Dan's Papers - March 7, 2008 - Inspirations by Emily J. Weitz

As we all learned with the first installment of this series, all Yoga is not created equal. There are as many varieties of yoga as there are flavors of Jelly Bellys, and if you go in expecting banana you're going to be awfully disappointed with buttered popcorn. The best way to avoid this frustration is to be aware of what kind of yoga you're practicing, and the benefits it offers.

All of the yoga practiced today is part of a complex history, which dates back thousands of years. Whether it's called Iyengar, Ashtanga, Anusara or Sivananda, its roots are in India and it descends from one of three main traditions: Classical, Vedantan, and Tantric. Last week this column explored some of the practices and philosophies of Classical Yoga. This week we'll look at Vedantan.

Vedantan Yoga, like all yoga, is a philosophy tied to a practice. But unlike Classical Yoga, Vedanta is non-dualist. This means that practitioners believe there is only one reality. On top of that, Vedantans believe that that reality is not what you see in front of you every day. Rather, they believe that this world - everything we touch or see - is an illusion. Therefore, any attachment to this world is misplaced And creating bonds will only lead to suffering - kind of like believing in the oasis when it's actually a mirage.

To understand the Vedantan tradition, it helps to root it in something we all understand, and Hollywood comes to the rescue. The movie "The Matrix" depicts some Vedantan ideas. It shows a world where we all exist in separate little pods, and we look like we're sleeping. Each of our pods is connected, and we are all suspended in a vast space. Our bodies move only enough to breathe. However, in our minds, we imagine very complex worlds. These worlds, according to Vedantic thought, don't actually exist. That's why it would be so misguided to grow attached to them.

Because of this foundational philosophy, those who practice Vedantan style yoga will have a completely different concept of their bodies. After all, our bodies are part of this world. So, according to Vedanta, our bodies aren't real either. This is to say that we shouldn't be attached to our bodies. In the words of one of the main texts of Vedantan Yoga, the Upanishads, "Absorbed in the Self, the sage is freed from identity with the body and lives in blissful consciousness."

How can we engage in a physical practice when we don't believe our bodies are real? Well, one way to further yourself along the Vedantan path would be to meditate, and to meditate, you have to be comfortable. You've probably seen a typical meditation seat: it may be Lotus pose, Virasana or even a simple cross-legged seat. But regardless, your muscles have to be strong and flexible, and your body needs stamina and alignment to sit for an extended period of time. To get to this place is really the reason the physical postures came to exist.

Vedantan practitioners often become swamis, or monks. If you go into a yoga studio or ashram and see yogis in red robes, chances are you are in a Vedantic setting. One example of Vedantan Yoga practiced here in the United States is Sivananda. This tradition resonates with a lot of people, and there are teacher trainings every year. During the teacher trainings, students are expected to adhere to a vegetarian diet and to abstain from alcohol and drugs, among other things. Part of the reason for this, presumably, is because these restrictions help to limit our attachments to this world.

Of course, as someone dropping in to a Sivananda class, you won't necessarily adhere to the same restrictions that a teacher or advanced practitioner would. As a student, you may simply benefit from the physical practice. If you take a class with a Sivananda-trained teacher, you can expect that you'll warm up with some sun salutations and then move into a series that includes the twelve postures considered by Vedantans to be the basic ones. If you're interested in learning more about Vedantan Yoga, check out vendanta.org or www.sivananda.org.