The Yoga Institute Mumbai: February 2011

TO LEARN

Tek Mirchandani

Mr. S. Bhatt, a Sadhak at the Institute, was requested by a volunteer to take charge of the last half hour of the 7 days Residential Camp, as she had to go home to attend religious ceremonies.

The Sadhaka agreed. A group of thirty was to present their own farewell program and he was just supposed to be the In-charge – observe, comment, or may be interact for just one minute as there would not be much time and people would be anxious to go back to their homes.

Having accepted the assignment, the man wondered as to of what purpose! Slowly it dawned upon him that it was perhaps Lord’s way of making him to learn.

Three campers staged a play – a group of friends enjoying life in parties, smoking, drinking and one of them taking to yoga and helping his friends to give up their bad habits. Three others acted one activity of each day’s teaching, Asanas, Pranayamas, Bhajans. One item was singing and swaying to the tune of “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna” with large bead necklaces and chanting.

True to the expectation, the group took exact one hour to finish! Now, the sadhak had to take over charge. The committed man shared his observations with the group.

They were all ‘seekers’ who had come from different parts of the world, willing ‘listeners and learners’, who were heartily laughing during their first lesson that in spite of worldly worries, one has the choice to laugh and be happy.

The second lesson: while chanting the three Australian girls unconsciously and slowly got into the rhythm and there was clear sign of spirituality on their faces. It was a learning that religion is not mere rituals but spirituality.

Then he turned the tables on the group, that now they will talk and he would listen. But there was a rider. One person at a time, just one word and one minute. This would be a new quality which each one would imbibe in his/her life after they leave the institute.

The Australian girl said ‘Non-violence’, another ‘Honesty’, a gentleman would take to ‘Time Management’.

The sadhak pointed out to them that one quality ‘Non-violence’ enabled Mahatma Gandhi to win freedom for India. Barrack Obama promised to would-be voters during his campaign that he would always be honest with them and he has become the President of America. Similarly each one of them could inculcate one new quality in life, practice and succeed. They had a whole life ahead.

Learning is an unending process. One must keep learning while he/she is alive. Otherwise one will be physically alive, but mentally dead.

Mr. Bhatt, the sadhaka who supervised was happy that good learning occurred in the group.

Published in the July 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

WHAT DOES THE WORD UPANISAD MEAN ?

Harry Sequeira

The word Upanisad comes from the Sanskrit root upa=near, ni=below, sad=sitting; thus one meaning of the word Upanisad is “sitting near the feet of the master”. The Upanisads are the footnotes to the Vedas. The Vedas are a compilation during a long period of time, followed by its elaboration through periods of Brahmanas and further condensation and summarizing through the period of Aranyakas (Aranya means forest in Sanskrit) and finally extracting the essence through the Upanisads.

There are many Upanisads, some say as many as 200; among them 11 are considered classic. They date back several centuries before the Christian era and at the end we have Yoga Upanisads.

The Upanisads are not systematic didactic or pedagogic texts. They are the illumined utterances of sages and mystics. While sitting by some fire place and absorbed in the light of the wood-fire the sage would enter into unseen realms and opening his eyes gently he would tell the students in brief insightful sentences about the reality hidden beyond this normal day to day reality of our life. They would lead the students into a transcendental and spiritual philosophy. These utterances later formed the base, the structure, the model and the paradigm for an emerging spirituality leading to mystic experiences. Those times of the sages were the golden age of Indian mysticism – lasting centuries.

WHAT RELEVANCE DOES IT HAVE WITH OUR MODERN LIFE ?

If someone asks you who are you, you might give your name, “I am John”. But john is just a word, and in the course of your life, you may be called by different variations of the name. Your parents might call you by a nickname. Your siblings by another, your friends by yet another. Your girl friend or wife may also call you by another name. Therefore you are not the name only. You are something more.

You might point out to your body and say that is “I ”. The majority of people live with this notion that they are a body. But some know that driving this body is an energy :body”. Through the practice of yoga and similar techniques some people do manage to separate the physical from the pranic body and thus know that they are more than this physical body.

