A friend of a friend sent me a link to an article about yoga in the New York Times.
LINK>>> They wanted to know what I thought and this was my reply. I wrote is passionately and with much to learn, but I was surprised by my passion and my journey. Actually, I was surprised that my journey has taken me back to a very simple place.
George, all debate for yoga is good for me so it makes me very happy to see that people are curious.
Yoga is a technology when properly used will facilitate the attainment of happiness. The purpose of yoga is to create happy homes. Yoga encompasses the whole person when practice appropriately and with a proper teacher.
Ayurveda is the nutritional science of yoga. If you are only practicing yoga and meditation and not taking in the proper nutrition, you will not balance. It is conceivable that your metabolism would slow and you could gain weight. However, given the nature of yoga, a yogi organically begins to make better choices as the psychology behind the sugar, caffeine, food, alcohol and other abuse is revealed. Your choices become more "sattvic" or pure and you naturally begin to consume less meat, processed foods and other not so healthy items.
Hatha is the physical movement of yoga that also includes Tantra. Tantra is not the sexually abusive form of yoga that has been popularized in the West, it is the psychology of the mind. Through Hatha and Tantra you unite the opposites in body and mind. You embrace your duality and you learn to sit in your divinity. The search for something to make you happy is relinquished as you realize that "this is that, and that is that and that is all that there is". Your love and devotion to your family grows as you begin to accept them as they are and see their beauty. You learn to meet yourself in the mirror with your own limitations. You meet others with their limitations as well.......this is just life. It is all just life.
This takes discipline (tapas), non-violence in thought, word and action (ahimsa) and belief in something greater than yourself. It is done in a devotional daily practice called sadhana. The devotional practice and the path are as many as there are people walking the planet.
In essence the physical posturing of yoga is limited on its own independent of Ayurveda and Tantra. A yoga practice should be tailored to the unique individual. Most people over the age of 35 should not be practicing headstand. People with certain conditions like high blood pressure should not be practicing headstand. All poses of yoga are dangerous when done incorrectly and in an unprescribed manner.
The awakening of what we call Kundalini energy can bring psychosis if the psychology has not been worked through. Kundalini energy is the spiritual energy depicted as a serpent coiled at the base of your spine. As Kundalini begins to awaken, it arises through your spine and nervous system to mate with the Divine. Kundalini energy is feminine and represents the ego. It is depicted as a snake with 3 coils. Each coil represents a "guna" or a chain that is binding us to our reality...the illusion of separation. The gunas are purity, action and deadness. Deadness is obvious to be avoided. You need a little action to manifest desires. Purity binds you to your illusion with knowledge and happiness so that sounds pretty good. The lesson is to be non-egoic. That doesn't mean to lose yourself, it means to make choices that benefit you and others. It means to stop harming others with your own personal needs and desires.
As the gunas fall away, this Shakti energy begins to unite with the Shiva energy. Moon/Sun...Cool/Hot....Feminine/Masculine... It's your duality. Reality/Spirit. You begin to sense that you are one with all, yet apart. You begin to respect the 5 elements of air, fire, water, earth and space. You make better choices for all and the planet. You have a tangible working relationship with Spirit that is very rewarding. It's like having a best friend...no more, no less.
Some people become very sensitive and intuitive. Magical powers called Siddhis develop. I have experienced many of these that I have set aside as distractions because I am a very practical Ohio girl with two kids to raise and I like reality. People with Siddhis that are uncontrolled become psychotic as they cannot maintain their duality.
Yoga is sitting in the duality.
Yoga is loving your family and serving your family without exception.
So that's what I think! : ) Pamela.
