Today, people come to yoga for a multitude of reasons[1]: to relax, to relieve pain, to take care of their body... But the reasons that make us stay and enter into a serious practice are often different. For my part, the more I progress in yoga, the more I realize that these reasons are as diverse and plural as the traditions of yoga.
The practice of yoga is a long and winding river. Once you start your practice, you can be sure that the path will be paved with detours, bypasses, and hesitations.
Full of doubts, I regularly question the meaning of what I do. I recently met several yogis who are firmly dedicated to their practice. These different people have shown me different faces and meanings of yoga. All these examples of practice and commitment have made me consider what I put behind my practice and the meaning I give to it. This forced me to go deep inside myself in order to extract what was meaningful for me and not for others. I came to understand that what I am trying to develop in yoga is a deep love for myself, for others, to honor and nurture the beauty of life. The idea of this article is to present the thought process that led me to this position. The objective is not to reveal the exhaustiveness of the paths of yoga nor to propose in a dogmatic way what is or is not the right path. It is a step in my yogic journey which will probably evolve during my sadhana.
The beginning of my yogini journey
My introduction to yoga, about 15 years ago, was linked to chronic back pain. After three years of different classes, I had the chance to join Lola Mallein's class. Her adapted teachings definitely took me on board, until I was able to join the yoga teacher training program that she was leading at Claude Maréchal's school, even though I was not looking for a professional change.
I have been following Lola's teachings for almost 10 years now. As a child of yoga and oriental spiritualities, she has dedicated her life to transmitting her knowledge but above all her incredible benevolence and availability. I have rarely found this light and faith in yoga that one quickly identifies with her. She showed me the spiritual path that is hers: the way of love. I did not invest much in other ways during these years, being fully satisfied in my practice. Slowly, with the passing of daily practices, my body recovered, became more flexible and the pain lessened. A deep light has settled in my heart. A flickering candle, which sometimes left me at the beginning, became a fire that I can now always count on as soon as I pay it a little attention.
At the same time, I have always felt a need to be useful to society / to the living. For a long time, my professional activities were related to the preservation of the environment. It took me a few years to understand the link between this commitment and yoga. What I read only suggested that yogis wanted to free themselves from the cycle of rebirths and reach union with the divine. There was no mention of their role in society. My very political vision of life did not find an echo in this practice. Gandhi and environmental psychology were of great help to me. I understood that yoga can be seen as a process of cleaning the threads established with our society, predatory and destructive towards the living. By reconnecting to a deep love, we become aware of the beauty and preciousness of life[2]. Thus, I developed a vision of yoga, in a certain humanitarian way, which would have for goal to do the good around us, to contribute to the elevation of all.
So I have been quietly growing as a yogini with these understandings for the past few years.
Recently, I have been fortunate to meet yogis who are strongly dedicated to their practice, some for a very long time. The observations I have made and the discussions I have had with them have challenged me to question the reasons for commitment to the path of yoga. I discovered very strong hatha yoga practices that allow me to increase the energy in myself. Thanks to the precious and precise teachings of Rodolphe Milliat, I perceive the first signs of this energy that I would never have believed to feel in me, starting from very far in the relationship with my body. Certainly, my practice during my first years led me to have more energy overall, to overcome my pains and to be more emotionally stable. But this is different from what I have started to feel in the last few weeks. Delightful sensations, warmth, vibrations in my lower body, which were completely foreign to me before, except during sex. I even feel mentally a strength coming on more firmly, sometimes even a feeling of wild, animal power. According to the energetic reading of hatha yoga, it is possible that this is related to the activation of Brahma granti, which releases energy in the first three cakras [3]. While these sensations are still very tenuous for me, I can imagine how powerful this can be for yogis who have been practicing for many years.
All of this lost me a bit and questioned the meaning of my sadhana: what to do with this energy? What can I use it for? How do I prevent the development of a feeling of over-power and perhaps of spiritual ego. Always and again thinking and rethinking to what I'm doing...
The essence of practice
In order to answer my questions, I discussed with my spiritual friends, yogis and I picked up my recent readings to better understand what yogis expect from their practice, what incites them to persevere in their path. This is not an exhaustive list but more a personal feeling. None of the reasons takes the lead over the others in terms of value and is not exclusive. On the contrary, they come together, reinforce each other, and replace each other over the years of practice.
Getting out of suffering
According to the Yogas Sutras, one of the main goals of yoga is to get out of suffering. Closely related to Buddhism, Patanjali underlines that everything is suffering for the wise man (II.15): a birth announces death, a pleasure can lead to an addiction... Yoga must allow us to develop a greater mental clarity, a certain discernment (I.2) by reducing our mental disturbances, our vrittis, in order to understand the sources of our sufferings. In the long run, we can achieve a "systematic deprogramming of our conditionings" [4], allowing us greater freedom, a release from our shackles and the cycle of our sufferings.
