When talking about Yoga, it is imperative to identify what is meant by the word Yoga. There are so many yogis all across the globe all practicing Yoga and yet meaning different things. As a contemporary teacher of Yoga I like to use a phrase that Yoga is everywhere. By saying that I tend to refer to the eight limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system (yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi) as described in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The Yoga that I teach is Vinyasa Yoga, which is mainly focused on asana practice with some attention paid to pranayama and meditation. And although I do like to intertwine some yoga philosophy in my teachings, I am by no means a Yoga teacher in a wider sense of the subject matter. I will therefore approach this subject matter from my experience as a truly contemporary teacher of Yoga.
When I first encountered Yoga, I only saw and understood it from the physical – asana – level. This is how the majority of my students get to know it at first. I believe that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, as I truly trust the process of the Yoga practice. What I mean by that is that everyone sooner or later gets to see or feel the benefits of Yoga that go much deeper than simply the physical level. Naturally at that point my students then get a bit more curious and start looking at Yoga a bit more closely – learning about the different limbs of the Ashtanga yoga system and meditation as well as pranayama, mantras and chakra system of the tantric tradition. All because they realize the potential of the Yoga practice. They seek not only to experience it all, but also to understand it better. I would go as far as to say that they are moving in the direction of finding their true self through jñana (knowledge) and sādhanā (practice), even if it is only in the tiniest seed form.
The journey towards one’s own true self tends to bring one’s focus inwards, detaching one, even if briefly, from the worldly distractions and helping to calm and focus the mind inward. All of which help the contemporary student of Yoga move towards samyama – ‘the very essence of Yoga’.
Therefore, if a contemporary student of Yoga manages to find oneself working towards achieving the very essence of yoga through what originated as practicing modern Yoga with a contemporary teacher of Yoga, then I believe it is fair to state that modern practice does properly reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga.
However, it is quite naïve to expect that such a wide subject matter as Yoga, even if narrowed down to the modern practice of Yoga, would only be influenced by a single piece of work, even if that work is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It is only natural that the practice itself would change, since the Yoga practice and philosophy had not only to withstand the influence of time, but also the changes of culture – moving from east to west. I admit that the modern practice places a great amount of emphasis on the physical aspects, asana and pranayama, which were far from being the focal points in the Yoga Sutras. However, if we allow ourselves to look past the surface, even the modern yogis would agree that there is so much more to yoga than purely the obvious and observable physical benefits. A regular yoga practice tends to encourage mindfulness in all aspects of life, self-study and spirituality. I would dare to say that these qualities, in combination with various meditation practices could potentially lead to samadhi. Whether this could be described as an authentic or inauthentic practice should not really matter, since it would quite clearly reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga – ‘yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ – yoga is the restriction of the movements of the mind’ (sutra 1.2).
Let us look a bit more closely into what Patanjali teaches in the Yoga Sutras and consider whether we can observe it being practiced by the modern yogis.
‘The type of Yoga Patanjali is delineating is a Yoga of the mind rather than of the body’.
To illustrate this point as being practiced by the modern yogis I would like to bring up the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice as introduced by Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. This style of Yoga is often described as a moving meditation. This is mainly due to combining continuous and repetitive movement, asana, with controlled and rhythmical breathing, pranayama. To a non-practitioner this practice could seem a purely physical style of Yoga involving asana alone. However, having practiced this style of Yoga I would dare to say that it is yoga of the mind as it requires strength and control of the mind as much if not more than the body.
I have observed so many students escaping the postures, fidgeting in the postures, fighting the thought battles and even quitting the practice all because they could not control their minds and their emotions. What is worse is that they did not even realize that what they were fighting was themselves and not the postures. And this is something that everyone has to face when taking up Yoga in a form of an asana practice. Yoga is in a way quite deceitful, as one who is not familiar with Yoga philosophy at all might think that Yoga is just exercise for the body, when in fact it is as much a workout for the body as it is for the mind. It is quite impressive to observe how much the mind wanders if uncontrolled and how much we may learn about ourselves from its wanderings if only we are willing to listen to it.
‘Tadā draṣṭuḥ sva-rūpe 'vasthānam – when this is achieved, the witness comes to exist in terms of its true identity’ (sutra 1.3).
