Yoga Progression

Slow progress in practicing the ashtanga yoga as prescribed by Patanjali Mahamuni is due mostly to lack of focus during practice. There are many causes for this lack of focus. Each student should determine the reasons in his or her lifestyle which causes this lack of interest during the practice.

Obviously when not practicing there will be relax of focus for the most part but during practice there should be application of focus for the objectives intended at the stage of the student’s advancement.

The preliminary processes of yoga are usually considered to be social regulation and social recommendations which pass under the Sanskrit terms of yama and niyama. In the higher stages, this changes in that instead of focusing on social interaction the student becomes concerned with the interaction of the psyche adjuncts in reference to the central issue which is the core-self, the observing I-consciousness.

There should be an ongoing application of either external social regulation between the yogi and others or internal social regulation of the core-self of the yogi with the adjuncts which are the buddhi intellect and the kundalini psychic life force

Some are of the opinion that there are two stages to the applications of the social regulation and social interaction. The first being physical involvement. The second being astral or psychic involvement with others. However in inSelf Yoga™ these two features are considered under one heading, making the interaction of the core-self and its adjuncts the second heading. In my teaching experience, hardly any of the students understand this. Most of them stick to the physical and astral involvement with others as the total application of the regulations and interactions. This serves the purpose for the application of their pride energy so that it can appreciate itself as a moral example in society.

For a yogi to be successful with that two preliminary stages of yama regulations and niyama approved behaviors, he (or she) must be very advanced, having mastered even the samadhi spontaneous spiritual focus, which is the highest of the eight stages listed by Patanjali.

Mastery of moral principles and perfection in social interactions is not the completion of the yama and niyama stages but some people say that it is. There are ascetics who have not discovered the role played by the buddhi intellect and the kundalini psychic lifeforce in the behavior of the psyche.

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The next in the list after yama and niyama is asana postures. This involves tensing and relaxing specific areas of the body. If done correctly under proper supervision and with great care and attention, the yogi will discover the inner operations of the physical system and then at last will study for himself the storage and release of energy in the subtle body.

The next in the list after asana postures is pranayama breath infusion which is a direct approach to the energy in the physical and subtle bodies. The yogi if he does this carefully will begin to explore the inners of the subtle form.

If during the practice of asana postures and pranayama breath infusion, the student does not render attention properly, he or she will make very little advancement. There may be positive side effects like improved health and removal of particular diseases, but still the lack of interest into what happens during postures and breath infusion, will cause the yogi to make little advancement regarding the energy in the subtle body. This failure will cause the yogi to be materialistic, not having a feel for the subtle aspects of personality.

If there is full attention within the psyche during the breath infusion sessions, the student will find that if he meditates immediately after, there is accomplishment of the fifth stage which is pratyahar sensual energy withdrawal. During the meditation one will find that the mind has no interest in using any of the senses to procure information from outside the physical body and very little interest if any in procuring information from outside the subtle body even. All vision needs and other sensual prying will be made inside the psyche with no interest in procuring sensual contact using the nose, mouth, eyes, skin or ears of the subtle or physical bodies

If there is no breath infusion practice, persons sitting to meditate could cause pratyahar by some other means. Once it is achieved sufficiently, the student could shift into the samyama complete restraint which is sequential introversion of dharana deliberate focus, dhyana spontaneous focus and samadhi prolonged spontaneous focus.

Beginners who do pratyahar meditation should do it for some months or years before attempting the samyama complete restraint. One should heal the self and enrich it in pratyahar sensual energy withdrawal practice for some time, before doing the highest practice.