Himalayan Yoga Tradition is a living tradition that has been passed on in an unbroken lineage since Vedic period. The teachings of this great tradition have withstood the test of time. Before I share whatever little I know about the essence of Yogasana, I feel I should share my experience being a small speck in the lovely, lively Himalayan Tradition. The Himalayan Tradition, for a beginner looks very appealing for its simplicity and practicality. It becomes very close to one’s heart because of the way in which the knowledge is imparted to the students and the motherly love which a seeker receives from the masters in their path of Sadhana.
But one should try to look beyond this. The underlying force of our Himalayan Tradition is not only the flow of the knowledge through the physical masters but also from all the sages who are not in physical body yet guiding the seekers since time unknown. They all live through the perennial knowledge and practices. The immortal sages of this tradition are still in constant touch with their beloved students who are in the path of self-realisation.
The seeker should never commit a mistake of thinking that, it is ‘his or her’ wish to be in Himalayan Tradition. No! In my perspective, if a seeker is initiated into this tradition, it means the sages have chosen that individual to be an instrument to spread the message of the lineage. Masters know very well who can undergo the hard process of getting chiselled without breaking down, assessing up to what extent the seeker has surrendered himself. The committed seeker undergoes all types of challenges and experiences the hardest of testing times but only to come out like a sparkling diamond that radiates the knowledge in abundance.
Being in this path is like treading the path of fire, burning all your unwanted ego and attachments. It brings in the light of knowledge that leads one towards self-realisation, the ultimate experience of joy and bliss! Hence, it is called as the ‘path of fire and light’ and only deserved and prepared Sadhaka gets this opportunity. Once we learn to surrender to the masters of the tradition, they take care of all the obstacles that lie in the path. But a word of caution is that, if one deviates from the purpose and even after repeated warning doesn’t come back on to the path, then it means you have lost your Guru. The tradition will leave you to your karmic fate.
The beauty of Himalayan Tradition is that it imparts the life lessons through direct experiences. Once you have started to tread the path of Sadhana, imbibing the disciplined practices your awareness starts to expand, then each and every incident in your life becomes a lesson that helps you to strengthen your faith in the tradition and to advance further. Along with faith, sense of surrender also deepens. A time comes when a seeker sits and meditates in complete submission, then he is immediately connected to the lineage and masters take over to deliver the message to the people through the seeker.
The Himalayan tradition is principally a meditative tradition where the goal of all the techniques imparted is to put one on to the groove of Meditation. In this eternal journey, Practice of Asana becomes the first firm step toward reaching the goal. Yet again, in our tradition the teachings of Asanas are oriented towards a higher purpose than just to attain physical benefits. It is based on the underlying principle of becoming aware of oneself at all levels. Turning your awareness from outside to inside: Closing the outer eyes and opening the eyes inward. Yogasana is not merely a body movement that brings about flexibility in the physical body which enables you to perform complex and difficult postures. These are all the complimentary effects of doing Asana. The main purpose lies beyond this. In the Himalayan Tradition Yogasana is more about preparing yourself to sit and meditate so that you can connect to the masters who are ready to take you further into this spiritual journey towards self-realisation. In order to sit quietly, comfortably with all stability in the body one needs a certain preparation at physical level. In order to experience subtler aspects of body, some may need to start at the gross level which is the physical aspect of the body. For those who have a lot of stiffness in the body due to poor flexibility and collected toxins in the joints, may require to limber their body and to them practice of asana becomes really important. Once you are comfortable with your body being aware of your limitations, the awareness is gently shifted towards observing the flow of breath and co-ordinating the movements with breath. In the process of synchronising the movements with breath, the mind is continuously focused and anchored. Thus, practicing asana is all about refining the personality at three levels – physical body, breath and mind. It improves the flexibility of the physical body, deepens the awareness of the breath there by turning the focus of the mind inwards. By following the asana practice systematically, the mind-breath-body co-ordination can be established and this helps in getting on to the groove of meditation at ease.
