Gradual Yoga training

[dhammarelax]

Has anyone come across an exposition of gradual Yoga training including stages like Relaxation, Breathing (pranayama), Asanas, Meditation, etc.?

Smile
Dhammarelax

[Kim OHara]

Hi, dhammarelax,
Your question doesn't make a lot of sense, because just about every yoga studio and every yoga teacher, worldwide, offers a 'gradual yoga training'.

Can you refine your question? Are you looking for theory or practice? in real life or books/videos? any particular school? etc.


Kim

[dhammarelax]

Hi, dhammarelax,
Your question doesn't make a lot of sense, because just about every yoga studio and every yoga teacher, worldwide, offers a 'gradual yoga training'.

Can you refine your question? Are you looking for theory or practice? in real life or books/videos? any particular school? etc.


Kim

Theory is ok, books are fine no particular school no.

Thanks
Dhammarelax

[ihrjordan]

You want to learn real yoga? Protip: don't go to like 99% of locations in any western nation as they fail to even abide by two of the most primary rules of Yogasana. These of course being only exercising to half of ones capacity (one should stop when sweat appears on the forehead or one is forced to breath through the mouth) and doing yoga at any time of the day and year with absololutley no consideration as to the season and ones own capacity for exertion.

Now I no longer practice yoga myself but I do have a foundational understanding of what real yoga is via an understanding of traditional ayurvédique medicine which happens to be the sister science to what the west calls yoga. Most don't even know that the primary purpose of yogasana is to balance the breath element of the body, as its aggravation is what causes disease, so these so called "kick-butt yoga classes" which are the domain of southern california have little to no basis in actual yoga. These classes cause disease and passion rather than good health and stillness. And this is what yoga is, a method by which one is able to stay in tune with the seasons, maintain good health and be able to more calmly settle into samadhi. How could one who has gone through a measley 500 hours with a flimsy certificate know the first thing about real yoga if they fail to even maintain brahmacarya or moderation in eating?

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

Oh try and avoid traveling, contact with evil people, fasting, women, fire and overexertion in all forms as well for these things hinder or destroy ones development.
But to satisfy your curiosity:
https://trueayurveda.wordpress.com/2016 ... -really-2/

Do keep in mind that what ou're referring to as yoga leads to a different goal than buddhism. So if your objective is to follow patanjali's teahings in order to attain nibbana then you'll most likely be dissapointed.

[dhammarelax]

You want to learn real yoga? Protip: don't go to like 99% of locations in any western nation as they fail to even abide by two of the most primary rules of Yogasana. These of course being only exercising to half of ones capacity (one should stop when sweat appears on the forehead or one is forced to breath through the mouth) and doing yoga at any time of the day and year with absololutley no consideration as to the season and ones own capacity for exertion.

Now I no longer practice yoga myself but I do have a foundational understanding of what real yoga is via an understanding of traditional ayurvédique medicine which happens to be the sister science to what the west calls yoga. Most don't even know that the primary purpose of yogasana is to balance the breath element of the body, as its aggravation is what causes disease, so these so called "kick-butt yoga classes" which are the domain of southern california have little to no basis in actual yoga. These classes cause disease and passion rather than good health and stillness. And this is what yoga is, a method by which one is able to stay in tune with the seasons, maintain good health and be able to more calmly settle into samadhi. How could one who has gone through a measley 500 hours with a flimsy certificate know the first thing about real yoga if they fail to even maintain brahmacarya or moderation in eating?

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

Oh try and avoid traveling, contact with evil people, fasting, women, fire and overexertion in all forms as well for these things hinder or destroy ones development.
But to satisfy your curiosity:
https://trueayurveda.wordpress.com/2016 ... -really-2/

Do keep in mind that what ou're referring to as yoga leads to a different goal than buddhism. So if your objective is to follow patanjali's teahings in order to attain nibbana then you'll most likely be dissapointed.

