Being an ashtanga yoga fundamentalist

Do you know something that makes life easy? Well, maybe easy is the wrong word here. Let me rephrase that:

Do you know something that makes life very simple?

Being a fundamentalist.

When somebody is fully on board with 'the rules' of something, their life is very black and white. There are no decisions to agonise over. There are no grey areas, and there's no hesitation.

But that word, though.

FUNDAMENTALIST.

It's a biggie isn't it.

And it has a lot of negative connotations.

It makes us think, first, of religion, but not in a joyful way.

We think of dogma, oppression of other opinions, and maybe even violence.

We think of the World Trade Centre. We think of The Crusades and The Spanish Inquisition (if we've studied a little history). We think of suicide bombers.

But let's take a step back and focus on the word itself. What does it really mean?

For me, a fundamentalist is someone who believes that the fundamental rules and doctrines of a certain discipline are irrefutable, (are self-evident, in fact) and that they should never be questioned. That could be in a religious context, an economic one (fundamentalist capitalism, for example), or in another area.

The philosophical roots of yoga come from India, where Hinduism and Islam are the two major religions. Buddhism grew from Hinduism, and they have many common traits (in the same way as Judaism and Christianity have similar roots despite their differences). 

Yoga sprouted and grew in India alongside the traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism, and although it is not a religion, it does have an obvious spiritual component. It has always been intertwined with, although separate from, these religious traditions.

The common ground between yoga and some eastern religions leaves the door open for yogic fundamentalism. And, boy-oh-boy, do we ashtanga yoga practitioners love to follow the rules!

There are a lot of ashtanga yoga fundamentalists out there. Is that a good thing? Or is it a negative thing?

It's not so simple as good or bad. I often think that we need fundamentalists in every walk of life. Fundamentalist vegans, fundamentalist feminists, fundamentalist environmentalists. Yes, these people can hold extreme views, but they are also the engine for change in the world, and that can be a very positive thing.

In my opinion, we need people who are going to walk a very narrow path and shine a light for the rest of us on where change may need to happen (or, indeed, where traditions need to be nurtured).

We don't have to agree with any of their beliefs or opinions, but it can be useful to our society to encounter passionate people who have real faith in what they are preaching. There's a difference, though, between walking the path oneself and trying to force others to walk that same path. And even then, sometimes people need to be forced to do something they disagree with (as shown by the civil rights movement and the feminist movement to name just two).

It's not black and white, this whole thing (as a fundamentalist would never say).

Ok, John, what has this got to do with ashtanga yoga?

Well, as you all know by now, ashtanga yoga is pretty rule-heavy; this happens on an inhale and that happens on an exhale; breathe through your nose only; this posture follows this posture; you don't get to do this one until you can do that one; you have to do this pose on the right side first; you have to take 5 breaths in this posture but 8 breaths in that one, and on and on and on.

It sounds kind of ridiculous when you list it out like that, doesn't it?

The practice as a whole is so incredibly powerful and transformative, but we have to remember it is all those tiny details that constitute the whole thing, and as you'll remember if you read last week's moon day news, paying attention to the tiny details is one way that we might get to experience the yogic state of mind.

So am I an ashtanga yoga fundamentalist? I was about to write this:

"Well, in some ways, I am, but in other ways, I'm not."

But I suppose, by definition, that means I'm not!

Here's the point I really want to make this week, though: (I can sense you celebrating that I've finally arrived at the point!)

I think early on in our experience as ashtanga yoga practitioners, we all need to be fundamentalists. It's through learning and, more importantly, experiencing the fundamental tenets of this yoga practice that we come to fully understand its essence. And, unless we're absolutely exceptional people, it will take us a long time to really understand that.

After many years of practice (and some study - 1% theory?) we may come to understand what underpins the practice and then be able to move away from our idea that everything has to be a certain way "or it's not yoga". But I think that takes a long time.

So be a fundamentalist ashtanga yogi for a while. Follow the rules. Be fully engaged with the traditions of the practice. It's also, by the way, a good way to make sure this ashtanga yoga system is preserved for future generations.

Being a non-fundamentalist creates a lot of questions in the mind. Being a fundamentalist is simple; no doubts, no questions; it's much easier.

When you start to feel like you're not a beginner anymore (after a decade or two!), maybe you'll decide to bend "the rules" or break them altogether. But you'll have the lived experience of what this practice, in its original form, really is.

But please remember that just because you might enjoy being a fundamentalist ashtanga yogi, that doesn't mean that anyone else has to follow you.

Enjoy the practice and see the benefits for yourself. Be a beacon for others, but not a crusader. It's a personal practice.