April 2024 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami-- Gita and Vinyasakrama Yoga
Srivatsa Ramaswami
April 2024 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami– Gita and Vinyasakrama Yoga
In April 2024, I am scheduled to teach for 5 days (from April 2 2024) at Omyogashala in New Delhi, India. Then between 11 and 14 th, I will be teaching on line for Ryan Leir yoga in Canada. It will be on”Yoga for the Internal Organs”.
And between April 15 th and May 5th 2024 I'll be teaching in person and on line a 100 hr Vinyasakrama Teacher Training program organized by Atmayogashala in Chennai, India
https://atmayogashala.com/yoga-workshops/
Gita and Vinyasakrama Yoga
One of the laudable features of the Indian way of life is the extended family model. However this also has its own inherent difficult issues that may be experienced in many families. Many families in India even now face this situation due to politics, property, power and sheer emotions. The kurukshetra war as enunciated in the Mahabharata is enacted generations after generations in many families. Filial indiscipline, sibling rivalry, conflicts between cousins, uncle/nephew, couples aunt/niece and many more. These conflicts are emotionally wrenching as it is taking place among usually loved ones. Arjuna did not like one bit the situation he was fated to face. The situation Arjuna faced comes to pass to many people even today. In such situations the affected ones torn between affection and stark necessity to act mercilessly resort to disinterested advice from friends and relatives or other wellwishers.
From time immemorial, family feuds of varying dimensions have been happening. Usually these are sorted out among family members due to the advice and intervention of elders and well wishers. Usually all the parties to the dispute know the facts, the truth or what is just and finally come round to do what is right. But then there are cases when one of the disputants, even knowing that one is wrong, fights an adhrmic battle, like Duryodhana. He knew what he was doing was wrong, absolutely wrong but still went ahead with his adharmic activities. In such a situation in our lives someone who is wronged is in a dilemma about fighting it out. Not to fight could be due to lack of resources or will power or sheer emotional issues. Should I fight my own kith and kin even as I know that I have been wronged. The advice I get normally would be to be magnanimous and give up any claims, in the interest of maintaining family harmony. Or I may get advice urging me to act and fight for my rights or fight for what is just irrespective of the consequences. I may be urged to fight it out not only for my own sake but for the immediate nuclear family which is wholly dependent on me. My lack of action would lead to deprivation of what may belong to other members of the family.
What was Lord Krishna’s advice to Ajuna? Arjuna even as he took all the steps to fight not only for himself but also for his brothers and many other kings who had staked their entire army and other resources to help Arjuna. Arjuna’s withdrawal from the war would lead to not only his downfall but also of his brothers and allies. As you and I would advise, the Lord advised him not to run away for emotional reasons but fight a just or dharmic war. Further it was his duty to fight for the sake of himself, his brothers and allies. Many of us who have some acquaintance with the Gita would advise that one should do one’s duty dispassionately as a karma yogi. So what is great in this kind of advice of the Lord which is missing from our mundane advice?
The most important difference between what normal advice we get in these situations and the Lord is the Lord’s imparting the knowledge of the true nature of the Self. In fact that is the first and foremost message of the Lord to Arjuna and it forms the foundation of the entire gitopadesa. In the first operative gitopadesa in ch II verses 14 to 20 , he informs Arjuna that the real self or atman is never affected, it is pure consciousness. To make it more easily understandable for the non yogic Arjuna, He would say that the atman cannot be cut by a sword not moistened by water nor burnt by fire. The knowledge imparted by the Lord to Arjuna about the nature of the Self is essential to follow rest of the Gita. In Ch III the Lord talks about Karma yoga a very favorite topic among Gita enthusiasts. By explaining to layman about Atman in Ch II, He is able to make it possible for anyone to follow karma yoga. So when we say that one must do the work without thinking of the fruits of action, we call it karma yoga but the mind will not be able to follow karma yoga without the knowledge of the nature of the Self as enunciated by the Lord in the earlier chapter.But then the knowledge of the Self as explained is the first stage of understanding the nature of the Self.This is variously referred to a paroksha jnana or knowledge through the eyes of another (here the Lord) or sruta pragnya or understanding through hearing someone else or the scriptures. This is a valid form of knowledge so long it comes from someone who speaks the Truth about the nature of Atman. Who, other than the Lord can be a better authority on these spiritual matters? With the firm faith in the Lord’s words Arjuna would be able to function as a Karma Yogi and do his duty as a warrior king.
This and more in my “Gita for Yoga students' scheduled to start on April 15 as part of a 100 hr Vinyasakrama Teacher Training program.