As a Yoga student since 2008 and a practicing Yoga teacher since 2013, I can say with certainty that a regular Yoga practice opens one’s eyes, expands the mind and understanding of the world as well as shows one’s place in it. Depending on how deep one is willing to go, I would say that Yoga practice does encourage to break away from the limitations placed on us by the society, culture and traditions; hence, to search for one’s true identity. And this may be achieved as much through the asana practice, as illustrated above, as well as through the meditation practice. I believe everyone should choose an appropriate tool to achieve the set goal; which for some will be asana, while for others pranayama or samyama practice.
‘Abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ - the restriction of these movements of the mind is achieved through regular practice and through renunciation’ (sutra 1.12).
Patanjali teaches that one of the ways of achieving nirodhaḥ is through systematic and disciplined practice. There are huge yoga communities all across the globe practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, particularly the Mysore style yoga. One of the main guidelines of this style of Yoga is a six days a week practice (mainly, but not limited to, asana practice) and one day a week dedicated for rest. The rest is mainly for the physical body; however, it is also suggested that this day is used for reflection and meditation. This is a very devotional practice requiring a lot of character strength and commitment that goes beyond an ordinary physical exercise routine. A lot of these yogis are guided by a widely used saying by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois - practice and all is coming. Furthermore, this point is reiterated in sutra 1.22: ‘mṛdu-madhyādhimātratvāt tato 'pi viśeṣaḥ - as persons are leisurely, middling or intense in their practice, so excellence is achieved accordingly’.
Patanjali only allocates three sutras out of 195 – 2.46-2.48 – to the practice of asana.
Clearly, asana practice was not a focal point to Patanjali. And I agree with Arjuna (referring to Bhagavad Gita), who says that ‘Yoga is virtually impossible’, especially to a beginner living in the modern, highly materialistic and self-centered society. I believe that different times call for different measures. Certainly most will agree that starting to work on oneself with asana practice is much more manageable than starting with a meditation practice from scratch. I think that our so called modern society has taken countless steps back in terms of spiritual growth compared to the times of the Yoga Sutras; and that now more than ever, we do need to take a step back in our practice and start with more feasible tasks. Yes, this makes our journeys longer and possibly tougher, but the goal is still the same – samadhi. Whether we will reach it in this life or the next one, is yet another matter.
In terms of pranayama practice, the idea is very much the same as asana, since Patanjali devotes five sutras to this subject matter. To the modern yogi, pranayama normally comes second following asana and generally before one’s meditation practice. Pranayama, just like asana, is yet another tool to prepare oneself for the meditation practice. Patanjali’s view was much the same.
‘The central theme of the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras is in effect the results acquired through mastery of samyama, <…> which in turn is only possible through the mastery of the previous five.
Although Patanjali does not seem to place much emphasis on asana and pranayama, 3rd and 4th limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system, it is quite clear that one must first master the physical elements, namely one’s body, in order to even attempt to control one’s mind and the thought processes. This is very clearly illustrated in sutra 3.48: ‘tato mano-javitvaṃ vikaraṇa-bhāvaḥ pradhāna-jayaś ca – when the senses are mastered, the mind can act quickly, one’s existence needs no external support and one gains mastery over matter’.
At the time when the Yoga Sutras were compiled, asana and pranayama might have come quite naturally and did not need a separate mention; hence Patanjali’s focus on the other limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system. I think anyone would agree that out of all of the eight limbs, the 3rd and 4th limbs seem to be the most straightforward ones. The same could not be said about any of the other limbs, especially the final four – pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
Summary
The focus of the modern Yoga practice at first sight has slightly shifted compared to Patanjali’s teachings in the Yoga Sutras. The modern Yoga appears to put a much bigger emphasis on the first few limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system, namely asana and pranayama rather than samyama, the final three limbs, as per the Yoga Sutras. However, the shift in focus seems to be justifiable considering the current state of spirituality. What is more important though is that the goal of the practice remains the same – samadhi or citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ. And this is what should really matter in the practice of yoga – ancient or modern. Therefore, I believe that it is fair to conclude that modern practice is authentic because it does reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga.
Still, it should be kept in mind that Yoga should be considered in a wider context than Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras alone. Since Patanjali himself had been influenced by Mahabharata and later on Yoga philosophy was amalgamated with some of the tantric concepts; moreover, nowadays Yoga teachings are often intertwined with mindfulness, which is mainly borrowed from Buddhism philosophy.
Author: Agnė Budreckytė, Ashtanga vinyasa yoga teacher (E-RYT200, YACEP) and student
About the article: the essay was written as part of the Philosophy of Yoga course at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (University of Oxford)
Original essay title: How might a contemporary teacher of Yoga respond to the criticism that modern practice is inauthentic because it does not properly reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga?
