Yoga TRADITION 23 UNIFICATION EkaPada YogaDandaKoundinyAsana Andrey Lappa 2005Russian Editor: A. Kostenko Engish Corrector: A. Rinehart Layout: V. Virich and M. Cook Photos: A. Lappa All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system oF transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the Author, © Andrey Lappa, 1999 “Yoga: Tradition of Unification” K. 2005 — 310 p. Having an extremely modem spirit and content, this book represents Yoga’s true traditional meaning: The Pathway to Unification. By definition, Yoga must cover all spheres of a human being: spiritual, psychic and physical. Unfortunately, some aspects of this tradition have not been sufficiently spread throughout the world, For example, many dynamic practices dropped out of Hatha Yoga, leaving us at best with the sole set of Surya Namaskar currently published in today’s popular manuals. Andrey Lappa began this book, drawing on his own experience with Yoga and the teach ings of the world’s Yoga masters — Krishnamacharya, Pattabhi Jois and BKS, Iyengar. He Wanted to describe Yoga Vinyasas (special moving and. breathing exercises) and other lesser Known Yoga practices, in particular the mysterious Dance of Shiva. But his work resulted in fomething much more comprehensive: a complete classification of all elements of physical breathing, and psychic Yogic exercises and a universal algorithm for compiling individual training programs. This profound work goes far beyond a simple book about Yoga, It can be Useful to all practitioners of this wonderful tradition, as well as the martial arts, ISBN 5-220-00214-7 Andrey Lappa, 2005CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... FOREWORD... INTRODUCTION... Part PATHWAY. ‘TRUE PATHWAY AND THE MASTER.. NATURAL AND INVERTED FLOW, WILL AND THE POWER OF SPIRI YOGA AND MORALITY KEY TO MASTERSHIP. METHOD OF PRACTIC GOALS AND MEANS Part IT FORM... ORGANIC FORMATION THEORY. 24 ASANAS. 24 THE SYSTEM EVELOPMENT AND BALANCING THE ARSENAL OF FORMS.......30 POSITION OF THE FORM IN SPACE... VINYASAS. PSYCHO-ENERGETIC MANDALA MULTILEVEL VINYASAS ALGORITHM: HIERARCHY OF VINYASAS ENERGY FORMATION THE( ASSOCIATION OF BREATHING WITH THE STATE OF CONSCIOUSNES! SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF BREATHING... SIX FACTORS THAT ACCOMPANY THE BREATHING PROCESS. THE COMBINED TYPE OF REGULATION. SRI MANTRA THE FIELD FORMATION THEORY. THE SOURCE OF LIFE. RASAS — PSYCHO-ENERGETIC DOMINAN’ SRI YANTRA — THE UNIVERSAL TECHNOLOGICAL DIAGRAM OF YOG. MRITA MUDRA. KUNDALINI — ORGAN Part IIT TRAINING ... TRAINING AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF YOGA PRACTICE PROTECTION AND SAFETY ‘THE HIERARCHY OF COMPLEXES.RELATION OF THE LIMITS WITHIN THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT... VARIETIES OF THE PHYSICAL LIMITS TYPES OF TRAINING A COMPLETE ALGORITHM OF SPECIAL TRAINING FIRST SIDE SELF-RESISTANCE MODE. THE RIGHT MOOD. HA, THA AND HA-THA STYLES. FEMALE AND MALE TRAINING STYLES.. STATIC AND DYNAMIC MODEB........ RELATION OF BREATH WITH FORM AND MOVEMEN’ TRAINING TIME. ‘TRAINING PLACE .. ANCIENT HEALTH STANDARD Part IV LESS KNOWN PRACTICES.. LESS KNOWN YOGA PRACTICES: PRANAYAMA IN THE WATER. AWARENESS IN RUNNING RELAXATION IN RUNNIN PRANAYAMA IN WALKING. FUNDAMENTALS OF YOGI ADAPT/ YOGA IN SEX.. "TWELVE DIET RULE: YOGA DIET SHIVA NATA — DANCE OF SHIV. SUBSEQUENT LEVELS OF THE PRACTICE. THE RELATION OF THE SPINE MOVEMENTS WITH THE BREATH ELEMENTS OF THE DANCE OF SHIVA IN YOGA TRAINING COMPLEXES . THE SECRET OF A DOLPHINS JOY Part V POWER.. BIO-NUCLEAR ENERGY TEMPLE OF POWER MODERN SHAMANISM HATHA-YOGA — METHOD OF RAJA-YOG. THE WaY OF THE LEADER ORGANIC IMMORTALITY FREEDOM .. WESTERN STUDENT HEALTH AND CONTENTMENT DOCTOR AND SCHIZOID (OR BEYOND THE “NORMAL”Part VI VINYASA TECHNIQUE... AUXILLARY VINYASAS.. : PRINCIPAL LONGITUDINAL VINYASAS 236 PRINCIPAL TRANSVERSAL VINYASAS. PRINCIPAL TWISTING VINYASAS.... SINGLE-LEVEL MULTI-DIRECTIONAL VINYASA‘ INTER-LEVEL SINGLE-DIRECTIONAL VINYASAS. INTER-LEVEL MULTI-DIRECTIONAL VINYASAS SPECIALIZED NON-MAXIMUM VINYASAS . 284 SPECIALIZED MARGINAL VINYASAS.. 