Yoga and Orthodoxy

8/20/2019 Yoga and Orthodoxy

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Hidden Fire:

Orthodox Perspectives on Yoga

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?

Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

What harmony is there between Christ and Belial?

What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement is there between the temple of od and idols?

- 1 Corinthians 6:14–18 NIV


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I was raised Roman Catholic. I loved praer. !al"s thro#$h woods% plain$ in cree"s% r#nnin$

thro#$h the vast &ields o& the ima$ination. 'hese were li"e praer &or me: the silence%

the stillness% the hesychia children &ind themselves in almost ( nat#re. I didn)t

alwas sta in this praerl place. *#t I reco$ni+ed it. ,nd I too" it &or $ranted% as a

simple activit within the heart.

!e all eperience this to varin$ de$rees. !e #se di&&erent words - or none

at all% (eca#se the all seem so inade#ate - to epress the heart)s movement toward

/od. It seems when we are innocent in heart% especiall when we are ver o#n$%

there is a tan$i(le perception o& two in these eperiences. 0over and *eloved. 'he

omeone 2lse. ,s I child% I didn)t articulate this 3resence as Christ - #st as I never artic#lated m

parents ( their names. I #st knew them.

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,s a hi$h school st#dent - m $randparents p#t me thro#$h an all-(o Roman Catholic hi$h

school - I wanted to (e a 'rappist mon". I attended services re$#larl and read the *i(le o&ten.

cript#re reall is li"e a door. o# can enter thro#$h it and the 7ol pirit ta"es o# places witho#t

ever reall li&tin$ o#r shoes o&& the $ro#nd. *#t I "new there was somethin$ more. , di&&erence

(etween reading a(o#t the eperiences and the eperience 7imsel&.

r 7arr *oosalis writes in !oly "radition: 9!e are not called simpl to )&ollow) 'radition or

)mimic) 'radition. !e are called to eperience it...#st as the aints have and contin#e to do.9 !e "now

somethin$ is missin$ in the world aro#nd #s. ome richness% some depth we are va$#el aware o& and

lon$ a&ter. 'his is% o& co#rse% the richness o& /od)s love% li$ht% and $race. *#t% at that time o& m li&e% I

didn)t have the lan$#a$e to epress this. 0i"e so man% I attri(#ted this dissatis&action% this #nease% to

other thin$s.

'hen a pscholo$ pro&essor in hi$h school $#ided m class thro#$h sel&-hpnosis. intri$#e


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with meditation &ollowed #ic"l therea&ter. I &elt relaed. I let m $#ard down to new eperiences. I

&elt as i& the (ac" door o& m heart opened permanentl. I reected /od )to $o it alone on m own.) I

eperienced% ver clearl% a li$ht switchin$ o&& inside me. 'he 3resence% the omeone 2lse% the ;riend

respected this decision. It &elt as i& 7e #ietl le&t. 7e respects &reewill. 7e never &orces 7imsel&. 7e

"noc"s on the door o& the heart and waits.

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o I started meditatin$ re$#larl. Initiall% especiall as a teena$er% it was reall di&&ic#lt: sittin$

&or ho#rs with old 'i(etan *#ddhists% completel still% (rin$in$ m tho#$hts

(ac" to the (are wall and (ron+e stat#e o& the *#ddha in &ront o& me. I started

st#din$ reincarnation% "arma% and samsara. 1 I wasn)t et aware o& 'i(etan

*#ddhism)s ori$ins in the shamanistic reli$ion called *on% nor it)s em(race o&

astrolo$% ma$ic% and other occ#lt practices.


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mon"s "now whether earl Christians (elieved in the pre-eistence o& so#ls and reincarnation? 'he

said the didn)t "now. ,nd (esides% the as"ed% what does it matter? Readin$ rther into the ori$ins

and meanin$s o& ;ar 2ast reli$ions% and ea$er to eperience the (ardos - the intermediar dimensions

o& the material and spirit#al worlds - I st#died the "ibetan Book of &iving and Dying .

