what is yoga? Or what is astanga or iyengar yoga? yoga classical definitions

A few weeks ago I added an image to the blog’s banner that says: DISCIPLINE, STUDY, and DEVOTION. I chose these words as I believe they symbolize perfectly well the yoga principles and what the entire system covers, and because they complete the human being development.

The next phrase in fact belongs to the Sutra II.1 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. This is one of the big sutras that feature the three pillars on which Patanjali’s yoga is settled.

The sutra II.1 says:

Tapah svadhyaya Isvarapranidhanani kriyayogah.

“Burning zeal in practice, self-study and study of scriptures, and surrender to I̅śvara (the Lord) are the acts of yoga” (B.K.S. Iyengar’s Translation)

Why do I say that they “complete”? Because I believe that with these three works, discipline, study and devotion, one walks a big part of the path that leads to clearing up the fundamental truths.

 

Discipline

Discipline contains the ethical principles (yama and niyama) that one must adopt for oneself and in his relationship with other members of society and that are, undoubtedly, the base on which the entire system is set. If they are not observed and followed, the yoga student will not make any progress. The ethical behaviors and dharma are the base that prepares and shapes the student’s nature and allows us to follow the lifestyle that will lead us to the teachings assimilation.

Besides yama and niyama, we are facing as well two constituents that are most peculiar in ashtanga yoga: a̅sana and pra̅na̅ya̅ma. These two members represent by themselves a practical methodology that, due to its features and requirements, is fundamental for the student to live a disciplined life in his body, in his senses and to provide a good foundation for the mind to discriminate. This is what it makes it different from any other discipline. The daily a    a̅̅sana and pra̅na̅ya̅ma practice, undergone under the guidance of a competent teacher, is so powerful and has so much reach and penetration power over the body-mind-senses system that it guarantees that the student will hold a self-restrained, well-balanced, righteous and fair composure.  And this is, I believe, what is most difficult: the daily, slow, gradual preparation for eradicating for ever all psychological and emotional afflictions.

Study

We now face the Scriptures study as another yoga work. They are a mirror in which we can discover and examine ourselves and establish the adequate means to understand the dharma and to hold a well-balanced life on the one hand. On the other hand they are an adequate instrument (pra̅mana) to eliminate the ignorance of one self’s essential reality and to reveal the Self.

We also need the help of a competent teacher for undergoing this assimilation process. In traditional teaching, the teacher sets out his teachings on the fundamental truths and the students listen, analyze, contemplate and investigate.

Let us not forget that yoga is an ORAL tradition and that it is not possible to just read a book nor to progress without the presence of a qualified teacher.

Devotion to I̅śvara

I̅śvara devotion, the appreciation of I̅śvara is a result of discipline, study, contemplation. Without discipline there will not be a prepared and mature mind that is able to be at the dharma’s disposal for study, discrimination and reflection. Without discipline one’s lifestyle cannot produce the conditions that lead to examine, to study or to contemplate. Discipline is one of the foundations. A clear value structure and understanding the priorities of our goals is also needed.

Study cannot be undertaken if we lack a prepared mind and an upright and ethical personality. And if we do not study the truths, if we do not contemplate and assimilate them we cannot appreciate what is the Lord, or we will only partially.

Devotion can be developed by means of personal I̅sv́ara forms, or through rituals, or symbols or yet pujas. At least this must be done. But at a higher level, appreciation and devotion entail a degree of comprehension and knowledge that cannot be achieved with a simple type of devotion based on forms.

This explains why this sutra inspires me so much: because it summarizes yoga’s philosophy and because with a stroke you can sum up your daily sa̅dhana:

Discipline, Study, Devotion (DSD)
Have a nice sa̅dhana !!

which are the classical yoga definitions?

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 24th, 2010 at 3:43 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.