essential yoga in the Gita. That was a different time when classical yoga was being expounded and for classical yoga, karma consciousness is paramount. Knowing what this act is, why, how, its purpose, its results – that is karma consciousness.
In the Gita, the word ‘yoga’ is used several times. In verse 2:50, Krishna talks about karma yoga in which you must have samatva buddhi, equanimity, whether you gain or lose, fail or succeed. Also, yoga is a skill which is required in your karma performance so that karma does not get attached to you. But, this has no connection with asana pranayama. In verse 6:23, Krishna says, that which ‘dis-juncts’ this conjunction of sorrow with life is yoga. This is the definition of Patanjali’s yoga, but this is never quoted by any modern writer on yoga.
Life is a conjunction of sorrows. Even pleasures are sorrows. As pleasures end in attachments and expectations, we want to get them through any means. So success is painful and failure is painful, too. Dukkha here is being used in an empirical sense, not sensory sense. And that which causes disjunction of dukkha from life is yoga – kevala – where all sorrows are kept at bay. This is the process which helps us put up with sorrows that come our way.
So in the beginning you start attending to the physical geometry. Here, too, you are using breath and mind, though unknowingly. Later, the teacher makes you aware of how to use the breath, mind and body.
What is B K S Iyengar’s biggest contribution?
In his 96 years he went from complete social and economic destitution to reaching the zenith. His nature and character were such that he used his trump card – the ability to face challenges – to the hilt. He would look for challenges and wanted to prove himself to the world. His biggest message is, identify your potential, don’t get influenced by someone and you will go a long way. And yoga will help you identify your potential, because with it you can go within and start interacting with yourself – body, mind and breath.
The 4 paths and 5 points
Yoga means union of mind, body and spirit with the Divine and while this refers to a certain state of consciousness, both individual and universal, it is also a method to help one reach that goal.
A traditional, exact and easyto-learn system aims at naturally achieving the goal through creating a healthy body and mind that leads to spiritual evolvement.
Based in the teachings of Swami Sivananda, here is a summary of the yoga philosophy in five principles or the five points of yoga which make the complex teachings of yoga easier to understand:
Five points of yoga
Asanas: Yoga poses and proper exercise help develop a strong, healthy body by enhancing flexibility and improving circulation.
Pranayama: Deep, conscious, proper breathing reduces stress and keeps one safe from many diseases.
Proper relaxation: Helps keep the body from going into overload mode, easing worry and fatigue.
Proper diet: Eating simple, healthy, vegetarian foods that are easy to digest notably have a positive effect on mind and body, as well as the environment and other living beings.
Vedanta and Dhyana: Positive thinking and meditation are the true keys to achieving peace of mind and eliminating negativity in our lives.
Four paths of yoga
Along with the five points of yoga, a look at the four paths of yoga completes the picture to give individuals a clear sense of direction for not only a healthier and stronger body but also a way of living that promotes peace and mindfulness to counteract day-to-day trials and tribulations.
The four paths of yoga all lead to the same place – union with the Divine – but help in getting there by giving options that fit different human temperaments and approaches to life. Which one fits you best?
Karma Yoga: Also known as the yoga of action, Karma Yoga teaches us to act without egoist expectations in all areas of daily life – home, work, school. It is a good path for someone who is outgoing and enjoys a certain sense of spiritual activism to help others.
Bhakti Yoga: Also known as the path of devotion, Bhakti Yoga is a good path for someone with an emotional nature and enjoys prayer, worship and seeking God through unconditionally loving others. Kirtan or singing/chanting the names of God is part of Bhakti Yoga.
Raja Yoga: Also known as the science of mind, Raja Yoga is the path that takes us on a comprehensive journey to understanding our mind and thoughts. Through mental control, we are able to gain control of the physical body and the life force energy known as prana. This is a good path for those who are interested in meditation and its effects on the mind.
Jnana Yoga: Also known as yoga of knowledge, is considered a good path for those with strong intellectual tendencies as it requires great strength of will and mind. Using Vedanta as vehicle, the inquiry into individual nature is the key to this difficult path. It is best undertaken after some lessons of the other paths have been well understood in order to move along towards Selfrealisation or profound spiritual awakening. (Courtesy: Divine Life Society)