I read all the mstical or esoteric literat#re I co#ld $et m hands on and "ept a cop o& the

Bhagavad ita &olded in m (ac" poc"et and read the writin$s o& 3aramahansa o$ananda. I immersed

msel& in the writin$s o& @sho% read Ram ass and Ramana aharshi% convinced there was no (ein$

more divine than msel&. It was #p to me to shatter m ill#sor sel&. ,ccordin$ to so m#ch o& what I

read and heard there can (e no personal relationship with the ivine and this con&licted me. 'he calm

and peacel nat#re o& childhood was $one. 'he more I delved into the meat o& meditation and o$a%

the more s#dden and #neplaina(le #r$es I eperienced to h#rt msel&. so#l was #nder attac". 'his

was a ver dar" and #n&ort#nate period o& m li&e.

ee"in$ calm% I too" the *odhisattva vow and so#$ht a contemplative and peacel la

monastic order within *#ddhism in an e&&ort to $ro#nd msel& somewhere% with some thin$. ,&ter an

initial period o& relative peace% (oldness developed% even rec"lessness% concernin$ spirit#al activities. I

was $oin$ thro#$h a sort o& spirit#al alcoholism. *#t I didnAt "now it.

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'he 3rodi$al on ate the &ood o& pi$s in a &ar co#ntr. *#t he ret#rned

home when he remem(ered the taste o& the *read o& his ;ather)s ho#se. ;or

more than a decade I lived in this &ar co#ntr% eatin$ its &ood.

I saw so man people - some &riends% man stran$ers - see"in$ the

dissol#tion o& sel&. 'he had an insatia(le desire to lose themselves% not in the

li&e and li$ht o& /od (#t in the dar"ness o& the void% in a separation &rom the

0ove !ho 'ranscends 2verthin$. 'his separation is hell. an men% women and children see" this

hell% spinnin$ thro#$h promisc#o#s relationships and leapin$ o#t o& the windows o& dr#$s% thro#$h


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which so man &all.

*#t I st#died and practiced #ndalini o$a and shamanism% learnin$ the presence o& &ear and

coldness.B I $rew a rep#tation &or readin$ the tarot% an occ#lt method o& divination. I ta#$ht o$a and

instr#cted $ro#ps thro#$h $#ided meditations and chantin$ in sa$e deserts.

!e eperimented with astral proection – $#ided o#t-o&-(od eperiences

thro#$h the (ardos descri(ed in the 'i(etan (oo"s. I carried not onl

#nderlined copies o& the Bhagavad ita% (#t o& the 'panishads and s#tras

o& the (#ddhas everwhere I went.4 2ver one o& these p#rs#its was a

swim stro"e away &rom the hol mo#ntain o& Christ. rop water on stone

lon$ eno#$h and o#)ll whither it awa. wa((in$ oran$e paste across m

&orehead% I ran$ (ells o&&erin$ &r#it and &ire while worshippin$ rishna% wanderin$ (are&oot the streets

o& 2#$ene% 3ortland% eattle and &inall Rishi"esh% 7aridwar and haramsala in north India.

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9eparated &rom /od !ho is the so#rce o& 0i&e%9 writes ,rchimandrite acharias in his (oo"

!idden (an of the !eart % 9man can onl withdraw into himsel&.... /rad#all he is le&t desolate and

dissol#te.9

*#ddhism reects the sel&% the so#l% and the person. It &olds its arms in silence a$ainst /od.

#&&erin$ is never trans&i$#red. 'here are crosses in *#ddhism (#t there is never res#rrection. @ne

co#ld sa that *#ddhism &inds the empt tom( and declares this emptiness the nat#ral state o& thin$s%

B $undalini% an essential (#t dan$ero#s component o& o$a% is depicted as a serpent coiled at the (ase o& the spine

awa"ened thro#$h o$ic post#res and meditation. 'he presence o& )awa"ened) #ndalini ener$% also called %hakti% is said to#nite practitioners with hiva% the ori$inator and $od o& o$a. 'he openin$ o& vario#s chakra – or spirit#al press#re points –

thro#$ho#t the (od ( means o& phsical post#res =hatha o$a> and meditation =ra)a o$a> &acilitate this #ncoilin$.

mptoms associated with awa"enin$ #ndalini incl#de altered states o& conscio#sness% increased press#re in the s"#ll%

twitchin$% increased (lood press#re% etreme se#al desire% emotional n#m(ness% and more.

