Guru Purnima is a Hindu festival celebrated in honour of spiritual teachers or gurus. The word ‘Guru’ refers to a spiritual guide or teacher, and ‘Purnima’ means the full moon day. This festival is traditionally observed on the full moon day (Purnima) in the Indian month of Ashadha, which falls in June or July. It is a day for expressing gratitude and reverence to one's spiritual teachers, mentors, and gurus. It is considered an auspicious time to reflect on the guidance and teachings received from one's spiritual guides and to show appreciation for the knowledge and wisdom imparted. In a class recently, Prashant Iyengar (BKS Iyengar’s son, and a Guru in his own right) quipped that Guru Purnima, will soon become known as Google Purnima!

At the same time, the simplicity or limitations of search engine algorithms can pose challenges when it comes to finding nuanced or in-depth answers to certain questions. Here I have compiled a list of answers (to be completed over a number of posts) to the most googled questions on Yoga, algorithm-free!

Can a beginner start yoga?

Of course - everyone starts as a beginner.

Feelings of inadequacy are common when attending a yoga class for the first time. Beginners often worry that they will not be flexible enough, that they will not be able to do the poses, or that they will hold up the class. However, unbeknownst to themselves, there are some attributes that a first timer will have that is very useful in the context of a yoga class!

The idea that you have to be flexible to do yoga is a misplaced notion. In fact, stiffness can be a useful aid in your practice! In the beginning, a yoga practice is all about creating energy in the body. Energy is generated when there are two opposing forces working against one another. If you were to stand straight (in tadasana) and raise your arms straight over your head (known as urdhva hastasana) it is the opposing action of the legs (anchoring the hips from the feet pressing into the floor) and the arms (lengthening the sides of the torso from the arm extension) which creates a stretch, or charge, to the spine.

People who are flexible find it difficult to generate an opposing force, to create the anchoring action from which to generate the extension from; people who are stiff naturally have this opposing energy in their bodies already - it is just a matter of learning how to access it!

From a teaching perspective, beginners are more pleasing to have in class than they may think.

There is a concept in Yoga known as ‘beginners mind’, and it is encouraged to be practiced by practitioners of all levels of experience. It requires one to approach each pose with an open and curious mind, free from preconceived notions or expectations. The idea is that when we let go of attachment to what we think we know, we create space for learning and growth. Paradoxically, the more experienced one is as a practitioner, the more difficult it can be to cultivate this approach.

From the point of view of a teacher, it is a student’s willingness that is more important than what one can, or cannot do.

When starting your yoga journey it is recommended to attend a school that has designated classes for beginners. Apart from the assurance of being in a class where everyone is of a similar level, the basic movements are directed more thoroughly, and time is given for the body to respond to the instructions. It is important to build a solid foundation with the fundamental postures, and to create correct habits from the start.

What Are The Benefits Of Yoga?

The benefits of yoga can be immediate, initially felt on a grossly physical level. You will notice your flexibility will start to improve. Little things, like tying your shoelaces, will become easier, and a new sense of freedom in your body will be felt. You will begin to become more aware of how you carry yourself and naturally start to correct poor postural habits. Often niggly pains from general body wear and tear start to dissipate, and learning to support your own weight in many postures will improve your strength and the health of your bones and joints.

When a dedicated, regular practice is established and maintained over a long period of time yoga can also penetrate on the deeper physiological systems of the body. The skilful use of the breath, initially through the work of postures, enhances the efficacy of the respiratory system.  The stretching, contracting, opening, squeezing and inverting of various body parts improves blood circulation, delivering nutrients and oxygen to all cells of the body. It also stimulates sluggish organs, improving digestion and excretion: activates various glands and lymph, boosting immunity and regulating mood and sleep; and strengthens and soothes the nerves, helping to reduce fatigue and make the nervous system more robust.

