Yoga is self-knowledge. A conscious practice leads you, no matter what, to discernment and to continually ask yourself what you are doing and why you are doing it.
If you are studying, you should ask yourself: the reasons of what you are doing, and the goals that you want to achieve in yourself or what do you perceive your teacher is trying to transmit to you. And if you are an instructor, you should ask yourself: what are you giving, what do you want your students to feel, what do you want them to benefit from, what is the base on which your classes stand, what aspects of your students are you focusing on the most, etc.
This explains why every yogi should continuously observe himself in this process (svadyaya), it is not enough with a physical practice only. Yoga gives you all the tools to awaken consciousness and proprioception. The practice (sadhana) feeds you, but it should have many elements to be a «balanced nutrition».
Patanjali (Indian sage, 200 B.C.), synthesized in the «YOGA SUTRAS» three types of levels to satisfy in practice the different aspirations of a Yogi:
* Bahiranga sadhana (outer practice)
* Antaranga sadhana (inner practice)
* Antaratma sadhana (soul practice)
External Sadhana includes the practice of the first stages of yoga: yama (social observations, ME with others and with the World), niyama (individual observations, ME with myself) and asanas (yoga postures).
The knowledge of postures, alignment and anatomy (Asana Vidya) it is important to achieve positive effects on a physical level, so that there are no injuries and to know how to adapt the practice to the specific physical conditions of each practitioner.
“Yama and Niyama manage the passions and emotions of the yogi and to keep harmony with the people around him. Asanas keep the body healthy, strong and in harmony with nature”. B.K.S. Iyengar in «Light on Yoga»
Internal Sadhana is done through the practice of pranayama (absorption and management of vital energy) and pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses: returning sense to YOU).
Intimate Sadhana, also known as Samyama, is made up with the last three stages of yoga: dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (dissolution of the mind, meditation on the absence of all things). It contemplates all kinds of meditative practices such as mantras, breathing, visualizations, devotional practices, Pujas, Kirtans, etc. The real desires of the Yogi have been always deeper than the simple fact of achieving complex postures.
“There is a big difference between just practicing and Sadhana. Sadhana is the way to achieve something. The goal of Yoga Sadhana is wisdom”. B.K.S. Iyengar in «Light on life»
Awareness, reflective action and correct knowledge are very important to apply the correct practice and achieve the desired result at each one of these different levels. Each of us is a different BEING with aspects or layers (KOSHAS), so we all deserve a practice that meets those different needs. This is why we say that Yoga is multidimensional.
One day a student from the Training Group said that in her opinion yoga was like a “Swiss Army Knife”, as it has a tool for every need. Let’s keep this metaphor. The point is learning to find these resources so as to use them to your advantage.
Yoga is for everyone, you just have to find what you need at each moment of your life. We are all different, with extremely different bodies, and at every moment of our lives we go through very various needs that we cannot stick to always repeating the same thing, if we want to have true and profound results.
As you get a more complete practice and reach more clarity in your consciousness, more questions arise regarding Yoga. We experience on the mat what we really are. We should not stay only with the merely physical of it, discernment (viveka) is an important part of this path.
If you are thinking of getting in this magical path -and deepening your practice- you should first meditate on what type of yogi or yogini you what to be, and what part of you needs more attention and care. We should search for the right knowledge.
To do this, we offer you our Yoga course that involves a beautiful commitment botho to practice and to yourself. It is designed for those who want to deepen their own practice and understand the fundamentals of this discipline, and also for those who want to train as a Yoga Instructor.
Our training team will accompany you so that you can learn and transcend your difficulties, cultivate your personal concerns and develop your potential. There will be nine months of deepening in theory, practice and philosophy. With great enthusiasm, we invite you to this course, a project co-created from Chandra Ibiza, with more than 25 years of dedication and respect for the teachings of Yoga.
Nora Ávila – Chandra Ibiza
FB: Chandra Ibiza
IG: @chandra_ibiza_nora
+34 653 354 264
chandraibiza@gmail.com
www.chandraibiza.es