Kaivalya

“Because Patañjali draws such a sharp distinction between the Self [i.e. Atman or Puruṣa] and the non-Self [i.e. Body, Mind, World], regarding the former as the ultimate value, he is forced to teach a form of emancipation which pre-supposes the total extinction of man as we know him. Even if we are convinced of the reality of Puruṣa, on what grounds need we accept the idea of self-realisation as taught by Patañjali; does the realisation of this value not coincide with our extinction as beings in time and space [i.e. the 3-dimensional world as we have come to experience it]? Patañjali's is not a way of living in the world free from fear of death or loss of any kind but acquiring an otherworldly dimension of existence. The transformation of human nature as envisaged in classical yoga is entirely a process of negation of everything that is ordinarily considered as typically human [Feuerstein, tbc].” 

Overall, it feels that when Patañjali speaks about the drawing of attention inwards might as well be introducing an entire new era or dimension that would imply the cessation of humanity as we know it. The achievement of unlocking such dimensions should be constricted to the individual's subjective point of reference, which in a sense justifies the fact that reality as we have come to experience it i.e. Pṛkti has not yet seized to exist or collapsed into being a part of a broader dimensional spectrum[1] just like a painting is in our 3-dimensional world. 

I quote the text from Cixin Liu's book Death's End ["the 3-body problem trilogy"] that vibrantly paints an interesting approach of the abnormalities and expansiveness of the 4th dimension. He is clearly building upon the great former example of Edwin Abbott Abbott's novel Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions that intriguely renders a similar paradox transiting from the 2nd to the 3rd dimension.    

“a person looking back upon the three-dimensional world from four- dimensional space for the first time realised this right away: He had never seen the world while he was in it. If the three-dimensional world were likened to a picture, all he had seen before was just a narrow view from the side: a line. Only from four-dimensional space could he see the picture as a whole. He would describe it this way: Nothing blocked whatever was placed behind it. Even the interiors of sealed spaces were laid open. This seemed a simple change, but when the world was displayed this way, the visual effect was utterly stunning. When all barriers and concealments were stripped away, and everything was exposed, the amount of information entering the viewer’s eyes was hundreds of millions times greater than when he was in three-dimensional space. The brain could not even process so much information right away [p 229].” 

“In the Yogasutrā-s there are clear references to siddhis [i.e. "power-s"] such as "knowledge of things obstructed from view or at a great distance" (11:25); "disappearance from view" (111:21)[2]”; among many others which bare resemblance to visual qualities that seem to be constricted from humans for physiological and physical responses to occur in the 3-dimensional world, but very much resemble the descriptions of what we can imagine as 4-dimensional space.

“The difficulty of describing high-dimensional spatial sense lay in the fact that for observers situated in four-dimensional space, the space they could see was empty and uniform, but there was a depth to it that could not be captured by language”. Language is essentially semiotic, it carries meaning memory by itself and thus cannot stand against the challenge of expressing or pointing towards concepts that have not yet been assimilated, experienced, developed, found or discovered, thus making imagination and visualisation equally important. Where language fails to convey meaning, art can substitute, especially visual art due to its connection with space as such i.e. distance, perspective, depth and illusion-s of them. The characters in Liu's book go further on to say that “this depth was not a matter of distance: It was bound up in every point in space. Guan Yifan’s exclamation later became a classic quote:

“A bottomless abyss exists in every inch” [ibid].

“The experience of high-dimensional spatial sense was a spiritual baptism. In one moment, concepts like freedom, openness, profundity, and infinity all gained brand-new meanings” [ibid].

[as the science fiction author points out] the danger of the 4th dimensional space is that simply, once you get to experience it for long you would never come back from it. 

