Vinyasa Means

[Guest guest]

Tryam, you obviously have no idea about Guruji's

capacity for communication.<br><br>The nature of his

sometimes obtuse responses has to do with the limited

capacity of his questioners and their misdirected angle of

inquiry.<br><br>As for vinyasa, who cares what the definition is, we

all know what it means, if we practice, that

is...<br><br>FYI Guruji usually refers to it as movement/breathing

system - and he is being quite specific in talking about

how asana practice is to be done. Not about the

thousands of other possible uses of the word. If you want

us to be aware of every possible use of every word -

we would understand you still less well.

[Guest guest]

re: vinyasa as breathing system. I found the

following explanation fascinating, of why a "breathing

system" should be included in asana practice. Remarks in

[square brackets] are my observations.<br><br>"Asanas are

both preventive and curative of diseases, and they

help in achieving the concentration of mind. In order

that Asanas can do this, correct postures,

inhalations, and exhalations are crucial. Vamana [the author

of the Yoga Korunta] has explained this in detail.

If the Asanas are practiced incorrectly, there are

chances of new diseases developing instead of the

existing diseases getting cured. That is why Vamana

emphases, 'Vina vinyasayogena asanadi na karayet' [this is

the famous 'oh yogi, do not practice asana without

vinyasa' exhortation]. Patanjali also in the Pranayama

Prakarana says: 'Tasmin sati svas prasvasayoh gati

vicchedah pranaymah', which means the Pranayama is the

method of stopping the process of inhalation and

exhalation and retaining the breath. But here the question

arises if retention of breath itself is Pranayama where

should the movement of inhalation and exhalation be

adjusted? Patanjali answers that the process of inhalation

and exhalation should be included in the Asanas.

Hence inhalation and exhalation and Asanas should be

blended harmoniously."<br><br>This explanation was in a

paper called "Yoga as Treatment", presented in March

1975 at the Seminar on Yoga, Science and Man, in New

Delhi, by K. Pattabhi Jois...

[Guest guest]

Neat! Where can we get a copy? Do you know of translations of any other works

by Jois (besides Yoga Mala)?

[Guest guest]

Homer-- I found it in a collection of papers on a

dusty shelf, deep in the bowels of Widener Library at

Harvard University, totally by accident. I was looking

for scientific papers on yoga and health, and found

this publication of proceedings from a conference in

India in 1975. I actually had the book on my desk for

months before realizing that one of the articles was by

Guruji.<br><br>The reference is: Seminar on Yoga, Science, and Man.

Published by Central Council for Research in Indian

Medicine and Homeopathy, New Delhi, 1976. <br><br>The book

was printed at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press in

Pondicherry. <br><br>Guruji's article is short -- about 3

pages long. I'll try to scan/type it in, and make it

available online, since I doubt that the conference

proceedings are widely available.