Yoga - living a philosophy

"I've been practising yoga for 15 years", I replied confidently to the teacher on our first morning. This, as I was to realise however, was not entirely true. We have in fact been practising only the 'asanas' - the postures or poses which are a part of yoga - along with some meditation. These are but two of the eight limbs of yogic philosophy and practice. Yoga is not a religion. Although rooted in Hinduism, a person of any religion or culture, race or gender, may practice yoga. First described by the sage Patanjali, about 2500 years ago, in what are known as the Yogasutras, the philosophy is said, when practiced in it's entirety, to provide a path to enlightenment. Fortunately, on the way to the unattainable, one can also experience improved physical and mental health, stress relief and relaxation, increased strength and flexibility. Perhaps this is the reason why the asanas at least have grown in popularity in the west, as people look to slow down and reconnect with themselves and their bodies.

When deciding to do a yoga teacher training course we had determined that India, the birth place of yoga, was the obvious choice. After much research we had come across "Oceanic Yoga", in Mandrem beach, Goa. When we casually mentioned this to our teacher in Cape Town, at the aptly named "Goa yoga", it turned out that Jeani knew the school well, having learnt from one of its gurus. Our intuition, and Google, had led us to the right place. After his friendly questions about our experience on that first morning, our teacher - Swamy Samarpan - quickly shifted gear. This was not the relaxing western style classes we were accustomed too. Within minutes we were sweating profusely in the 6h30 am heat of Goa. Swamy Samarpan had begun his personal yoga journey 25 years prior, with his intial three year training, akin to a full-time live-in university degree, done at an ashram, where only the most disciplined of students may remain. He expected this level of effort and discipline from us in return. "Bend at the back, hips below the knees!", he called out as we shifted between weird and wonderful postures, making sure to correct our stance whenever necessary.

The austere daily routine would begin at 6h30, with the first hour dedicated to intense asana practice, followed by training in 'pranayamas'. These are the 4th limb of yoga and comprise various breathing techniques which calm the mind and prepare for it meditation. After our morning yoga session we met to replenish our energy with a simple, vegan breakfast. No coffee, no caffeine. To that matter, no alcohol, meat or animal products of any kind either for the next three weeks. This in itself was an achievement for us, but we kept that to ourselves. The simple diet was paired with simple living quarters, to help clear us from our attachment to the comforts of the external world. After breakfast we engaged in 'karma yoga' - acts of selfless service - usually involving cleaning the yoga shala or doing some gardening. The middle of the morning and a few hours after lunch were focused on theory. Swamy lectured us on yoga philosophy and history, ayurvedic medicine and diet, physical anatomy, the ethics of teaching and too many other topics to mention. Mostly he spoke from the head (or heart perhaps), only occassionally refering to the manual to ensure he was covering the "required" material, whilst regularly departing from the standard content for numerous other anecdotes and teachings. We also experienced and learnt a number of meditation techniques, comprising dancing, or chanting, or movements...or just contemplating the navel for extended periods of time, in an effort to quiet the ceaseless mind. Late afternoon would see us all sweating profusely once again, in another 90 minute asana practice. Sunset swims washed off the day's efforts. Given the 12 hour day we would normally be heading off to bed, or further quiet study, by 8pm.

I'll just take a moment now to fill you in on the full eight limbs of yoga. The Yamas and Niyamas, or ethics and disciplines are the first two limbs, without which one cannot embark on the journey to Samadhi - the 8th limb. The Yamas include non-violence, truthfulness and honesty, non-stealing, non-possessiveness or greed, and Bramacharya "living like a god" - or trying to let divinity radiate through your every act. Whilst the niyamas include purity, contentment or satisfaction with life, austerity and practising spiritual disciplines, self-study and inquiry and finally Ishwarapranidhan - "surrender to God" - extending to belief in yourself and the divine. The asanas or postures, of which there are many, comprise the 3rd limb, whilst the pranayamas or breathing techniques comprise the 4th. The 5th is 'pratyhara', or controlling the senses, also developed through the breathing techniques. The 6th limb is dharana or concentration; the 7th is Dhyan - meditation, the final step before samadhi or enlightenment - the 8th limb. To do yoga is actually to practise all of the above regularly, embodying the philosophy. The Sanskrit word "Yog" means union - the unity of the self (Atman) with the supreme self or divine (Paramatman). A sutra also indicates that the goal of yoga is the cessation of the mind, and no I don't mean that feeling you get when you sit in front of the TV. As you may now realise, this is far more than just stretching...

The seven of us in class got on well, and we became good friends with Klara from Spain and Arnd from Germany, studying and laughing together throughout the three weeks, drawing on each other's energy for support. Weekends provided a brief respite from the routine, with Saturday afternoons and Sundays off. We spent this time lounging by the beach and taking it as easy as possible, giving our minds and bodies a much needed rest. In the final week of training we alternated leading the class. Although somewhat daunting, it was also fulfilling to see how our knowledge had developed over the short time. All too soon we sat down to write the final exam, perhaps the first time Esti and I have sat down to write an exam in almost a decade. Fortunately the hours of group and personal study paid off. By this stage we were almost conversing entirely in sanskrit, but luckily answers in english were also allowed.

Although I was slightly mis-guided in my answer on day one, I have nonetheless been engaged with a spiritual journey for many years now. Yoga and meditation have always been a major part of that journey and so to come and study yoga in India was the fulfillment of a long-time dream. Esti has dived head-first into yoga since being exposed to it at her old company about six years ago - as a form of company-sponsored stress relief for the overworked corporates. At the time she didn't quite believe her eccentric boyfriend (aka Dale), as to the benefits and joys yoga could provide, but fortunately a few great classes from our friend Lauren quickly made her a convert. It was thus a joint decision to include this course as part of our sabbatical journey. To go on this intense spiritual journey together was one of the greatest things we could do for ourselves and our marriage. We may not be planning on settling in India, discarding our cappucinos and embarking on the path of enlightenment anytime soon. But we will carry these lessons with us, and who knows, perhaps one day we'll be the ones calling out the calm instructions, as the unsuspecting students contort their bodies into increasingly obscure positions...