It is clear so far that the human mind cannot grasp the tremendous amount of detail and information that is built-up with the addition of an extra dimension, very similar to how the circle would never able to absolutely grasp the idea of a sphere. [Similar to what was described in Flatland] we should be able to get a glimpse of 4-dimensional projections to our 3-dimensional world. Naturally, a 4-dimensional object projected in our reality would be reduced into the 3-dimensional rules just like our own very shadows unfold on a piece of paper or any other surface. The current state of consciousness would not enable us to appreciate even a millionth of a fragment of the 4-dimensional object, however, even the possibility of stumbling across such an entity would be mind-blowing. Stillness of all bodily and physiological functions is proven to have been dissolving the mind and thus, enabling individuals to enter higher states of consciousness which are usually described by means of other dimensions[2]. "Upon realising samadhi we become free of perspective; thus, free to create new perspectives, because the self is not invested in it or attached to a particular view point[3]". 

Meditation techniques as such might be critical to understand what is beyond our constricted senses allow us to perceive as real, but what's more, they might as well be the answer to the technological bottleneck of the contemporary science regime.  
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[1] I suggest you listening to Seth Powell and Chase Bossart's conversation on the multi-layered readings of the Yogasutrā-s here.
[2] Hawley, D. The Dimension Beyond Space and Time. online article accessed May 2020.
[3] transcript from Samadhi documentary-series in gaia.com accessed May 2020 [00.49.30]. 

the Take-away

There has been a tremendous amount of literature, articles, photos and speculations as to the traditional routes of the system that we currently call orthodox Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, that frame any taste in particular. Although this is a very interesting subject for multiple reasons, I want to draw attention toward the current state of affairs reduced to what orthodox Aṣṭāṅga yoga has transformed into since the beginning of the 1970's. 

No matter which concept you chose to follow, the hard evidence that we have so far is that following his teacher’s lead and after studying next to him for almost 20 years, KP Jois has maintained most of the main points of Krishnamacharya’s approach towards āsana (see below). Still, [KP Jois book] Yoga Mala has excluded some of the elements found in Krishnamacharya’s teachings for unknown reasons[1].  

The following are aspects emphasised as the main components of orthodox Aṣṭāṅga Yoga.

01 Vinyāsa Vinyāsa means a breathing and b movement system. For each movement, there is one breath. For example, in Surya Namaskar there are 9 nine vinyāsas. The first vinyāsa is inhaling while raising your arms over your head, and putting your hands together; the second is exhaling while bending forward, placing your hands next to your feet, etc. In this way all asanas are assigned a certain number of vinyāsas.

"Historically, introduction of the vinyāsa system is clearly attributed to Krishnamacharya by Pattabhi Jois himself. Krishnamacharya credits vinyāsa to a text called Yoga Korunta i.e. Yoga Group attributed to Vamana Rishi. The former was taught the script orally by his own teacher Rama Mohan Brahmachari, who in turn, claimed that found a copy of it at the university of the Calcutta library. The book, being written on palm leaves as all equal, was so badly damaged that nowadays is nonexistent. Patthabi Jois himself never saw it, only partially learned it from his teacher, in specific the āsana and vinyāsa systems[2] [Stern, 2019 p 48]". 

In essence, Vinyāsa is a technique roughly referring to a the linking of breath and movement also describing the way in which can move in and out of a posture or b an entire methodology or approach towards practicing āsanas [ibid, p 48]. 

Vinyāsa is important insofar that it develops the maximum beneficial entry to the state of the āsana. It doesn’t mean or has any relevance to flow see modern approach to aerobic yoga. It is a feedback loop i.e. a very specific routine that brings you from point a to point b and back again concerned mostly with the working of the breath [ibid]. 

The purpose of vinyāsa is for internal cleansing. Breathing and moving together while performing asanas makes the blood hot, or as Pattabhi Jois says, boils the blood. Thick blood is dirty and causes disease in the body. The heat created from yoga cleans the blood and makes it thin, so that it may circulate freely. The combination of the asanas with movement and breath make the blood circulate freely around all the joints, taking away body pains. When there is a lack of circulation, pain occurs. The heated blood also moves through all the internal organs removing impurities and disease, which are brought out of the body by the sweat that occurs during practice.

