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| In Iyengar's "Light on Life", he writes (pg. 16):
"Although it is strictly speaking possible to only meditate in one asana, it is possible to perform all asana in a meditative way, and this is what my practice has now become."
I don't understand the first phrase in that quote. What is the only asana that it is possible to meditate in? Any thoughts?
John |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| I think her refers to padmasana (lotus) as it is the classical meditation pose.
Welcome! |
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| Proteus - 2006-03-05 5:52 PM
"Although it is strictly speaking possible to only meditate in one asana, it is possible to perform all asana in a meditative way, and this is what my practice has now become."
I don't understand the first phrase in that quote. What is the only asana that it is possible to meditate in? Any thoughts?
While tourist is correct, padmasana, and a couple others mention in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika are specifically designed for meditation you should be able to meditate in ALL the asanas, or just about anything else in life. This is the final goal, and what I think Mr Iyengar means in the second part.
That having been said, some asanas are easier than others, you'll notice that most statues of the Buddha show him in the traditional padmasana pose. There are others that show him lying down, and standing, these all being other means/methods of meditation, but not as easy as sitting. Thus beginners are often told to practice one asana for meditation, and then maintain that poise in other parts of their life. This is what I think the first part means. |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State |
I believe that Guruji means Padmasana. That's the pose he recommends in Light on
Yoga, pg. 130. But I think that Guruji would certainly accept Sukhasana
or Siddhasana (see pg. 120) or Virasana (see pg. 129) or Baddha Konasana (see pg.129)
for the same purpose.
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| Thank you, all. I'm a newcomer to yoga and have quickly become very intrigued by Mr. Iyengar's story, approach to yoga/life, and grace. Thanks again for your help.
Namaste,
John |
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| I think what he means by this is that when one sits for meditation one should select a pose which is comfortable and minimises distractions to the mind. So padmasana is not a good pose for meditation if it causes excruciating pain in the knees. Thereofore one uses only one out of many asanas when meditating. I feel that once padmasana is mastered it is the greatest pose for contemplation as it forces the spine to ascend. |
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| It's also incredibly stable. I feel very firmly rooted when I'm in it, which is more than I can say for most poses. It does hurt the knees after a while, and there's the potential to put one or both feet to sleep. |
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| I think y'all got it wrong. BKS wasn't about one exclusive pose to meditate in but wanted to differ between holding one pose (no matter which) for meditation vs a meditation in motion.
He was talking about how his whole practice had become one meditation. That's what I want to achieve some day and what people are talking about when they say they're "in the zone" during practice. For me "being in the zone" is just a decription for a meditative state of mind that I try to reach during practice.
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 2479
Location: A Blue State | In a sense, Stefan, I guess that's what differentiates a yoga pose from yogasana. |
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Iyengar and Meditation
