Ancient knowledge for every day

A point of view to apply in our contemporary life

       Books that start with a blessing are a gift, and The Heart of Yoga begins with one from Indra Devi, one of the disciples of Krishnamacharya. Her book was the first book I read about yoga. Sri Desikachar presents a guide to building a personal yoga practice. The first part, for physical training. The second one, for the mind, and the third one is an approach to the Yoga Sutras. 
     This paper concentrates on part two and three as it is the stage of my practice, the mind and, its connection with the field of infinite possibilities. 

 Linking East and West
      Carl Gustav Jung's description of The Four Stages of Life corresponds to the yoga path proposed in this book. The first two are the athlete and the warrior. The athlete is a self-centered stage where physical abilities are predominant, and the warrior is lead by ego when one launches to conquer the world; however, mundane, they are essential aspects to be cultivated for our evolution.  
      When we start the practice of yoga, we want to perform to the extremes of our body and then conquer and overcome perceived physical boundaries. In these two first stages, yoga is the practice of Yama, Niyama, asana, pranayama, and pratyahara, which are helping us to discipline and gain control over our body, in pursuit of finding and mastering our mind. 
      The third stage —after the experience of our physical life, is to realize our yearning to transcend and leave some legacy. In yoga, through Dharana and Dhyana, we find fulfilling the exploration of the mind and emotions,. 
      The fourth stage is the realization and integration of the previously described stages, and even when we fluctuate between them, the focus is a connection with Spirit and the aspiration of Samadhi, a permanent union with Source. 
      Contemporary, western life has indeed, many challenges in the development of a cohesive, aligned and consistent life. We are presented every day with situations that push us to the limits of our comfort and challenge the sense of consistency and progress. Those challenges offer an opportunity to observe in non-attachment, to recognize the things that darken the heart and the mind, and to understand relationships and interactions. In short, we experience fluctuations through each kosha, oscillating between the physical, energetic, mental, emotional, higher self, and a pure state of bliss. 

 Here is where it becomes interesting (to me)
      As we master the two first stages, there is decreasing interest in the physical practice, but increasing interest in the transcendence and the aspiration of becoming one with Source, as a result of having been working on ourselves for years. 
     What does it mean to transcend, to become one with Spirit? 
      It is an intense and intently self-examination, an inner enhanced awareness. In the Yoga and Buddhist traditions, from philosophers descriptions like Plato's Allegory of the Cave to psychoanalysis, and so on, we have to elucidate our afflictions and obscurations to reach a point of union. It is the most critical work we have to do to keep flowing and evolving, learning, and becoming one with everything material and immaterial, with the intent of freeing ourselves from the tribulations of the mind. Verses 3.1 - 3.6 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe this as Samyama, the concurrent practice of Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi.
3.1     देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा ॥ १॥ 
deśabandhaścittasya dhāraṇā 
The mind has reached the ability to be directed (dhāraṇā) when the direction to a chosen object is possible in spite of many other potential objects within the reach of the individual.
3.2     तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम् ॥ २॥ 
  tatra pratyayaikatānatā dhyānam 
Then the mental activities form an uninterrupted flow only in relation to this object (dhyāna).
3.3     तद् एवार्थमात्रनिर्भासं स्वरूपशून्यम् इव समाधिः ॥ ३॥ 
  tad evārthamātranirbhāsaṃ svarūpaśūnyam iva samādhiḥ 
Soon, the individual is so much involved in the objects that nothing excepts its comprehension is evident. It is as if the individual has lost his identity. This is the complete integration with the object of understanding (samadhi). 
3.4     त्रयम् एकत्र संयमः ॥ ४॥ 
  trayam ekatra saṃyamaḥ  
When the processes (dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi) are continuously applied to the same object it is called Samyama (integration).
3.5     तज्जयात् प्रज्ञालोकः ॥ ५॥ 
  tajjayāt prajñālokaḥ 
 Saṃyama on a chooser object leads to a comprehensive knowledge of the object in all its aspects. 
3.6     तस्य भूमिषु विनियोगः ॥ ६॥ 
  tasya bhūmiṣu viniyogaḥ
Saṃyama must be developed gradually. 
 
Every day wisdom
      These practices, which spark particular curiosity and dedication, are The Path of Yoga: training the body to be calm and receptive, a vessel of all human experiences and oneness. 
     These are practices to develop in the path of self-evolution: constant awareness, self-study, self-investigation through aware contemplation and meditation to open to the infinite possibilities and the connection with the Spirit/Source or however you want to name it, what Viktor Frankl calls the search for meaning. And then, apply the knowledge and direct experience as an ever-evolving being, teacher, having yoga as a tool, with the ultimate aspiration to inspire students to embark on a life of self-discovery, awareness, community, and aiming for the ultimate goal, enlightenment. 

Bibliography and Excerpts
T.K.V. Desikachar, “The Heart of Yoga, Developing a Personal Practice” (1995). Page 184-185.
Joseph Campbell, Jung's article "Stages of Life," in The Portable Jung (1976), pp.4-5, 9-12.
Viktor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning” (1959), Beacon Press.