Sweat is an important by product of vinyāsa, because it is only through sweat that disease leaves the body and purification occurs. In the same way that gold is melted in a pot to remove its impurities, by the virtue of the dirt rising to the surface as the gold boils, and the dirt then being removed, yoga boils the blood and brings all our toxins to the surface, which are removed through sweat. If the method of vinyāsa is followed, the body becomes healthy and strong, and pure like gold.

After the body is purified, it is possible to purify the nervous system, and then the sense organs. These first steps are very difficult and require many years of practice. The sense organs are always looking outside, and the body is always giving into laziness. However, through determination and diligent practice, these can be controlled. After this is accomplished, mind control comes automatically. Vinyāsa creates the foundation for this to occur.

02 Tristhana: This means the 3 three places of attention or action: a ujjayi aka victorious breath, b bandhas i.e. power centers or centers of connection tbc and c drishti i.e. yogic gaze or eye direction. These three are very important for yoga practice, and cover three levels of purification: the body, nervous system and mind. They are always performed in conjunction with each other and in the framework of each āsana-s[3] which in turn strengthen and give flexibility to the body.

Ujjayi is the notorious Aṣṭāṅga breathing method a steady slow breathing technique that originates in the diaphragm and works in conjunction with the spine and the lungs amongst other. It can be discerned as rechaka and pūraka, that means inhale and exhale. Both the inhale and exhale should be steady and even, the length of the inhale should be the same length as the exhale. Breathing in this manner purifies the nervous system[4]. Dṛṣṭi is the place where you look while in the asana. There are nine 9 dṛṣṭi: 01 nose 02 between the eyebrows 03 navel 04 thumb 05 hands 06 feet 07 up 08 right side and 09 left side. Dṛṣṭi purifies and stabilizes the functioning of the mind[5]. 

An important component of the breathing system is a mūla and b uḍḍīyana Bandha-s. These are the anal and lower abdominallocks which seal in energy, give lightness, strength and health to the body, and help to build a strong internal fire. Without bandhas, breathing will not be correct, and the asanas will give no benefit. In reference to a traditional saying, when mūla bandha is perfect, mind control is automatic.

For cleaning the body internally two factors are necessary, air and fire. The place of fire in our bodies is four inches below the navel. This is the standing place of our life force. In order for fire to burn, air is necessary, hence the necessity of the breath. If you stoke a fire with a blower, evenness is required so that the flame is not smothered out, or blown out of control.

The same method stands for the breath. Long even breaths will strengthen our internal fire, increasing heat in the body which in turn heats the blood for physical purification, and burns away impurities in the nervous system as well. Long even breathing increases the internal fire and strengthens the nervous system in a controlled manner and at an even pace. When this fire is strengthened, our digestion, health and life span all increase. Uneven inhalation and exhalation, or breathing too rapidly, will imbalance the beating of the heart, throwing off both the physical body and autonomic nervous system.

03 the 6 six poisons a vital aspect of internal purification that Pattabhi Jois teaches relates to the six poisons that surround the spiritual heart. In the yoga shastra it is said that God dwells in our heart in the form of light, but this light is covered by six poisons: 01 kama desire, 02 krodha anger, 03 moha delusion, 04 lobha greed, 05 matsarya envy, and 06 mada sloth. When yoga practice is sustained with great diligence and dedication over a long period of time, the heat generated from it burns away these poisons, and the light of our inner nature shines forth [tbc].

The equally strict approach of regularly practicing 6 six days/week is simply another mean towards developing discipline; which is nothing but commitment and training on a whole different level.

Aṣṭāṅga has been abiding to the rules of Haṭha Yoga i.e. forceful yoga, since it is a sub form of the latter, that clearly belongs to the side of integralism. However, focusing on the construction of the “divine” divya-sharīta or “adamant” vajra-deha body, the contemporary Haṭha Yoga practitioner is sacrificing higher spiritual aspirations, settling for lesser goals which are unfortunately driven or even formed by the very ego personality that she or he is trying to avoid in the first place. The “narcissism, or body-oriented egocentrism” that Feuerstein pointed out, developed equally by bodybuilders and Haṭha Yogins has been profoundly exploded nowadays [tbc p30] especially through the social media regime. This dramatic inflation of ego led scholars such as the German Sanskritist J. W. Hauer to renounce Haṭha Yoga as a “magic-al and sexuality-related activity” [ibid]. The psychospiritual technology aspect of this ancient practice has been diluted inside a modern era pot filled with superficiality and materialism; the body is exploited in various ways with yoga being one of them and the Haṭha yogins globally, being poisoned by desire, delusion and greed.  