4 'he Bhagavad*ita% or% )on$ o& $od%) is a dialo$#e (etween the 7ind# $od rishna and a warrior re$ardin$ bhakti

=devotional o$a>% )nana =)li(eration) thro#$h "nowled$e> and dharma% or one)s spirit#al responsi(ilities. 'he

'panishads

are Vedic mstical writin$s concernin$ the nat#re o& realit and #ltimate reali+ation. %utras are teachin$s tpicalldelivered

( (#ddhas or 7ind# sa$es.


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even the $oal. In *#ddhism everthin$ - heaven% hell% /od% the sel&% the so#l% the person - is an ill#sion

waitin$ to (e overcome% discarded% destroed. 'his is the $oal. 'otal o(literation. In this Dth-cent#r

aiom% the essence o& *#ddhism is s#mmed: )I& o# see the *#ddha% "ill him.)

*#ddhism does not pro&ess to - nor can it - heal so#l and (od. *oth so#l and (od are to (e

overcome and discarded. In the @rthodo Ch#rch% however% the so#l and

(od are meant to (e healed. *#ddhism teaches that nothing has intrinsic

val#e. 'he Ch#rch teaches that everythin$ /od ma"es has intrinsic val#e.

'his incl#des the h#man (od. !e are comple (ein$s. 'he actions o& o#r

(od% mind and so#l are lin"ed. ,nd these lin"ed actions are directl

related to o#r relationship with /od and the spirit#al realm.

;or @rthodo Christians% everthin$ - even s#&&erin$ - is a hidden

door thro#$h which we meet Christ% where( we em(race one another.

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@ne a#t#mn% I traveled to Rishi"esh% India. 'his cit is named a&ter the pa$an $od Vishn#% Ethe

lord o& the senses.A Rishi"esh is the )o$a capital o& the world.) It is $enerall accepted to (e the place

on earth where o$a ori$inated &rom. ;or 4F das I st#died and practiced the so-called secret spirit#al

path o& inte$ral o$a in the &oothills o& the 7imalaas.G 'his covered not onl the $m o$a o&

,mericaH each class (e$an and ended with a praer to Ethe $od o& the roarin$ storm%A hiva.

'his is while I was teachin$ 2n$lish to 'i(etan re$ees and wor"in$ &or the 'i(etan National

/overnment as an editor. o$a is historicall rooted in 7ind#ism. C#rio#s% I spo"e with a rinpoche at

the alai 0ama)s monaster in haramsala.6 I as"ed him who or what these 7ind# $ods are accordin$

G 'here are man )schools) or )arms) o& o$a s#itin$ the man di&&erent tpes o& practitioners. ;or eample% &o#r classic% or

primar tpes o& o$a incl#de: +nana o$a =the o$a o& direct "nowled$e>% Bhakti o$a =the o$a o& devotion>% $arma o$a

=the o$a o& action>% and #a)a o$a =the )roal) path which incl#des !atha% "antra% &aya% $undalini proper% and other &ormso& o$a>.

6 , rinpoche is reco$ni+ed as a reincarnated and accomplished teacher o& *#ddhism.


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to *#ddhist cosmolo$. 7is answer is alarmin$: 'he are created (ein$s% with an e$o...the are spirits

trapped in the air.9J

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What is yoga? What is kundalini energy?

'he literal meanin$ o& o$a is )o"e.) It means tin$ o#r will to the serpent "#ndalini and

raisin$ it to hiva and eperiencin$ o#r )tr#e) sel&. ,ll paths o& o$a are interconnected li"e (ranches

o& a tree. , tree with roots descendin$ into the same areas o& the spirit#al world. 'his is evident in the

ancient (oo"s the Bhagavad ita and the ,ogic %utras of -atan)ali. I learned that the #ltimate $oal o&

o$a is to awa"en the "#ndalini ener$ coiled at the (ase o& the spine in the

ima$e o& a serpent so that it (rin$s o# to a state where( o# reali+e "at "vam

si./

@& co#rse% o$a ma &acilitate eceptional eperiences o& (od

and mind. *#t so does the in$estion o& mind-alterin$ dr#$s% and &lavorless%

impercepti(le poisons. 'hro#$h o$a% little ( little% one is harnessin$ shakti%

which o$is re&er to as the ivine other% the )dar" $oddess) connected with

other maor 7ind# $ods. 'his ener$ isn0t the 7ol pirit% and 'his isn)t aero(ics or $mnastics.

