Control

Since I have been in Madurai, I am following a private Yoga course with a woman named Rajeshwara. She has two children who both practice Yoga and who have gone to Yoga clinics, festivals, and competitions throughout India, both of whom she “home schooled” in Yoga. Although I had practiced and taught Iyengar* Yoga for many years while living in Austin, unfortunately again many years have been intervened and I am for all intents and purposes, a beginner again. There is a seminal book on Zen called Beginner’s Mind, Zen Mind, which deals with the practice of Zazen, or intense meditation, hence the name, Zen. However, Zen ultimately comes (via the intermediate of Chinese as T’chan) from the Sanskrit word, dhyãna, which means “profound meditation.” No matter the level that we are at, we can always learn to be beginners again.

Dhyãna is the highly advanced seventh stage of the eight “limbs” of Astangayoga, which literally means eight-limbed yoga, and was codified by Patañjali, who also wrote definitive works on grammar and Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of well-being. The Astangayoga of Patañjali notably begins with "atha,” which means “now,” or “at this point” or “then.” As such, one must be prepped before jumping into Yoga according to Patañjali. Before that, one needs to be able to communicate clearly and effectively in society with right speech and language, while also being of sound mind and body via the tenets of Ayurveda. In other words, yoga is not merely an exercise, but rather a fully developed philosophical and physiological system that one incorporates into all aspects of life.

Rajeshwara weaves in the philosophical aspects of Patañjali with the physiology of the Asanas, or poses, themselves. As such, we are going through the yoga sutras as a mixture of theory and praxis. Today, she was talking about the concepts of the first two limbs, Yama and Niyama, which can be translated as the private and public ethical observations necessary for the acarya, or student, to begin his or her practice of Yoga. These are what Patañjali sets down as the universal and ethical injunctions that prepare one for the practice of yoga. Before one begins along the path of Yoga, Patanjali lists the necessary Yamas to be fulfilled.

ahimsã-satya-asteyabrahmacarya-aparigrahãh yamãh

jãtideshakãlasmaya-anavacchinnãh sãrvabhaumãh mahãvratam II.30-31

Non-violence (ahimsã), authenticity (satya), non-stealing (asteya), disciple of austerity (brahmacarya) and non-attachment to material goods (aparigrahãh) are the codes of personal conduct.

Such are the august, universal vows, unconditional of nationality, Time, or birthright.

*B.K.S. Iyengar, globally recognized as one of the greatest living yogis, also has a translation and commentary on the Yoga Sutras by Patañjali, which is an excellent introduction to and explication of the Astangayoga philosophy.