Understanding Yoga The Seven Stages of Understanding Yoga, by Christian Damek

‘Yoga has rightfully become more and more popular and Lendrick Lodge managers Stephen and Victoria Mulhearn stand in a fine tradition: they are immensely warm spirited, welcoming, unpretentious and yet achieve ‘excellence in simplicity’. That’s a perfect fit for yoga and other healing related matters. Everyone needs regular get-aways from cell phones, the usual day-to-day routines and familiar environments in order to find new perspectives and achieve break-throughs. Thank God for such places as Lendrick Lodge!’

With twenty years of teaching experience Christian has developed a deep understanding of yoga as a life-style tool. ‘It is very thorough on one hand and very universal on the other. For example, in the Saptadha Bhumi Teachings in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras (sort of the Encyclopædia Britannica of Yoga) we are given a clear, detailed description of seven stages we go through as our practice, asanas and beyond!, begins to deepen and ripen. Practically, that’s very helpful because here we are given a reference point and something to aspire toward. I feel safe in my practice because the entire process is all laid out and time tested.’

[Enjoy reading further, it is worthwhile!]

The seven stages of understanding that the ripening mind progresses through one after the other (if one’s practice is consistent) are as follows:

In the first step we come to the conclusion that by gaining this and that, by looking to externals, we are not going to experience the knowledge or fulfilment we seek. We realise beyond a doubt that we have to somehow ‘tune in’, somehow ‘turn inside’ for answers.

In the second stage the understanding ripens that our experiences (pleasurable, painful or neutral) are not Absolutes in the outside world but are actually interpretations that occur as a result of our thought processes - ‘made up in our minds’!

This is where it can get a bit spooky, because the wise ones (as well as modern physics) tell us – and we begin to experience this on this second stage as well - that it’s ALL somehow made up! Since it is ultimately all ‘made up’ yoga suggests we train ourselves in ‘making it up’ by at least developing the Ten Perfections that lead to a happy social and personal life: 1) non-violence, 2) non-lying, 3) non-stealing, 4) non-extremism, 5) non-greed, 6) purity, 7) contentment, 8) acceptance, 9) self-reflection and 10) egolessness. We are further instructed to take care of our bodies (asanas, etc.), our emotional well-being (breath control) and our minds (whatever form of meditation one feels drawn to).

The third stage occurs when the inner workings of one’s mind are fully understood. Then a level of understanding beyond learning occurs, a stage where the now neutral mind is able to attain ‘cosmic understanding’, the understanding of nature and its way.

By having understood this one begins to simply act in accordance with nature and its ways, instead of battling against it and having personal agendas; there is no longer anything that needs to be done in a personal kind of way; one’s actions become part of a natural order. This is step four.

The fifth step, an after-effect of the fourth, sees impressions about what is occurring/has occurred lose their capacity to disturb the now maturing mind.

In the seventh and eight steps the mind as we have known it is completely transcended and we take an evolutionary leap from homo sapiens sapiens to homo noeticus, human with an enlightened mind, an awakened self, a jivan mukti – liberated from the common mind while alive.

‘In other words, the next level of an individual’s evolution has begun the moment the first stage has been achieved and one starts to go within beginning to dissolve expectations from externals. Knowing just this much about yoga, for example, is very helpful and can put magnificent inspirations into one’s heart and one’s practice’, smiles Christian Damek. He delights in his affiliation with Lendrick Lodge and the idea of returning for his yoga retreats here in the future.

Rev. Christian Damek is the Founder/Director of Inner Fitness Preventative Health Services in Sonora, California where he teaches yoga full time and maintains a successful and innovative body-centred Healing Arts Studio. (See www.innerfitness.org.) (Some quotes are from Sri Swami Satchidananda’s translation and commentary of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’, Integral Yoga Publications)

Lendrick Lodge offers the ideal setting for yoga holidays in Scotland