289 CIRCULAR SINGLE-LEVEL VINYASAS 292 CIRCULAR INTER-LEVEL VINYASA‘ 300 ATTACHMENT | ..... ATTACHMENT I .... PRODUCT LIST...6__________________YOGA: TRADITION OF UNIFICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ‘would like to take this opportunity to express my warm gratitude to the modern keepers of the Yoga tradition, Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar, for their inspiration and invisible spiritual support; to Andrey Sidersky, for long-lasting, productive cooperation and exchange of experience, as well as for valuable suggestions while writing this book; to Ludmila Van- dalovskaya, for longstanding cooperation and spiritual support in developing certain theo- retical and practical aspects of the training; to the serviceman and mathematician Alexander Chynikhin, for assistance in developing the mathematical models that served as the basis for the advanced level techniques of the Dance of Shiva; to the manual therapist Oleg Tyborovskyi for cooperation in the development of the safest training programs; to all my students for selfless participation in the research and adjustment of the most effective technological Yoga algorithms; and to the publishing group of Andrey Dikhtyar, Andrey Kostenko, Irena Mozeyko, Vyacheslav Virich, James Miller and Molly Cook for their warm attitude and high-quality work in the preparation of the layout of this book.nin FOREWORD he publication of this book was preceded by long years of practical experience. I was "Tiedunce to travel a lot since my childhood. I spent a year in Mongolia and China with my parents. As a teenager and already a master of sports in swimming, I traveled all across the Soviet Union as a member of the Ukrainian national team. While a student, I toured the numerous mountain regions of the former USSR: the Carpathian Mountains, Crimea, Cau- casus, Altai, Tyan-Shan, Phanes, and Khibanes. I saw Lake Baikal, the Caspian Sea, White and Black seas and Sakhalin, I visited datshans in Bouryatia and mosques in Samarkand, Bukhara, Pherghana and the highlands of Tajikistan. T was in the eighth grade and a serious swimmer when I started practicing Yoga. Fourteen years later, by the time of my frst trip to India, I had mastered almost all the arsenal of Asanas presented in B.K.S. Iyengar’ “Light on Yoga.” By 1988, I started working as a professional Yoga instructor, Eight years later, due to my active efforts to distribute yoga in Kiev, the Indian ‘Ambassador in the Ukraine graced me with the opportunity to participate free of charge in a course of study at the Yoga Institute of B.K.S. Iyengar in Puna. This possibility opened the door to India and later led to further travels in Nepal and Tibet. During the first six months in India, I managed to travel the length and breadth of the country, visiting almost all the ashrams and spiritual places known in the CIS through the literary heritage. During this period Twas fortunate to take a course with Pattabhi Jois, the present keeper of the tradition of Ashtanga-Vinyasa-Yoga of Kirshnamacharya’s school in Mysore. I practiced Yoga with Yogacharya Rudra at Shivanada’s Ashram in Rishikesh; tried out many types of meditation at Radjnish’s Ashram in Puna; felt the spirit of Shri Aurobindo commune in Aureville; and perceived the sense of love and magic at Satya Sai Baba’s Ashram in Bhuttapati. I witnessed the war in the Kashmir capital of Shrinagat, and joined everyday Buddhist prayers and rituals in various Ladakh and Nepal lamaseries. | was blessed and granted the “vinous rope”=by His Sanctity the Dalai Lama in his residence of Dharamsala, and 1 was inspired by the feeling of Hinduist tantric tradition near the walls of the temples of Kajuraho, Konaraka, Bhubaneswar, and Puri. | experienced the reality of shocking rituals in Benares, and achieved the deepest peace in the Cave of Vasistha in the Himalayas. I witnessed the succession of religious traditions in the cave temples of Ellora and Ajanta, and realized the sacred meanings of Temple dances in the temples of Orissa and Tamil Nadu. | felt the freedom of the deserts and the power of forts in Rajastan, and visited many unknown places that have preserved the most precious spiritual heritage. Along the way, | obtained many friends among people of high inner spirituality, and from the professional teachers I encountered from India, Nepal, Tibet and some Western countries. Itis only recently, when I approached the age of 33, that I understood one very important thing: Everything I was fortunate enough to see in my life and acquire as practical and spiritual experience was aimed toward one sole mission. At that moment, I understood the significance of the strange events that followed my departure from a bus one day at a lifeless mountain passage, deep in the heart of the Himalayas.YOGA: TRADITION OF UNIFICATION, ‘The road from Nepal to Tibet via the Chinese border was located at a tremendous height of 5,000 meters above sea level. Compared to the surrounding mountaintops, each standing 8,000 meters high, it was only slightly higher than the bottom, but it was almost at the same level with Elbrus, the highest Caucasus point. After a few hours of climbing along a serpentine mountain road, the bus finally reached the top of the passage. The driver stopped near a Tibetan jurt, next to which stood a canopy on dirty wooden posts. It served as a temporary shelter from snow and rain. This was a place where everyone moving from Nepal