However, we still have a long way to go. Current research in various scientific are trying to shed light in aspects of Haṭha Yoga that have been previously unexplored or misunderstood. a Diaphragmatic breathing and other Pranayama techniques combined with bodily movement patterns have been proven to be healing for lumbar stabilization [tbc] b with the phenomenon of serpent-power kundalinī-shakti being still under investigation.   

According to Michael Lear, the orthodox Aṣṭāṅga system as it has come to solidify, is mostly a self-assessment tool for personal growth and insight. In accordance with Maehle’s approach, its components might as well be manipulated in the hands of an experienced teacher so as to provide the student with whatever she/he needs to advance somatically i.e. physically and pneumatically. 

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[1] There are three (3) significant differences:

01. Yoga Makaranda contains full vinyasa as does Yoga Mala, these days we tend to practice half vinyasa, jumping straight through between asana and sides of an asana rather than coming back to standing each time.

02. Kumbhaka: Yoga Makaranda tends to indicate holding the breath in after the inhalation or out after the exhalation depending on the asana. This might be considered optional. We can skip it altogether and continue to practice without it as most do now, employ it on certain asana, employ it while taking less breaths in an asana or employ it on every asana but practice less asana, perhaps half a series.

03. Yoga Makaranda contains a selection of asana, Primary Intermediate and Advanced asana and not in any particular order.
The most prevalent reason for KP Jois' omitting the aforementioned elements would be the change of T Krishnamacharya's teachings through his lifetime. Comparing the system Krishnamacharya used during the years in Mysore with what he taught later on during the late stages of his life (a great reference here would be A J Mohan's book tbc) would prove this point. 
[2] He usually used to quote the following verse from the aforementioned text: “Vinā vinyāsa yogena āsana adi na kārayet” which roughly translates“when doing yoga, do not do the many types of āsanas without the use of vinyāsa”. Furthermore, the word adi means “et cetera” or “the many different types” proving in a way that by the time Vamana was writing the text, a numerous amount of āsanas was already existing.

[3] Āsanas are normally hold in the system of orthodox Aṣṭāṅga for 5 breaths. As far as we know breath count was not originally such an issue for Krishnamacharya, however, the following is a personal hypothesis it might have helped towards concluding the series after a certain time and not exert yourself in ridiculously long practices. It might as well have helped K P Jois when starting working with many more students since the shala itself could only accommodate a fairly small amount of people. 5 breaths is a very subjective time-module but given the average on of 1 Ujjayi inhalation = 4 sec this translates to holding an āsana or stretch for almost 40sec in total this draft time period is always subject to the student and the āsana itself i.e. complexity, difficulty etc. Kino MacGregor had experienced first-hard occasions where Jois held very intense postures such as Kapotasana for up to 20 breaths during led-Intermediate series class [tbc]. 

[4] Interestingly both Iyengar and K P Jois are teaching the double-up wave when breathing in āsana i.e. both inhalation and exhalation start from the lower lobes and through the middle lobes are eventually conclude in the upper lobes; it is the only way to emphasize on the parasympathetic nervous system and find calm in an overall demanding physical process [Nicky Knoff interviewed for the escaping saṃsāra podcast by Nathan Thomson]. 

