An Introduction to the Yogi Training Course by Dr. Kumar

Why A Guru/A Teacher/A Coach?Sa Esa Purvesaam Aapi Guru Kaalena Anavaccedaat

Patanjali and Shankara both explain that an aspirant of yoga should look for a teacher whose learning and teachings are from an unbroken lineage of thousands of years. These teachings and traditions come from those who are fully enlightened, known as yogis, rishis, sadhus, mahats, munis, prophets or messengers such as Saptarshi Vasista, Nava Brahma Sanat Kumara and recent masters such as the Prophet and Jesus.

A guru imparts a great depth of knowledge to the pupil, in the same way a senior surgeon trains a junior surgeon, a senior engineer trains a new recruit or a master sculptor trains an apprentice. The only way to learn new technology developed through scientific understanding is by direct experience with a teacher’s guidance and teaching. This science is the great science of yoga.

Who is called A Guru/A coach?Dharmo rakshatha rakshithaha

The more one understands science, the more one may develop technologies. Absolute realization is of the complete truth experienced by yogis who have a complete understanding of science or Sanatana Dharma, the eternal science of observation called Darshana. Yoga Darshana is the technology that leads to self-realization, the ultimate objective of all science. Yoga is purely a technology or Tantra, of this human machine or Yantra to reach the destiny of eternal happiness. Shankara says a teacher who realizes the ultimate is the only one to be called a Guru.

GururBrahma, GururVishnu - A guru is one who realizes the entire field of impermanence and has gone beyond to experience permanence or singularity.

Patanjali qualifies a Guru in his words:

Klesa Karma Vipaka Asayaih Aparmrstah Purusavisesah Isvarah

A guru is the Eswara who has dissolved his entire karma, without enjoying the fruits of his labor does nothing for fame, serves without ambition, is selfless in service to others, is free from perception, has realized absolute purity and is fully enlightened. He would never run a corporate institution for profit in the name of yoga.

Every student must understand the above criteria for choosing a guru: that the teacher knows the technique of Athma or Brahma Vidya, also called Siddhantha Vicharana, Viveka Kyathi Jnana, Pragnya, discriminatory knowledge or wisdom, which is the only path to salvation or full liberation.

Should a student come across such a yogi, guru or coach, they should never leave such a teacher until the final goal of becoming a yogi is achieved.

But even when a student finds such a teacher, accepting the student as a disciple follows a standard criterion that must be fulfilled for acceptance.

That is called Sadhana Chatushtaya. A student has to fulfill a fourfold criteria to be accepted by such a teacher. A student’s duty is to understand the teachings without commenting on the teacher or the teachings.

1. Nitya, Anitya Vicharana

A student needs a scientific temperament to understand that existence is impermanent and constantly changing so clinging to anything will not bring permanent happiness; the absolute can only be achieved by leaving behind impermanence. Darkness and light cannot exist together, when we understand they are not separate but are one it is called Advaita or singularity. Dwaita is two separate entities or duality. All elementary particles have duality, only when we are ready to become an observer duality vanishes and singularity sets in.

What is the criteria that a student needs to qualify?

2. Iha Vairagya and Para Vairagya

Krishna saying to Arjuna: Abhaseyatu kaunteya, Vairagyena cha Grihyate -Hey Arjuna! The only way to make your Athma reach its home is ‘Practice to Detach’.

Patanjali tells us:Tatra stitau Yatnaubhyasa – That stage of Nirodha Samapathi, Chitta Vritthi Nirodhaha will come only with practice.Abhyasa Vairagyabhyam Thannirodaha – The entire Sadhana or Practice is only to detach…that is the only way to decondition the mind.

A student who thinks he already knows need not go to the teacher. A student should go with an empty mind to accept the teachings the way they are. A student should not question the ways or practice of the enlightened ones. A student should not cling to their own views, perceptions or thinking because they are based in Viparya, delusion.

As Patanjali says.

