Summary of the book "Yoga as explained to my daughter"

The author is Cesare Maramici. See: https://www.edizioniefesto.it/collane/theoretika/677-lo-yoga-spiegato-a-mia-figlia   If someone is interested in the text,  can contact me by e-mail: maramicicesare4@gmail.com

Yoga is one and it means 'union' and western people has managed to fragment it into a thousand ramifications. "I affirm that one and indivisible is yoga even if today it appears to us in many forms and with many names". Amadio Bianchi, the president of the European Yoga Federation (p. 143).

I have been practising yoga and meditation for more than 25 years, trying to reconcile, as Master Antonio Nuzzo says, the immanent and the transcendent in my daily life. Some time ago, after a yoga class with my daughter, she asked me the following question: "What actually is yoga?" The answer to this question was the starting point for this book.

This short essay "Yoga as explained to my daughter. Everything you need to know to practice Yoga with awareness" (author: Cesare Maramici) therefore attempts to explain, using deliberately simplified language in the form of a dialogue, what yoga is and illustrates the essential elements to know before starting on this path. 

There is often much confusion in the world of yoga, and people choose a path without even reading up on the relevant sapiential context. This book aims to bring some clarity amongst the myriad of proposals, and if the reader wishes to go deeper, he or she has at his or her disposal in-depth studies on various topics and footnotes. In addition, he will find a brief explanation of the main texts that have been cited in the dialogues and a rich bibliography. Yoga can make a significant contribution to reformulating a new ethic, needed today, to achieve a better world. This text has been written to guide people on the path of yoga, agreeing in the spirit of Carlo Patrian: "Spread everything, always, keep no secrets nor anything only for yourselves. Yoga lives in the spirit of sharing, help others to understand".

What is yoga? For me, yoga is a beautiful harmony between body, mind, breath and energy. It is the colourful note in my day. One must set out on the path of yoga without expectations, knowing that the path will be long. Important in yoga are discipline and the progressive withdrawal of the senses, which are the two wings of yoga. One must simply begin to practise, and then yoga will involve you.

To begin the yoga path one needs a basic ethic, respect for others, and to practise non-violence; without these foundations (which in yoga correspond to yama and niyama) it is better not to begin the path.
There are two basic stages on this path: the first is to be able to be in harmony with oneself and the world around us and become a better human being. The next stage is to reach high states of consciousness, which few people will reach them (as Krishna says in the Baghavad Gita: "many come to me, but only one in a million will find me"). It is important to combine study and practice, and to follow a true Master.

Yoga and Indian philosophy are as immense as the cosmos and consciousness. Thirty centuries of philosophy make it an inexhaustible treasure. This essay not only illustrates yoga, but also the milestones of the encounter between East and West (In 1929, the writer Romain Rolland (1866-1944), Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1915, wrote The Life of Ramakrishna and The Life of Vivekananda. Gustav Jung (1875-1961) in 1936 wrote Yoga and the West, a beautiful little book in which he praises the discipline of yoga, but warns Westerners against practising it.), The book illustrates the relationship between science and spirituality, the relationship between religion and spirituality and atheism (p. 59-61), and illustrates the attempts made by Catholic monks and theologians to foster a dialogue with Indian spirituality (p. 47). Various Catholic personalities practising yoga and meditation in various ways are then presented (pp. 48-49), such as Sister Infant Tresa 'Christ's yogi' who created ashrams in Kerala (p. 48). Master Giorgio Furlan (died November 2021), one of the pioneers of yoga in Italy, organised a festival called 'Meeting East and West' and there, I met Father Anthony Elenjimittam (1915-2011) and Father Mariano Ballester (1935-2021) and at the Rome yoga festival I met Father Antonio Gentili (1937- ). The period when yoga began to spread in Italy is also illustrated (In 1974, under the pioneering impulse of a few teachers, the Italian Yoga Federation was established (p. 55)). In the background is also presented the author's journey in this noble discipline. An attempt has also been made to clarify the relationship between yoga and Buddhism, yoga and Tantrism, and what the famous kundalini is, etc. In a 1970 text, Kundalini, the evolutionary energy by Gopi Krishna, is illustrated the experience of this psychic state considered almost unattainable: the awakening of kundalini.