If you are psychologist you know that you have feelings, sensations, emotions and so forth and these come from another body, the mental body.

Further on those who work with ideas, thoughtful people, original thinkers, pioneers, scientists, poets and so forth connect themselves to a still finer body- the body of the intellect.

Those who have deep meditative experiences come to contact a deathless part of themselves – and enjoy a state of bliss or Ananda as it is called in the Indian spiritual traditions.

These are the sheaths/Kosas – or layers of one body behind the other. And yet we feel, behave and think, as we are the physical body only.

This is the composition of “man” according to the Upanisads.

WHERE DO I COME FROM ?

Many thoughtful persons have this question in their mind: “Where do I come from? What is this life?” Many would like to know about the inner world, which we cannot see because of the obscurity within us. Many of us are confused, others have infatuations that bind them to the world of illusions.

The Upanisads do not require great reading time; the sayings of the sages or the dialogues with them are brief but breathtaking in their sweep and grandeur of the ideas and insights full of wisdom. These wisdom insights can help us as guideposts in our own search of spirituality.

They point out that through yoga (from practices of Hatha, Tantra, etc) to center oneself in between the eyes and enter the inner world where eventually one encounters the inner resident, the Self, residing as if it were in a deep hidden cave.

The destiny of all human beings is to seek and know their real Self and not the surface personality only. The Upanisads in deep meditaion open a dialogue with the soul, wherein they say the deep meaningful answers to the questions we ask, can be found.

Published in the July 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

OUR SO CALLED KNOWLEDGE

We say “I know,” but in reality we hardly know. The whole material world has its own laws. We don’t understand them and our life is passed in ignorance. Ignorance causes wrong thinking, decision and suffering. It has come to us very strongly-right from our childhood. We don’t believe that ignorance has taken total charge of us.

We deny reality. We project the unreality as real. This permeates into every little decision of ours. We don’t have an answer to “Who am I?”, yet we carry on. There is continuous pain and suffering, but we do not try to understand the beginning of it.

A wise person understands that that the physical body is changing in a little period of time and is decaying’ but we don’t understand this. The whole day we talk and worry. We worry about things that did not happen, about people who cheated us, about future, about all types of pain, etc.

When Buddha’s son was born, Buddha said that it was one more link in the chain of suffering. A lay person generally becomes happy when a son is born to him or her. A wise person understands and does not get involved. He does not get totally lost. If at all his is a surgical kind of involvement, duty is the word and this sort of mental frame can solve the problems.

The entire system of yoga is working to eradicate ignorance. Asanas and Pranayamas too help in doing this. The tradition emphasizes the need for concentration of mind and developing self-control and in the end self-knowledge.

Anonymous

Published in the February 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

YOGA FOR BEGINNERS

YOGA FOR BEGINNERS by Hansaji

Creating some kind of deep interest in oneself helps. Ordinary knowledge and statements in traditional Hatha Yoga works will not help unless a deeper interest has been created by the teacher.

General interest in Indian achievements and the glory of its past culture can also help children to get interested in Yoga. Incidents in the life of Ashoka who withdrew from war after winning it or of Sukhdev who opted for self control over sensory pleasures when young etc. Simple ways that were followed like sitting with eyes closed, counting reverse from 1000 to one and some introversion studies, or acquainting students in the beginning with finer points of Indian culture like steadiness of mind, self help etc. are referred to.

Useful procedures and techniques called Yoga in standard old books like Hatha Yoga Pradipika could be shared and learnt both in theory and practice for our good. Yoga was for people who lived like us, had families, felt the need of healthy body, steady concentrated mind, good character and discipline etc. This entire tradition and process is applicable to us also today. This can make us healthy and efficient.

In Hathayogapradipika details are available about a whole day’s routine, which influences the mind in thinking in a certain way. Useful suggestions are there about food. A little acquaintance with all this helps in creating interest followed by simple discussions about Yama, Niyama, Asana as in the above book. (Chapter I, Sloka 12 up to 19^th.)

