A unified view of various forms of practices

In the last several weeks we discussed 3 different types of practices – Patanjali Yoga, Buddhist Meditation as well as Hata yoga. Can we unify all these three practices? This is something I always wondered.

HATA YOGA MEDITATION – Nadopäsana

This technique is supposedly by Gorakshanath – a prominent Hatayoga Guru (believed to belong to sometime between 11^th  to 14^th century). Basically, it is back to Hata yoga’s usual concept of Kundalini and its awakening.

HATA YOGA MEDITATION – Shämbhavi Mudra

Shämbhavi mudra or a name with some variation is the hot stuff propagated by some modern Gurus. I have read about some Gurus suing their ex-disciples just because these disciples dared to disclose this ‘technique’ to others without their consent.

Actually, it is a well known Hata Yoga technique, which I am going to explain.

BUDDHIST MEDITATION – How does it actually work?

It is very common that a young girl or a boy gets physically attracted to another person of the opposite sex. Most of this attraction could have been developed due to environmental factors – what they read, what they see, what they hear and so on. But surely there is something that is inherent in our brains that puts one in that state, no matter how much one may try to avoid.

MEDITATION - Summary

In the previous posts we discussed several aspects of meditation. Let me summarize these discussions as below.

MEDITATION - Do I get psychic powers?

I sometimes get irritated when people ask me whether I have attained any psychic powers since I write books on Yoga and Meditation ;-) In my view, that is the most stupid question to ask.

MEDITATION – Are all forms same?

In the previous post I discussed some forms of meditation. Do all these lead one to the same destination? The answer is both yes, and no. Why? 

MEDITATION - You need to practice before

Whether it is driving a car or learning to play a musical instrument, you need to practice before you do the actual act. Any learning is a cyclical process of successive corrections till you achieve perfection. 

MEDITATION - The science behind it

I have always strived to explain Yoga or Meditation in a scientific manner rather than cloak it in mystical terms. In many ways, it is important that we know the science behind meditation not only to avoid confusion but also to practice it in a more effective manner. 

Faith and Science can coexist!

There are these so called ‘rationalists’ who say that science is the only way and faith should always be rejected. And there are those majority who thrive on faith alone with utter disregard to scientific approach. 

Paperback edition of Hata Yoga – Myths shattered is now available

I just released the paperback international edition of the book “Hata Yoga – Myths shattered”. This book will soon be available through most online book retailers as well as some brick and mortar book stores such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and so on.

New book: Hata Yoga – Myths shattered

This is my new book that busts some of the ‘myths in’ and ‘myths about’ Hata Yoga – the popular Yoga that is practiced and propagated widely today. There are some startling observations that may shake the very base of commonly held  beliefs.

Mind modulation – The Mystic way

I have no intention to denigrate anyone. My use of the word ‘mystic’ is only to emphasize the departure these techniques have taken from the path of logic and reasoning that has all along been the hallmark of various ancient mind modulation techniques, whether it  is in the Upanishads, Sänkhya, Buddhists or even Patanjali. 

Why Yoga? Why not just enjoy life?

There are people who wonder why one has to undergo all kinds of restrictions – restrain desires, be honest, don’t hurt anyone, live a simple life, practice consistently, and so on, in the name of Yoga. Why not just enjoy life?

Higher is your qualification, more you are gullible?

Though very strange, I have often observed this happening. Many a highly qualified intellectuals get easily fooled by pseudo Gurus. I have always wondered why? 

Yogic hair splitting

Some of my readers have pointed out my ‘wrong’ usage of the word ‘steps’ while referring to Patanjali’s Ashtänga Yoga  as ‘Patanjali’s 8 step Yoga process’.

Yes. The word Ashtänga literally means 8 limbs and not 8 steps. But if you have carefully observed these 8

Yoga timeline (over 3000 years)

One keeps hearing/reading different things being called Yoga. Most people have various notions about Yoga that are quite confusing. So I thought of giving a brief timeline of Yoga (set of practices that apparently resemble the system propounded by Patanjali – a generally accepted source) spanning over 3000 years.

New videos on Yoga

Watch these two new videos on Yoga  by guest speaker Dr.Lavanya Rao M.B.B.S, D.O.M.S., M.S.

1. Can Yoga be scientifically studied ?

2. Brain science behind Yoga

 

As many Yogas, so many theories

Nowadays we come across whole lot of things propagated as ‘Yoga’. Almost all of them trace the origin to Patanjali. Interestingly, there are equally many theories about what these ‘techniques’ can achieve and how they work. I was curious and thought of recording them. Here are some.

Theory 1. Yoga basically involves modulating the mental activities so that the mind calms down completely by a step by step process. A completely calm mind enables one to realize the ultimate.

This is the theory propounded by Patanjali (300 B.C.) in his Yoga sutra. Even ancient Buddhists had a very similar explanation to their meditative techniques that also work like Yoga. Incidentally, I have also tried to explain Yoga on similar lines in the light of modern neuroscience in my book “How and Why of Yoga and Meditation – Yoga scientifically explained”.

