Yoga Problem Page
"Ask me anything," says Agony Uncle...
According to Patañjali, a yogic sage, “everything is suffering” due to seeing things wrongly (Yoga Sūtra 2.15). The premise of Ancient Futures is that yoga philosophy might have solutions to modern dilemmas. But what would this look like in practice?
One way to find out is by answering questions, so I invite you to send me some! As a teenager, I was a compulsive reader of “problem page” advice columns. My favourites were More and Just Seventeen, though I’d frankly flick through any of them. I didn’t even mind if they made up the letters – it was the answers that I was devouring.
What sorts of topics might a “yoga problem page” discuss? Perhaps as many as there are living beings, to borrow what texts say about the number of postures. That said, I won’t be giving advice on performing contortions. But I’ll happily talk about anything else you might have on your mind – from the personal to the political.
As I explained in an introductory post (linked below), I don’t anticipate miracles. But I think it can be helpful to examine modern issues from older perspectives – not least since yoga is about our relationships with everything. That includes facing death, and doing less harm to ourselves and each other in the meantime.
I should perhaps clarify – for those who don’t know me – that I’m not one for “love and light” platitudes, or “rainbows and unicorns”. I’m more interested in integrating shadows, but that doesn’t mean replies will be dark. They might even be humorous.
So, as the A-Team theme once put it: “If you have a problem, if no one else can help…” Or if you’re just curious to see the response, then please contact the Agony Uncle via this page. All submissions will be treated in confidence and answered anonymously.
UPDATE
Here are some answers… Please feel free to ask me anything!
If you like what you find, and want to help keep it going, click the button below or subscribe…
"What's love got to do with it?" sang Tina Turner. In addition to Chapter 12 of the Bhagavad Gita, what are some notable examples from historic "yoga" documents that address the role of love in yoga, which ever definition one chooses? It seems that love may be some sort of bridge between prakriti (including Manas, Ahamkara and buddhi) and purusha, and yet there is a strong admonition against attachment throughout the Gita and the Sutras, in one word or another. "Love" manifests as an emotion - which usually leads to an action - but would keep us in the karmic cycle. Perhaps the action is the "devotion to Krishna," from the Gita, as moving towards a single pointed focus of Dharyana?
Are you no longer taking on problems here? Broken link?