Yoga

[rmkcheez]

Who knows what about the morning yoga sessions to be held in the campground?

[Shoteka]

yoga this year?? anyone know?? yoga?

[monodub]

i believe it is held at 8 and 9 am each morning.

[rmkcheez]

http://www.wakarusa.com/2006/yoga.asp

[allterrainhiker]

i was really avid with my yoga for a while. not a long time but for a really decent stretch. i haven't done anything active in a while. i'm definitley looking forward to yoga at wakarusa. anyone know where we can find info on the teachers?

[PolyOntology]

here's a paper i wrote for my hinduism class this semester:

The Foundation of Yoga

The most important yogic practice prescribed in Patanjali's Yoga-sutra is to live in accordance with the yamas, or universal moral principles. This emphasis on moral principles is much different than the perception of Yoga in the West today. The most common perception of Yoga in our culture is that it is a physical exercise and its primary purpose is to promote physical health and mental calmness. However, in the Yoga-sutras the physical aspects of Yoga are emphasized much less, and their said purpose is to only aid in preparing the body to be comfortable during meditation rather than to achieve the aesthetic or physical fitness goals that are valued in our culture, such as the development of strength, balance, or flexibility.

The primary reason that living in accordance with the yamas should be considered the most important practice is because it is the first limb of Patanjali's Astanga-yoga, an eight-limbed practice that must be followed in a specific sequence. Each limb prepares one for the next limb. According to translator Barbara Stole Miller:

A commitment to live according to the five universal moral principles (yama), without restrictions, constitutes the great vow (mahavrata), which is the first step in undertaking yogic practice (53).

It is clearly emphasized that before one can progress to the other limbs of astanga-yoga, one must first master these moral guidelines. Because this limb precedes all of the other practices, and all other practices depend on whether one has mastered this limb, it should be considered the most important. Without it, progress in Yoga as proposed by Patanjali is impossible.

There are five yamas, all of which must be practiced regardless of culture or social status. According to Patanjali, \"These universal moral principles, unrestricted by conditions of birth, place, time, or circumstance, are the great vow of yoga\" (2:31). This means that even in our culture, these guidelines are supposed to be followed if one is to be a true yogi. The five yamas are ahimsa (non-harming), satya (truthfulness), asteya (avoidance of stealing), brahmacharya (celibacy, or non-wasting), and aparigraha (absence of greed, or non-possessiveness).

The yamas each have a purpose. Living in accordance with these principles should have specific observable effects on one's life according to Patanjali. In following the guideline of ahimsa, Patanjali says, \"hostility vanishes in its presence\" (2:35). In other words, if you harbor no harmful thoughts towards anyone, you will no longer feel that anyone is an enemy. For one who lives in accordance with satya, \"activity and its fruition are grounded in truth\" (2:36). If one is honest with themselves and others, their actions will be grounded in truthfulness. \"When one abjures stealing, jewels shower down\" (2:37). Those who do not take what is not given to them find more value in the things they do acquire. One who follows the guideline of brahmacharya accumulates \"heroic energy\" (2:38). Avoidance of wasting energy on sensual pleasure helps to accumulate energy for more creative purposes. For those who avoid possessiveness, \"the riddle of rebirth is revealed\" (2:39). Those who let go of attachment to material possessions realize they are caught in the cycle of samsara. These effects caused by the following of the yamas provide a foundation that allow the aspiring yogi to advance to the next limb, Niyama (observances, or individual moral guidelines).

Patanjali says that one way to avoid being plagued by ideas that pervert the yamas is to realize

...that perverse ideas, such as the idea of violence, result in endless suffering and ignorance-whether the ideas are acted out, instigated, or sanctioned, whether motivated by greed, anger, or delusion, whether mild, moderate, or extreme. (2:34).

To follow these moral principles requires strict self-discipline, not only in action, but also in thought. For example, to live according to ahimsa, it is not enough that one avoid harming other beings, but to avoid harboring thoughts of harming other beings. Similarly, to live according to satya, it is not enough that one avoids telling lies, but one must also be truthful in their own thinking. To live according to asteya and brahmacharya, one should not even think of stealing or putting energy into experiencing sensual pleasure. One cannot just avoid acting possessive to follow aparigraha, they must not be attached to objects mentally or emotionally.