[5] The employment and emphasis on the eyes and gaze have multiple repercussions in the entire physiology as it had been proven around the same era i.e. 1970’s by the Ukrainian-Israeli engineer and physician Moshé Feldenkrais [ref Awareness through Movement book]. He specifically investigates among others how the movement of the eyes organize the movement of the entire body and specifically how the coordination of the eyes leads to improvement of the entire trunk. It also relates to the positioning and carriage of the Head which in turn affects the state of the musculature of the entire body [Feldenkrais 1987 p tbc]

The Evolution of Yoga Mat through History

A brief story composed with the help of books, web articles and discussions that focuses on the physiological changes caused by the shift in material use after the commercialisation of the yoga mat.

Disclaimer: This article has no intention whatsoever to imply or suggest anything against the contemporary yoga mat industry and its products. Equally, we are not looking at barefoot running as a better or healthier alternative to using running shoes, or raising any argument against the shoe industry as a whole. We simply try to investigate how the implementation of equipment is able up to a certain extent, affect the human body mechanics and our interaction with our bodies. Still lots of investigation and experimentation needs to be done in all concerned areas in order to come across solid results.

In ancient times, Yoga was practiced in India on kusha grass, on hard earth without any cover, or on a rug of deer or tiger skin, as specified in the Bhagavadgita[1] and the Shvetashvatara [2] Upanishad as suitable for attaining enlightenment [Mallinson et al, p 59]. Due to the scarcity and cost of such rugs [Swenson], they are now rarely used even in India.

With yoga's introduction in the West, many practitioners used towels or cotton mats [3] on wooden floors [4], with some of them [5] even using these types of mats till nowadays. Around the time Angela Farmer and her father, Richard, became the innovators and first retailers of what we nowadays refer to as “sticky mats” the yogic community composed mostly by hippie westerners on road trips around India, used to practice anywhere around the country.

Although we have figured out that cork floors are suitable for yogis, concrete floors were the most common choice back then with cotton mats not just being philosophically legit, abiding to the rules of ahimsa (i.e. “non-violence”) but also practically advantageous (they were absorbing all the sweat while easily drying out under the hot sun) and economically affordable too. David Williams pointed out that during the early 1970’s some people including himself, used even straw mats, manufactured normally for beaches. It wasn’t until his trips to Mysore, India, when the cotton rug was introduced to deal with all the sweat produced during the Ashtanga Practice along with some cushioning effects during the constant jump throughs between the Asanas. “Feet tended to skid on these surfaces, requiring strength just to stand still in a pose like Trikonasana” [Hall], later forcing them to modify existing carpets by cutting them down to the correct dimensions.

“Krishnamacharya himself, had a handmade carpet of soft material, about a third of an inch in thickness” although according to one of his late students, Ganesh Mohan, standing postures with feet spread, cause the carpet to stretch and feet sliding apart, pretty similar to what is happening on a contemporary sweaty mat. Having difficulties in balancing he simply proceeded to practice the postures on the plain floor [Mohan, p 25]. The sliding feet could impact the engagement of the Mula Bandha up to a certain extend; especially since this action is opposing the desired effect of creating lifting sensation beginning from the feet all the way upwards through the pelvic floor. To enable this phenomenon, a sweeping tendency on the feet and legs has to be established (i.e. that is drawing the legs close to each other) [Maehle, p 42], an action which is unfortunately not encouraged by the current yoga mat construction technology.

The PVC-based yoga mats massively produced nowadays have been consistently violating the ethical rules of yoga, while massively affecting the way yoga is being practiced as well; Colin Hall, kinesiologists in the university of Virginia, USA, has already pointed out how much the material shift through massive yoga mat production came along with a shift in focus from strength building to stretch development.

