Philosophy of Yoga
Yoga, like music, can fuel and fly you to the moon but make no mistake, it can be a long and at times arduous trip, beset by lapses, through our limitations. Yet isn't the ultimate challenge of Yoga also the worthiest of human aspirations; to own and transcend ourselves and know the fullness and bliss of being alive? In the yogic–view deep down we are divine and abounding in treasures beyond description. In the author's opinion yoga philosophy, boiled down to the essentials, can bring a lot to the party!
Sacrifice
Without sacrifice nothing can be attained. Sacrifice can refer to many things. On one level it means not to give way to desires we don't believe in and to maintain our commitment to the things we are convinced make sense. We are advised to find a way to resolve our desires, or feel totally justified in having them. Giving up a low ideal for a higher one is also an act of sacrifice. It would seem each phase of our development has its price. On another level sacrifice means to surrender entirely to the present moment, and to what we sense is required without expecting situations or people to change for us. In this way we are free to act without being acted upon, or adapt and inwardly use what is happening for our own transformation. In Yoga it is well known that outer conditions often reflect our inner state and therefore as we alter inwardly things change outwardly.
Play-work
According to the teachings human beings are winged with promise to be the all–perceiving and all–admiring co–creators of the universe. 'Play–work' means to enter wholeheartedly into any task for which you have taken responsibility without identifying with the outcome, or even the work itself. The challenge is to remain inwardly free while engaged in any activity. The Yogis called it 'Kama–Yoga' and dedicated their efforts in service to the whole without worrying about wealth or status. Not exactly a piece of cake but when we can do more and think less about it we can take the work and ourselves quite lightly. We can have fun with it and the roles we play in the process. Obviously work must be well chosen and correspond to who we are. Ultimately the energy to act and to work comes from the spirit.
Nowness
The figure to the right represents a concept of time. Past time curves to the left below the circle of present time and future time curves above and to the right. Crosses within the time lines signify past memories and future anticipations that swirl around the present time. The mystic–now exists within the free–space of present time, which is the emptiness, or the fullness – however you perceive it – within the circle. It is the realm of tiny children, enlightened masters and all things in the flow of the ever–fresh, unfolding, spontaneous moment. It is the eternal–now.
When we are caught on the crosses, identifying with and worrying about problems, aims and achievements or otherwise from our past or our imagined future we are cut off from our inner resources. We cannot access our natural wisdom, or respond appropriately to each situation as it arises. Aware and centred within the now–moment and with the mind free from distractions, we can develop inner–strength and become more self–reliant. We can intuit the right time in life to stir things up, or calm things down. The teachings inform us that ultimately it is only in the here and now that we can know the sheer joy of existence. Yoga is there to orient you towards the centre of the circle.
Witnessing
The root cause of all suffering, according to the sages, is that we are in ignorance of our true nature, our spiritual identity. We have given our hearts away to the material world and the mind's illusions. The sages taught that if we can cultivate a new awareness of the spirit we may regain our natural state of balance, of grace.
The yogis called awareness of spirit the 'witness–consciousness' (in Sanskrit Drastr, or the seer) without which we can feel overwhelmed by the world and over–identified with our thoughts, feelings and sensations. As we evolve the presence of 'the seer' (which is the ability to witness the mind without identifying with what is seen) we begin to intuit things as they really are, and we become less influenced by externals and the ever shifting play of our emotions and thoughts. We can choose to act, rather than react to situations and allow new possibilities to arise. It is essentially the meditative state which allows our true nature, beyond the mind and body, to shine joyful and free like an unclouded sun. You could think of it as seeing the whole picture by stepping out of the frame.