There is a lot of yoga going on around the world these days that has nothing to do with actual yoga. Many misconceptions about this ancient method have long been propagated in the guise of truth. It is time to unveil the real truth of yoga through the explanation given by Sadguru himself.
Conventional Concept # 1: The origin of yoga is from Hinduism
The reason why yoga science has earned the nickname of Hinduism is due to the ignorance of some ignorant people, the birth and spread of this science and technology in this culture and naturally in the minds of people it has become known as a part of Hindu lifestyle. The word "Hindu" comes from the original word "Indus", which is the name of a river. Since this civilization developed on the banks of the river Indus, the name of this civilization became Hindu. Hinduism is not a religion - it is a geographical and cultural identity.
Common Concept # 2: Yoga means, like Jillipi, some impossible gestures
Sadguru: When we say the word 'yoga', most people in the world think of yoga. The science of yoga has contributed to almost all aspects of life, but it is the physical posture that has led people to choose yoga today. But in yoga, the seats have been given the least importance. Of the more than two hundred yogas, only one is dedicated to yoga. But in the modern age, this one formula has become more important than the other formulas.
It is clear in many ways where the world is heading today. The journey of the modern world is one way - from the deeper underworld to the body. This is exactly what we want to change. We want man to start from his body and move towards nature.
I can't be depressed, otherwise I would be disappointed in the way people around the world are practicing recklessness and people think it's right. What you see practicing, that is, the method, is very physical. You have to breathe into it. Otherwise it will not come alive. This is why in the traditional tradition, so much emphasis was placed on the presence of the guru - to bring it to life. The yoga process is a subtle technique to manage your body system very skillfully and take it to a more advanced level. Yoga means that which gives rise to your superior nature. Every seat, every posture, every breathing rule - everything is centered on that.
Conventional Idea # 3: Want a Six Pack Ab? Yoga is a great exercise discipline
Sadguru: If you just want a fit body, if you want a ‘six-pack abs’ or in a word a muscular body, I would say you play tennis, climb mountains. Because, yoga is not a physical exercise, there are different levels attached to it. This is another level of wellness - of course you will get good health from it, but not six-pack-abs. If you add to burn calories or increase muscle strength then it is clear that you are adding in the wrong way, no doubt about it. You can go to the gym to build muscle. Yoga needs to be done in a very subtle and calm way, not by applying omnipotence, because yoga is not a physical exercise.
This physical body has a whole structure of memory. If you have the will to observe this body well, then you will understand that everything - how the universe was created from zero and got its present form - has that mystery embedded in this body. When you sit down, you unleash those memories and rebuild this life to the limit. If Hatha Yoga is taught in the right environment, then it is a great process to make your body fit to receive the nectar of divinity.
Myth # 4: Only in the last century has yoga reached the court of the world
Sadguru: Although yoga is being practiced in many different forms and distorted ways today, at least the word 'yoga' is gaining recognition all over the world. There has never been an organized organization to spread it, yet, because it has survived and survives to this day, there has been nothing more effective for human well-being for the longest time.
Goal Goal People are practicing yoga today, but where did yoga come from? Who created yoga? That's a long story. This ancient story is lost in the gray of time. In the culture of yoga, Shiva is not known as Bhagavan, he is known as Adiyogi i.e. the first Yogi - the creator of Yoga. He is the man who first sowed this seed in the human consciousness.
Shiva first trained his wife Parvati. He taught yoga in the second phase to his first seven disciples. It happened on the banks of Kanti Sarovar in Kedarnath. This is the first yoga teaching activity in the world. Many years later, when the enlightenment of Yoga was completed, seven fully enlightened beings emerged - seven well-known sages known as Saptarishis and revered and admired in Indian culture. Shiva gives each of these seven aspects of yoga one by one, and these seven aspects become the main seven streams of yoga. These seven separate disciplines of yoga have been maintained even today.
The seven sages were sent to seven different parts of the world to spread these seven streams of yoga to different parts of the world, allowing people to rise above their current limitations and bondage to habits. One went to Central Asia, one to the Middle East and North Africa, one to South Africa, one to Adiyogi, one to the lower Himalayas and one to the southern Indian subcontinent. Time has destroyed a lot of things, but if one looks deeply at the culture of those regions, one can see that the reformation of the sages is still alive in the small folklore of the people there. Maybe different colors have taken shape, lost their own color in thousands of ways, but these trends can still be seen today.
Conventional Idea # 5: Music is helpful
Sadguru: There should be no mirror or any music while practicing yoga. Hatha Yoga requires a special oneness of your body, mind, energy and your heart. If you want to unify the source of creation in you, then your body, mind, energy must be fully concentrated. You have to move forward with special dedication and attention. Walking, listening to music, working is not added. The biggest problem with yoga studios is that teachers talk while sitting here. It definitely causes you harm.
Not talking while sitting is not an ideal method, but it is the rule. You can never talk while sitting in the seat. When you sit down, the stability of your breathing, concentration, strength, etc. is most important. Speaking of which, you will ruin all this. So far at least eight to ten people have come to us with some serious problems that we have helped. Probably four of them left the profession now because they realized that what they were doing was stupid.
When I was in America a few years ago, someone invited me to his yoga studio for a discussion. When I went to his yoga hall to encourage everyone, there was instrumental music - and he himself was sitting in the Ardhamatsandrasana talking to a group of people. When he saw me, he jumped down from the table and hugged me.
How long have you been doing this? about fifteen to sixteen years. I said, "If you've been doing this for fifteen or sixteen years, you're going to have this, this, this problem." He looked at me in panic. The next day he came to me and said, “Master, everything you said is mine. I am doing all kinds of treatment to the doctors. I said, "You don't need a doctor, you're calling yourself a disease." Stop all this, everything will be fine. ” About a year and a half later, he stopped teaching yoga.
Many people have lost their mental balance by practicing yoga in the wrong way. This does not mean that yoga is dangerous. Foolishness has always brought danger to this world. If you are stupid, you will hurt yourself. From that ancient time, ignorance has always brought danger to the world.
Myth #6: Want Yoga Guides? You can learn yoga by reading books
Sadguru: Nowadays, if you go to any bookstore, you will find at least fifteen or twenty yoga books. ‘How to learn yoga in 7 days, how to become a yogi in 21 days’ ... Many people have severely damaged themselves by learning yoga from all these yoga books. It may seem simple at first glance, but when you do, you'll see the subtleties. You have to practice yoga with the right ideas and with the help of a real teacher. If you go to learn yoga without these, you may fall into deep danger. Books can motivate you to learn yoga, but books are never for learning yoga.
Myth # 6: Yoga is to be practiced every morning and evening
Sadguru: Yoga is not for practicing morning and evening. Yoga is a special way of living. You have to become yourself. If it is morning-afternoon yoga, the rest of the time is involved in complexity - it's not yoga, it's just yoga practice.
There is no aspect of life that is out of the yoga process. If your life is added, then you can do everything. Whatever you want to do - family, office, business, nothing will be a problem, if your existence becomes yogic. You can use every aspect of life as a trap or a way out. If you use it to bind yourself, we call it action. And if you use it for liberation, I call it yoga.