Some yogis emphasize the complementarity between the practice and a psychological/psychoanalytical supervision [5]. This is also my experience. For a few years, I have seen the value of doing both at the same time, one feeding the other. The greater clairvoyance developed in yoga, as well as a greater attention to what one experiences in the body, in the emotions, are, without a doubt, of great help to advance in one's therapy, and to understand perhaps more easily what is at stake. For my part, it seems to me that it is the association of the two that allowed me to get out (in large part) of my suffering and my illness.
Extend your life span in good health
Therapeutic yoga has gained a large audience in recent years. Practicing this posture for lumbar pain, another one to avoid headaches. Study after study has pointed out the benefits of yoga for this or that pathology [6]. As a holistic mind/body practice, it is obvious that yoga generates positive effects on health.
Yogis have been interested in their physical body, not as such, but as an earthly vehicle for their present life. Let's remember that one of the goals of yoga is to get out of the cycle of reincarnations in order to find the unity with the divine. It was therefore for the yogis to give themselves all the means to ensure a long life in order to live as many experiences as possible before death, and perhaps, who knows, to give themselves the opportunity to live the ultimate experience, liberation. For this, yogis have developed intense techniques of mastering the body and its energies, described in treatises but also transmitted orally for generations. Cross-fertilization with Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medical science, has occurred regularly, one feeding the other and vice versa.
Increase your strength
Whether on a mental or physical level, yoga can bring energy, fire, strength. In line with our previous point, many techniques exist for example to increase agni, the digestive fire, a central element according to ayurveda to maintain health. More globally, hatha yogis have become experts in the control of energy in the body, whether it is to conserve it (especially amrit, located at the top of the head, which flows throughout life and whose limited reservoir must be preserved through inverted postures) or to awaken it from the depths through the rise of the kundalini in the central axis of the body. By better understanding the organization of the energy flows in oneself, yogis develop a physical strength, a resistance which, of course, is also found in the mind. This opens up the possibility of carrying out one's life journey, regardless of obstacles or criticism.
Expand love
The development of love is at the heart of many spiritualities and religions: Christian, Sufi, Hindu... Often linked to the devotional path of yoga, it represents for some the most "efficient" path for spiritual development. "The truth is that all paths give priority to the heart, including what is called the yoga of knowledge (jnana yoga in Sanskrit). (...) The first mistake is not to understand that the heart is the only possibility of accessing the so-called "higher states of consciousness".
As a sage from Varanasi explained to the Tantric ascetic Bhattacharya[8]: "To give love, to have sympathy, to be attentive, to give friendship; to give nearby and far away, to give to the known and the unknown, to the rich and the poor, to the friend and the enemy, to the deserving and the less deserving. A man of love does not base his judgment on the appearance of others. Love flows regardless of the wrongdoings or evil thoughts of the person it is poured out upon. It soothes all inner burns with its balm of gentleness. A man of love has so much love that there is no room in him for doubt or hesitation. As I have said before, love is a power, and like the force of an avalanche, like the power of a bulldozer, it sweeps away and smoothes out all difficulties and differences. It takes courage to be the bearer of such power and to carry it to its destination, but a yogi, with his quiet grace, has this ability. Remember the Buddha and the Christ! They were true yogis. "
Growing bliss
Along with love, bliss is another major pillar of spiritual traditions. While pleasure is short-lived, often stems from external causes (meeting friends, contemplating a painting, tasting a delicious dish) and can generate, in the long run, dependence and frustration linked to the difficulty of reproducing this pleasure, bliss is an intense, infinite source located deep within our being[9]. Our sage from Varanasi talks about it as much as he does about love and emphasizes how yoga can help develop it: "My source of bliss is a magic fountain. It is like the tap you use at home. You turn it on and leave it on as long as you need water. And you turn it off when you don't need it anymore. It can be used at will. If you want to use the shower for hours, months or even years... well, that's up to you, the benefits of the water keep flowing. As soon as you want to stop it, fine, you turn off the tap. It's all yours. It is in you. This fountain of bliss is under your control. You command and maintain... Yes, this fountain of bliss is yours. (...). Yoga allows it; sadhana prepares it; samadhi is its expression. " [10]
Achieving states of ecstasy
This bliss can be associated with the experiences of mystical trance, of intense grace that yogis sometimes have the opportunity to experience. These states come and go. There is nothing to wait for, just to enjoy them when they come without warning. Until we reach the ultimate state, named Samadhi in the Yogas sutras, allowing us to remain as we wish in this bliss, this union with the divine. In the end, if we believe in reincarnation, reaching this stage should allow us to leave the material world and return, as a pure spirit, to the great Spirit, the force governing the world, no matter how we call it.
Developing powers
The yoga treatises are full of promises about the development of powers, siddhis, that would result from the practice. Book III of the Yoga-Sutras is devoted to this. These are not magical powers but internal capacities that we have not been able to develop. Among these siddhis, we can mention telepathy, invisibility, levitation and invulnerability. According to Patanjali, these powers are only available to those who have reached the ultimate stage of samadhi. The texts often remind us of the risks associated with the development of these siddhis: those who do not know how to use them adequately could fall back in their spiritual ascent.