Initially, orthodoxy in India consisted of the spiritual domain of one caste, that of the Brahmans, and the theological system was traced back to two elements: - the Vedas, an unalterable body of scripture; - sacrifice, by far the most important element. Then there was a long and continuous period of transformation and all the cultural, mystical and indigenous complexity was absorbed into orthodoxy and the Vedas were continually reinterpreted.

This continuous reinterpretation and assimilation developed along two lines: - the Aryan gods were replaced by indigenous gods such as Shiva, Visnu, Krishna, who would later have his consecration in the Bhagavad Gita; - there was the replacement of rituality and sacrifices by knowledge and gnosis and this opened the way to the Upanishads and other philosophical paths such as Vedanta and Yoga. In the Brahmanas, which are Vedic texts, the following sentence is found: 'That world, the world of the gods belongs only to those who know'. In the Mundaka Upanishad one finds the following verse: 'Sacrifices are like pirogues sailing in the middle of the ocean, at any moment they may go down'.

In around the 5th century AD, the bhakti movement began in India, based on devotion to and personification of the deity. Thus the cult of the god Shiva (Shivaism) and the cult of the god Vishnu (Vishnuism) developed. In the Indian Pantheon, the trimurti, the manifest part of the supreme divinity that makes itself into three to preside over the different states of the universe, is affirmed. Brahmâ the god of creation, Vishnu the god of preservation and Shiva the destroyer. From the cult of Shiva originates the current of Shaktism and Shakti, the feminine energy is depicted as Shiva's wife. For the first time in the spiritual history of Aryan India, Shakti, representing the divine mother and the cosmic force, acquires a predominant position. From the 10th century onwards, Tantric sects inspired by Shaktism focus on the energetic aspect. In Tantrism, sexuality is considered important for spiritual discipline and is elevated to an object of great respect, considering it a privileged vehicle to lead man to an understanding of himself and his role in the world. An anti-ascetic tendency is evident in Tantrism. There is a certain impatience with philosophical speculation and a certain aversion even to meditative practice that would have a hypnotic power over the practitioner.

There are many points in common between hatha yoga and Tantrism: body purification techniques, body and breath control and the awakening of energy. The importance given by hatha yoga and tantra to the body is unique in the history of spirituality: the body is regarded as a reliable tool for attaining eternal life and is considered essential on this path. Even Patanjali considered illness an obstacle to the yoga path. Hatha yoga is synonymous with physical health and later becomes a technique for curing illness. In Tantrism, unlike hatha yoga, ritual sexual union is illustrated, which is a mystical technique and an accelerator to higher consciousness.

People, at a certain age, begin to ask questions about the inner life and existence that is not merely a transient and natural phenomenon. "There can be no doubt that the serious pursuit of the yoga ideal is a difficult task, which cannot be undertaken as a mere pastime, nor as an escape from the anguish and tension of daily life. It can only be undertaken on the basis of a fuller understanding of the nature of human life and the mystery and suffering inherent in it, and the further realisation that the only way to end this unending misery and suffering is to discover the truth within oneself, by the only method available: precisely the discipline of yoga". From the book The Science of Yoga by I.K. Taimni

Yoga is not a wellness or stress-relieving practice, but a spiritual path that aims at reuniting the self with the Self, eliminating suffering and achieving bliss. Yoga is an age-old discipline comprising a series of physical and mental practices used to attain spiritual knowledge and perceive the manifestation of the Divine within us. All scholars agree that the term yoga indicates the different Indian 'ways' for the unification or transformation of the consciousness that is the true essence of the individual.

Why practise yoga? You practise yoga if you want to know the essence of who you are, yoga is a path that allows you to act simultaneously on body and mind, and seeks the perception of totality, seeks to reduce the influence of the ego and improve the quality of observation. What is my essence, my identity, if I discard all outward manifestations? We suffer because we do not really know who we are. The true Self only exists when I discard all that I am not.

