The technology of yoga is simple! It doesn't have anything to do with asana. You can be on your mat practicing yoga or off your mat practicing yoga. You can also be on your mat not practicing yoga or off your mat not practicing yoga. It's up to you to use the technology or not.
So, what is this technology? What does it mean to be practicing yoga?
A couple of thousand years ago, Patanjali defined yoga practice in the second chapter of the yoga sutras.
According to Patanjali, we need three things to be practicing yoga--
The first thing is tapas, which means fire, intensity, discomfort. You have to be working, you have to be out of your comfort zone in order to be practicing yoga. There has to be a challenge.
The second thing you need in order to be practicing yoga is to stay present and observe your experience in the fire. This is where you get to study yourself. Before you can go into stillness, all of your patterns and the things holding you back come to the surface. Look at them! First the conscious patterns are revealed and then the deeper subconscious tension bubbles to the surface.
The third thing you need to do in order to be practicing yoga is to surrender and let go, let go of the conscious and unconscious patterns that you are caught up in, let go of the things you are holding onto, let go and surrender, ultimately, you will be able to let go and surrender to your highest Self, that part of you that is beyond your ego.
This is the practice of yoga. This is the technology of yoga. This technology is so simple.
Once you understand the technology you can be practicing yoga anywhere. You just have to use it!
So, are you practicing yoga when you are on your mat? Are you using the technology? Or are you just exercising? Are you just making an asana of yourself? We've been given this incredible gift, yogis! Let's make use of it. It will lead us to powerful transformation. Are you ready?
Now is the time for yoga!