Theory 2. Yoga involves channeling the cosmic power called ‘Kundalini’ from ‘moolaadhara’ (in the pelvic region) to ‘sahasraara’ in the brain, passing through various ‘power centers’ (called ‘chakras’) that lie along the spinal cord. This is achieved using various Yoga techniques. When this power reaches its destination, the person who practices Yoga gets ultimate realization.

This is the theory propounded by Hatayoga Pradeepika (15th century). Many modern Yoga teachers who propagate variants of this ‘Hatayoga’ talk about very similar theories. Some of them even attribute its origin to Lord Shri Krishna in Bhagavad Geetha (apparently even before 300 B.C.) . But as far as I am aware, the theory in Bhagavad Geetha is closer to the one propounded by Patanjali.

Theory 3. The Yogic breathing acts like bellows that kindle the fire in the lower abdomen. As a result the impure and thick blood in the heart starts boiling. When this blood boils, impurities in it get separated in the same way as impurities separate from molten gold. These impurities are expelled though sweat that is produced during Yogic postures. Since the root cause of ill health is these impurities, Yoga makes the person healthy.

This is a theory supposedly based on some little known ‘ancient’ text. This theory forms the basis of many modern Yoga variants that seem to be quite popular. These systems give utmost importance to Yoga postures and breathing.

Theory 4. Our body is encircled by currents of cosmic forces. When one moves the hands and other limbs in the process of performing various Yoga postures, these currents get directed to flow into the body. Their entry into the body charges it up and makes it healthy.

I am not sure what the basis of this theory is, but I have read some Yoga proponents give this theory. May be influenced by some Chinese concepts.

Interesting!!

"Who am I? Swami" – on paths to salvation

(Continued from previous post)

As the name with which he is well known suggests, Ramana’s emphasis had always been the path of enquiry, namely “who am I?”. But in general he suggests four paths.

1. Path of enquiry

2. Path of devotion

3. Path of Yoga

4. Path of Hatayoga

In all these paths Ramana says that the underlying principle is the same – stopping the mind and its activities. But Ramana hastens to add that stoppage of the mind does not mean complete stoppage. The awareness has to continue even after stoppage of other mental activities. Otherwise, he points out, a person in deep sleep, a person who is in coma, or a person who is unconscious in general, would all have attained salvation! In none of these cases the awareness persists though the mental activities have stopped. 

This is yet another point I have discussed in my book “How and why of Yoga and Meditation”, where I have equated “awareness” to the activity of the “attention system” in the brain. This system should not be shutdown but should be in a highly active (while most of the cortical activities have stopped) state to attain self realization.

Let me briefly discuss the four paths suggested by Ramana.

1.Path of enquiry

This is Ramana’s pet path. Ramana says that when someone constantly indulges in the enquiry – “Who am I?” all other thoughts in his mind gradually stop and he will reach a stage of samädhi. This is when the ultimate self realization is attained and according to Ramana, that is the direct path to salvation.

2.Path of devotion

In this path, Ramana says that one focuses his mind on an external object such as God, Guru and so on, and expresses devotion to that object. Though Ramana disapproves the existence of separate God or Guru (Ramana believes in just the soul and nothing else), he says that in the initial stages such devotion helps one to stop mental activities since the mind is repeatedly focused on God or Guru. But gradually this focus turns inward and finally leads to self realization where he realizes that “He” himself is both the God and Guru.

This is yet another point where there is amazing similarity between Ramana’s views and what I have discussed about devotional singing in my book “How and why of Yoga and Meditation”.

3. Path of Yoga

By Yoga, Ramana means the Yoga system laid down by Patanjali and not what we know today as Yoga. Ramana fully agrees with Patanjali’s definition of Yoga as “Yoga is about restraining the activities of the mind”. And the process naturally leads to samädhi and ultimate self realization.

4. Path of Hatayoga

Today, most people take the words Yoga and Hatayoga as if they are synonymous. But not Ramana. All through his conversations Ramana directly or indirectly makes light comments about Hatayoga, though he repeatedly says that he does not wish to criticize any path. The first post in this series namely “Who am I? Swami – on Hatayoga” says it all.

Another strange recent development is - equating Yoga postures or asanas to Yoga, though originally Patanjali talks about none of the asanas propagated by modern Yoga teachers. On several occasions when people ask Ramana about his opinion about asana, Ramana intentionally or unintentionally evades direct answer. Sometimes he uses the word asana to mean meditative postures such as the lotus posture and says that they are useful during meditation or while doing Pränäyäma. Sometimes he uses the word asana to mean just the seat (in Sanskrit language that is what it means) on which a person sits during meditation, and says that whether it has to be on a deer skin, layer of kusha grass etc. (these are the seats some Yoga teachers recommend), is immaterial. He talks lightly about strange explanation given by these teachers for the use of a particular type of seat.

Ramana’s final word about Hatayoga is that - those who cannot follow the first 3 paths probably get benefited by Hatayoga, though he repeatedly says that it is a roundabout path which has to ultimately lead to the first three paths!

Though I have tried to show that there is not much of support for asanas (as they are known today) in ancient texts, I have discussed some proven health benefits of these asanas in my book. I have also discussed the possible reasons for the same.

More in the next post.