Definitions of yoga: - Yoga is an extraordinary inner journey that leads to great psychic and physical balance. - Yoga is the science of spirituality, it is an attempt to arrive at a dimension where past, present, future and a consciousness freed from the fluctuations of the mind coexist. - Yoga is a practice that connects us with the unconscious, in building stability in the posture we build inner stability and a new way of approaching life. - Yoga is experimental knowledge, nothing can be acquired without action and without practising asceticism. - Yoga only manifests itself through yoga. - One needs continuous practice (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya).

- Yoga is a path that helps one dive into oneself and perceive the essential Self, which is actually the only thing that exists. The world, the individual soul and God are appearances within it'. - It is above all a long path to transcend the limits of phenomenal reality and perceive the highest states of consciousness and arrive at samadhi, a special state of awareness. - The description of the psychophysical technique and the altered state of consciousness achieved mean that yoga has much in common with psychological disciplines and, in particular, with psychotherapy.
 
Consciousness is the true essence of the individual and is one of India's greatest discoveries. For yogins, developing a higher consciousness does not mean isolating oneself from reality, but exactly the opposite. That is, it means living life intensely and concretely in an eternal present, at levels inaccessible to the profane. Indian ascetics and yogins know four modes of consciousness: - waking or diurnal consciousness where one experiences ordinary experiences; - sleep consciousness with dreams; - dreamless sleep consciousness where consciousness is nullified; - pure consciousness or turiya where one can experience ultimate truth or cosmic consciousness. Yoga is thus a long path to discovering our true essence, pure consciousness.

Bhahman and Atman, consciousness, the symbol AUM. - That which is me, this mysterious source from which my view of the world comes, that which sees everything, that which perceives everything is the Atman and coincides with everything that appears, with the foundation of reality (the Brahman), I am not just this body, this mind, I am the whole universe.

The paths of yoga. There are several paths. None of these paths is independent of the others, but they are more or less closely interwoven. We can compare yoga to a tree whose branches spring from the same root. We have the following paths: Hatha yoga, Laya yoga (divided into bakthi, shakti, mantra, yantra), Dhyana, Raja (divided into jnana, karma, kundalini, samadhi).                                               Yoga Sadhana, the spiritual practice of yoga, is a yogic path that unites the various paths of yoga: - hatha, the yoga of effort, - karma, the yoga of acting without expectations, - bhakti, the yoga of devotion, - jnana, the yoga of knowledge, - raja, the royal yoga of meditation.
 
"Be a yogi, Arjuna". The yogi is superior to those who follow the path of asceticism, or knowledge, or action. Bhagvad Gita ch. VI, .46

The basics of Hatha yoga are: - Shaṭkarma (purifications), - Asanas (postures), - Prāṇāyāma (breath control), - Mudrā ("seal") is a symbolic gesture that is used to obtain benefits on the physical, energetic and/or spiritual plane, - Bandhas (closures) are voluntary physical contractions involving certain groups of muscles and tendons, they serve to channel the breath and vital energy.

Today, yoga is considered a practice that promotes well-being and progress worldwide. In 2014, Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Minister had the United Nations establish an official day to celebrate yoga. 

Master Antonio Nuzzo emphasises: 'Yoga is not a sport, nor an activity, but a millenary discipline that we 20th century people have reinterpreted. To understand yoga, one should study the ancient texts, understand them and apply them to the practice that will have to be adapted to our era'.