A similar shift in the human physiological characteristics is also noticeable in another activity that, just like yoga, has been taking place on this planet since the dawn of humanity, i.e. running. The development of the running shoe has been proven to cause a massive change in the overall technique of the runner, allowing us to non-mindfully “hit” (or bump) the foot forcefully on the ground taking “advantage” of the shoe’s cushioning technology. The results are similar when bringing into our investigative eye the primitive cultures of our planet [McDougall]. The aforementioned action is naturally shortening the hamstrings and up to a certain degree causes inflammation at the ligaments and tendons of the knee (“runner’s knee”). Barefoot running is naturally forcing us to use the metatarsals and the toes to transfer our weight forward, living the heels of the feet intact .
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1. Bhagavadgita 6.11: In a clean place he should set up a firm seat for himself, neither too high nor too low, with a cloth, a deerskin and kusha grass on top.
2. Shvetashvatara Upanishad Chapter II “Seated in an easy posture, on a (deer or tiger) skin, placed on Kusha grass, worshipping Ganapati with fruits and sweetmeats, placing the right palm on the left, holding the throat and head in the same line, the lips closed and firm, facing the east or the north, the eyes fixed on the tip of the nose, avoiding too much food or fasting, the Nâdis should be purified, without which the practice will be fruitless”.3. According to Gregor Maehle [p 126], the presence and importance of the cotton cloth on top of a tiger or deer skin had to do with insulating the subtle yogic body (the energetical sphere) from the draining downward energy flow of the earth itself, resulting in the inversion of feet towards the sky in the meditation pose (i.e. Padmasana). It seems that cotton cloths had been around longer than we are estimating.
4. It is very easy to notice that in pictures with young David Williams practicing Ashtanga Yoga. Cler Cameron’s article on the history of yoga mats (see Source 03) is useful to look into the constrictions and hindrances that forced the change to take place gradually.
5. Including mostly the first generation of Ashtanga Yogis and Yoginis such as David Williams and Danny Paradise.

Sources:

01. Mallinson, J. Singleton, M. (2017) “Roots of Yoga”, Penguin Books.
02. Swenson, D. (1999). “Ashtanga Yoga - The Practice Manual”. Ashtanga Yoga Productions. 03. Maehle G. (2006). “Ashtanga Yoga Practice and Philosophy”, New World Library, Novato,
California.
04. Mohan, A. G. (2010), “Krishnamacharya: his Life and Teachings”, Shambhala
Publications Inc. Boston, MA.
05. McDougall, C. (2009). “Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, the Ultra-Runners, and the Greatest
Race the World Has Ever Seen”, Vintage Books Editions, New York, NY.
06. Cler, Cameron. “Before Mats Were Modern”, Wanderlust. Retrieved 28 November 2019. 07. Hall, Colin. “Yoga Mats: Are They Really Necessary?”. Yoga International. Retrieved 28
November 2019.
08. Interview with David Williams and Danny Paradise on the 27th of November 2019
09. (web short doc) eu.liforme.com. Retrieved 28 November 2019 mostly for the environmental
concerns on the PVC based yoga mats that have conquered the world today.

Understanding the Power of the System

Irrespective of the roots and KP Jois ethical shortcomings we have to acknowledge that "overall Aṣṭāṅga Vinyasa Yoga arranges postures in sequences to create a continuous flow. While you move through the sequences you focus on the breath and internal holds (bandhas) so that the body is heated and purified to make it strong, vibrantly healthy and ready for pranayama and meditation. Making the body capable of performing prolonged mediation is the only purpose of yoga postures (āsanas) in the Pātañjala Yogasūtras and its commentaries [Ondračka 2020, p 6] [and in this context] Aṣṭāṅga Vinyasa Yoga is the bedrock and preparation for [a systematic integration into] the eight-limbed yoga that [the] sage Patanjali describes" [Maehle 2020b] which is exactly what we should be mostly caring about. 

At this point we should step out of the each particular posture and look at the entire system as a compilation of principles towards (a) certain goal(-s). These goals can manifest as physical attributes but clearly move beyond this point and in the context of the Yogasūtras-s we are clearly looking towards liberation i.e. kaivalya. 

A closer look at the yoga sastras will reveal the proliferation of yogāsana; the fundamental āsana described in all of them is Padmāsana i.e. Lotus Posture, the mastery of which is bound to the development and success on the higher limbs. 

We shall view the Aṣṭāṅga series as a preparation towards (a) building-up Padmāsana and (b) maintaining it for a rather long time-frame that will enable the student to access the fruits of the higher limbs. 