Yogasana in the Himalayan Tradition is a holistic approach which helps in understanding and becoming aware of oneself. It prepares us to sit for meditation so that we stay connected with our masters and follow their guidance in the path of Sadhana.
Let us practice asana with this orientation and move a step closer towards experiencing the ultimate!
Vande Guru Parampara
Dear Sanket, The connection of Yoga with the Himalayan Parampara is well explained. You have touched upon a pertinent point!
Correctly said Sanket. We are really blessed to be choosen by the Masters to be part of the Himalayan Tradition. You have very well described in a simple manner how by regular practice of the asanas helps us to connect with the Masters while doing meditation. Planning to start with simple asanas to get the connectivity with the Masters.
Sanket ji thanks for sharing the thoughts on asanas. It forced me to contemplate on few things
1)Our lineage is a Great one. Once you are chosen they do everything, to take care, as the mother does for the child. Ofcourse as Guruji used to hammer into us the importance of deservedness. He used to say that Grace is directly related to our deservedness. Many of us have been experiencing this. Vande Guru parampara
2)Main purpose, as you emphasized, of sadhana is to experience the state of meditation. As Amma said in one of her lectures, Sadhana is (practices) one, which leads to the purification of mind. Gurudev mentions in one of his writings, that limbs have got no role in yoga & Just make sure they do not cause any obstruction to the process of meditation. So what you said really touched the core
3)Sanketji thanks for the reminder, that we have use the asanas and breath to dive deep, which is the ultimate goal.Your blog stoked our minds and made us think on these lines
Regards
Jai Gurudev
Very well explained Sanket 👏🏻. If each one of us practice the yogasanas as explained in our Himalayan tradition then, we can very well experience the blossoming of true personality🙂
Everyone emphasises on doing yoga on daily basis to attain perfect physical figure but they terribly miss the real essence of it.
Thank you so much to explain it to us so beautifully
Sanket, Very beautifully expressed your views on yoga and it’s importance in moving closer towards meditation which is indeed deep and profound. Definitely asanas when practiced with breath awareness, and not merely as a form of physical exercises, helps a practioner to go deep into the practice as well as closer towards understanding self which is the main aim of this form. When a practioner achieves the state of sthir and sukham in his posture, he can easily slip into meditation and progress there after. Thanks for empowering the people with right purpose of yoga practice. And also reaffirming my faith in this form of practice by reminding the ultimate purpose and making the body ready for meditative journey. Also when you mention about the Himalayan Gurus and the lineage and its active role in preparing a sadhak to walk on the path with proper preparation thru yoga, it feels like we are in right hands which are always ready to guide us if we keep our senses open to receive.
Thanks for writing this article in very simple yet effective language. This reminds me of our Guruji who used to make even a complex subject easy to understand.
V beautifully and precisely written… This actually changed my thought process completely. Truly said I had been doing yoga for flexibility and physical fitness, never thought that it helped me to meditate. Thanks for that clarity and would like to see more of your thoughts soon..
🙏
Such a beautiful wholistic explanation and approach of Asanas and its practice. Indeed, its simple yet profound practices paving – joy and happiness!!
Thank you Sanket for reviving my thoughts.
Idan-namama. Nothing is mine..
It is just flowing as it ever does.. an eternal stream of knowledge..I am just an instrument..
It’s a wonderful writeup by Saket to understand the essence of Himalayan tradition….u touched the heart by giving knowledge that being in the tradition is something highest in life at the same time it’s the path of fire too….
You gave clear n profound knowledge that preparedness again and again …being humble in the path can help us to march in the tradition! Asanas can make us fit in the journey.
The unconditional love of the tradition and caring heart of sages filled the eyes…it requires lot of expansion from my side.
Excellently written Sanket. Thank you for providing invaluable insights about Yoga.
It is indeed Grace and compassion of the sages that we are included in the tradition. However, the responsibility of maintaining connectivity with the sages devolves on us.
