By Shivadas
The Asanas (postures) are like the Sutras : they do not reveal their true identity at first sight. At first sight, one thinks that they are gymnastic exercises which permit one to become more flexible.
The Sutras also have a hidden meaning which is very important, and one must be a seeker when practicing Yoga to become aware of it, otherwise they appear to be merely some pretty verses which express the perspective of a poet.
The prana, which appears as the shape of all living organisms of the planet, is nothing less than a modification of the prana, which makes up the sun. Prana assumes two phases of existence, the solar, positive lifematter and the lunar, negative life matter. All the various modifications of these two forms of prana constitute the total of our world appearance. All of the worlds appearances, visual, auditory, olfactory, kinesthetic, gustatory, in all their varieties are gathered into prana. The Yoga Vasistha says prana in company with the mind takes the human pilgrimage.
As practitioners of Kriya Yoga, we are aware that the sutras, the ancient texts of certain Siddhas or yogis, are the sacred heritage which has been given to Humanity to help it discover the essence of Truth behind everything.
In modern times, Yoga has been taken hostage by a culture which confuses “the good life” with things which are against the teachings of Yoga. But when one carefully listens to the subtle voice of the asanas, one finds that they have much to be said to us.
The practice of the Asanas are a part of the five phases of Kriya Yoga, and therefore their teaching as a whole is necessary for complete awareness and understanding. Unfortunately, most of the time, the practice of the postures remains superficial, under the reoccurring pretext: “one must be flexible to do Yoga.”
Because in this practice, no matter what our level of flexibility is, we do not put emphasis on becoming more flexible, but on letting go of the resistance in the body. It is very important to understand the fundamental utility of the asanas. By their regular practice, we channel a great amount of energy in our spinal column, more precisely in the sushumna nadi, an energy channel. Students of Kriya Yoga know this channel very well because of its association with the heart of our practice (Kriya kundalini pranayama) and the central importance of this Nadi.
A qualifed teacher of Hatha Yoga does not have as their goal to make their students more flexible, but to maintain their health and to prepare energetically their vital body. The entire range of practices in Babaji’s Kriya Yoga can be perceived when one practices the Asanas with continuous awareness.
Often, when we learn postures, we are taught « iso-static » positions ; the correct posture, using points of support which will bring balance and relaxation, good breathing, while the rest of the path is to be discovered on one’s own.
In the teaching of Babaji’s Kriya Yoga, we are taught how practices in five phases, corrresponding to the five bodies : Asana, Pranayama, Dhyana, Mantra and Samadhi, love and service to life, to the Divine, absolute consciousness, in the midst of all our actions and all forms of life.
It is possible to use all these phases in the practice of Asana and each phase can be implemented consciously in stages:
With time and the constant practice of all five phases, we no longer practice the postures in the same manner, with the feeling of a dense body, gross and limited; this gives way to a sense of pure energy directing us through the postures and our conscious actions. This sensation reinforces the idea that “I am not my body, and I am not my thoughts, and which permits the intellect to melt and to identify with the ever-present absolute truth..
Just as we are taught in Babaji’s Kriya Yoga that the sutras are like keys, which open the doors and make accessible much wisdom, so are the postures. They give us the capacity to experience the profound truths which the siddhas wish to transmit to us.
From the Kriya Yoga Journal, Volume 19 Number 1, Spring 2012
Copyright © by Shivadas 2012
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