References: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Bhagavad Gita, Jayakhya Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Philosophy of Yoga course notes
5th January 2017
When I first encountered Yoga, I only saw and understood it from the physical – asana – level. This is how the majority of my students get to know it at first. I believe that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, as I truly trust the process of the Yoga practice. What I mean by that is that everyone sooner or later gets to see or feel the benefits of Yoga that go much deeper than simply the physical level. Naturally at that point my students then get a bit more curious and start looking at Yoga a bit more closely – learning about the different limbs of the Ashtanga yoga system and meditation as well as pranayama, mantras and chakra system of the tantric tradition. All because they realize the potential of the Yoga practice. They seek not only to experience it all, but also to understand it better. I would go as far as to say that they are moving in the direction of finding their true self through jñana (knowledge) and sādhanā (practice), even if it is only in the tiniest seed form.
The journey towards one’s own true self tends to bring one’s focus inwards, detaching one, even if briefly, from the worldly distractions and helping to calm and focus the mind inward. All of which help the contemporary student of Yoga move towards samyama – ‘the very essence of Yoga’.
Therefore, if a contemporary student of Yoga manages to find oneself working towards achieving the very essence of yoga through what originated as practicing modern Yoga with a contemporary teacher of Yoga, then I believe it is fair to state that modern practice does properly reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga.
However, it is quite naïve to expect that such a wide subject matter as Yoga, even if narrowed down to the modern practice of Yoga, would only be influenced by a single piece of work, even if that work is Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It is only natural that the practice itself would change, since the Yoga practice and philosophy had not only to withstand the influence of time, but also the changes of culture – moving from east to west. I admit that the modern practice places a great amount of emphasis on the physical aspects, asana and pranayama, which were far from being the focal points in the Yoga Sutras. However, if we allow ourselves to look past the surface, even the modern yogis would agree that there is so much more to yoga than purely the obvious and observable physical benefits. A regular yoga practice tends to encourage mindfulness in all aspects of life, self-study and spirituality. I would dare to say that these qualities, in combination with various meditation practices could potentially lead to samadhi. Whether this could be described as an authentic or inauthentic practice should not really matter, since it would quite clearly reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga – ‘yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ – yoga is the restriction of the movements of the mind’ (sutra 1.2).
Let us look a bit more closely into what Patanjali teaches in the Yoga Sutras and consider whether we can observe it being practiced by the modern yogis.
‘The type of Yoga Patanjali is delineating is a Yoga of the mind rather than of the body’.
To illustrate this point as being practiced by the modern yogis I would like to bring up the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practice as introduced by Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya. This style of Yoga is often described as a moving meditation. This is mainly due to combining continuous and repetitive movement, asana, with controlled and rhythmical breathing, pranayama. To a non-practitioner this practice could seem a purely physical style of Yoga involving asana alone. However, having practiced this style of Yoga I would dare to say that it is yoga of the mind as it requires strength and control of the mind as much if not more than the body.
I have observed so many students escaping the postures, fidgeting in the postures, fighting the thought battles and even quitting the practice all because they could not control their minds and their emotions. What is worse is that they did not even realize that what they were fighting was themselves and not the postures. And this is something that everyone has to face when taking up Yoga in a form of an asana practice. Yoga is in a way quite deceitful, as one who is not familiar with Yoga philosophy at all might think that Yoga is just exercise for the body, when in fact it is as much a workout for the body as it is for the mind. It is quite impressive to observe how much the mind wanders if uncontrolled and how much we may learn about ourselves from its wanderings if only we are willing to listen to it.
‘Tadā draṣṭuḥ sva-rūpe 'vasthānam – when this is achieved, the witness comes to exist in terms of its true identity’ (sutra 1.3).
As a Yoga student since 2008 and a practicing Yoga teacher since 2013, I can say with certainty that a regular Yoga practice opens one’s eyes, expands the mind and understanding of the world as well as shows one’s place in it. Depending on how deep one is willing to go, I would say that Yoga practice does encourage to break away from the limitations placed on us by the society, culture and traditions; hence, to search for one’s true identity. And this may be achieved as much through the asana practice, as illustrated above, as well as through the meditation practice. I believe everyone should choose an appropriate tool to achieve the set goal; which for some will be asana, while for others pranayama or samyama practice.
