Lesson 11: Online Education in Yoga by Prashant S Iyengar

Continuing from lesson 10 regarding thought matter in āsanas, here there is expounding of kriyā. An adhyātmik act is by kāyā(body), vācha(speech) and manasa(mind), and here, the vācha or speechly act is very important. This session brings out the utmost need to have a vācha kriya in yoga practices. The listener is urged to assume a posture and have a silent commentary on the body-mind-breath interactions. This will become the vāchika kriya. The crystalisation of thoughts will lead to a knowledge process, to understanding concepts. This will give literacy of yoga and its dynamics. A discussion is launched about the vṛttis of pramana-viparyaya-vikalpa-nidra-smriti in the wakeful state, where they are all mano-vṛttis and not c̣itta -vṛttis. The speaker explains how yoga is not about restraining the mind but rather be in yoga so that the mind gets restrained. Yoga is about being in the internal world, about c̣itta -vṛtti, but most practitioners look at it the other way round. It is like placing the cart before the horse. The analogy of the ocean is given to understand c̣itta and mind. C̣itta is like the ocean whereas the manas is just like a pond from that ocean. The pond can freeze and only a few may be affected. But if the whole ocean freezes, the entire planet will be affected! Vṛttis in the internal realm are for you and ‘yours’ in you. This requires for us to enter a different portal into the fascinating world of vṛttis. Finally, there is the clarification that restraining a tormented mind is not yoga. That can even be done by taking some medication, some psychiatric drugs. What is the need for yoga? So, yoga is about the c̣itta which is an internal plane.