Mumbo Jumbo

[Guest guest]

It's just exercise gang. There's nothing wrong

with exercise.<br><br>But astanga vinyasa is just

that, dress it up in fancy jargon all we

want.<br><br>The 2nd series "cleans the nadis"? Really?<br><br>Do

your practice and "all is coming"? What "all" is

that?<br><br>It's a nice exercise, this astanga vinyasa. It does

great things for the body and the mind.<br><br>But is

it anything more than a system of physical culture?

<br><br>Seems very doubtful to me.

[Guest guest]

I quite agree with Yoga Nidra here, I am an

atheist Yogi, but emphasise that the system of Yoga does

great things for the body and mind that other types of

exercise don't do, as DDMcGuire said. Sometimes this can

make you feel that you are having a 'supernatural'

experience.<br><br>Simon

[Guest guest]

I don't particularly agree with you two, but I'd be interested to hear how other

people define "spirituality" within the context of ashtanga yoga. If it's "99%

practice, 1% theory" -- ?

[Guest guest]

Asana theory is useless without practice. But it

takes a bit of information to get started. As a

practice develops and deepens so does the theory. Show

someone the movements of a sun salute, explain the

breathing and bhandas-- then get out of the way. They

practice it and are soon ready for more theory-- to put

into practice.<br> Guruji has an amazing amount of

theory. I would be sure that it is equal to 1% of his

practice. His physical practice was at one time probably

quite spectacular. I think the saying arrose out of

students asking him questions that can only be answered

and understood though practice and growth. Each

person has to start from where they are and have their

own experience. <br> I think the same is true of the

saying "Do your practice, all is coming" . "ALL" is a

very arbitrary term and what happens to you may not be

the same for me or Guruji for that matter. I think

this is why he says little about yoga during practice

and is elusive about it the rest of the time. Doing

your practice is happening right now, not when your

chin finally meets the knee. If that where not the

case then only the most adept practitioners would be

genuine and the rest of us are wasting our time. I found

the opposite to be true. <br> I have been doing asana

for 5 years 3 of it ashtanga, and studied with Guruji

in 1999. During that whole time I felt valid and

real in my practice. The depth of my 1% grew as did

the other 99 %. I was as stiff as a board. Now I can

do intermediate (minus the 7 head stands for now--

but soon "all is coming") <br> I love the aphorisms.

They are refreshing and grounding and can be

interpreted in any way to suit the struggling aspirant.

<br><br>CASEY PALMER, Portland, Oregon

[Guest guest]

"It's just exercise gang. There's nothing wrong

with exercise."<br><br>Can only give my personal

experience. Came to astanga after many years of "exercise",

some very intense, always consistent and fairly

serious. Came to yoga just to loosen up tightness from

poor stretching habits over the years; that is all I

wanted or expected. Fell into ashtanga by chance. Have

been totally surprised by the life-changing nature of

the experience. Helped that muscle/joint tightness

too.

[Guest guest]

As I understand it, and speaking as a relative

beginner, the practice of Ashtanga focuses and clears the

mind, ready for meditation etc - and that way lies the

spiritual. Ashtanga is a key to developing your spiritual

side.

[Guest guest]

The practice of the postures within the context

of astanga yoga and spirituality cannot be divided -

they are two sides of the same coin. Also, let's not

forget that yoga is a very old practice. What may appear

as "mumbo jumbo" to the modern western mind was

developed at a time in ancient India when *everything* was

connected in some way or another with religion and

spirituality: the arts, literature, philososophy, science,

medicine ... and of course yoga itself. One should not

frown on this.