Once all these possible results are considered, it is easy to understand what brings a yogi or a yogini to practice, especially as soon as he/she starts to touch one of these benefits. Let's remember, once again, that none of them is exclusive or predominant, it differs according to the person and his/her background. However, it is always reminded that one should not be attached to these fruits, at the risk of not or no longer reaching them. The practice must be carried out without expectation.
And what is a yogi or a yogini for?
« The Earth needs yogis on its soil »[11]
« Let your life be full and flow continuously, and the flow of life will remain pure. Your simple contact will wipe away the impurities of others. » [12]
And once these benefits appear in a yogi's life, what should be done with them? Is there a responsibility towards the world? Should we consider this blessings as something that does not belong to us and that we have to share, to redistribute? Or is it only a solitary process to get out of the incarnation? I understand that for some people this is the case and all approaches are equal.
Jacques Vigne makes an interesting association between meditation and brushing one's teeth[13]. By brushing our teeth, we protect ourselves against possible attacks of bacteria. But also, we protect others from our bad breath. I like this simple and evocative image. Getting out of individual suffering is a way to be less of a nuisance to the people around us. A proper yoga practice should at least serve to pacify the relationships we have and stop the cycle of reproduction of suffering and violence.
As far as I am concerned, today, and in view of my values, all these incredible gifts that I get from my practice are to be put at the service of life as a whole. I will not find meaning in a self-centered approach. I consider myself lucky to be living this, to benefit from these gifts. It seems important to me to be able to use them for what I consider to be "useful": the reduction of suffering, the preservation of life. And perhaps it is also a rather self-serving way of nurturing these fruits: by nourishing love in others, I nourish love in myself. A kind of win-win relationship, after all. Reading the words of the Varanasi sadhu that Bhattacharya met was particularly nourishing for me when reflecting on this article: "The saddhu/yogi is accountable for only one thing: the joy he radiates; he brings peace to those who seek it. And there are many who seek it. "[14]
Conclusions
You better be warned: if you come to a yoga class because of a backache, a little too much stress or a desire to meet people, beware, you may develop an inner life that you were not even aware of. I am fully conscious of the fact that these notions of bliss, of deep love, of powers are a bit vague... With regular and assiduous practice, it is likely that these are things that you experience personally. This is what gives me great joy in transmitting yoga. I know there are other ways to do it. But this is the one that I know and that brings me joy.
Acknowledgements
This article is the result of reflections from precious writings and discussions with yogis and spiritual friends. All these encounters allow me to make progress in my spiritual path, and I am full of gratitude.
A special thanks to Lola Mallein, Rodolphe Milliat, Jacques Vigne and Yogi Mahesvara for their precious teachings and to Arina Suza and Vincent Berlandis, my spiritual friends, always ready to listen to my doubts and to share their knowledge and understanding.
[1] Union Sport & Cycle and OLY Be, ‘Le Baromètre Du Yoga - 1ère Édition’, 2019 <https://www.unionsportcycle.com/filieresport/territoires/2019-04-17/le-yoga-attire-deja-2-6-millions-de-francais> [accessed 12 December 2019]. [2] Aurélie Chamaret, ‘Ecologie : Quels Changements Attendre d’une Pratique de Méditation de Pleine Conscience ?’, Holi Yoga Grenoble, 2020 <https://www.holiyogagrenoble.com/post/ecologie-quels-changements-attendre-d-une-pratique-de-méditation-de-pleine-conscience>. [3] Rodolphe Milliat, Le Hatha Yoga et Ses Systèmes Énergétiques (Le Quillio: India Universalis Editions, 2020), p. 136. [4] Milliat, p. 12. [5] Yogi Mahesvara, ‘La Psychothérapie : Un Puissant Outil Yogique’, Khecari Devi, 2018 <http://khecaridevi.com/psychoterapie/>; T. K. V Desikachar and others, Freud et le yoga: entretien entre un maître de yoga et un psychanalyste (Saint-Raphaël: Āgamāt, 2009). [6] Aurélie Chamaret, ‘La Yogathérapie : Redonner Le Pouvoir d’autoguérison à l’individu’, Holi Yoga Grenoble, 2020 <https://www.holiyogagrenoble.com/post/la-yogathérapie-redonner-le-pouvoir-d-autoguérison-à-l-individu> [accessed 4 June 2021]. [7] Arnaud Desjardins, La voie du coeur (Paris: Pocket, 2010), p. 12. [8] B. Bhattacharya, Le Monde Du Tantra, trans. by Martine Milliat and Rodolphe Milliat (Le Quillio: India Universalis Editions, 2007), p. 243. [9] Frédéric Lenoir, La puissance de la joie (Paris: Librairie Arthème Fayard, 2015), p. 29. [10] Bhattacharya, p. 259. [11] Yogi Mahesvara, ‘Arunachala Siva ! La Trishula Sadhana’, Khecari Devi, 2019 <http://khecaridevi.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/ArunachalaSiva.pdf> [accessed 4 June 2021]. [12] Ānandamayī and Jean Herbert, Aux sources de la joie (Paris: A. Michel, 1996), p. 96. [13] Vigne Jacques, La Méditation (Skiksha, 2021) <www.shiksha.yoga>. [14] Bhattacharya, p. 259.