‘Abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṃ tan-nirodhaḥ - the restriction of these movements of the mind is achieved through regular practice and through renunciation’ (sutra 1.12).
Patanjali teaches that one of the ways of achieving nirodhaḥ is through systematic and disciplined practice. There are huge yoga communities all across the globe practicing Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, particularly the Mysore style yoga. One of the main guidelines of this style of Yoga is a six days a week practice (mainly, but not limited to, asana practice) and one day a week dedicated for rest. The rest is mainly for the physical body; however, it is also suggested that this day is used for reflection and meditation. This is a very devotional practice requiring a lot of character strength and commitment that goes beyond an ordinary physical exercise routine. A lot of these yogis are guided by a widely used saying by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois - practice and all is coming. Furthermore, this point is reiterated in sutra 1.22: ‘mṛdu-madhyādhimātratvāt tato 'pi viśeṣaḥ - as persons are leisurely, middling or intense in their practice, so excellence is achieved accordingly’.
Patanjali only allocates three sutras out of 195 – 2.46-2.48 – to the practice of asana.
Clearly, asana practice was not a focal point to Patanjali. And I agree with Arjuna (referring to Bhagavad Gita), who says that ‘Yoga is virtually impossible’, especially to a beginner living in the modern, highly materialistic and self-centered society. I believe that different times call for different measures. Certainly most will agree that starting to work on oneself with asana practice is much more manageable than starting with a meditation practice from scratch. I think that our so called modern society has taken countless steps back in terms of spiritual growth compared to the times of the Yoga Sutras; and that now more than ever, we do need to take a step back in our practice and start with more feasible tasks. Yes, this makes our journeys longer and possibly tougher, but the goal is still the same – samadhi. Whether we will reach it in this life or the next one, is yet another matter.
In terms of pranayama practice, the idea is very much the same as asana, since Patanjali devotes five sutras to this subject matter. To the modern yogi, pranayama normally comes second following asana and generally before one’s meditation practice. Pranayama, just like asana, is yet another tool to prepare oneself for the meditation practice. Patanjali’s view was much the same.
‘The central theme of the third chapter of the Yoga Sutras is in effect the results acquired through mastery of samyama, <…> which in turn is only possible through the mastery of the previous five.
Although Patanjali does not seem to place much emphasis on asana and pranayama, 3rd and 4th limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system, it is quite clear that one must first master the physical elements, namely one’s body, in order to even attempt to control one’s mind and the thought processes. This is very clearly illustrated in sutra 3.48: ‘tato mano-javitvaṃ vikaraṇa-bhāvaḥ pradhāna-jayaś ca – when the senses are mastered, the mind can act quickly, one’s existence needs no external support and one gains mastery over matter’.
At the time when the Yoga Sutras were compiled, asana and pranayama might have come quite naturally and did not need a separate mention; hence Patanjali’s focus on the other limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system. I think anyone would agree that out of all of the eight limbs, the 3rd and 4th limbs seem to be the most straightforward ones. The same could not be said about any of the other limbs, especially the final four – pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.
Summary
The focus of the modern Yoga practice at first sight has slightly shifted compared to Patanjali’s teachings in the Yoga Sutras. The modern Yoga appears to put a much bigger emphasis on the first few limbs of the Ashtanga Yoga system, namely asana and pranayama rather than samyama, the final three limbs, as per the Yoga Sutras. However, the shift in focus seems to be justifiable considering the current state of spirituality. What is more important though is that the goal of the practice remains the same – samadhi or citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ. And this is what should really matter in the practice of yoga – ancient or modern. Therefore, I believe that it is fair to conclude that modern practice is authentic because it does reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga.
Still, it should be kept in mind that Yoga should be considered in a wider context than Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras alone. Since Patanjali himself had been influenced by Mahabharata and later on Yoga philosophy was amalgamated with some of the tantric concepts; moreover, nowadays Yoga teachings are often intertwined with mindfulness, which is mainly borrowed from Buddhism philosophy.
Author: Agnė Budreckytė, Ashtanga vinyasa yoga teacher (E-RYT200, YACEP) and student
About the article: the essay was written as part of the Philosophy of Yoga course at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (University of Oxford)
Original essay title: How might a contemporary teacher of Yoga respond to the criticism that modern practice is inauthentic because it does not properly reflect Patanjali’s teachings on Yoga?
References: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Bhagavad Gita, Jayakhya Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Philosophy of Yoga course notes
5th January 2017