Categories
- Art (356)
- Other (3,632)
- Philosophy (2,814)
- Psychology (4,018)
- Society (1,010)
Recent Questions
- Why did everyone start to hate the Russians if the U.S. did the same thing in Afghanistan, Iraq?
- What needs to be corrected in the management of Russia first?
- Why did Blaise Pascal become a religious man at the end of his life?
- How do I know if a guy likes you?
- When they say "one generation", how many do they mean?
Here you are.
The book “Yogasana Vijnana-The Science of Yoga” by Dherendra Brahmacharya.
There are other photos as well.
And so, traditionally, women are not very often found in photos, but they are there.
In the video here:
https://youtu.be/atSHO0IYqjQ?t=146
Because in the West “yoga” is a kind of fitness, and in the East-a mystical system aimed at self-knowledge, the meaning of the word yoga comes from the root of the word “to unite, connect, establish a connection”, which means establishing, recognizing the connection of the individual soul with the supreme Spirit, experiencing the unity of Atman and Brahman. And where do they teach this in Western fitness clubs?))
And the second point: in my opinion, nature is so arranged that men are more interested in abstract questions of the structure of this world and their place in it than women.
Two wonderful women immediately came to mind.
The first is Alfassa Mirra, an associate of Sri Aurobindo (integral yoga).
The second is Alexandra David-Neel, a French yogi traveler (author of the book “Mystics and Magicians of Tibet”).
The first is a Turkish Jew by nationality, but in fact, an integral yogi, her followers called her and call her simply Mother… Alfassa Mirra came to Ghosh and continued her work after he passed away. Like Aurobindo, she had powerful supramental abilities and long before meeting him, she had experienced a series of powerful psychic experiences that marked the beginning of her individual transformation. The woman called Mother by the followers of integral yoga (after meeting Aurobindo and taking spiritual sannyasa) later described herself as “much more of a materialist than all the materialists of the world put together.” And she named it quite accurately. After all, the inhumanly persistent daily and instantaneous asceticism in the name of the transphysical evolution of the human species on Earth is, after all, the experience of the bodily transformation of a 96-year-old woman. She became blind (an indirect indication of a spiritual specialization in research), but continued to see the world clearly, to the last detail, with her inner spiritual vision.
The second equally interesting woman, Alexandra David-Neel (1868-1969), became the first Western woman to visit and live in Tibet for a long time. In her books, she talked about the real people of Tibet, whom she met on her life's journey, who “could fly, died and rose again at will.” She explained that the essence of Buddhism is not in these external effects, but in changing consciousness, and that on this path she herself has not yet reached heights. In Dinet (France), where she lived in recent years, Alexandra was considered an eccentric and dreamer. Local residents were quite surprised when, twenty years after her death, the Dalai Lama visited the “Abode of Reflection” and paid tribute to her memory.
Yes, you can say that these women were not natives of India, but they became a symbol of spiritual life for women all over the world, like, for example, the famous Mother Teresa.
About yoga. True yoga, I believe, is inherent in any human and professional activity, if it is conducted, so to speak, correctly, skilfully, putting your soul into the matter, dissolving into it. So, if you meet on your way any high-level professional, master of his craft, then know that you are dealing with a yoga master.
Once again, about women. In yoga, as in the profession, “at high levels,” gender does not matter. Here, at lower levels, you have to take into account the physiological differences of the body, which suggest a more adequate way of working (by temperament, by ways of thinking, by physiological rhythms) for spiritual advancement for representatives of each sex. But that doesn't mean women can't achieve enlightenment. Women prefer to break it completely, so to speak:).
Among the” Western ” admirers of yoga, women really predominate, but it is a mistake to believe that yoga is more intended for the fair sex. Just the opposite, initially yoga was a male practice. This is due to the philosophy of yoga, in particular with the norms of morality. In fact, these are the fundamental steps on which yoga is built. We are talking about austerities (restrictions): in food, in sense gratification, in comfort, in material goods. As a result, Yoga cultivates qualities such as resilience, discipline, self-control, strength, and endurance, which are generally considered masculine (at least in Indian culture). According to the same Vedas, a woman, on the contrary, should have material desires, be gifted with beautiful things, eat sweets, etc.Therefore, even if women do yoga, they should do it in their own way (the main goal of an Indian woman is to serve her husband and have children, and not pose in front of video cameras). Nevertheless, there were great yogis among women, but this is rather an exception to the rule.