I am only interested in what school proposes this gradual training and the details of each step, as for spiritual training and progress I have no doubt that the Blessed one was fully enlightened. I still think that the Asanas are a very effective health boosting exercise, as you said I believe that an Asana has to be maintained for approx. 8 minutes to have the full effect and that all the time in the Asana the mind should stay with the breath.

smile
dhammarelax

[ihrjordan]

You want to learn real yoga? Protip: don't go to like 99% of locations in any western nation as they fail to even abide by two of the most primary rules of Yogasana. These of course being only exercising to half of ones capacity (one should stop when sweat appears on the forehead or one is forced to breath through the mouth) and doing yoga at any time of the day and year with absololutley no consideration as to the season and ones own capacity for exertion.

Now I no longer practice yoga myself but I do have a foundational understanding of what real yoga is via an understanding of traditional ayurvédique medicine which happens to be the sister science to what the west calls yoga. Most don't even know that the primary purpose of yogasana is to balance the breath element of the body, as its aggravation is what causes disease, so these so called "kick-butt yoga classes" which are the domain of southern california have little to no basis in actual yoga. These classes cause disease and passion rather than good health and stillness. And this is what yoga is, a method by which one is able to stay in tune with the seasons, maintain good health and be able to more calmly settle into samadhi. How could one who has gone through a measley 500 hours with a flimsy certificate know the first thing about real yoga if they fail to even maintain brahmacarya or moderation in eating?

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

Oh try and avoid traveling, contact with evil people, fasting, women, fire and overexertion in all forms as well for these things hinder or destroy ones development.
But to satisfy your curiosity:
https://trueayurveda.wordpress.com/2016 ... -really-2/

Do keep in mind that what ou're referring to as yoga leads to a different goal than buddhism. So if your objective is to follow patanjali's teahings in order to attain nibbana then you'll most likely be dissapointed.

I am only interested in what school proposes this gradual training and the details of each step, as for spiritual training and progress I have no doubt that the Blessed one was fully enlightened. I still think that the Asanas are a very effective health boosting exercise, as you said I believe that an Asana has to be maintained for approx. 8 minutes to have the full effect and that all the time in the Asana the mind should stay with the breath.

smile
dhammarelax

I'm not aware of a direct gradual training besides the yoga sastra and some adjunct texts. It essentially boils down to living a blameless life, avoiding so called tamaisic foods like meat, garlic, bitter, sour and salty things, finding a suitable guru who will have the proper knowledge as to what is conducive to development and what is not for his pupil. Have you read patanjali's yoga sutras?

But as mentioned I don't have a comprehensive knowledge of yoga by any means, I'm simply aware of basic tenets (which isn't as common as one might think) and frankly I don't really care to. Although judging by what a lot of the texts say you're best bet would be to maintain celibacy and then go and visit one of these guru guys somewhere along a holy river in the Indian subcontinent; barring that, just explore the blog I cited above.

[dhammarelax]

You want to learn real yoga? Protip: don't go to like 99% of locations in any western nation as they fail to even abide by two of the most primary rules of Yogasana. These of course being only exercising to half of ones capacity (one should stop when sweat appears on the forehead or one is forced to breath through the mouth) and doing yoga at any time of the day and year with absololutley no consideration as to the season and ones own capacity for exertion.

Now I no longer practice yoga myself but I do have a foundational understanding of what real yoga is via an understanding of traditional ayurvédique medicine which happens to be the sister science to what the west calls yoga. Most don't even know that the primary purpose of yogasana is to balance the breath element of the body, as its aggravation is what causes disease, so these so called "kick-butt yoga classes" which are the domain of southern california have little to no basis in actual yoga. These classes cause disease and passion rather than good health and stillness. And this is what yoga is, a method by which one is able to stay in tune with the seasons, maintain good health and be able to more calmly settle into samadhi. How could one who has gone through a measley 500 hours with a flimsy certificate know the first thing about real yoga if they fail to even maintain brahmacarya or moderation in eating?

