In our Yoga groups around the world the conversation often turns to the question of whether Yoga is a means to some kind of spiritual realization. By and large, our conclusion is that it is not. Why? Because we are already realized! The life that is our body, heartbeat, breath and Sex is an extreme intelligence, function and beauty that is beyond comprehension. And if there is such a thing as an unseen Source of this intelligence (God) then it cannot be separate from its visible expression that is you and me. Nurturing Source has realized you and all ordinary conditions. So there is simply no need to realize anything…the Source and the Seen are One.

Our Yoga asana is a non-dual practice of direct participation in Nurturing Source. An asana practice is participation in the union of all opposites: above/below, left/right, front/back, inner/outer, inhalation/exhalation, spirit/form. All these opposites contain the male/female equation of life which is already in perfect union. By participating in these opposites the source of opposites is felt which is the hridaya heart: the first cell of life that appeared when you appeared when source became seen. As you move and breath in these beautiful rhythmic patterns, you will naturally feel the fundamental power of life that supports you and is you.

Therefore, Yoga is not a spiritual project to try and get somewhere as if you are not Somewhere. There can be no approach to Source: no progressive process, no looking, no seeking, no possession, Only Love existing as all ordinary conditions. This is sahaj samadhi: the natural union we are all in. Each person is a perfect unique bloom of Life unfolding; a depth of Source unfolding in all directions.

Yoga is simply to be profoundly intimate with Life in all aspects. Because they are One, intimacy with the Seen is intimacy with Source. In the language of my teacher Krishnamacharya, because everything is God surrender to anything is surrender to God.

Many find this to be a deeply relieving consideration. Everyone is exhausted within by the pressure to try and realize something spiritual or become someone amazing. Civilization has been built upon religious doctrine and it is an uninspected axiom of culture that there is more Life in cultural proposals and language (“God’s word”) than there is in our own beautiful bodies and relationships. We have been convinced that we are less than some big idea written in sacred text and have to try and ‘get’ it.

Mark Whitwell | Heart of Yoga

It was my teacher U.G. Krishnamurti (1917–2007) who identified this as the cause of humanity’s misery. He would say: “I tell you very clearly, loud and clear, in clear, unmistakable language, there is nothing to be communicated now or at any time. You are chasing something which does not exist. There is nothing to be transformed, nothing to be changed, nothing to be understood. The one answer for all questions is: Stop asking questions!”

U.G.’s special function was to expose the way that cultural ideals actively interferes with the natural state of the body. The mind’s search for peace destroys the peace that is already present in the body. The mind’s desire to realize Consciousness only hides the pure functioning of Consciousness from the mind. And the search for an external God obscures our ability to see the power that is the ordinary human life. “Man’s heaven has created a hell out of this abundant paradise.”

What my friends and I got from U.G. was the understanding that ALL ideals and spiritual language automatically create dualities that cause a dissociation from Life, from the body and from intimate connection. It is the problem itself that takes people away from their experience. A friend pointed out to me that the Latin etymology of the word “abstraction” is “to draw out of; to drag away, withdraw, detach, pull away and divert.” We are easily fascinated by the charm and wisdom of language instead of being intimate with our reality. No wonder we are all looking for more intimacy…

So, Yoga begins when we give the spiritual ideals of culture and settle into our lives as they actually are. We leave the body-mind alone and give it a chance for its natural intelligence to express itself. Yoga is participation in the pranas and the pranas have their own movement.

“Forget about the ideal society and the ideal human being. Just look at the way you are functioning, that is the important thing,” U.G. would say.

Perhaps there is a paradox here! As the social mind lifts off the intrinsic intelligence of the whole body we may find that many of the promises of well-being described in the traditions are spontaneously given to us. It was the point of view of my teacher that the abstractions of text are descriptions of what is already true, not something that needs to be attained. When we participate in the Truth of Life and the social mind lifts off the whole body, what is already the case (Nurturing and Unity within Love-Bliss Reality) may become obvious to the mind.

It is intimacy that is the point however: not Meditation, not Consciousness, not Awareness, not Enlightenment, not God realization. But all these arise spontaneously, naturally and unpredictably as siddhis (gifts) that come from our practice of intimate participation; that come when we are no longer looking for Life in text but living our Life as the whole body. We may find that the beautiful ideals of text are no longer ‘Other’ to our lives when before they seemed to separate us from what had already been given.

• To learn the five key principles of practice that Krishnamacharya brought forth from the Himalayas, you can join the heart of Yoga online studio.

Mark Whitwell