to Tibet or back could take a meal. The fog was thick. We were inside a cloud lying on the mountain, It was terribly damp and cold. All around us was slush and melting snow. The visibility was very low, no more than 50 meters. We were located between well-known mountain peaks, although they were hidden by clouds. Just like everyone else who took that bus, I went to have a meal at the Tibetan “restaurant”. It was mere luck to meet people on the way. Despite the height, one could feel as if not alone in this mountain world, while the environment demonstrated its unconquerable power in every way possible. Before reaching the shelter, | felt that something strange was happening to me. It was so obvious that it suppressed the feclings of acute hunger and fatigue from the exhausting bus ride along the mountainous road. I looked around as if trying to see someone or something that would explain the strange dominance I was continuously experiencing. But everything was absolutely normal: the fog, the’shade of the bus in the distance, and the people fussing around the jurt, waiting for a hot meal. Being quite experienced in mountaineering, | had prepared myself for the trip by taking a light tent, a primus stove and a kettle, But here in the Himalayas, it was the first time I witnessed that one could manage quite well without these things. Almost everywhere in the mountains up to about five kilometers, there were human settlements, simple guesthouses, small shops and restaurants. One could find a hot meal, cheap overnight stay, or leave a backpack and find any local boy to carry it higher in the mountains. It was possible to reach glaciers and inaccessible snow walls that required special equipment to climb, and yet still return to the guesthouse the same day. ‘The driver returned to the bus in about an hour and gave a sharp signal, which echoed in the emptiness. It was a signal for us to get back to the bus and continue on. I was still moving back and forth between the bus and the jurt, scanning the surrounding area in search of the mysterious source of these sensations. Ultimate vigilance was oddly combined with an unusual feeling of limpness. My body had become as heavy as lead. All motivation to do something, to go somewhere, or to strive for something disappeared like smoke. At the same time, while observing my surroundings, | saw immovable and clear structures, color “grids”. I was indifferent to what was going to happen, even if there were no vacant seats or if I would have to wait for a week for another bus. I stopped on the very top of the passage and watched the turn of the road now hiding the bus. A strong wind lashed my face with dusty water. I felt myself on the top. The high- est point of the passage was the upper point of the cavity located between two giant peaks, which although invisible could be heard. It excited some associations inside of me about my place on this planet. Solid waves of power ran down and through me from above. Not fully believing this was happening, I placed my feet wide apart to steady myself as I seemed to grow heavier and heavier.9 Finally, standing upright became absolutely impossible, I turned my backpack over, rested my back against it, and closed my eyes. In an instant, something began to change within me. 1 started to take off, rising above my body, which remained on the backpack. Floating slightly side to side, I stabilized myself about three meters above my body. I was petrified. There was some essence hanging in the space just behind my back. Its beauty made my hair stand on end, but it was something more miraculous than just a normal vision. Tt was impossible to understand what it was: he, she or it? Its broad face dangled in the air for some time like a chimera above, baring long tusks with sultry, predatory, wide-open eyes. Its forehead was decorated with a wreath of beaded skulls. 1 was terribly frightened and felt the real presence of death. The essence seemed to be scanning me, to determine if | was ready for something or not. Tt was getting dark. I turned back and understood that this was the beginning of the Tibetan plateau, This passage was not only the highest point between the two valleys, India and Tibet; it was like a Rubicon connecting two ancient spiritual cultures. Only then did I notice how worn out, wet, cold and hungry I was. I thought it would be unreasonable to test my health spending the night on a snowy bed in a strange place. So I headed toward the Tibetan jurt... The morning was a real gift. The clouds went up high and dispersed in a few places, open- ing a splendid shine of snow-white peaks. The sun began to burn and springs were purling everywhere. The area was absolutely lifeless but clear and colorful. Water joined the bed of a small river