The question is about a good teacher in the present set up. In India, the teacher has long hours to work with deadlines to meet and with large number of students in class. Sometimes around fifty to sixty in a small classroom with no facilities no large halls for good Yoga practice and no playground. A bunch of mischievous children are difficult to manage in this setting. How exactly teaching of traditional Yoga be imparted in this kind of set up of today?

It is indeed the rapport between the learner and the teacher that will be the crux of the matter. So far as the teachers’ imparting Yoga in its fullness, the closeness of the learner and the teacher will help. Watching each other and imitating the teachers and vice versa. The teacher watching the pupils managing themselves in difficult situations is a very good way of learning yoga. Say a teacher teaching a group of students, may say, “In this humid climate when nasal blockage or cold cough etc. is common, what I do is to massage the forehead and face for four minutes regularly thrice a day. Keeping the head a little bent down as in Yoga Mudra or covering the head while sleeping etc. All this has helped in managing simple upper respiratory tract problems.”

The teacher has taught Kapalbhati, kapalarandradhouti in a very natural and interesting way to the students.

The same can be when the teacher sitting with the students puts up the question of concentration of mind. “Close the eyes and count mentally 1000 to 1 in reverse. This can help in learning concentration” the teacher may say.

There is a scope for acquainting school going children with Yoga for preventive hygiene, norms of mental health besides ethical conduct etc. This can be done in the present kind of school in spite of poor facilities. The teacher will have to be a seriously interested person who can introduce these concepts and practices in class rooms with personal demonstrations, practices and talks and then group practices in small rooms. Places could be found for learning hygiene, mental discipline, simple philosophy of life etc. as per time and place available in schools. The usual asana part may continue.

If we in India are interested in our youth and want to make our youth mentally strong, physically healthy, Yoga will be our answer.

Published in the July 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

SHRI YOGENDRAJI AND HIS TIMES

Neelima K.Bhave

Man is a product of his times. He may accept, reject or improve upon, what he has come across in his times.

The attempt here is to paint a sort of a backdrop, depicting the various trends in life, during the late part of nineteenth and early part of twentieth century when Shri Yogendraji was born. To a considerable extent man is a product of his times. Though the basic qualities of nature come to him by birth, his attitude to life is greatly influenced by what he sees around him, by the teacher under whom he studies, by the books he reads, by the great personalities of his times with whom he may come into contact directly or indirectly. He may either accept or reject or improve upon, what he comes across, but either way the formation of his personality is affected by his social situation.

The special condition prevailing in India at the beginning of the last century, has a relevance for The Yoga Institute, Santacruz. The Founder of the Institute Shri Yogendraji and other people of his generation were born and grew up and got educated during this period. Typical, perhaps, of the English educated Indians of that generation, they thought about life in general, and also about what they could do to solve the problems as they appeared to them.

The early part of the twentieth century with which we are dealing at present, stands in continuity with the later part of the nineteenth century, and together they form an important part of Indian history. No period in Indian history can be dealt with in isolation, for obvious reasons. Something which happens comes as a result of something that has gone before, and in its own time, it gives rise to something else, which comes afterwards. As stated earlier, early twentieth century comes as a continuation of late nineteenth century, which in itself was a period of great social fermentation. This particular period in Indian history, is known as Indian Renaissance. The latter half of the nineteenth century, saw the rise of many great personalities, especially in Bengal and in Western India. Bengal and Bombay were the earlier seats of British power in India. The first two Indian universities established by the British in India, were at Calcutta and Bombay. Hence it was not a mere coincidence, that the social, political and religious upheaval that took place in those times, were felt more strongly in these two regions. Many great social and religious institutions came to be established then. The names are familiar even today. Brahmosamaj established by Rammohan Roy, Ramkrishna Mission established by Vivekananda, Arya Samaj of Dayanand Saraswati, Prarthana Samaj of Justice Ranade, were religious institutions based on reformist ideas, while Seva Sadan of Malabari, Stree Shikshan Samstha of Maharshi Karve etc., were established to improve the lot of women by giving them education and making them economically independent. All these institutions are active, in their respective fields, even today. The establishment of the Indian National Congress, by Sir Hume for directing the struggle for independence, took place at this time also.