The texts that are indispensable for understanding yoga are the following: - Yoga sutras of Patanjali, - The Bhagavad-Gita, - Yoga tattva and the Upanishads explaining yoga. - HathaYoga Pradipika, - Gheranda Samitha, - Shiva Samitha
 
Yoga, as a system in its own right, indicates a speculative path and a salvific system in India that is based on a text, the Yoga sutras of Patanjali dating between the 2nd and 6th centuries AD. On the basis of this text, a separate school called yoga was born. The Yoga sutras are the result of the enormous effort made by Patanjali to examine and structure the enormous spiritual heritage of India that existed up to that time, consisting of ascetic practices and contemplative rules. Patanjali does NOT think that metaphysical knowledge can lead to liberation. Gnosis prepares the ground, but liberation must be conquered by means of the ascetic (tapas) and meditative technique described in the Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras describe in detail the Kaivalya, the liberation, the ecstatic trance that is the true purpose of yoga. - Ecstatic trance is an altered state of consciousness and pure bliss in which one experiences Sat-Chit-Ananda, the consciousness of pure existence. Summary p. 88.  

Master Antonio Nuzzo emphasises: 'Yoga is not a sport, nor an activity, but a millenary discipline that we 20th century people have reinterpreted. To understand yoga, one should study the ancient texts, understand them and apply them to the practice that will have to be adapted to our era'.

The texts that are indispensable for understanding yoga are the following: - Yoga sutras of Patanjali, - The Bhagavad-Gita, - Yoga tattva and the Upanishads explaining yoga. - HathaYoga Pradipika, - Gheranda Samitha, - Shiva Samitha
 
Yoga, as a system in its own right, indicates a speculative path and a salvific system in India that is based on a text, the Yoga sutras of Patanjali dating between the 2nd and 6th centuries AD. On the basis of this text, a separate school called yoga was born. The Yoga sutras are the result of the enormous effort made by Patanjali to examine and structure the enormous spiritual heritage of India that existed up to that time, consisting of ascetic practices and contemplative rules. Patanjali does NOT think that metaphysical knowledge can lead to liberation. Gnosis prepares the ground, but liberation must be conquered by means of the ascetic (tapas) and meditative technique described in the Yoga Sutras. The Yoga Sutras describe in detail the Kaivalya, the liberation, the ecstatic trance that is the true purpose of yoga. - Ecstatic trance is an altered state of consciousness and pure bliss in which one experiences Sat-Chit-Ananda, the consciousness of pure existence. Summary p. 88. 

In the Bhagvad Gita, the masterpiece of Indian spirituality, the yoga expounded by Krishna is not about the classical yoga of Patanjali, nor is it about the complex of ascetic practices that were present almost everywhere in the Indian texts and the Mahabharata. Here action and devotion are both valid methods of attaining salvation. By not enjoying the fruits of action, man turns action into sacrifice and can thus continue to participate in social life and profane activities. The yoga of action constitutes the originality of the Bhagvad Gita and this will bring this work unprecedented success in India. In the Gita, yoga is superior to asceticism (tapas), superior to science (jnana), superior to sacrifice. Krishna's discourse is the complete triumph of yoga practices and the validation of yoga in the face of Hinduism. It will form the basis of subsequent yoga literature. The Bhagavad Gita is the summary of the Upanishads and is the heart of the Vedanta school and at the same time a landmark text of the Aryan-Brahmanic society. In fact, it constantly reiterates the concept of dharma, i.e. the fulfilment of one's caste duties in the most correct manner. This will lead to karmic evolution and ultimate liberation. Summary p. 81.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika (1300-1400 AD) is the first text on hatha yoga is attributed to Swatarami. It is a treatise that emphasises the importance of asana practice to achieve samadhi (the ultimate goal of yoga). Gheranda Samhita (1675-1700 AD) is one of the main texts of haṭha yoga (along with the Śiva Saṃhitā) by Gheraṇḍa and his disciple Chandakapali.

Disease. Most of the diseases that afflict humanity today have a psychosomatic origin. Diseases are the result of a lack of harmony with life and ourselves. In order to regain a state of health and well-being, it is necessary to recover this lost harmony and to reconsider our lifestyle and beliefs.

