Addiction in Yoga – Daniel Simpson
Discussing the problem of striving for more with Adam Keen
I was recently a guest on the Keen on Yoga podcast. Our conversation began with the question of why people “push so hard” in practice, and whether this was a particularly Western phenomenon. We segued from there into yoga history, and modern confusion about how objectives relate to traditions.
Along the way, I also touched on my struggles with addictive tendencies – a common condition – and how yoga philosophy helps me make sense of all that. You can stream our discussion below, or watch it on YouTube. Scroll down for more details from the Keen on Yoga show notes.
VIDEO EDITION
Show notes from Keen on Yoga
EP 197 DANIEL SIMPSON – ADDICTION IN YOGA: STRIVING FOR MORE
www.truthofyoga.com | @danielcsimpson
The Truth of Yoga Course (Nov 2024)
“Adam and Daniel explore the complexities of modern yoga practice, particularly the push for performance in asana and the confusion surrounding its original purpose. They discuss the emotional journey that practitioners undergo, the disconnect between asana and traditional yoga philosophy, and the addictive nature of striving for progress. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of understanding objectives in practice and the need for emotional awareness in yoga, ultimately advocating for a reframing of how yoga is taught and experienced. They also touch on the modern yoga landscape, the commodification of yoga, and the search for deeper meaning beyond superficial happiness.”
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As far as the relevance of Asanas for my yogic endeavors is concerned, I simply couldn't sit comfortably upright for half an hour if it wasn't for some sort of regularly practiced gymnastics. And Pranayama certainly is more pleasant when especially my upper body is stretched and relaxed. Especially - in the morning. I'm getting more and more stiff in the morning, so any kind of mediation and Pranayama practice has to be preceded by a physical warm up.
Adam mentioned the idea of inducing relevant mental sensations by physically flexing the spine. I found this quite interesting, also because it is pretty obvious considering that the spine is even anatomically and academically part of the brain. And controlled physical manipulation of nerves (and muscles) does cause a partial activation on the level of the ion channels. So, one might even go so far as to describe this as massaging the brain. This is of course true with anything we do with our body - enteric nervous system, nerve endings all over the place - but with the spine forming a super dense channel of these structures, it makes sense to assume a particularly powerful impact by stretching and flexing it. I actually never thought of it this way.
As for Asanas being authentically rooted in Yoga beyond stable seated positions I think it is fair to say that having the Hathapradipika introducing "advanced" Asanas five hundred years ago might already justify to say that Asanas are part of Yoga. At least to some extent. If it was just for the last two hundred years and influences from Skandinavian gymanstics then it would be a dire cause for sure.
Do you have any thoughts on the Vimanarcanakalpa? According to Wikipedia it introduced nine postures a thousand years ago among them being Mayurasana, which is so difficult (I doubt I'll ever be able to do it) that it maybe even can be assumed there must have been more postures just to get ready for it.