We want to bring back classical yoga in its purest form – not the studio yoga, not the book yoga, not the kind of things that are being done in the world – proper classical yoga, which is a phenomenally powerful science.
So, what makes something classical is, one thing is the period of its existence, which definitely all yoga has. In a specific form, if it has existed for a period. And another thing for a language is, that it must have a substantial body of literature. That is, it is not just people are speaking it, many people have written many things about it, explored various dimensions of life using that language – there is a substantial body of literature. And it has existed for a sufficient amount of time, where you really can’t pin the exact date when it started.
The hatha yoga as we are teaching, this is not happening now, this has happened for millennia in this form. Because… the significance of this lineage is, this is a lineage which clearly understands we are dumb idiots. When you know you are a dumb idiot, you will not try to change anything. That’s the significance of being stupid. Hello? When you think you’re stupid, you don’t think you’ll have to innovate, isn’t it? People who think they are smart, they always have to make something of their own – they have to leave a signature. So, this is a lineage where nobody left a signature on the yoga.
The practice [Hatha Yoga] as you see it – the mechanics of it – is simply the body
The practice as you see it – the mechanics of it – is simply the body. You have to breathe life into it, otherwise it will not become alive. This is why, in the traditions, there has been so much stress on the live Guru to make it alive.
We want to build people who are willing to invest their lives into the profoundness of yoga, not getting fancy benefits out of it, not hanging on to a chair, or a tree, and thinking you’re doing yoga. So, to bring back that dimension, and… that’s not going to happen by instruction only; a phenomenal energy is needed, otherwise yoga cannot be taught. Without a phenomenal sense of energy, no yoga can be taught. If you teach yoga without creating a vessel of energy, then that yoga is not yoga – that is just a farce. That farce is going all over the place right now.
Without a phenomenal sense of energy, no yoga can be taught
So, because we created this Adiyogi Alayam with that intention, we want a powerful space. We want this to be such a vibrant space that if you simply sit here, really tuned into what’s happening here in this hall, or what will be happening here in the next 24 hours, you must able to know all the yoga sutras, you never have to open a book, never have to listen to anybody, you just have to energy-tune yourself, and it’ll be there. To make that happen you need a powerful space, otherwise such things will not happen.
Tomorrow when we are not here, there still has to be a space which will teach yoga. Maybe there’ll be just a teacher, maybe there will be no guru here, maybe there will be just a teacher. Even if a teacher stands here, suddenly, things should come out of them that they do not know. They should begin to say things, they should begin to feel things, they should begin to experience things that they themselves do not know. Only then we can transmit this.
Like never before, distortions are also happening to yoga. Serious distortions, most ridiculous distortions are happening. So, at a time like this, going out in the world and offering – mark my words, I’m saying “offering” – offering classical hatha yoga is a very significant and an important thing to do, because the populations on the planet are showing interest. But to provide the genuine thing is a tremendous responsibility. The day we have produced, let’s say, ten thousand classical hatha yoga teachers who are actively on in the world, after that, this will become the standard. That’s all we need to do. So, you must live and offer this in such an inspiring way, anybody who sees you, should want to do it this way.