Mithya jnanam matadrupam pratishtayam, Viparyayam –

A student should be open minded and not looking for any particular benefit or experience, but for a higher goal because every small goal will be achieved in the process. They should not cling to sense door pleasures which are the root cause of unhappiness, weakness and disease. Living should become quality-based rather than perception, taste or choice based. Paravairagya is the most important criteria for spiritual progress, meaning that one should not cling to or look for any Samadhi or Siddhi experiences, and even if they come must renounce them with absolute vairagya. Unless one detaches from the world of experience of higher- level conscious states, Sabija Samadhis, Nirbija Samadhi or Singularity will never be realized. The guru’s teacher, the great Krishnamacharya always said that the yoga aspirant should practice detachment and leave behind all experience of physical, physiological, psychological and super conscious states in order to progress. A student should leave behind all their choices in order to become choice- less and to accept the moment without question.

3. Shadguna

A student should acquire six qualities to progress in his yoga practice.

a. Damamu - Avoid getting distractedb. Shamamu - Ability to focusc. Uprathi - Ability to concentrated. Titiksha - Ability to not reacte. Shraddha -Total surrender, self-motivation, devotion, interest.f. Samadhana - Gratitude, what begins to end successfully, humility, egoless, selfless.

4. Mumukshtwam

Burning desire to become enlightened, to realize Allah, The Holy Spirit or Paramatma, perseverance in spiritual progress.

Guru Shishya Parampara (GSP)Now one can understand who a Guru is, and who a student, Shishya. When they meet, the lineage begins. The tradition of learning science and practising technology continues.

Why there is Dukkha? --Because of some cause.

What is the cause? --Some impurity (Chitta Vritthi).

Why impurity? --Due to lack of quality inputs.

Why lack of quality? --Not knowing standards (Pramana).

Why Pramana is not known? --Due to delusion (Viparya).

Why Delusion? --Due to Illusion (Vikalpa).

Why Illusion? --Sleeping or conditioned living (Nidra)

Why conditioned? --Bad and unscientific living practices (Acharas) at home coupled with bad culture (Smrithi).

How to break it? --Knowing the standards of yoga is the only way that living becomes scientific. When one’s inputs are of the correct scientific standard it results in living also becoming scientific with standards: the absolute science behind one’s food (ahara), exercise (vihara), habits of mind and body (vyavahara), behaviour or attitude (vichara), culture (acharas) and destiny (grahachara).For thousands of years, scientific living has been practiced in India to ensure that every individual remains healthy and happy. This is called Ved, Vidya or wisdom.

Purvashrama Sampradaya

3000 years ago, the only known university in the world at that time was called Takshashila. 1500 years ago, it was renamed Nalanda. The Vice Chancellor of Nalanda, Acharya Nagarjuna, who saved the university from financial difficulties did so by studying the alchemy of metal conversion to gold by means of secret technology, maintaining an unbroken lineage in the tradition of teachings, still available today in their entirety in Tibet. Profound yoga spiritual techniques and practices are still preserved today by Tibetan Lamas.

Of the 86 ashrams in which I studied yoga and meditation; many were Purva ashrams with gurus from unbroken lineages. There was a vast field of science to learn from Hatha Yoga practice, Tantra Yoga practice, Bhakti cults to the highest order of Yoga Darshana schools such as the Kapila Ashram in Bihar, Moniwa Traditions, and Thai Forest Traditions.

Perhaps the reason one of my teachers, Krishnamacharya, chose to travel to Mukthinath Kshetra from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, was to make the journey to technology- based from knowledge- based learning. That is why he eventually became the world’s foremost teacher of modern yoga, particularly as practiced in the west. It was he who brought out hidden treasures of yoga texts such as Sri Tattwanidhi. This book originates from Kapalakurantaka yoga, which is also called ‘Yoga Kurantaka’ by Pattabhi Joice, another one of my teachers of Vinyasa.

The famous modern Yoga styles of BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Joice, Desikachar, power yoga and Pilates evolved from this book. For the first time ‘The Secret of Yoga Styles’ and ‘The Yoga Rahasya’ by Vaishnavite Saint Natha Muni, was not only translated from Krishnamcharya’s teachings but also the methodology was introduced by the late Krishnamacharya himself. Without understanding the secrets of these styles of Yoga one will never be able to appreciate why yoga is followed by the scientific based fitness community abroad.

