“There are some people who know yoga very well, but often these aren’t the popular teachers” Sharath
Found a great blog, New Memories, with recent Conference notes from Sharath.
Excerpts from Sharath’s conference below…
Yoga and Karma
In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that once we practice yoga and put effort into knowing what yoga is, we will carry this on to the next life. Our rebirth will take place in the family of yogis, scholars or a family rich in knowledge.
Whatever karma we have created in this life, we will carry on to the next life. The body is just like clothes. We have to change our clothes. The atman leaves the body and takes rebirth. Our good actions and bad actions – everything is recorded. If we follow the yamas and niyamas, we carry our good karma to the next life.
Yoga as Entertainment
Yoga has to come from parampara (lineage). You can’t just watch videos and become a yogi. These days there are many yoga conferences and workshops. These are just entertainment. They won’t educate
you in spirituality. There are some people who know yoga very well, but often these aren’t the popular teachers. Then there are those doing handstands. They are very popular but they don’t always know what yoga is. Entertainment is very different from the real experience of yoga. Ashtanga yoga is about how we realise ourselves. It is the transformation that happens with in us, not entertainment.
Our Purpose in Life
What is the purpose of our lives? Is it just to eat, work, meet people and watch TV
These days everyone is going somewhere or doing some training. “I’m going to Bali, or I’m going to Thailand.” Where are you going? What are you searching for? A new posture? Does that make you a good yogi? Go to the source within you. Realise who you are, why we are here and what your purpose is.
Dharma
Dharma means to be true in your actions and reactions. If I have studied this yoga system for many years, then my dharma is to teach. But I have to have trueness in that teaching.
We have to recognise our own power. It is like nuclear power, it can be used for many good things or you it destroy the world. Our bodies are the same. We can use them either way. How you use your power is important.
If you protect dharma, dharma will protect you.
Go here for the full post
Shanna Small
Shanna Small has been practicing Ashtanga Yoga and studying the Yoga Sutras since 2001. She has studied in Mysore with Sharath Jois and is the Director of AYS Charlotte, a school for traditional Ashtanga in Charlotte NC. She has written for Yoga International and the Ashtanga Dispatch. Go here for more information on AYS Charlotte. For information on workshops, please e-mail [email protected]