Vinyasa
Sri Krishnamacharya wrote a book in Kannada called “Yogasanangalu”. In which he poses a question
“Many people ask what is Vinyasa?. Here it is
“Vinayasas” many people are curious about its secret. Some others want to know its basis. I agree.
“प्रयत्नशैथिथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्त्तिभ्याम्” “prayatnashithilyanantasamapattibhyam”
According to this statement of my Guru in the book, the vinyasakrama yoga is based on this sutra appearing in the asana portion of the yogasutras of Patanjali. The word vinyasa is nyasa with a prefix vi. Nyasa would indicate the characteristic or parameter pertaining to asana as this appears next to the definition of asana. The prefix ‘vi’ in this context would mean visesha or unique. So the unique parameter in achieving perfection in asana is prayatna saitilya and ananta samapatti. Sri Krishnamacharya would call this as vinyasa. I have mentioned this aspect 'prayatna many earlier postings too. Prayatna means effort According to navya nyaya prayatna of all creatures can be further grouped into three classes. Pravritti or activities done to achieve or get something one wants, nivritti would be activities one performs to get rid of what one does not want. These two efforts are usually voluntary. But there is a third incessant effort of all creatures that is to maintain life and that activity goes on incessantly.
According to Praśastapāda, prayatna is of two kinds, viz.,
jīvanapūrvaka,
Icchā dveṣa pūrvaka.
The first one is that which arises from just living and the second one arises from desire and aversion.
Viśvanātha says that effort is of three kinds, viz.,
pravṛtti (activity to reach a desirable goal),
nivṛtti (activity to get rid of something one does not want),
jivanakāraṇa (that which sustains life).
According to my Guru and also contained in the commentary of the venerated Vacaspati Misra to Vyasabhashya of Patanjala yoga sutras, the word prayatna refer to effort to maintain life.Misra calls it as sariradharaka or one that upholds the body and that is prana and prayatna would be the effort of prana to sustain life. Prana is also known as sariradharaka as it upholds the body. (When prana leaves the same moment the body collapses.) This jivanapryatna is by and large involuntary, –digestion, respiration, blood circulation all go on incessantly without any conscious effort. But one of the life activities of prana which is breathing and which is usually under involuntary control can also be brought under voluntary control. Misra calls involuntary breathing as svabhavika prayatna or natural life effort. But this breathing can be made smooth and long when brought under voluntary control. This Patanjali calls as prayatna saitilya or sithila prayatna. Sitila prayatna would mean smooth breathing. And smooth breathing is possible only when the breath is brought under voluntary control. Vacaspati Misra goes on to state that svabhavika prayatna or uncontrolled breathing ( as done in aerobic exercises or yoga practice like 108 suryanamaskaras without any conscious attention paid to breath) is not conducive to get perfection in asanas rather it could counterproductive.
When the breath is brought under voluntary control and made smooth and long as is done in all vinyaskrama yoga practice, the mind also will have to get fully involved. Patanjali talks about the state of the mind when breath gets involved voluntarily into the act of asana /vinyasa practice. “Ananta samapatti”. Ananta usually means infinity or endless (un+anta). Here it is anan +ta ana means to breathe (ana svase dhatupata). Ananta could mean prana here. And then samapatti is a term that would mean to focus on or literally drawn into. It would mean that when breath is brought under control, the mind easily falls into the movement of breath. It would mean that the mind effortlessly remains focussed on the activity. While on many occasions it would be a great effort to keep the mind focussed, when breath is in sitila prayatna the mind easily falls and synchronizes with the breath. My guru used to say that the mind and breath are very good friends and the easiest way to have the mind under some control is to resort to the help of breath, That is why before any focussed activity as dhyana the yogis practice pranayama before getting into dhyana or meditation. So by making use of breath in asna/vinyasa practice we are able to get the mind also into the act. In most activities without voluntary control of the breath the mind wanders all over the place. When one does the popular aerobic exercise called treadmill, the feet keep moving, the breath takes its own swabhavila course and the mind may be wandering all over the place like the guy in the next machine or the tv monitor in front. So while in vinyasakrama the body, breath and mind are in sync, but they are disjointed when effort is not made to bring the breath under smooth voluntary control
This and more in my forthcoming vinyasakram TT program. It is for 100 hrs starting on April 15 and ends by May 7, 2023. It has two segments, one 50 hrs for vinyasakrama asana practice. It will consist of 10 major sequences of 100 plus asana subroutines with some 700 vinyasas. The second segment will be on Gita for Yoga students. The whole program can be attended either online or in person. It is being organized by Atmayogashala in Chennai India. Here is he link
https://atmayogashala.com/yoga-workshops/