Namaste.

[Guest guest]

This is from the Svetesvatara

Upanishad:<br><br>"The first fruits of the practice of Yoga are: health,

little waste matter, and a clear complexion; lightness

of the body, a pleasant scent, and a sweet voice;

and an absence of greedy desires.<br><br>Even as a

mirror of gold, covered by dust, when cleaned well

shines full splendor, when a man has seen the Truth of

the Spirit he is one with him, the aim of his life is

fulfilled and he is even beyond sorrow.<br><br>Then the

soul of man becomes a lamp by which he finds the Truth

of Brahman. Then he sees God, pure, never born,

everlasting; and when he sees God he is free from all

bondage."<br><br>This is what yoga is -- not fighting with other

people, not a "bloody battle," but a struggle within

oneself to reach the eternal.<br><br>Ashtanga Yoga is not

the only system that can help one achieve this goal.

But it is a beautiful, elegant complex system of

moving meditation that seems to do great things for most

of us here. Pattahbi Jois and Sarath are the

near-universally-acknowledged masters of the system, and Ashtanga is what they

make it. All else is variation.<br><br>But as for me,

I am not so concerned with strict definitions. We

should respect the system and its power, but if we're

too worried about whether someone is leaving out a

pose (or whether they are wearing a thong, for that

matter) then we're focusing too much on other people and

not enough on our own practice.<br><br>I don't want

to engage in endless rhetorical debates about what

is and isn't Ashtanga. I just want to practice as

best I can with good teachers, and reap the benefits

that come from that. Preferably while being left in

peace to do so.