Yoga Teaching Failure
Yoga Teaching Failure
It is just about time on this date, November 1, 2016, to review the success/failure in teaching yoga for many years. Here yoga includes
- lifestyle patterns which facilitate yoga practice
- yoga practice itself
- in-depth understanding of yoga texts
There are three facets which if the student did not assimilate these, the teaching process proves to be a failure.
- breath infusion practice
- introversion into the coreSelf
- transfer of self focus from the physical body to the subtle one
Who failed?
The usual answer is that the student did. In fact some students revel in that view. However the failure discussed in this article is that of the teacher. Breath infusion practice targets the subtle body. It appears to be a physical process but the objective is to shift to the feelings in the subtle body and to upgrade those energies.
Introversion into the coreSelf begins as an effort to cut and run from the external sensual pursuits which are the compulsive interest of the being. It becomes successful when the student no longer runs but instead finds that the energy in the psyche developed an interest to introvert and prefers to do that as a matter of course. This covers the fifth (5th) stage of yoga which is pratyahar sensual energy withdrawal.
Transfer of self focus from the physical body to the subtle one is no small achievement but some students think that it is not that wonderful and that it is beneath their dignity. However as the teacher, this is what I present as the curriculum because my interest is to have the students master the essential and not be projecting themselves into objectives which are larger than life.
Scrapping the subtle body instead of upgrading it may seem to be the preferred aim but is that practical? As the teacher I do not discourage anyone from seeing the Absolute but I prefer objectives which are near and which one is likely to gain proficiency in. Whatever great aim one desires may also be attained hereafter using the subtle body and if one attains that lofty objective before death of the physical system, then that is great. Otherwise after death one may stay on the subtle level and continue the practice instead of taking a haphazard and very risky rebirth as a physical being.
