Why Your Intellect is (or Can Be!) an Integral Part of Yoga.
I appreciate the intent behind Ed and Deborah Shapiro’s recent post, “Why Your Intellect is an Obstacle in Yoga.” Clearly, they hope to guide readers to a deeper experience of the practice, one that can only be experienced in the zone of consciousness that exists beyond the boundaries of words and concepts.
But I must respectfully – if strongly! – disagree with many of their words and concepts nonetheless. Because for the 99.999% of us (or more) who will never live exclusively in a state of perfected cosmic consciousness, ideas are important.
And the last thing that we need today is respected teachers telling yoga practitioners that they should shut down their minds and disrespect the positive powers of a critically engaged intellect.
Ed and Deborah are rightly concerned that some yoga students may be more concerned with memorizing the Sutras (for example) than with opening their hearts. But I would argue that when we bring the full power of our intellect to engaging with something like the Sutras, it can be a vital tool in igniting our hearts – and our spirits.
The problem in such cases isn’t too much use of the intellect – it’s too little. If we approach ancient texts like Sunday School platitudes to memorize in order to earn gold stars and assuage our egos, we’re engaging in rote learning, not critical thinking.
Not understanding the difference between superficial rote learning and critical thinking is a problem of epidemic proportions in the U.S. today. True education doesn’t mean cramming answers to a multiple choice test into your brain so that you can spit them back and earn an impressive score. Really educating yourself means opening yourself up to new ways of understanding your self and the world that you’re a part of. It means using the vast powers of your mind in ways that can rock your very soul.
True education, in other words, can be a lot like yoga. And there’s absolutely no reason why serious practitioners should not want to engage the powers of their intellect right along with those of their hearts.
The synergy of heart and mind ignites the spirit. And opens us up to a mystery that’s beyond yet also embodied in both.
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Bob W. Editor, Elephant Journal
Yoga Demystified
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Hi Carol
seems to me like there may be an apparent conflict between a jnani andnbhakti approach here. You may want to check out the excellent site that Mike King put together on the subject http://www.jnani.org/jnani.html.
I understand perfectly what you mean, feeling that I am also more of a jnani type, but there are some parts of yoga, and of understanding in general, which probaly only permeate fully if we give up attempting rational understanding and just use trust.
In any case, I think that the ultimate goal is the same, so the differences may only be on the surface and not real ones, although I think I see your concerns on the dangers implied in trusting false gurus and encountering false knowledge
For a jnani individual, the bhakti approach does indeed sound almost maddening. At least this is my gut reaction but I am trying to open my mind to different possibilities of understanding
thanks
chiara
Hi Chiara – I agree that both approaches are valuable and move toward the same place. Still, it's also true that we jnani types would do well to open up our hearts – and, conversely, that bhakti types would do well to work with their minds. While we all have different strengths, we all ultimately need balance and integration too.
Aren't we fortunate that the Bhagavad Gita figured this all out for us 2500 years ago!
Different Yoga Strokes for Different Yoga Folks (GN #9)
Yoga of Understanding (GN #10)
4.33, 4.37-39, 4.42, 5.4-5, 6.29-32, 7.2, 9.2, 9.15, 10.7-8, 10.10-11, 18.55, 18.70
Yoga of Meditation (GN #11)
6.10-12, 6.15, 6.18-22, 6.35, 8.9, 9.22, 9.34, 12.2, 12.8, 18.57
Yoga of Love (GN #12)
8.22, 9.13-14, 9.29, 10.7-8, 10.10, 11.54-55, 12.2, 12.17-20
Yoga of Action (GN #13)
3.7, 3.9, 3.25, 3.30, 4.19-24, 4.42, 6.1-3, 11.55, 12.10, 18.56-7
Bob W. Editor, Elephant Journal
Yoga Demystified
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Yes, this framework is so valuable. thanks Bob.
An old Italian proverb says, "Learn how to do it, then forget you know how …"
You have to engage the mind to learn the precepts first …
and then to embody that knowledge ..
. . . and for most of us, that's an ongoing process – there's an endless amount to learn in this short life. thanks
[...] is an Obstacle in Yoga is an The other, posted today by Carol Horton on elephant journal is titled Why Your Intellect is (or Can Be!) an Integral Part of Yoga. Two totally different things, [...]
WORD carol – i just commented to this effect…
Right on!
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Tanya Lee Markul, Yoga Editor
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Just posted to "Featured Today" on the Elephant Yoga homepage.
Well said!