Yoga is ancient. Seals depicting yoga postures dating from the third millennium BCE have been found in the Indus Valley. Originating from the Vedas, the oldest scriptures known to man, received through sound by the ancient Rishis and written down centuries later in Sanskrit, the oral teachings of yoga have been passed through the various lineages in the same way since the Bronze Age. Acharayas and gurus, guardians of a sacred ancient culture, adapted the teachings according to the capacity of their students, who lived communally and did not pay for instruction. There was a culture of the utmost respect and reverence towards the principles of truth embodied in the teachings. In time this became corrupted, and feelings of devotion and surrender were directed towards the teacher instead of the teachings. This accounts for the authoritarianism that is often prevalent in the guru-disciple relationship.

During the nineteenth, and the first half of the twentieth century, yoga was in decline in India, and the scene was set for the architects of modern yoga to emerge. They regenerated, and to some extent, re-invented the old forms, laying the foundations for the phenomenon of modern yoga, that is now practiced by tens of millions across the globe. Yoga today inevitably differs from the yoga practiced by ascetics and yogis in centuries past, and reflects the times we live in. When Krishnamacharya was studying yoga with his teacher in Tibet (1914 -1923), he undertook three hours of pranayama sitting in the lotus position, three times a day. Such dedication and purity of lifestyle is hardly possible now.

Traditionally, the secret teachings of yoga were only imparted to students who were ready and receptive. Today it is not so easy for aspirants to find a teacher to initiate them, give them a mantra and oversee their progress. Genuine masters are extremely rare and mavericks abound. At the same, at the click of a mouse, what was hidden for centuries is revealed. For example, the esoteric (and expensive) T.M. mantras can be found on the Internet in moments.

For those who worry about the future of yoga, who look askance at the western yoga circus as it morphs into ever more bizarre forms, as corporate involvement, branding and trade marking become common - is there some way to reach a consensus on what makes a new paradigm yoga person? I offer a couple of ideas...

A yoga teacher is someone who shares what they know, he or she is not a spiritual teacher, although insights from his or her own authentic experience may spontaneously arise in a teaching situation. In this way he or she may help a student by revealing what was previously unconscious.  A good teacher will always direct you back to yourself, and not foster any kind of dependency. A modern teacher embraces pluralism and looks beyond yoga to other traditions and disciplines. He or she has an aura of psychological congruence, honouring both the ascending and descending currents of spirituality. He or she is progressive, compassionate, on a path of increasing self-awareness.......

Tristrem

August 6th 2010