,ttached to this entire sstem are (haans and "irtans – pa$an e#ivalents to @rthodo Christian

a"athists% (#t &or 7ind# $ods – as well as mantras% which are )sacred) &orm#las% li"e callin$ cards or

phone n#m(ers% to the vario#s pa$an $#r#s and $ods.

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How is yoga connected with Hinduism?

'o (e clear% 7ind#ism does not re&er to a speci&ic reli$ion. It is a term the *ritish $ave to the

vario#s c#lts% philosophies and shamanistic reli$ions o& India. I& o# as" one 7ind# i& he (elieves in

J t. 3a#l re&ers to atan as the prince o& the power o& the airK in 2phesians


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/od% he ma tell o# that o# are /od. *#t as" another% and he will point to a roc"% or stat#e% or a

&lame o& &ire. 'his is 7ind# polarit: either you are /od% or everthin$ else is a $od.

o$a is (eneath this #m(rella o& 7ind#ism% and in man was is the pole o& the #m(rella. It acts

as a missionar arm &or 7ind#ism and the New ,$e o#tside o& India.D 7ind#ism is li"e an etraordinar

R#ssian nestin$ doll: o# open one philosoph and within it are ten tho#sand more.

,nd the #nopened ones are ris"s. o# ma swim easil and carelessl in waters o# do not

"now. *#t #naware o& the tides and n#ances o& the area% o# ma (e in dan$er. o# ma (e swept awa

( the #ndertow. o# ma c#t o#rsel& a$ainst #nseen roc"s and contract impercepti(le in&ection and

poison.

'his happens in the spirit#al li&e.

!hen we dive in the ocean% we ma (e attracted to the (ri$htest% most colorl and intri$#in$

&ish (#t the most colorl and eotic are o&ten the most poisono#s and deadl.

'he &irst time I visited India% I too" o&& m shoes and soc"s and wal"ed thro#$h the water%

cocon#ts% discarded cand and shimmerin$ &ire o& al"ai 'emple. It is one o& the most &amo#s temples

dedicated to ali% Ethe $oddess o& death.A I didn)t "now it% (#t I was ri$ht in the middle o& her most

important &estival o& the ear. 'he temple was chaos and the ener$ ver hei$htened and dar".

'ho#sands o& men% women and children $athered at this Rishi"esh temple to

worship this demon. Net to me% a woman)s ees rolled (ac" in her head% arms

wavin$ (ac" and &orth% ton$#e wa$$in$ pin" &rom her mo#th% le$s li&tin$ and

&allin$ li"e a p#ppet on strin$s. 'his was clearl demonic possession.

@nce% I venerated the it"a other o& /od icon1F and eperienced incredi(le warmth% tears o&

h#milit and love% mental clarit% and peace. It was li"e wal"in$ in &ront o& a window ll o& warm%

D 'he 1ew ge movement% li"e 7ind#ism% is hard to pin down (#t is $enerall associated with% (#t certainl not limited

to% $nosticism% the occ#lt% !icca% dr#$-ind#ced trances and )reali+ations%) shamanism% L;@s% crstals% matriarchal

poltheism and the 0/*' movement% (#t eschewin$ @rthodo Christianit.1F , $i&t &rom la(orers o& the Cathedral o& t. ichael the ,rchan$el in it"a% ,las"a% this eceptionall (ea#til

miracle-wor"in$ icon is indeed a window to heaven.


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&ra$rant s#nshine. ,t al"ai temple% I eperienced the opposite.

ali is o&ten depicted as a &ri$htl% man-armed $oddess with p#rple s"in raisin$ a severed

h#man head% a (lood ton$#e han$in$ &rom her mo#th. he wears a nec"lace o& h#man heads and a (elt

o& arms.