In our culture, these moral principles are often completely overlooked, or only given as being secondary to the daily physical practice of asanas, or postures. Many modern \"yoga\" teachers in our culture not only emphasize the asanas, but ignore every other limb entirely, except possibly giving a little attention to pranayama, or control of the breath. Many, if not most self-proclaimed practitioners of yoga in our culture most likely do not live in accordance with the yamas. In fact, some of the goals of \"yoga\" in our culture seem to be in direct conflict with the yamas proposed by Patanjali. One of the main motives that leads people in our culture to being interested in yoga is that they want to make themselves more physically attractive. A common motive behind wanting to become more physically attractive is often that people want to acquire sex partners, which is obviously in conflict with the idea of celibacy, or brahmacharya. Similarly, one common reason that people continue to practice asanas is because they feel good afterwards. One might say this is also a violation of brahmacharya. Many yoga teachers in our culture make a lot of money teaching what they claim is yoga. In fact, a stereotype of yoga in our culture is that it is practiced by rich women. This seems to be a violation of aparigraha. The fact that so many teachers in the West are passing on what they claim is yoga, although the goals and practices are entirely different from what the Yoga-sutra attributed to Patanjali has proposed could thought to be a violation of both asteya and satya. By passing themselves as legitimate practicioners and teachers of an ancient path to liberation, when in actuality they are providing only a physical workout that relieves stress, these people are being dishonest. Perhaps if they were up front with the fact that what they teach is different than what was practiced long ago, this would not be so. Also, by teaching asanas as though they are accomplished yogis, these teachers could perhaps be said to be taking something that is not theirs.

It seems that in Patanjali's view, these people who practice asanas every day without mastering the yamas, niyamas, or any of the other limbs mentioned in the Yoga-sutra will never make any advancement towards the goal of \"the cessation of the turnings of thought\" (1:2). To some, it might seem at first that the moral principles are totally unrelated to this goal, but they are actually necessary. Following the yamas is necessary to rid the mind of distractions that would hinder one's control. If one has enemies, has been deceptive to themselves or others, have taken what is not theirs, is attracted to sensual pleasure, or is possessive, their thoughts will continue to turn and fluctuate. In our culture however, the goals are typically physical fitness, development of calmness, and relief of stress. One might say that the \"yoga\" in the West is not actually yoga, but something entirely different. The most important yogic practice is ignored or played down by most teachers.

[PolyOntology]

enough that one avoid harming other beings, but to avoid harboring thoughts of harming other beings. Similarly, to live according to satya, it is not enough that one avoids telling lies, but one must also be truthful in their own thinking. To live according to asteya and brahmacharya, one should not even think of stealing or putting energy into experiencing sensual pleasure. One cannot just avoid acting possessive to follow aparigraha, they must not be attached to objects mentally or emotionally.

In our culture, these moral principles are often completely overlooked, or only given as being secondary to the daily physical practice of asanas, or postures. Many modern \"yoga\" teachers in our culture not only emphasize the asanas, but ignore every other limb entirely, except possibly giving a little attention to pranayama, or control of the breath. Many, if not most self-proclaimed practitioners of yoga in our culture most likely do not live in accordance with the yamas. In fact, some of the goals of \"yoga\" in our culture seem to be in direct conflict with the yamas proposed by Patanjali. One of the main motives that leads people in our culture to being interested in yoga is that they want to make themselves more physically attractive. A common motive behind wanting to become more physically attractive is often that people want to acquire sex partners, which is obviously in conflict with the idea of celibacy, or brahmacharya. Similarly, one common reason that people continue to practice asanas is because they feel good afterwards. One might say this is also a violation of brahmacharya. Many yoga teachers in our culture make a lot of money teaching what they claim is yoga. In fact, a stereotype of yoga in our culture is that it is practiced by rich women. This seems to be a violation of aparigraha. The fact that so many teachers in the West are passing on what they claim is yoga, although the goals and practices are entirely different from what the Yoga-sutra attributed to Patanjali has proposed could thought to be a violation of both asteya and satya. By passing themselves as legitimate practicioners and teachers of an ancient path to liberation, when in actuality they are providing only a physical workout that relieves stress, these people are being dishonest. Perhaps if they were up front with the fact that what they teach is different than what was practiced long ago, this would not be so. Also, by teaching asanas as though they are accomplished yogis, these teachers could perhaps be said to be taking something that is not theirs.

It seems that in Patanjali's view, these people who practice asanas every day without mastering the yamas, niyamas, or any of the other limbs mentioned in the Yoga-sutra will never make any advancement towards the goal of \"the cessation of the turnings of thought\" (1:2). To some, it might seem at first that the moral principles are totally unrelated to this goal, but they are actually necessary. Following the yamas is necessary to rid the mind of distractions that would hinder one's control. If one has enemies, has been deceptive to themselves or others, have taken what is not theirs, is attracted to sensual pleasure, or is possessive, their thoughts will continue to turn and fluctuate. In our culture however, the goals are typically physical fitness, development of calmness, and relief of stress. One might say that the \"yoga\" in the West is not actually yoga, but something entirely different. The most important yogic practice is ignored or played down by most teachers.