Jana A. Czipin - Ashtanga Yoga: Practice, Theory and Philosophy

Also published by the author:

Practice Manual Pranayama: Breathing exercises for Yogis, free divers and pregnant women, 2. edition 2014, BoD, ISBN 978-3-8482-0228-7

Bibliographic information published by the German National Library.

The German National Library lists this publication in a detailed bibliographic data which is available on the Internet via http://dnb.dnb.de.

Jana A. Czipin

Ashtanga Yoga - Practice, theory and philosophy

1. edition 2015

Jana A. Czipin

www.yanayoga.de

Production and publishing:

Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt

ISBN 9783738678413

Im very grateful for the support and feedback of my students.

Special thanks got to my friends Alan Milledge and Deborah Yamak, who transformed my dilettante translation into proper English.

YS I.1

Now (follow) the instructions on yoga.

The Indian saint Ramakrishna described yoga as a house in which there are different paths to the roof terrace where we can find enlightenment and happiness. In other words, we find different ways to the light of knowledge.

With that goal in mind, some people take the wide marble stairs on the right, others the narrow wooden steps to the left, some use a ladder, others - very few - find the lift and can go directly up to the roof terrace. Some people will climb up the wild vines on the outside wall, some will go alone, others in groups. It does not matter which route we choose, nor the teacher or school or which particular philosophy we adopt. The most important point is that we do not stay in the basement of our lives, living with dependency and unconsciousness and wondering why we are not able to see the sun. Each seeker will take the most appropriate and suitable path to the roof. Ashtanga Yoga is one of the many ways that has become quite popular in the recent years.

Yoga in general is going through a boom time that originated in the United States and is now also popular in Europe. People of all ages and professions are inspired by yoga, but the countless yoga schools and traditions make it difficult to figure out which form of yoga is the most appropriate. Everyone is unique. What one person might find interesting and helpful may seem boring or not right to the another. Hatha, Kundalini, Ashtanga, Nuad, Bikram, Sivananda, Vinyasa and laughter yoga are but a few of the countless yoga styles that are available today. With so many possibilities perhaps there is some confusion. Many people do yoga without actually knowing where it comes from and what stands behind it.

During the 5,000 years, in which yoga has been practised, it has grown in many directions, all of which have been subject to different influences. All major texts about yoga were written in Sanskrit, that like Latin, is a dead language, used for scientific purposes for centuries. So there was, and is, plenty of room for individual interpretation. As a result, various yoga traditions have come up with different rules, although all of them refer mostly to the same sources. Some are also based on different philosophical and ideological views, which does not facilitate their being understood.

This book serves as an easy and comprehensible introduction to classical Ashtanga Yoga. It aims to resolve some of the confusion experienced by yoga practitioners and to motivate the reader to further studies. The text does not claim scientific accuracy and the findings and considerations have been filtered through the cultural and social influences of the author.

The first chapter gives an overview of the evolution of yoga and places Ashtanga Yoga in context with other yoga paths, terminology and philosophy. The second chapter explains the goals of yoga, the principles that Ashtanga Yoga are based on and what kind of surrounding is helpful for a yoga practice. The third chapter concentrates in detail on the Eightfold Yoga path that is Ashtanga Yoga. It focuses on how this ancient technique can be useful in our modern lives and what happens in the body and in the mind, when we practice it. And finally, the last chapter describes how we can be successful in yoga and how to overcome obstacles that we might find on our way.

YS = Yoga Sutras. All quotes are from the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali (see literature).

What most people know about Yoga is the practice of the body postures, in Sanskrit called Asanas. What only a few people know is that these positions were primarily practised to prepare the body, especially the nervous system, for the mental activity of meditation which is the roof of the Yoga house. Most modern books about Yoga describe how to do the postures and what they are useful for, while most ancients books describe the philosophy of Yoga and the spiritual development that comes with its practice.

The main sources and foundations of Ashtanga Yoga is the book Yoga Sutras written by the Indian sage Patanjali. Little is known about the real Patanjali. It is believed that he lived sometime between 200 BC and 300 AD. An Indian legend tells the following about Patanjali's mythical origin.

The people on earth wanted to end their suffering and so they prayed to the god Vishnu by raising the Anjali Mudra (which is done with the hands forming a bowl) to the sky and asked him for help. Vishnu was resting on his bed, which is formed by Adisesha (who is the first Sesha, the king of snakes). The king of all snakes is generally depicted with a massive body that floats coiled in space, or on the universal ocean, so it forms a bed for Vishnu. When Vishnu heard the praying of the people he told Adisesha to reincarnate into human form and bring the people the knowledge they wanted. Adisesha took a human form and fell out from heaven into the praying hands of a woman, who became Patanjalis mother. The name of Patanjali is composed of pata, which means fall, and jali, which takes the reference of the pleading Anjeli Mudra. Patanjali's book "The Yoga Sutras" is thus seen as a way to reduce and eliminate human suffering.

As Patanjali is seen as the incarnation of Adisesha, the lower part of his body is often depicted iconographically as a snake body and over his head arch the hoods of numerous snakes. The snake is regarded as a symbol of adaptability. The many heads symbolize the many possible solutions to problems that yoga has to offer.

To emphasize its purity a statue of Patanjali is often white. The figure sometimes holds a shell in one hand and a sword in the other. The shell, on which one can produce a sound, stands for knowledge (you will be heard!), and the sword stands for overcoming obstacles. As we will later see, both are important parts in Ashtanga Yoga.

So the legend tells us that the knowledge about Yoga was sent by the gods primarily to reduce peoples suffering. But as it has always been considered a powerful and difficult practice to master, for centuries it was kept secret and was accessible to only a chosen few. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states:

HYP I.11

The yogi who desires success keeps the teachings of Hatha Yoga secret. They are only effective if kept secret, and they are ineffective when exposed.

Also the Bhagavad Gita warns not to teach yoga to anybody:

BG XVIII.67

Share this wisdom not with anyone, not to the one who lacks dedication or self-control, the desire to learn or makes fun of me [god Krishna].

A secret science, Yoga was mostly passed on within families or from guru to disciple. Before books like the Bhagavad Gita, the Yoga Sutras or the Hatha Yoga Pradipika had been written, human knowledge was passed down orally for thousands of years. Little information was put down in writing because only a few, very educated people, could read.