I have dran" co&&ee with people instr#mental in the movement o& o$a% 7ind#ism and the New

,$e in ,merica who% in order to (e initiated into her c#lt% were prompted to eat h#man corpses &rom

Nepalese $raveards. Not too lon$ a$o% the pop#lar *ritish newspaper "he uardian reported that child

sacri&ices contin#e to this da% honorin$ this demon ali. 11 'his is all connected to 7ind#ism. ,nd it is

connected to o$a (eca#se the post#res o& o$a are not reli$io#sl ne#tral. ,ll o& the classic asanas

have spirit#al si$ni&icance. ;or eample% as one o#rnalist reports% the #n al#tations% - perhaps the

(est-"nown series o& asanas% or post#res% o& hatha o$a - the tpe most commonl practiced in ,merica

- is literall a 7ind# rit#al.

#n al#tation was never a hatha o$a tradition%K sas #(has Rampersa#d 'iwari% pro&essor

o& o$a philosoph and meditation at 7ind# Lniversit o& ,merica in @rlando% ;lorida. It is a whole

series o& rit#al appreciations to the s#n% (ein$ than"l &or that so#rce o& ener$.K1<

'o thin" o& o$a as a mere phsical movement is tantamo#nt to sain$ that (aptism is #st an

#nderwater eercise.K writes wami 3aram o& the Classical o$a 7ind# ,cadem and harma o$a

ashram in anahaw"in% N.M.1B

It is the $oddess ali who attempts to #nite practitioners thro#$h sha"ti with hiva ( means o&

o$a. ,t her temple #st o#tside New elhi% I saw the hideo#s )sel&-mani&ested) idol: a roc" with

stran$e% (ead ees% (ea"ed and covered in ellow slime and c#rdled &ood. In 7ind#ism% idols are

)wo"en #p.) 'he are dressed. 'he are &ed. 'he are s#n$ to. ,nd the are p#t to sleep. I)ve (een part

o& h#ndreds o& these ceremonies.

11 "he uardian% at#rda% arch 4%


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!ith more than &ive million readers% ,oga +ournal is the (est sellin$ o$a ma$a+ine in the

world. In a revealin$ moment re$ardin$ the s#periorit o& o$a as pschotherap% ,oga +ournal

revealed the 7ind# philosoph (ehind the practice:

;rom the o$ic perspective% all h#man (ein$s are E(orn divineA and each h#man (ein$ has at

its core a so#l =atman> that dwells eternall in the chan$eless% in&inite% all-pervadin$ realit =(rahman>.

In 3atanaliAs classic statement o& this view...we alread are that which we see". !e are /od in

dis$#ise. !e are alread inherentl per&ect% and we have the potential in each moment to wa"e #p to

this tr#e% awa"e% and enli$htened nat#re.K14

'eachers and st#dents tpicall $reet each other with the ans"rit

Enamaste%A which means% I honor the ivine within o#.K 'his is an

a&&irmation o& pantheism and denial o& the tr#e /od revealed in the *i(le.

'he #n al#tations% or% #ra Namas"ara% ori$inated with the worship o&

the 7ind# solar deit #ra.

In Ch#rch ha$io$raph and icono$raph% we venerate saints - real people who lived ri$hteo#sl

(e&ore /od and participated and contin#e to participate in 7is li$ht and love - as"in$ their

intercessions. Idols% on the other hand% writes ;r. ichael 3oma+ans"% are the ima$es o& &alse $ods%

and the worship o& them was a worship o& demons% or else o& ima$inar (ein$s that have no eistenceH

and th#s% in essence% it is a worship o& the li&eless o(ects themselves.K1G

I have seen swamis – in this co#ntr% in ,merica – transmit this demonic "#ndalini ener$ #st

( loo"in$ in a person)s ees. ,nd i& one is open to it% the (od ma sha"e and vi(rate li"e a tin wind-

#p to.

,nd et when it came time &or me to receive this c#rsed ener$ thro#$h ha"tipat% an

#n(elieva(le &ear washed over me li"e cold% electri&ied water so I raised m shield and sword: I started

14 tephen Cote% tandin$ 3schotherap on Its 7ead%K o$a Mo#rnal% aM#ne


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sain$ the Mes#s 3raer.16 /lor to /odO 'his awl presence was de&lected ( the Name o& Mes#s. !e

m#st remem(er% as t. 3a#l writes% We do not wrestle against flesh and blood3 but against

principalities3 against powers3 against the rulers of the darkness of this age3 against spiritual hosts of

wickedness in the heavenly places.1J

!ith that praer as m shield and sword% I swam a stro"e (ac" towards Christ. I too" a step o#t

o& the &ar co#ntr. I too" a step into m ;atherAs 7o#se.