On a practical level these effects develop agility, poise, resilience, endurance and all-round vitality. Despite this, the real importance of yoga lies in the way it trains and disciplines the mind, and ultimately transforms one’s consciousness. When suppleness and flexibility are created in the body this has a similar effect on the mind, making one more open and receptive mentally, as well as sharpening focus and clarity of thought. Practising postures mindfully and correctly are linked to other aspects of yoga, rooted in ethics and ending in spirituality. Yoga uses the body as a tool to exercise and control the mind, so that consciousness is transformed to allow the body and the mind to harmonise with the soul. ‘When the mind is controlled and does not waver, and yogic practices cleanse the senses of perception, the mind reaches the state of divine or yogic mind. Then the citta (consciousness) too does not waver and becomes a fit instrument to experience the sight of purusa (the Soul)’ (Core of the Yoga Sutras BKS Iyengar).

What is Yoga?

Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root 'yuj' which literally means to bind, to harness, or to connect, and is cognate with the English word 'yoke', the idea of bringing, fixing, or joining things together. From this one verbal root various nominal or noun forms are obtained, such as the word ‘yoga’. It is worth noting that the word yoga has a wider meaning than nearly any other word in the Sanskrit dictionary. It can be used to define a conjunction of planets or stars, to a trick or a fraud, right through to a discipline or application. This malleability and wide semantic range embedded in the word itself has allowed yoga to have a variety of meanings.

These days yoga is commonly thought of as a series of postures designed for physical and mental health, perhaps leading to some other higher spiritual benefits, as mentioned in the answer to the question above.

The association of the practice of poses with yoga is correlated with its popularity in western culture.

The asana (posture) component is taken from a part of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the root text on yoga, which outlines, for the average person, an eight limbed path to reach the state of samadhi, or yoga. These eight limbs begin with the adherence to ethical guidelines, physical exercise or the practice of asana, breath work, and graded meditative states eventually leading to the state of samadhi. Yoga is both the process to achieve, and the state of samadhi itself.

Traditionally asana was included in this process to prepare the body to sit for long periods of time to reach higher states of meditation.

The physical nature of the limb of asana has appealed to western culture, and has taken up such a large part of the practice of yoga, that asana has virtually become synonymous with yoga.

In Iyengar yoga, a distinctive feature of its method is the effort to integrate all aspects of the eight limbs into the singular practice of asana. It is cultivated to become a meditation in action, as outlined in BKS Iyengar’s book The Tree Of Yoga.

Are there different types of yoga?

Yes. The modern yoga market, with its vast array of diverse teachings, teachers and styles, could seem bewildering to someone researching the subject of yoga for the first time. The range in styles of yoga has proliferated in concordance with its popularity and the marketer’s attempt to find ways of being a point of difference. Be mindful of not getting lured into a style of yoga that is being run by the very people that caused the seeking of an alternative path to begin with!

Yoga styles can vary greatly - some types are rooted in Indian culture and based more on traditional Indian philosophy (Sankhya) and medicine (Ayurveda) with the aim of transcending the mundane (or everyday) mind for higher spiritual purposes, while others have more of a hybrid flavour, combining traditional yoga asanas with a cardiovascular gym workout and based more on western thought and scientific analysis.

An authentic yoga style will have a lineage. Also known as parampara, it is the passing down of knowledge from teacher to student over generations and is central to the authenticity of any pure yoga tradition. On a more practical level, the training process that teachers have to undertake in order to teach is an important consideration when choosing a style of yoga. Some styles have more rigorous requirements, including amount of prior experience, than others. The standard of teacher training is crucial when choosing a style of yoga as it ensures that instructors are well-equipped to guide students safely, effectively, and in alignment with the principles and philosophy of the chosen yoga tradition.

Interested in learning more about Iyengar Yoga? Our classes can be attended in-person, or online from anywhere in the world! Check out our daily schedule here.

James Hasemer

James Hasemer is the Founder and Director of Central Yoga School and a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Assessor, and Moderator. He is also currently a Teacher Director on the Iyengar Yoga Australia Board.

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References

[1] Light On Yoga, BKS Iyengar, 1966

[2] Core Of The Yoga Sutras, BKS Iyengar, 2012

[3] The Tree Of Yoga, BKS Iyengar, 1988