Yoga Master Teacher Sharat Arora
Philosophy Paraphrased, Adapted and Edited 10 December 2013
Combined Introductory and Continuing Class, Day 5
To be quiet and peaceful is our right. Exercise this right by dropping things, by doing less, by being less busy in your daily life. A Yogi is one who remains connected, focused within and in a state of peacefulness while doing everything in life. This is the path.
In life, as in the asanas, there is work to be done. The question is how much should we do? The answer is simple. We should do enough and not more. According to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the final of the seven stages of Samadhi is to experience a pure state of peacefulness in the body for extended periods of time. When you are completely peaceful in a position, or in life, that is the final pose, there is nothing left to do. In the one or two minutes you stay in an asana, you experience perhaps a few seconds of peacefulness. Enjoy this time. When it passes and again conflict arises, continue to work towards resolution.
In postures, we experience the paradoxes of opposing forces when all parts of the body are not moving in the same direction. Similarly, conflicts arise in life, whether they be disagreements amongst families, friends or colleagues, clashes between the government and the people or war between countries. In both life and in asana practice, all struggles result in a loss of energetic power. When there are contradictions in your asana practice, you can dissolve them through clear actions. Bring your full attention to the work in the feet to allow clarity to rise and resolve conflict in the body.
Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre
Yoga Master Teacher Sharat Arora
Article derived from the 5-Day Course
at the Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre
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