Rules” in Yoga?
Why Are There So Many “Rules” in Yoga?
For a new practitioner, adopting a yogic lifestyle may seem to come with many new rules. However, Sadhguru explains, understanding the geometry of the human body is not a manmade rule, but a method of living with the least amount of friction. Q: I’m in the Hatha Yoga teacher training. Here, we are looking at [...]
For a new practitioner, adopting a yogic lifestyle may seem to come with many new rules. However, Sadhguru explains, understanding the geometry of the human body is not a manmade rule, but a method of living with the least amount of friction.
Q:I’m in the Hatha Yoga teacher training. Here, we are looking at every detail, including how to sit properly, how and what to eat, and even how to breathe. Where is the line between making yourself joyful and making yourself miserable by trying to follow these new rules and regulations?
Sadhguru:First of all, these are no new rules and regulations. They are definitely not regulations. Maybe we can call them rules – that is one way of looking at it. In Indian culture, there have never been teachings. And God cannot give commandments to Indians, because they will argue. They will ask too many questions. When we were on the Kailash yatra, one of the Indian participants came up with a very complicated question. I said, “See, this is an Indian problem. You are thinking of how to come up with a more complicated question.” A Chinese lady concurred, “Yeah! I work for the United Nations, and I’ve always been wondering why only Indians ask questions.” We have a long tradition of questioning everything.
God sent his messenger and his son to other places, so people could claim that whatever rules they have were given by God, and no one dared to question that. Here, God himself came, and he even carefully selected whom to speak to. In spite of that, there were endless questions. You know how many questions Arjuna asked Krishna! It was not possible for Krishna to give Arjuna a commandment. He kept trying to convince him, but Arjuna was full of questions.
In Indian culture, we refer to that which governs life as the dharma. Gautama the Buddha referred to it as dhamma. Unfortunately, today people commonly misunderstand dharma as religion, but dharma means law – not a teaching, philosophy, belief system, or religion.
For a new practitioner, adopting a yogic lifestyle may seem to come with many new rules. However, Sadhguru explains, understanding the geometry of the human body is not a manmade rule, but a method of living with the least amount of friction. Q: I’m in the Hatha Yoga teacher training. Here, we are looking at [...]
For a new practitioner, adopting a yogic lifestyle may seem to come with many new rules. However, Sadhguru explains, understanding the geometry of the human body is not a manmade rule, but a method of living with the least amount of friction.
Q:I’m in the Hatha Yoga teacher training. Here, we are looking at every detail, including how to sit properly, how and what to eat, and even how to breathe. Where is the line between making yourself joyful and making yourself miserable by trying to follow these new rules and regulations?
Sadhguru:First of all, these are no new rules and regulations. They are definitely not regulations. Maybe we can call them rules – that is one way of looking at it. In Indian culture, there have never been teachings. And God cannot give commandments to Indians, because they will argue. They will ask too many questions. When we were on the Kailash yatra, one of the Indian participants came up with a very complicated question. I said, “See, this is an Indian problem. You are thinking of how to come up with a more complicated question.” A Chinese lady concurred, “Yeah! I work for the United Nations, and I’ve always been wondering why only Indians ask questions.” We have a long tradition of questioning everything.
God sent his messenger and his son to other places, so people could claim that whatever rules they have were given by God, and no one dared to question that. Here, God himself came, and he even carefully selected whom to speak to. In spite of that, there were endless questions. You know how many questions Arjuna asked Krishna! It was not possible for Krishna to give Arjuna a commandment. He kept trying to convince him, but Arjuna was full of questions.
In Indian culture, we refer to that which governs life as the dharma. Gautama the Buddha referred to it as dhamma. Unfortunately, today people commonly misunderstand dharma as religion, but dharma means law – not a teaching, philosophy, belief system, or religion.