As the composition of these institutions suggest, the social activities of those times were taking place on two points, social reforms, and religious reforms. They would ultimately achieve the same thing viz. the liberation of Indians, from the shackles of irrational superstitions and stifling customs. And this liberation was hopefully considered to go hand in hand with political freedom. It was in a way an era of great dreamers, who saw the vision of a fearless and free India, marching strongly on the road to progress. The actual situation of the times was like a stagnant pool of dirty water, where a lot of vegetation and organisms had grown. The rigid social hierarchy with the women and untouchables at the lowest rung, queer practice of social and personal duty, child marriages and the resultant practice of child widows, problems such as these destroyed the initiative of an individual. The belief that customary injunctions were more powerful than scriptural injunctions, was very pronounced. Religious reformers like Vivekananda or Dayananda Saraswati referred to the old Vedic texts in order to make the people see sense.

Published in the July 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

THE LITTLE THINGS

THE LITTLE THINGS

Smt. Anjali Savur.

Even if you can maintain an uninterrupted state of mind during the 4 seconds of retention or suspension when you are doing Asanas, think you may have made progress and continue at it.

We have all heard the poem in our childhood ….. Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean and make the pleasant land … and yet few realize the importance of the little things.

Now let us take something as simple as habits. We start off with small thing everyday and later it becomes a habit, all this even before we are aware of it. This is the case with both good and bad habits. Take the example of a cigarette smoker. He starts with one cigarette and then he lands up smoking quite a few cigarettes everyday. If we realize how habits are formed, we can avoid the formation of bad habits and cultivate good habits like positive thinking, acceptance, doing work without expecting results etc. And if people have a bad habit they should put in steady effort for, as mark Twain puts it “A habit cannot be tossed out of the window, it must be coaxed down the stairs, a step at a time”.

Even in our practice of Yoga Asanas, Pranayamas etc. we will see how the little things count. When I joined the special class for ladies at this Institute, the first thing I had been asked to do was to stand quietly with my eyes closed while the teacher observed my breathing. It is only after establishing any rate of respiration, I was taught Talasana with 2:4:2 count. I was then told that with practice I could increase the count to 3:6:3 and so on. Same was the case with Pranayama.

Similarly, as I had a spinal problem I found I could barely reach midway between my knees and my feet. At first I was disheartened especially when I saw the others doing the same so very comfortably. But then I realized that the beginning of all things are small. So, with great determination I began to practice daily. It took me quite some time, in fact nearly one and a half years before I could just manage to touch my toes. But whenever my effort slackened my spine seemed to recoil and I went backwards by a few steps. That made me realize that the little effort I put in everyday had so much value.

In everything we do, we need to concentrate if we are to fare well and yet we do not realize the importance of the role of concentration. It reminds me of the African proverb, “You can count the apples on a tree but you cannot count the trees in an apple”. Similarly we do not realize the potential for success that is present in concentration. If we did recognize it, we would have all been able to concentrate much better.

This topic of concentration reminds me of an incident that took place in the Sutra class where we were talking of Niruddha state of mind, which is steady and without ‘Pratyaya’or thought content. This is considered the highest state of mind leading to liberation. In that class, one of the students had asked Dr. Jayadeva that we, who could not keep our minds steady, could we ever hope to reach such a high state or come anywhere near it ? Dr’s at that time was so beautiful and inspiring for he had said, “Even if you can maintain an uninterrupted state of mind during the 4 seconds of retention, suspension when you are doing Asanas, think you have made progress and continue at it. “ This answer brought hope to even those of us who had doubts about any such achievement in our Yogic path.

