The Changing Face of Yoga: The Practice of Self-Inquiry BY CLAUDIA NEUMAN YOGA TODAY
SUHFLVHSHDUOVRIZLVGRPGHVFULEHWKHSUREOHPRIKXPDQVX̆HULQJDQG the solution for it with an accuracy and simplicity that is loaded with SV\FKRORJLFDO VLJQL¿FDQFH SUHGDWLQJ WKH VFLHQFH RI SV\FKRORJ\ DOWR - gether. If we look at one section of Patanjali’s <RJD6XWUDV ³6DGKDQD3DGD´ IURPERRNWZRWKHDXWKRUVXPPDUL]HVRXUPHQWDOKHDOWKGLOHPPDE\ SXWWLQJIRUWKWKHWHDFKLQJVDERXWWKHD̈LFWLRQVRIWKHKXPDQPLQG² the Kleshas . The Afflictions / 5 Kleshas ‘The most powerful form of misery is shoka, sorrow and grief in- IXVHGZLWKZRUU\IHDUDQGDVHQVHRISRZHUOHVVQHVV%\WKHWLPHZH UHDFK WKLV VWDWHRIPLVHU\ZHKDYHGDPDJHGRXU UDWLRQDOPLQG« 7KLV VWDWH RI PLQG LV VXVWDLQHG E\ RXU VWURQJ LGHQWL¿FDWLRQ ZLWK
,Q WKH ODVW GHFDGHV <RJD KDV EHHQ SDFNDJHG DQG VROG DV D VHQ - VDWLRQDOL]HG JODPRURXV V\VWHP RI EHDXWLI\LQJ WKH ERG\ ,PDJHV RI PRVWO\ ZHOOKHDOHG ORRNLQJ \RXQJ ZRPHQ RU YHU\ EX̆ PHQ RQ WKH FRYHUV RI <RJD PDJD]LQHV KDYH FUHDWHG D PDUNHW RQO\ WKH HOLWH FDQ pursue. However, the face of this multi-level marketing, quasi-spir- LWXDORKVREHDXWLIXOSHRSOHWKLQJ RVWHQVLEO\ FDOOHG ³<RJD´ KDV EHHQ undergoing quite a shift. ,Q WKH ZRUGV RI RQH RIP\ IDYRULWH WHDFKHUV <RJD KDV UHFHLYHG D ³&RURQDERQXV´:LWKRXWWKHVWXGLRVRUWKHJ\PVWRVHHDQGEHVHHQ LQWKHWUDQVDFWLRQDODVSHFWRI<RJD LVJLYLQJZD\7KHZRUOGRI<RJD is beginning to take a real look at itself. Students seem less interested LQ LPSUHVVLQJRWKHUVDQGPRUHFRQFHUQHGZLWK¿QGLQJSHDFH7KRVH
who have persevered in Zoom classes, or having in-person classes with a mask on, have shown they are over the thrill RI ³ERXWLTXH´ <RJD 7KH\¶YH GHPRQ - strated true commitment. Yoga For Mental Health <RJD DOZD\V ZDV DQG VWLOO LV RQH RI WKHPRVWHOHJDQWDQGH̆HFWLYHWRROVIRU mental health that we have available to us today. From its inception (well over \HDUV DJR WKH PDQ\ SUDFWLFHV DQG PRGDOLWLHV RI <RJD IURP WKH DQ - cient world were aimed at alleviating KXPDQ VX̆HULQJ <RJD ZDV QHYHU D V\VWHPRISK\VLFDO¿WQHVVRUDUHOLJLRQ )URP WKH EHJLQQLQJ <RJD ZDV D UH - sponse to a world that was going awry. 0XFKOLNHRXUFXUUHQWFXOWXUHWKHSXUL - ty of the soul of humanity was becom- ing drenched in lies and treachery. The <RJLV RI DQFLHQW WLPHV UHFRJQL]HG WKDW without a practice, the untrained mind is our worst enemy. Without a way to TXLHWDQGIRFXVWKHPLQGDVDFLYLOL]D -
ZRUOGO\ REMHFWV DQG UHODWLRQVKLSV:H DUH FRQYLQFHG« WKDW ZH DUH LQFRP - plete without them; when they prove HSKHPHUDO ZH DUH GHYDVWDWHG «2XU unwillingness to examine the validity RI WKLV FRQYLFWLRQ LV ZKDW <RJD FDOOV µDYLG\D¶ WKH JURXQG RI DOO D̈LFWLRQV´ From 7KH3UDFWLFHRIWKH<RJD6XWUD 6DGKDQD3DGD by Pandit Rahmani Ti- gunait, PhD 7KH¿YHD̈LFWLRQV3DWDQMDOLFDOOVRXW in the Sadhana Pada are: • Ignorance ( avidya • Ego ( asmita • Attachment ( raga $YHUVLRQ GHYVKD DQG • Fear of loss or death ( abhinivesha 7KH ¿UVW RI WKHVH ¿YH LJQRUDQFH ( avidya OD\VWKHIRXQGDWLRQIRUDOOVXI - fering and feeds the remaining Kleshas D̈LFWLRQV LQDQHQGOHVVORRS Patanjali is saying all other forms of