Primary Series: it is primarily a great hip-opening and core strengthening sequence that will gradually allow someone to be able to sit down comfortably. Sets up the foundational work on the bandhas and controlled breathing.

Intermediate Series: work is transcended from the base i.e. hips and core toward the "sacred" spine. A healthy spine is a generative term that implies both strength and flexibility; both of these features are necessary when seated in Lotus i.e. the line that tracks the spine should reflect the natural curves of its different areas magnified, exaggerated : after developing a strong core reflecting a stable and lengthened lumbar area in the primary series one is then proceeds to work on the dorsal and cervical areas[1].

Advanced Series: here the point of attention is drawn towards (a) balance and (b) overall power building and despite the fact that it might as well look odd - at first glance - in terms of relation to Padmāsana the relation becomes clear if one considers the relatively large amounts of physical strength and poise needed to maintain the Lotus posture for a tremendous amount of time (up to 3 hours according to scriptures). 

Broken down in pieces the advanced yogic postures is nothing but a combination of the elements found in the first two series same as complex terms are formed through combination of simpler words or agglutination of simpler particles. In that sense, "one is obtaining the health effects of the āsanas faster without having to go through repeating the alphabet each and every day from the beginning" [Iyengar, 1991, p tbc]. 

On the subtle body the effects are also known to flourish by empowered activation of the chakras. BKS Iyengar makes a bold statement when referring to the benefits of vrschikāsana i.e. "scorpion pose" as to how the kick on the head using ones foot liberates her / him from the poison of the ego [ibid, p 388]. Unfortunately, the practical examples of people managing to accomplish the posture suggest anything but that. Still yet, the tremendous amount of internal balance, strength, flexibility and awareness is remarkable and capable of enhancing one's way towards liberation.

Despite its importance, only a few have paid intense attention at this āsana. Disclaimer By all means, inability to perform Padmasana correctly does NOT mean that you are incapable to move into the higher limbs; there is a repertoire of various seated āsanas to choose from in order to begin or implement in case of dysfunctional limbs or injuries.

By now it should be clear that their is a systematic work on multiple aspects of the human physiology i.e. gradual development of the base upward until our heads which are eventually summarised in Padmāsana and provide one more step to move forward.
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[1] I will speak later on about the attributes and benefits in the 01 physical (strength and flexibility), 02 subtle (purification of the nadi-s) and 03 psychological aspects (the "oral character") as the focus of the practice and how they integrate in Padmāsana.

Changes in Contemporary Aṣṭāṅga Vinyāsa Yoga

From where my Guruji i.e. T Krishnamacharya left, I proceeded. I want my students to proceed from where I left. That’s all, that’s as simple as it is. Science is progressing. Art is progressing. So, yoga as being an art, a science, it has to progress. Otherwise there is a stagnation again. There is a mingling of the western feeling in the eastern mind which is contributing in the evolution of yoga[1]. 

The following important changes are occurring in Aṣṭāṅga now.

01 Anatomical Knowledge Expansion A higher level of training of teachers in yogic anatomy and how to adapt it to individual student’s needs. More teachers are learning how anatomical knowledge must inform technical instruction in Guided and Mysore style classes. "Knowing the anatomical limitations of bodies, which adjustments are unsafe and how far the safe ones can be taken. This is not something that can be learned by watching or simply by adjusting. It can be learned from somebody who is a long serving teacher/ practitioner and at the same time has done formal training in anatomy. Unfortunately, students are often hurt because teachers believe no formal study is required[2]". 

02 Individual Uniqueness framed into Universal Principles 

Understanding the differences between bodies and how they must be accommodated by altering the sequences if necessary. Many students have left Aṣṭāṅga for good because their teacher could not or would not modify their sequence. There are however, two 2 plus 1 universal principles that I have distinguished so far through the years of practice namely 01 force transmission and 02 energy cycles which apply to everyone beyond individual uniqueness-s or special characteristics that might exclude him / her for certain āsana guidelines. These concepts are not naturally a self-discovery but more of a combination of two separate approaches experienced in the world of physiology.