running from the northeastern Tibetan plateau. A little bit lower in the southwest, a lake appeared like a blue mirror reflecting the snowy peaks towering behind it. Long poles, stood on altitudes along the crest of the nearest hill with a thin flagged thread stretched be- tween them. Stone mortar-like pedestals were standing on other altitudes. These signs could be met everywhere in Himalayas. They were some sort of landmark for spiritual pilgrims that served to direct them to holy places on the way of their pilgrimage. I went up to the ridge of the mountain and followed the signs. After walking about 2 kilo- meters, { discovered a smalll “temple”, if it could be called so, that stood on top of a hill. (These constructions can be seen in any place among the territories of Nepal, Tibet, India and other countries. They are-erected for the purpose of the prayers or meditations of the pilgrims and the dwellers of the nearby villages, and are constructed in special Places of Power. Their design represents a simplified form of Hindu, Buddhist or Moslem temple in miniature, built for one man.) | approached it without expecting anything unusual. This was a Shivaist “temple” Inside on the central whitewashed wall there was drawn an ash-like “OM” sign and a rusty combat trident was standing in the corner, A small “Shiva-Lingam’, a terrible-looking excruciation whip, and ashes of burnt aromas and dried flower leaves lay on the floor. [went inside under the temple’s dome, and all of a sudden a powerful “electric” wave pierced my entire body from below, It made me jump up on my toes. It seemed like somebody gtabbed my hair and vigorously pulled it up. I had long been acquainted with a flow of such nature. Once in the Crimea (at Tarkhankut peninsula on the Black Sea), the same flow had raised me above the ground during Kundalini ascent, while seated in Lotus posture. At the time I was 25 years old, and this was long before my trip to the Himalayas. I stretched my arms down to touch the ground and hardly reached it. If it were not for my friends standing near the tent who saw me at that moment, I still might not believe it myself. I experienced it as a long period in the air, rather than a jump like in transcendental meditation. But now this flow operated while I stood upright. I saw a giant cobra rising from inside of me, somewhere from the area of the solar plexus. Its body seemed to have the diameter of1 A: Ol (CATION, at least three meters and reached toward incredible heights. Its head touched the skies and had a golden crown on top. All of this was accompanied by a terrible sound as if somebody simultaneously pressed all the keys of an organ. The sound swelled like an avalanche. Thad ambivalent feelings. On one hand, I was delighted with the demonstration of this power and splendor. On the other, there was a fear of disturbing this Creature that was in the process of contemplating the Universe at that moment. My hair stood on end. I trembled in a blessed “fever” for about two hours until whatever had transformed my consciousness faded away, (This process has something in common with epilepsy, even though it may occur in an instant, it may stop at any time because it js always under control of the consciousness. Those who consider this process to be an illness or a “syndrome” have most likely observed it at a distance and never personally had a similar spiritual experience). When it was all over, my perception of the world was radically changed, and in the silent peace, my perception became absolutely clear. The whole world was perceived as one entity. [ had an exact understanding of the sense of life. Life somewhere down in the valleys seemed to be a stupid fuss and full of delusion I walked for half a day following the signs, first along the ridge of the hill, then along the steep mountain slope which was getting higher and higher. Finally I reached a passage behind which was a long canyon entering a glacier between the splendid snow peaks. Although these places were absolutely isolated something inside of me called for me to stay alert. I had the feeling that the stones around me were alive and moving. 