Academics and practitioners. For me, it was a great discovery to realise that the body is pervaded by a mysterious inner consciousness and energy, and that yoga possesses a language that, through postures, breathing, meditations, allows one to communicate with this consciousness and energy. My hope is that the academic world will get in touch with the community of practitioners to create such a synergy that this noble discipline can be spread properly. Beyond the differences between East and West, religion, spirituality, atheism and secularism, one should try to reformulate a new ethic to achieve a better world to which, I strongly believe, yoga can make a significant contribution. The transition from enlightenment to liberation is only achieved when this realisation is put into practice, i.e. transferred into daily practice. In the case of yoga, liberation is achieved by putting into practice the realisation that we and others are really the same entity, which translates into putting ourselves at the service of others in an altruistic and selfless manner.
Quotes. "the sage, having realised that the origin of the senses is different from that of consciousness, and having ascertained that the senses arise and disappear indistinctly from consciousness, is no longer afraid. When the five senses and the mind cease their activity, the mind no longer operates, then the highest goal is said to have been attained. This stillness of the senses is called yoga.

"The awakening of kundalini is the manifestation of an active evolutionary process in the human being tending to transcend the boundaries of the mind and the acquisition of a higher state of consciousness".

The essence of the Upanishads is expressed in the mahavakya i.e. the great sayings, the four Vedic aphorisms: I am the Brahman (Aham Brahmasmi); - You are that (Tat Tvam Asi); - The atman (the essence of every living being) is the Brahman (Ayam atma brahma); - Consciousness - knowledge is the Brahman (Prajnanam Brahman).

André Comte Sponville, a well-known French philosopher whom I adore, says: 'We cannot do without communion, fidelity, love, but neither can we do without spirituality. In the West, spirituality has become socially identified over the centuries with a religion (Christianity), and we have come to believe that religion and spirituality are synonymous' (p. 58)

Choosing between the many yoga proposals might not be so difficult after all. It would suffice to apply two simple criteria: - 'yoga is beyond form'. Which means that yoga is not pilates or mere exercise, what counts is the intention of why one does yoga: if we are projected in the search for the higher Self we are in yoga, otherwise we are in pilates. It is essential to be aware of this. - Money and spirituality are irreconcilable. This means that the practitioner, attending 35 euro classes in elegant surroundings, is not ready for the renunciation and withdrawal of the senses to which yoga invites us. (p. 64)

The great Indian mystic, Ramakrishna, taught that even atheism can be, for some, a step towards enlightenment and thus be part of an individual's spiritual evolution: "If an atheist is sincerely convinced that he is developing through great personal effort and commitment, aware that he is a seeker of truth, then just as fresh air passes through an open window, so truth is revealed to the mind left open by a sincere spirit of seeking. The only obstacle to progress is closing the entrance to understanding with the shutters of self-centredness" (p. 60)

The 14th Dalai Lama himself, Tenzin Gyatso states: 'I do not believe that religion is indispensable for spiritual life' (pg 61)

Carl Gustav Jung asks: "What happens to prompt a deep work of consciousness when the unconscious still occupies preponderant parts of the personality? ". (pg. 62)

"Yoga is the union of the individual soul with the Supreme Lord. When the yogin disconnects from the outer world and dissolves completely into the universal Self, he consecrates himself to God. He achieves self-realisation by becoming one with God. This union is yoga'. Kabir (p. 75).

In Chapter 15, verse 15 of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna: "I am in the heart of every being and from Me comes remembrance, knowledge and oblivion. The end of all the Vedas is to know Me; verily, I am the One who composed Vedanta, and I am the One who knows the Vedas". (p. 116).

"But what is it that you are seeking? There is nothing, there is only the process of seeking, your life is only your existence, the objective world is made up of duality, in the objective world there is only dependence. Only consciousness is independent, and it is only a tiny speck, but this whole vast illusory world arises from it'. Nisargadatta Maharaj (p. 133).

To understand the true nature of Yoga, as a path to spiritual realisation, it is necessary to have an insight into the six orthodox Indian philosophical systems (darshana), i.e. tolerated by Brahmanism, which are as follows: Nyaya (Logic), Vaisesika (Physics), Mimamsa (Ritualistics), Samkhya (Philosophy), Yoga (Psychology), Vedanta (Theology). See Insight 7 (p. 112).