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How is yoga connected to Orthodoxy?

o$a is a pschosomatic practice% an interaction (etween mind% (od% and spirit=s>. !e m#st

remem(er the word Eo$aA means )o"e%) li"e the wooden crosspiece &astened over the nec"s o& animals

attached to the plow. t. 3a#l warns #s% Do not be une4ually yoked together with unbelievers. For what

fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? nd what communion has light with darkness?18

o$a isn)t cript#ral nor is it otherwise part o& o#r Ch#rchAs 7ol 'radition. 2verthin$ we)re

loo"in$ &or% everything % can (e &o#nd in and thro#$h the @rthodo Ch#rch. o what wo#ld we want

&rom o$a?

It is important to "now that in o$a% as well as

man mstical schools% stran$e li$hts ma accompan

practitioners (#t these are o&ten &rom demons or created

li$hts o& the mind% for %atan himself transforms himself

into an angel of light .1D an have and are &ollowin$ the

)spirit#al &irewor"sA o& the so-called )new) a$e. @& co#rse%

this is not the Lncreated 0i$ht eperienced ( oses and the disciples on o#nt 'a(or. It is not the

16 %haktipat is the con&errin$ o& demonic spirit#al ener$ with a word% loo"% tho#$ht or to#ch. "he -rayer5 0ord Mes#s

Christ% on o& /od% have merc on me% a sinner.

1J 2phesians 6:1<18 < Corinthians 6:14

1D < Corinthians 11:14


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ivine 0i$ht t. /re$or 3alamas de&ended in the 14 th cent#r a$ainst western scholasticism. irect

"nowled$e o& /od is possi(le% and direct e2perience% (#t "nowled$e and eperience o& evil is also

certainl availa(le. !e have &reewill to choose whom and what we see". 'his% o& co#rse% re#ires

discernment and testin$% where acco#nta(ilit (e&ore an eperienced priest or elder is a(sol#tel

necessar. Indispensa(le% too% is heart&elt participation in the steries o& the Ch#rch. !e do (etter

loo"in$ into the msteries o& o#r hearts than entertainin$ these ima$inations o& the head.

;#rthermore% somethin$ sho#ld (e said in relation to the claim that EpopA &orms o& $m o$a

carr no dan$er or threat to a practitioner. omeone who holds s#ch an opinion is either i$norant o&% or

chooses to i$nore% the man warnin$s that appear in the eastern o$a man#als concernin$ the !atha

o$a that is practiced in s#ch classes. Is the instr#ctor aware o& these warnin$s and a(le to $#arantee

that no harm will come to the st#dent?

In his (oo" %even %chools of ,oga% 2rnest !ood (e$ins his description o& !atha o$a (

statin$% I m#st not re&er to an o& these 7atha o$a practices witho#t

so#ndin$ a severe warnin$. an people have (ro#$ht #pon themselves

inc#ra(le illness and even madness ( practicin$ them witho#t providin$ the

proper conditions o& (od and mind. 'he o$a (oo"s are ll o& s#ch

warnin$sP. ;or eample% the heranda %amhita anno#nces that i& one

(e$ins the practices in hot% cold or rain weather% diseases will (e contracted%

and also i& there is not moderation in diet% &or onl one hal& the stomach m#st

ever (e &illed with solid &oodP. 'he !atha ,oga -radipika states that control o& (reath m#st (e

(ro#$ht a(o#t ver $rad#all% Eas lions% elephants and ti$ers are tamed%A or Ethe eperimenter will (e

"illed%A and ( an mista"e there arises co#$h% asthma% head% ee and ear pains% and man other

diseases.K !ood concl#des his warnin$ a(o#t post#re and (reathin$ o$a ( sain$% I sho#ld li"e to

ma"e it clear that I am not recommendin$ these practices% as I hold that all 7atha o$as are etremel


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dan$ero#sK.

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Yoga and Orthodoxy