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

Oh try and avoid traveling, contact with evil people, fasting, women, fire and overexertion in all forms as well for these things hinder or destroy ones development.
But to satisfy your curiosity:
https://trueayurveda.wordpress.com/2016 ... -really-2/

Do keep in mind that what ou're referring to as yoga leads to a different goal than buddhism. So if your objective is to follow patanjali's teahings in order to attain nibbana then you'll most likely be dissapointed.

I am only interested in what school proposes this gradual training and the details of each step, as for spiritual training and progress I have no doubt that the Blessed one was fully enlightened. I still think that the Asanas are a very effective health boosting exercise, as you said I believe that an Asana has to be maintained for approx. 8 minutes to have the full effect and that all the time in the Asana the mind should stay with the breath.

smile
dhammarelax

I'm not aware of a direct gradual training besides the yoga sastra and some adjunct texts. It essentially boils down to living a blameless life, avoiding so called tamaisic foods like meat, garlic, bitter, sour and salty things, finding a suitable guru who will have the proper knowledge as to what is conducive to development and what is not for his pupil. Have you read patanjali's yoga sutras?

But as mentioned I don't have a comprehensive knowledge of yoga by any means, I'm simply aware of basic tenets (which isn't as common as one might think) and frankly I don't really care to. Although judging by what a lot of the texts say you're best bet would be to maintain celibacy and then go and visit one of these guru guys somewhere along a holy river in the Indian subcontinent; barring that, just explore the blog I cited above.

Years ago I read a very extensive comment that Osho has on the Patanjali Suttas but I did not retain much, is there a good online resource available maybe from a Buddhist perspective of this?

[rhinoceroshorn]

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

This is a very interesting approach. Thank you very much.
I notice many people who get acquainted with yoga tend not to abandon it (I myself ) even adhering to other teachings such as Buddhism.
Yoga and Sīla are very compatible and complementary.

[DooDoot]

Most don't even know that the primary purpose of yogasana is to balance the breath element of the body, as its aggravation is what causes disease, so these so called "kick-butt yoga classes" which are the domain of southern california have little to no basis in actual yoga. These classes cause disease and passion rather than good health and stillness.

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

Do keep in mind that what ou're referring to as yoga leads to a different goal than buddhism. So if your objective is to follow patanjali's teahings in order to attain nibbana then you'll most likely be dissapointed.

[auto]

If you want my advice I would say just keep the precepts that the Buddha laid down to the best of your ability, the mastery of body is what the precepts are indirectly about anyways, this is the buddhist equivalent of yoga. Both serve the purpose of calming the body and therefor mind making it easier to settle into concentration.

This is a very interesting approach. Thank you very much.
I notice many people who get acquainted with yoga tend not to abandon it (I myself ) even adhering to other teachings such as Buddhism.
Yoga and Sīla are very compatible and complementary.

two eyes, two nose holes etc. The currents alternate in certain intervals and what then is when both holes are open. Thing is if you not even interested in this then its far very far from being able to understand holes in the body and getting energy to change direction by using the mind not any asana or help of the limbs.

and the chi often yoga people talk about, it is not best it is result of daily living activities not chi from cultivating certain discipline.

[Marcos5438]

Yoga has ton of benefits, but what can be the relation of gradual yoga with its benefits. I've seen a lot of times people suffer from injuries due to their lack of patience and over stretching. The gradually indulging into yoga positions might be helpful in preventing injuries and letting their body ready for the training. If there is any other benefit for it, then I'd like to know more.

[SunWuKong]

Professor Malinson has shown (look up on youtube) that hatha yoga as a system originated with Tantric Buddhism ((tantra exists within both Theraveda and Mahayana)) but during the Islamic invasions of South Asia many of these communities of yogis converted to Hinduism, taking yoga with it. He has written extensively on which practices are original to yoga and which are from calesthenics, physical therapy, or military training, and have been "added on" to yoga traditions. There are lots of people pairing Insight Meditation with Hatha Yoga. I think the yoga schools to avoid are the Mysore while the more traditional are of the Sivananda type. Thanks for the input about breath training and bramacharya being the core of yoga, that's insightful.