BLOG: Why I don’t Teach Patanjali’s YOga Sutras…
Throughout Breath of the Heart (my teacher training in pranayama, philosophy & purpose) we spend a lot of time exploring what Yoga really is, and how we can responsibly and respectfully share this incredible practice today. I wanted to write a little about this, because I am so passionate about it...do let me know if you find it interesting too!
Understanding Yoga's Philosophy is complicated - it's not one-size fits-all. Over centuries there have been so many different schools of thought & so many different teachers and teachings; sometimes the ideas align, and very often, they don't.
More often than not we receive a homogenised, "coffee-table" version of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as a basic & general map of Yoga philosophy. This gets taught in Yoga Teacher Trainings because it's easy to digest, however the understanding we are left with is unfortunately inaccurate. And, as these ideas get passed down from training to training, we are unwittingly part of changing the complexity, the subtlety and the shakti (power) of Yoga.
One of the biggest challenges I have in sharing the Philosophy of Patanjali alongside a modern Yoga class, is that this book comes from the Samkhya school, which is dualistic to the core.
Essentially, dualism believes that life is separate from divine consciousness, and, liberation can only be achieved when a person is freed from the constraints of their body and the cycles of life & death.
In contrast, the Modern Postural Yoga (MPY) that the vast majority of us are practicing comes from Hatha Yoga, and concerns itself with embodiment as the spiritual path. The roots of this practice come from Tantra, which is quintessentially non-dualistic.
The Tantric understanding is that everything is one, that liberation takes place right here in life, and the only illusion to overcome is that there was ever any separation between nature and consciousness at all.
Another way to say this is that divine consciousness is both what is beyond the eye, and everything that the eye experiences, as well as the actual eye itself.
Somewhere along the way, the modern path of Yoga blended an essentially Tantric (non-dual) practice with a Samkya (dual) philosophy, making sense of this only via creative interpretations explored in influential commentaries on the Yoga Sutras, rather than the real ideology of the Yoga Sutras themselves.
All of what we do today in MPY takes its roots from Tantra because Hatha Yoga comes from Tantra. So, it makes sense for MPY Teachers and practitioners to take inspiration from Tantric Philosphy and texts (such as the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra and the Shiva Sutras, and so many more), instead of philosophy that is in opposition to the path of spiritual embodiment.
Unfortunately, Tantra is mostly associated now as either Neo (modern/western path associated with ecstatic/spiritual sexuality) or, Left Handed (the path that grew alongside “right handed tantra” and is associated with black magic and other taboo practices), and the beautiful, rich, inclusive & relevant philosophy of Tantric Yoga has been diluted further.
Thankfully, we are now seeing an uprising within the Global Yoga Community in understanding the genuine philosophy of dakshinachara (right handed) Tantra, and the incredibly accessible gifts it brings to the spiritual seeker.
As Modern Yogins, I believe we have a responsibility to be a part of that movement towards understanding the truth behind what we are practicing and sharing. And so, I draw the line at Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, even though some of the colourful interpretations are both convenient & lovely.
May we continue to grow and heal together with greater integrity & respect to ourselves, each other & the Earth.
Baba nam kevalam
love is all there is
Uma
ps - there is currently just a few spaces left in the 10 day October Bali immersion I'm hosting with Nataraj - please email uma@bothyoga.com if you're keen! All other Bali adventures are full/closed for 2024