This is indeed a wonderful and inspiring way. I am now noticing the difference in doing asanas with breath awareness and the flow into the meditative state.
Your calm composed and loving way of teaching can do wonders to people. May you be the instrument to guide thousands in this path of transformation and attaining Light🙏
In the present situation most of the yoga practitioners, think that Asana practice or simple body movement is yoga and Pranayam, Meditation are seperate from Yoga.
So they practice Asanas as physical exercise or an acrobbatic exercise to gain the health, but here in Yoga health is a by product of the Yoga practice.
In the practice of the asanas apart from Sthir Sukham Asanam, one has to go further into deeper level i.e Prayatna shaithilya Anant samapatibhyam, in order to achieve higher goalsof Yoga sadhana as mentioned by Sanket and purpose of achieving the highest state of existence.
One has to take the whole ashtanga yoga as combined practice, so it is rightly indicated by Sanket the purpose of the practice of asanas, in Himalayan tradition.
Thanks for enlightening information.
Let this gives an positive impression to all.
Sanket well explained in simple terms
. it will help in improving my sadhana with these inputs..
Very rightly said Sanket.
The essence of yogasanas is about refining our personality until one is aware of oneself. The holistic approach definitely guides us in this journey and yes, it is all about direct experiences. I have read about swami’s who are illiterate by scriptures yet they are enlightened. This was possible only through direct experience.
A well written article and must say, you have kept it simple.
Om shanti
Very rightly said ,Asanas are beyond the dimension of
physical flexibility..it reminds us of the Sanskrit saying
“स्थिरं चिरम् सुखं आसनम्” which aids in body to be in stable,
relaxed ,prolonged posture which is a prerequisite for
meditation, As we are also in the process of keeping mind
undisturbed ..It is one of the means & stepping ladder in
attaining the higher goal!!& not the end!!
Regards
The ultimate goal of Yoga is Moksha (liberation), although the exact form this takes depends on the philosophical or theological system with which it is conjugated.
In the classical Astanga yoga system, the ultimate goal of yoga practice is to achieve the state of Samadhi and abide in that state as pure A disciplined method for attaining a goal.
Techniques of controlling the body and the mind.
A name of a school or system of philosophy (darśana).
With prefixes such as “hatha-, mantra-, and laya-, traditions specialising in particular techniques of yoga.
The goal of Yoga practice
Normally asanas as one knows is related to some physical postures. By emphasising that it more than that and also includes mind and breath is the speciality of Himalayan tradition has been clearly delineated.
Sanket, wonderful insights about the unbroken lineage of sages that are ever eager to guide genuine seekers.
Your words brought tears to my eyes by simply sucking my being to the core, to experience that profound unconditional love of the sages.
It is all together a different experience to live in the embrace of the guru, every moment soaked in grace and yet every second calling for heightened alertness to stay on the path. A true “Path of Fire & Light” but with an assurance of the sages for absolute bliss and freedom.
May your thoughts inspire thousands…
This is such a fresh wave of thought in the current scenario where ‘yoga’ is limited to practice of Asana postures.. n practice of Asana postures is limited to gain physical fitness… Thank you Sanket for clicking on the refresh button on our thought process n creating some space to think about the purpose of Asana practice.. A befitting title indeed! This is truly the essence of Asana practice…
Thank u
Usually, the limited understanding about asanas is that it is to do with flexibility in the physical body. But after reading your article, it is evident that asana leads you to meditation. In other words, asanas are meditation in movement.
Also, your thoughts are vivid when you say asanas can and should connect you to the centre within you, thereby to the lineage of sages who are ever ready to guide and protect an aspirant who would like to embark upon this wonderful, mysterious and purposeful journey called self-transformation and unfoldment.
One will be right to conclude that asana, pranayama and meditation can be one integrated practice but viewed independently and practiced so, in exclusion to one another. Your attempt to change that will, in my opinion, meet with the success it deserves.
May your work touch the sincere seekers of Truth !
Shree Gurubhyo Namaha