To answer this question, I propose to consider 3 aspects. First, we will discuss fashionable classes in a fitness club, and then we will go to the popular yoga teachers, and then to those enlightened yoginis.
However, looking ahead, I will share my personal opinion that the more adequate the yoga style itself, and the more adequate the teacher himself, the smoother the composition of students.�
I Yoga in fitness clubs
Historically, it is popular for women to go to group classes in aerobics, step, something like dance, and, of course, staking or so-called yoga. For men, “tru” is working with free weights under the supervision of a personal trainer, in extreme cases, a group class in Thai boxing.
However, over time, the situation evens out. Women are being selected for strength training (and “power yoga asanas”). Men understand that there is also a point in not being tin woodcutters with clogged and overstretched muscles. Thus, men are increasingly beginning to appear in yoga classes. In general, there is a growing trend of male yoga enthusiasts.
Conclusion: yes, there are indeed more women than men in yoga classes that are similar to Phineas clubs. However, men also need correctly performed stretching and joint exercises. Even this gives them a lot!
II Popular Yoga ticers
Here it is enough, navreno, to mention such names as:
Indra Devi (one of Krishnamacharya's students), author of ” Yoga for Americans “(published in Russian as “Yoga for You”), “For Eternal Youth, for Eternal Health” and “Improve your Life by practicing Yoga”, Gita-Iyengar (author of the popular book “Yoga for Women”, the eldest daughter of B. K. S. Iyengar), См Smt Hans J. Yogendra (director of The Yoga Institute , functioning since 1918 in Mumbai), by the way, her mother, Smt Sita Devi Yogendra authored many articles and books on yoga -Yoga Physical Education for Women).
Conclusion: there are many examples of women who successfully teach yoga. They write books and run schools.
III
Traditionally, it was believed that women can practice yoga on an equal basis with men. And, perhaps, it is even easier for a woman to achieve success in yoga than for a man. Although, of course, during the Middle Ages, and indeed even in the twentieth century, the rights and opportunities of women in the patiarchal world were seriously limited. However, it's not that bad. Examples of highly enlightened yoginis abound.
In India, some very much honor and even worship four yoginis, there are also temples dedicated to them in Assam – in Calcutta, in Kali Ghat. The list of these yoginis: can be viewed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogini
Besides:
Maitreya, the wife of yogi Yajnavalkya, practiced yoga (she was taught by her husband).
If we turn to folklore, then, for example, in the Ramayana, Kausala (mother of Rama) is mentioned – she performed asanas and pranyams.
In the Mahabharata, one can find mention of Sulabha (the daughter of King Pradhana). During one of the yoga debates, she defeated Janaka, the king of Mithila.
Among the medieval female yogis, it is worth mentioning the following names: Lalla, Bahinabai, Sharada Devi (wife of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa).
Conclusion: there are also a lot of enlightened yoginis, they are unrealistically cool, and this is a very interesting topic =) �
PS I hope that photos, videos and illustrations with female yoginis engaged in self-authentic yoga in Action will not be difficult for the author after reading the answer to the question.
“In our country”, “yoga” is understood rather as a kind of fashionable “physical therapy”, in the form of a squeeze from hatha yoga, one of the lower disciplines. Hatha yoga is also yoga, I don't want to belittle it, but “this is one of the “first steps”.In India, yoga is much more integration (in our understanding)�monastic ministry and plus a philosophical system. This is more difficult than “physical therapy in the gym twice a week after work.” In addition, in India, the attitude in society towards women and their opportunities for spiritual development is quite critical. However, there are big gurus, and women at that. Some of the first things that came to mind were Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the founder of sahaja yoga, and Amma, the head of an ashram in Kerala.