Astanga Yoga is not Raja Yoga

10-04-2001, 08:41 AM

Omprem opined:

>But they all taught
that there are 8 (ashta) essential, interconnected
elements to Ashtanga or Raja Yoga.

>If you want
to focus on asana - pranayama exclusively, you are
not practicing Ashtanga Yoga. You are practicing Dwi
Anga Yoga.

Like Omboy before him, Omprem has no
interest in addressing the topic of this list, which is
the Astanga Yoga method as taught by SP Jois. He's
attracted to the list because it gives him a forum to
pontificate and espouse his views, however unrelated or
contradictory they are to the teachings of Jois.

Jois
teaches that pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and
samadhi are to be studied after asana practice is
mastered. This is why he only discusses the first 3 limbs
in his book, Yoga Mala.

Apparently, Omprem
thinks he knows more than Jois, and knows what's best
for the deluded, lost souls on this list. I suspect
Omprem is a follower of the Brahma Kumaris organization,
a group espousing Raja Yoga. That's is his
business, of course. (Omprem has neither the integrity nor
courage to identify himself or whatever brand of yoga it
is that he practices - it certainly isn't Jois'
brand of Astanga, since I can't recall him ever
mentioning Jois' name or teachings in any of his
posts.)

One can hope that proselytizers such as Omprem will
go the way of Omboy, who for a while used this list
to promote his nude yoga classes in Chelsea.
Eventually, after reams of hyperbolic, Sanskrit-strewn posts,
Omboy gave up, and we all breathed a collective sigh of
relief.

The depths of Omprem's arrogance extends so far that
he's started to haughtily criticize us for following
the teachings of Jois, whom many of us regard as our
guru, and not following his school of Raja/Astanga
Yoga. Rather like going into a mosque and reprimanding
the Muslims there for not following Christianity.
Appalling or pitiful? Take a look at the Founder's
statement, Omprem. Nothing about Raja Yoga mentioned there.
Show some respect for people whose views differ from
your own.

As a lapsed Catholic, I'll pray for
you to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost
causes.

Cheers,
DMcG

10-05-2001, 07:03 AM

ddm

You need a little more work on the
yamas and niyamas. Your posts are strident,
mean-spirited and uninformed. Beats me what your problem is.
Check with your guru (if you have access to
one).

Ashtanga Yoga MEANS the "eight limbs of yoga" OR the eight
practices that together will take you toward spiritual
enlightenment. "Ashta" = "eight". Another identical term for
Ashtanga Yoga is Raja Yoga. Is that so difficult to
understand?

And those eight limbs. You most definitely do not
'master' one and then move on to the next.

I even
provided page references to works by Patanjali and
Desikachar to help you out. Apparently to no avail. Oh well,
you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him
drink.

By the way, didn't you promise the members of this
board that you would not vent your temper tantrums and
ignorance on this board? You promised to e-mail your venom
to me directly. Remember. If you do, send it to my
bulk mail folder because I never open
that.

Omprem

PS. I have never heard of the Brahma Kumaris group.
But I have heard of Dwi Anga Yoga and you are
practicing it.