A Force Transmission 

Force transmission can be understood as a wave-like motion of force through the body produced by a counter-force of equal measure i.e. a simple expression of the third Newton-ian law in the kinematic chain of muscles and non-tendinous connective tissues or fascia of the human body.

A practical understanding of this would be the following examples: the harder the press on the ground through the feet, the higher you shall jump. The stronger the push on the ground through the leg the stronger the kick on the opponent. Force travels through action and counter action in open or closed kinematic chains that produce various effects. 

Equally, when practicing yoga and especially what we have come to experience as T Krishnamacharya’s legacy format-wise it is currently one is bound to the somehow be in contact with the ground and some part of his body. To keep things simple, let us approach the scheme through a fairly simple standing posture such as Paścimottānāsana.

"Teachers should look more for force transmission instead of right alignment" [ref Fields J. during her interview in the J Brown podcast]. "Force that is not converted into movement does not simply disappear, but is dissipated into damage done to joints, muscles, and other sections of the body used to create the effort" [Feldenkrais 1987 p 58], thus it is necessary to frame the concept of force transmission into the effects of the energetical cycles see next paragraph.

 B Energy Cycles 

All āsanas are designed to form energetic cycles – especially postures where the hands are connected to the feet. The earth being receptive draws out energy. These cycles are thought to have a profound influence on the pranic sheath pranamaya kosha which is reduced when the energy flow is interrupted through belts and straps putting their use into question.

"When properly directed and graduated, the amount of energy needed to perform an āsana is considerably less and thus allows one to flow easier through the demanding vinyasas and āsanas of the series. Energy not converted into movement turns into heat within the system and causes changes that will require repair before the system can operate efficiently again" [Feldenkrais 1987 p 58].

The use of a strap or belt might seem like an easy solution for students with certain difficulties, however as pointed by K P Jois the use of props interrupts the energy cycle of the posture [2006 p 65]. I personally find the use of props equally therapeutic only when supplementing the work of the student and not when implemented to abide to a systematized framework of impossible physiological geometry-ies.   

C Amalgamation 

These concepts are not new as such, nonetheless, when combined they form a clear picture on how āsana should be approached overall. Force transmission should be contextualised and understood in the closed-kinematic-chain[3] framework that characterises yogāsana applying the energy cycling concept.


During one’s practice it is fundamental 01 to harness the energy from the earth or ground upward see force transmission 02 lock it in using the work on the bandhas and 03 recycle it through the body in the means of āsana work. The effects of this energy span from a building strength and flexibility to b nourishing the muscles and internal organs with therapeutic or healing effects in the long run.


During this entire process there is another factor that comes into play, that of resistance i.e. the amount of opposition one is experiencing towards achieving a physical goal. Resistance just like the previous principles although ubiquitous is not a constant for every person, its value fluctuates according to the special characteristics of the musculature of each student along with their past experiences and habits. It is valuable in the postural yoga since it provides feedback for physical intensity[4], mental blockage-s and internal focus. 

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[1] BKS Iyengar interviewed in the UK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_gw-T9oSJw&list=WL&index=26

[2]Maehle, G (2020b) ‘Gregor interviewed in the Japanese Yogini Magazine’, March 28, available at: chintamaniyoga.com, accessed at: 28 March 2020.

[3] there are two 2 kinds of kinetic chain exercises i.e. open and closed. In open kinetic chain exercises, the segment furthest away from the body — known as the distal aspect, usually the hand or foot — is free and not fixed to an object. In a closed chain exercise, it is fixed, or stationary definitionby healthline.com. With the exceptions of very specific āsanas yoga is fundamentally characterized by close kinetic chain movements that cycle energy through the body.
[4] Remember that above all, muscles speak the language of tension [Cavalier, J. interview in London Real WebTV] and not the side diagrams of a yoga manual or of a sequence cheat sheet. The most complicated yoga postures can easily be segmented into simpler principles which are gradually synergistically combined to bring the results we see in advanced practitioners.