WLRQZHDUHZRUWKOHVV:LWKRXW UHÀHFWLRQDQGDZDUHQHVVZHGURZQ Without discernment about how we choose to think, act and speak to one another, we become agents of chaos and do not progress as hu- man beings. 0DQ\SURIRXQG\RJLFWH[WVVXFKDVWKH Vedas and the Upanishads , GHVFULEHG WKH VWDWHRI<RJDDVEHLQJRQHRI WRWDODEVRUSWLRQ<RJD LV both a practice we do and a state we arrive in as a result of this prac- WLFH7KH VWDWH RI<RJD LV FDOOHG 6DPDGKL , which means, absorption. As described by the seers who put forth these works, the experience of union with the truth of one’s being is achieved through quieting the mind. A guiding force, or teacher, is key because the teacher has the H[SHULHQFHRIEHLQJLQWKHVWDWHRI<RJD In the Bhagavad Gita , the relationship between student and teach- HU LVGHPRQVWUDWHGEHWZHHQ.ULVKQD WHDFKHU DQG$UMXQD VWXGHQW .ULVKQDWHDFKHV$UMXQDWKDW<RJDLVWKHDELOLW\WROLYHLQWKHZRUOGDQG QRWEH³RI´LW<RJDLV³VNLOOLQDFWLRQ´KHWHDFKHV<RJDJLYHVRQHWKH ability to adapt and remain grounded in one’s Self in the midst of all the changes and chaos around us. $QHYHQFOHDUHUGHVFULSWLRQRI WKLVVWDWHRI<RJD LVRXWOLQHG LQ WKH <RJD6XWUDVRI3DWDQMDOL 7RGD\WKH<RJD6XWUDVDUHKHOGDVWKHSLQ - QDFOHRIZKDW LV FDOOHG ³7KH&ODVVLFDO<RJD3HULRG´7KHVH VKRUW DQG
D̈LFWLRQ VWHP IURP WKLV VWDWH RI LJQRUDQFH RU DYLG\D+H GHVFULEHV DYLG\DDVWKHRYHULGHQWL¿FDWLRQZLWKWKHIDOVHVHOIDQGWKHRYHUZKHOP - LQJ FRQYLFWLRQ WR UHPDLQ LGHQWL¿HGZLWK WKLV IDOVH VHOI7KH IDOVH VHOI FDQEHWKRXJKWRIDVWKHDVSHFWRI\RXUEHLQJWKDW¿QGVLWVLGHQWLW\LQ H[WHUQDOUHDOLWLHVVXFKDVDMREDUHODWLRQVKLSRZQHUVKLSRI³WKLQJV´ UROHV WKDW RQH SOD\V SDUHQW HPSOR\HH VLVWHU ER\IULHQG HWF$OO RI WKHVHH[WHUQDOVGRQRWGH¿QHZKRDQGZKDWZHDUHVRVD\V<RJD DQG \HWDVKXPDQVZHSXWVRPXFKYDOXHLQWKHVHGH¿QLWLRQV We can think of the Kleshas as being the never-ending cycle of suf- fering; we become attached ( raga WR WKRVH FRQGLWLRQV DQG REMHFWV WKDW VHHP WR ¿W RXU IDOVH VHOI:H KDYH DQ DYHUVLRQ devsha WR WKH scenarios that contradict this false view. The sense of self is based in the small self ( asmita WKH VROLWDU\ HJR WKDW DORQH LV¿JKWLQJ WR JHW the world to adapt to its requirements. In the end, when faced with loss ( abhinivesha WKHUHLVSDQLF7KHIHDURIORVLQJZKDWZHKDYHRU not getting what we want, drives us deeper to keep up the false sense of self. These all stem from an overall ignorance ( ayidya RIZKDWRXU WUXH QDWXUH LV LQ WKH <RJD WUDGLWLRQ LW LV QRWHGZH DUH D SDUW RI WKH whole, and each one of us plays a part in the picture.
continued on page 32
PATHWAYS—Fall 21—13
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease