Simplify

[Guest guest]

Certainly everyone inerested in Ashtanga Yoga can

be spared a lot of expense, a lot of confusion and a

lot of ridiculous online babble - by reading Guruji's

Yoga Mala and studying it in depth, watching the

videos that Yoga Works produced with Guruji leading and

instructing students in Ashtanga Yoga, practicing with him

yourself on his US tour and going to Mysore for an

intensive period of study. Then you can avoid buying all

these confusing, contradictory commercial exploits

(books, videos, expensive weekend retreats) by partially

informed "teachers" who have lost repect for the tradition

and method of Ashtanga Yoga. <br>Simplify! Practice

the method with faith and reverence every day, resist

the ego's desire to change and alter what is

difficult and meets with resistance. Don't study with

teachers who have no respect for their teachers (though

they teach the method of that teacher) and seek out

the teachers that hold their teacher in esteem and

reflect that in their approach and

lifestyle.<br><br>There can be no progress without tapas - daily effort

of a prescribed traditional method (unless of course

some of you have decided to update the meaning of

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as well). Also important is svadhyaya

- study of traditional texts - under the tutelage

of a guru (or better yet check out my new take on

the vedas - only $899.99!). Third we must be devoted

to God - daily developing this love and humble

respect - this is Isvara Pranidhana. These three

principles constitute a practical path toward God - kriya

yoga. It is in the Sutras of Patanjali.<br><br>PS If

you don't have faith in the system and the Guru, why

practice it (or hang out on line pretending) and then why

waste your time dabbling in it! Go start a new method

and a new yoga club with its own message board rather

than misleading and discouraging avid students who are

honestly interested here.

[Guest guest]

Dear Missy Pinky,<br>I hope, since your message

is actually posted in reply to mine - that your

comments are not directed toward me because I am in

complete agreement with you. What I mentioned about poses

being added in this recent post was to support the fact

that guruji and lino, etc. may have added a couple of

poses to the primary series - like parivritta

trikonasana or for example which is not actually in Yoga Mala

but Tim Miller and others and even Guruji put it in

there when they teach primary series. I am saying that

changes like this - or additions or modifications made by

guruji himself are great and that it is great we have a

teacher this experienced who is still alive and growing.

Anyway, I just want to make sure because I have been

writing in support of my practice which, it sounds, is

very much along the same lines as yours!<br><br>These

questions are ok to address though. Sometimes people ask me

"what's the difference?" and I say everything, it is a

different practice.<br><br>The rest is just semantics and

like I said, boring.<br><br>Love,<br>Trinka

[Guest guest]

Hi Trinks - no the reply was not aimed at you,

just coming at the end of a long line of messages. I

certainly agree with your sentiments.<br><br>Trayam -

turning off the brain is the point!!!Scared?! How else to

reach the subtle states.<br>Faith is beautiful - have

it while practicing and a lot becomes

clear.<br><br>As for Nirvana - one step at a time. First primary,

after intermediate, then advanced A, B, C, and D then

pranayama, after dharana , dhyana then samadhi. (or so

Guruji responded to a similiar inquiry). But do the

series and mental steadiness comes. That my friend, is

the first step.<br><br>Alas what is the point of this

whole site??<br>More chataranga questions, book

recomendations, workshop responses? OK bring em on. But these

discussions too, seem like a lot of fun.