The most common myth about yoga: many people believe that they do yoga…

Comments by the Director of PYI, Sergey Reznichenko:

«One cannot do yoga. Yoga is a system of ideas about the world which first has to be studied. When a person says that he or she does something, it is implied that he/she understands such activity, i.e. this is some craft or skill which he develops. Therefore, the phrase „to do yoga” makes no sense. One has to study the subject and only after one understands the essence of yoga it is possible to „do yoga”».

Myth №2 Sport is life

Many people believe that exercise is the guarantee of health and longevity. But very few know about results of doing sports professionally. It is arguable that professional sport does more harm than good.

«One of the objectives of any sport is achievement of extreme result at the limit of physical abilities of the human body. Therefore the main idea of sport is to do everything you can and then to collapse. It is highly recommended that professional sportsmen use yoga techniques to recover strength after strenuous exercise».

Myth N 3: if you force yourself to make an asana you will understand yoga.

«If you want to achieve visible result you need to make an effort („tapas” in Sanskrit). This is very important, as in the society the word „effort” is often substituted by the word „violence” („himsa” in Sanskrit). Therefore, everywhere where you will face any system, you will face violence: in a yoga group teachers will bend you into some asana, stretch you into a split – they will help you to achieve enlightenment through… violence».

Myth №4: Yoga therapy. The majority of people start to „practice yoga” to improve their physical condition.

«I would like to stress that yoga does not have such a discipline as “yoga therapy”. This is the area covered by ayurveda or Indian “science of life”. In India this discipline is studied for about ten years. As a rule, this includes getting a university degree and traineeship with a master. If you trust your health to an enthusiastic “yoga instructor” you run the risk of losing the last what you have.».

Myth №5. Yoga Instructor.

«In yoga there are no and there have never been yoga instructors. If you like to be fooled you can play this game. The result will never be in your favour! Unless you yourself become a “yoga instructor”».

Myth №6. Meditation, psychedelic, Buddhism and yoga.

«Many people who have come across difficult situations in their lives, learned to restore their balance by using various psychedelic techniques. To make such techniques more fashionable and convincing they are commonly called “meditation”. Such “meditation” is in fact called trance and has nothing to do with yoga.

Other people after enjoying “life” in Ibiza or after facing difficult times use techniques which they call “Buddhism”. Buddhistic techniques are very precise and extremely effective. The problem is in their correct use and in mistaking trance for nirvana.

The third group of fans of oriental fitness calls their hobby “yoga”. Yoga uses the term “samyama”. “Dhyana” is a part of this process and does not exist on its own».

Myth # 7. I am practicing yoga!

The exclamation mark here is appropriate only for beginners who are having their first test drive of Chery Amulet where a caring manager – yoga teacher is trying to approve their far from excellent choice.

After ten years you’ve changed Chery Amulet for Chery Kimo because costs of services of psychotherapists and traumatologists are making your life - as it is unhappy - even harder. Is it time to change ! for ? and to contemplate on what you are doing? After all, in the first place yoga is dealing with the materia of consciousness.

Maybe, next time a manager – instructor is tying you up by belts or putting a block under your spine or offering you to buy a cover for the yoga mat “to soak the sweat”, you will remember that you are a human being!

More on the topic:

Terms of yoga: prayatnasaithilya, anantasamapatti.

Terms of pseudo-yoga: ball, feet, opening of the chest, yoga mat.