Monday, March 21, 2011

INTEGRAL YOGA

The INTEGRAL YOGA of SRI AUROBINDO(1872-1950) is a system of TRANSFORMATION of LIFE & THE WORLD, rather than the usual 'liberation' or negation of them,as usually understood or misunderstood by Westerners who tend favor what they consider a 'more postiive philosphy'. Sri Aurobindo's studies, practices, and efforts, based essentially upon THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, a profound work, admired and read, not only in India but in the West,are significant for many who aspire to higher spriitual realization(s) in the field(s0 of 'SPIRITUAL' EVOLUTION in which MAN IS & CAN BE, THE INSTRUMENT OF DIVINE FULFILLMENT...as understood by most who embrace yoga and Hinduism and other paths along the same lines of endeavor...but for whom these other paths have not proven sufficiently satisfying for some reasons.... INTEGRAL YOGA, as conceived and developed by SRI AUROBINDO, who was an intense ACTIVIST who strived for India's Independence and National Independence, which only now is on its way to becoming a 'super-power',( no longer a poor, backward 3rd world problem,) combined the three schools of YOGA: WORK, KNOWLEDGE & LOVE, which were usually embraced separately by specific types of persons: physical-mental-emotional. CONSEQUENTLY, the 'spiritual' development of CONSCIOUSNESS receives and emphasis rather than the 'material' development of it, example: the brain...whihc is the focus of much research these days to enhance or develop 'consciousness' or 'super-consciousness'..

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT POSE IN YOGA? PART ONE

Most who attempt to answer this question ,if based on their specific routines,methods, concepts & theories, would be understandably reluctant to assign any onepose or stance or asana this status. Still an attempt to lessen the many hundreds, actually thousands, of such(which include all the seemingly possible variations) has been done and is still being done to creat specific routines of brevity, for extremely busy Americans and others,especially those who cannot or will not enter ashrams found in India and elsewhere...

ARE YOU A 'YOGI'? (WHAT IS A YOGI? PART TWO)

'ARE YOU A YOGI/" is a question I now ask all who take 'yoga' lessons of any variety and flavor, or 'special mixture' for 'American Palates' and especially of those heading up, directing, etc. 'yoga activities' and 'practices' especially classes,etc. I will not record any answers that I receive or have received for now, but only point out that claimants for the title of 'YOGI' or 'YOGINI' or those who aspire for such a title, should know what it means and of what it is all about, based on the experience of THE WAY OF THE YOGA (THE WAY OF THE YOGI). This is especially true for those who embark on the path of teaching such. The popular consensus about yoga is that it is a series of health promoting physical exercises that everyone can do and should do, if possible and time permits, and they can afford such. Consequently, the commercial, if not educational, aspects of yoga as a 'health enterprise' or an alternative to other systems of exercise and 'physical culture' et al, has become more evident in recent years.

WHAT IS A YOGI? PART ONE

During my sophomore English class in high school we were assigned to present a topic following the format of such talks to be given on a subject we were to choose. I decided to talk about YOGA and as we had to state the topic beforehand in class, one of my classmates, a girl I remember,exclaimed,"Oh,yogis are people who stand on their heads!" I'd seen a recent movie, comedy, which involved 'wrestling' matches of the usual type seen in such, that had been showing not too long before and which some of my classmates,probably this same girl, had seen in the local movie house.... However, my interest in yoga did not arise form that movie as I had been aware of yoga since childhood in various ways, mostly through reading and listening to certain radio programs. In fact, I had read what few books concerning yoga and related topics that were in the Fiske Free Library in Claremont where I attended Stevens High School. But the main and specific reading source for me at the time, was a section on yoga in a large, heavy volume of a Home Medical Book of various remedies,etc. that belonged to my grandparents and which I still have. This large volume had some photos of the 'yogi' practitioner doing mostly breathing exercises....he was very popular at one time and did them in a business suit....he also wrote books on 'mental science' and the like.... I answered or defined the question,'WHAT IS A YOGI?' by answering this way, 'A YOGI IS A PERSON WHO DOES YOGA.' Then I defined yoga, if I recal as coming from the word, 'yoke' and from there demonstrated three or four breathing exercises and arm stretches as I knew them and understood them at the time. Everyone agreed that I really knew my subject and from that point on, I was expected to do or give unuusal talks whenever class speeches or presentations were to be held. I must say, however, that this topic of yoga was probably my best one compared to any of the others I ever gave that school year. So, the two answers to thsi question are still valid: A YOGI IS SOMEONE WHO DOES OR PRACTICES YOGA, AND A YOGI IS SOMEONE WHO STANDS ON HIS OR HER HEAD! These 'definitiions'are most sufficient for ordinary minds to grasp and accept, though, in all fairness, they will fail to satisfy 'die-hard' yoga enthusiasts or those with pretense to being 'yogis'.