AWAKE: THE LIFE OF YOGANANDA .....A MUST SEE!!

 

Yoga was created in order to self-realize. This is why yoga is known to be the "Science of Self-Realization".  The asanas are but one piece of the puzzle that were created to promote health of the body in order to have less distractions for the mind as we journeyed towards the depth of this inner infinite consciousness. To limit our practice of yoga and to reduce it to simply an exercise practice causes a grave injustice to the practice overall. If we allow the exercises to be the doorway to the inner mystery of the universe, then we are in alignment with the teachings and will greatly benefit on all levels as we proceed in these bodies on this planet and at this time. If we simply stay at the superficial level of practice with the asanas, and play around with fancy breathing techniques, then we're missing out on the greater fruits that await us. 

As I've always told my students that asanas aren't just exercises. They are each keys that unlock the body's potential and deepest places of the mind. Unlocking all the doors in the "wrong" manner or even unlocking the doors all at once (like fitness based and exercise based modernized/westernized practices) brings us to the negative side of yoga where we cause diseases to be birthed to, diseases to deepen if they're pre-existent, and even add to karma. This has all been written about in the ancient texts. The masters knew this and this is why yoga was traditionally taught as a gurukula model where the teacher met with the deserving student one on one and met the student exactly where they were in order to support their progress effectively. Monitoring them closely. Of course, the teacher was versed in these practices because the teacher underwent these practices first hand. All the masters taught a few asanas because they knew that we shouldn't get caught up on the superficial and many other techniques such as pranayam (work with prana and breath) and pratyahara (inward drawing of senses), dharana (focus on one pointedness) delivered us to dhyana (meditation). From there, samadhi may be experienced. This practice of yoga has been in existence and perfected for over 20,000 years. Great masters such as Paramahamsa Yogananda, Sri Yukteswar, Lahiri and Babaji (this direct lineage) gave us an example of how the potency of yoga can really bring us eternal peace by helping us not get caught up on the dance of "shadow and light, as stated by Yogananda. 

So for those of us who have forgotten the purpose of yoga and reduced it to simply asana practice this movie will re-ignite us with the fierceness of yoga that can awaken us all as it was designed to. Our DNA already possesses this wisdom. All we have to do is take the chance, willingly surrender our ego and allow the unknown to "Reveal Itself" as Yogananda shares. We just have to create the space for it by going on our mats and having the asana practice come alive, since it inherently is there to do exactly that. 

Om Shanti!