Now, finally, coming to the most realistic aspect –acqisition-which is also the most difficult to give up. For don’t we all realize how difficult it is to give up desires. When a person desires one nice thing and he gets it he wants another and so on. He is never satisfied and yet to succeed in leading a Yogic life as far as possible one has to learn to be satisfied with what one has. It does not mean we give up or give away what we have but that we don’t become attached to things so much so that instead of our possessing them, they possess us. Also, we can make a beginning by reducing our wants to the bare minimum. I’ll end with a beautiful poem by Edward Dyer :-

Some have too much yet still do crave,

I have little and seek no more;

They are poor though much they have,

And I am rich with little store;

They poor, I rich, they beg, I give,

They lack, I leave; they pine, I live.

Published in the April 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.

YOGA AND SCIENCE OF LIVING

YOGA AND SCIENCE OF LIVING by G. R. Dongrey

I have evolved a daily routine for the yogic art of life and, when practiced, it will act not only as preventive but curative also for chronic and intractable diseases of body and mind. On waking up from sleep, slow gentle rhythmical and circular massage-strokes over the eye-balls, nostrils and cheeks with the inner surface of the palm; and the to-and-fro movement of the tip of the thumbs put in both the ears be given to stimulate the external part of the sense organs.

Drink tumbler-full of cold water just before getting up.
Massage over the abdomen on the line of colon starting from the right and ending to the left (slowly, gently, rhythmically). This massage will work on the three plexuses in the abdomen, viz. the solar, the hypogastric and the pelvic and would help assimilation, elimination and metabolism.
After cleaning the teeth, push the three mid-fingers to the root of the tongue and massage the root of the tongue with the tips of the fingers, slowly, gently, rhythmically in 3 rounds.
Pull the tongue by holding it in middle (slowly, gently, rhythmically thrice). It works through ganglia and on the pharyngeal plexus.
Splash-water-bath all over the body – clean the organs and allow water current from the mug to run in a pouch from a distance of 5” only made by the junction of the skin of the lower abdomen and the ulnar bend of the palm, splash it up slowly and thus massage the portion from the pubis to the umbilicus and from the right to the left thus proceed from lower abdomen to the upper chest, shoulder, back, lower extremities and finally the upper extremities. These slow, gentle and rhythmical massage – strokes pass to the nervous system, relaxing and benefiting it to the restful alert condition and producing the awareness necessary for renovating the whole body.

The modern civilized world has taken pains to develop perfect science of the inert matter whereas she has neglected the living self of ours and this neglect expresses in the creation of greater percentage of neurotic and psychotic population; American figures are the clear proof of the neglect. Today America possesses the highest percentage of insanes, criminals, murderers, suiciders, etc. Probably due to the incapability of the adaptive functions of the integrated body as a whole in both of its gross and subtle aspects – the body and the mind.

At the same time we have studied how the yogic kriya strokes of slow, gentle and rhythmical nature on the nervous web spread all over the skin and sense organs, intestines, etc. in form of massage, dhauti, basti, naoli, kapalbhati and neti over the respiratory system have carried rhythmic vibrations to the central and autonomic nerves.

We have seen what science of Yoga is and how it acts. We can also study what the successful art of life is and how skillfully we can lead it to enjoy health, peace, happiness and contentment under the stimuli created by the modern civilization. For this purpose we shall have to compare how the human beings lived in the period before the dawn of the modern civilization. Today we find constant agitation, worry, noise, overcrowding are gaining ground; neurosis, psychosis, insanity and criminality are on the increase, whereas the then human being was on constant struggle only for existence.

Medicine is a very comprehensive science, and medicos are the persons who can shoulder the responsibility of spreading this knowledge of Yoga in a better way because they know the human anatomy, physiology, pathology, psychology and they can take the aid of pedagogists and socialists for the purpose and conduct their researches under the modern circumstances and carry on the work to start with. My personal experience in the line for the past 35 years show that the regular practice of half an hour or so is sufficient for earning all the benefits. I think this way we shall be able to check the present downhill degradation in the health of humanity and create a healthy, strong brave and creative race, which should be the aim and ideal of Yoga to meet the demand of the world of today.

Published in the February 2010 edition of Yoga & Total Health Magazine.