7. Linear Vs Concomitant forces.
Yoga philosophy includes the eight steps enumerated by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. It is assumed that they are linear, that they are to be climbed like steps; and in this scheme, asana precedes pratyahara, that is the withdrawal of the senses.
But life is never a linear process. One lives with so many relationships and at so many different levels. In the same way, in Yoga, one starts with the asana to feel the rhythm, and gradually try to play out all the notes, the entire scheme of Astanga Yoga, as one goes along. This movement from an effortful effort to an effortless effort is the only linear progression Patanjali prescribes.
Zubin Zarthoshtimanesh
“For every complex question, there is a simple answer… and it is wrong.” H.L. Mencken
Image: The main practice hall at RIMYI in Pune. (H. Lovegrove)
Iyengar Yoga Teaching & Training 