‘The Secret of Yoga Styles’ is the most modern scientific way to understand and integrate fitness physiology for complete wellbeing.

The first generation teachers and understandingDuring my Yoga Journey of 45 years a significant element I noticed was that learning from the original master, rather than from third or later generation teachers is both important and fruitful. Once you experience the teachings of Shri Krishnamacharya and his deep understanding of Yoga drawn from 85 years of practice the understanding will arise of how limited and narrow in comparison is the knowledge and approach of his followers, Padma Bhushan awardee BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Joice and Desikachar.

This realization comes from the fact that each one of these great teachers promoted only one or two styles of yoga, thus compromising the legacy of Krishnamacharya, which in turn compromised the art of total or complete fitness, which is the purpose of Yoga.

When one witnesses the teaching of third generation teachers such as Sharat Joice, the grandson of Pattabhi Joice, and the late Geeta Iyengar, daughter of BSK Iyengar, one may observe that the understanding of the very fundamentals of posture and style is absent. Hence, one may perceive how a difference has arisen between generations. If you have witnessed these three generations, you will notice this. The question arises if the understanding is missing or misinterpreted in just three generations, what about the teachers in turn trained by these recent teachers?

Eventually it becomes apparent that the science behind the yoga is missing, resulting in it becoming merely a routine form of exercise. Any and all understanding of the origin, basis of anatomy and physiology is being ignored and lost. These drastically modified yoga styles lack the serious science and technology of their point of origin.

Yoga is all about small things, the journey from Gross to Subtle.

Yoga is solely about the mind and not the body. It treats the body as the basis of the unconscious mind. What a junior surgeon learns from a senior surgeon is experience and skill which cannot be learned at school or found in books. Yoga is all about the skill, each small detail matters: the technology of how to place the hands, feet, the style, pace, alignment and balance requires a deep understanding of the kramas.

1. Srishti Krama - Power, Speed, Endurance2. Rakshana Krama - Resistance, weight training, strength training 3. Shikshana Krama - Alignment, Balance, corrections, styles of sequences.4. Adhyatmika Krama - Zero Resistance Aerobic glycolysis for boosting metabolism and cell reparation, maintenance, rejuvenation, posture to perfection, effortless method of practising. 5. Chikitsa Krama - When one becomes extremely conversed in the above methodologies, one will know how to apply them to solve the problems using props or otherwise along with modifications in Ahara or science- based diet and nutrition.

It takes years of practice to understand the deeper aspects of yoga.

Objectives of the Course1. To achieve endurance at metabolic equivalent ME of 75% oxygen saturation by means of practice at 85% of your MHR. To reduce RHR by at least 5 to 10 in three months.

2. To achieve strength by means of Rakshana Krama to increase FFM by 15% and reduce FM by a minimum of 5%.

3. To increase BMR from your present rate of 50% to 70%, thereby increasing cellular glucose uptake, making your body ketogenic by the means of increased anabolism.

4. Triggering gluconeogenic (GNG), a metabolic pathway, by means of increased protein synthesis for healthy living.

How lucky am I?How lucky am I to have learned with complete surrender and service to gurus from so many lineages and traditions? To have learned directly from Krishnamacharya, BKS Iyengar, Pattabhi Joice, Vishnudevananda of Shivanada, Satyananda Saraswathi of the Bihar School of Yoga and Swamy Rama of the Himalayan Tradition is the fulfillment of the wish of many lifetime’s journeys.

One must learn these teachings of Yoga from a Traditional Yoga platform which was started and served by volunteers to help people develop proficiency in Yoga.

Your understanding will be based on the most recent science coupled with ancient wisdom; you will witness a dramatic change in your life from within.

Atha Yoganusasanam – Changing one’s self and being one with the change by not resisting, by learning to live in this moment of change the path to happiness is achieved through Yoga.

The only way to singularity is through practice. Yoga is for liberating every soul.