1 always travel alone in order to avoid the distraction of companions. It allows me to con- template the surroundings and stay tete-a-tete with the Infinity. This may be risky, but the risk can be overcome by a strong belief in fate. ‘There was a stone mortar behind which I failed to see another sign. I must have climbed rather high because I began to feel a slight heart arrhythmia, and my chest and head blood pressure increased. I dropped my backpack near the mortar, rested on it and took a nap. A loud clap and a push awakened me. I looked around in distress but saw no one. I felt chilled to the bone. I looked around again and again, but nothing changed. There was just snow and stones. T closed my eyes once more, intending to rest a little more, but something inside me moved again and stretched my body. It forced me upright in Siddhasana, with my eyes closed. First I saw a bar of gold hanging still in the “inner space”, Then “Vajra” appeared - sus- pended lightning flows, descending from a splendid source somewhere above, Then a being appeared, naked, looking like Buddha or Mahawir, and seeming as if molded from gold. It had ideal proportions and no sex features. It sat with one leg bent, like in Siddhasana, the other hanging down. The Creature’s head was crowned by a unique gold headdress, which vaguely resembled a helmet. One of the arms was hanging along its body, bent at the elbow to direct its palm at me, All the fingers were slightly bent, except the forefinger, which was straight and directed upward. With this mudra, it both calmed me and focused my attention. Its second arm was smartly directed to the side, slightly bent at the elbow, with the palm turned to the sky. All the fingers were folded inward except the forefinger, which pointed at something aside. I was astonished to see that instead of eyes, it had two empty hollows that made the Creature look like a robot. After a couple of minutes, it suddenly disappeared L opened my eyes and looked at the place it had been pointing toward. It was somewhere in the eastern direction. There was a rock at the foot of a snow-covered peak. I couldit grasp the meaning of all this and T had no idea what to do next. It was afternoon and the sun was setting. After awhile I pulled my senses together and began to understand that, no matter howee i quickly I rushed from this place, I would be forced to spend the night somewhere on the rocky terrain. This made me feel uncomfortable. But the appearance of the Creature intrigued me, and I decided to approach the rock to which it had pointed. Approaching from the side, I moved along keeping my eyes on it at all times. After walk- ing about a hundred meters, | discovered an opening that could not be seen from a distance. I approached it and saw some elaborate signs or pictures carved on the walls of a stone near the entrance. Looking inside, I realized that it was the entrance to a cave. I was scared. My feet were trembling. If it were not for those pictures, I probably would not have dared to enter the cave. I knew my curiosity would not be satisfied without going on. I took a flashlight from my backpack and entered inside. The cave was formed by a split of rock and most likely was once very deep. About 15 meters from the entrance, it appeared to be blocked by a blind wall, possibly to prevent uninvited guests like snakes and other creatures coming from the depths of the earth. Everything there gave evidence of human presence. The walls and the ceiling were smoked. There was a fire- place in the middle of the cave, and the walls had torch openings. There was a bed near the wall made of flat stones. It was hard to imagine that the place could be habitable. Of course, there were no problems with water, although that could not be said about food. To this day, I still can’t understand where the host of the cave found food. The area around was severe and lifeless even in the summer. In the winter, when the température falls to minus 50 degrees Celsius, it is absolutely unimaginable where a human being could find something to warm himself up (in general, Himalayan locals often use the dried dung of mountain yaks to make a fire and cook their food). All of this only concerned the life of the cave’s host, and despite the difficult environ- ment, his creativity managed to ravish me immensely. ‘Through the soot on the walls there could be seen numerous pictures scratched on the stone. They slightly resembled Egyptian writings. Different walls showed pictures of a dif- ferent nature. The, Western wall was covered with numerous lines that were composed of a great number of simple pictures of a man set in different postures. A few were simplified so that the man looked as if lacking some limbs - his hands, legs, even his head. Maybe this was for some reason unimportant for the painter. These lines were different in length and formed chaotically positioned vertical columns that also differed in length. Along with the figures, there were stars with five, six and 12 rays with drawings of men on top. ‘The Eastern wall also showed lines which consisted of simple drawings of hands and some strangely positioned circles and loops resembling the infinity sign, There were four drawings in each row. These rows also formed vertical columns. There were two lines of such columns. T counted eight rows in the columns with the drawings of hands. The number of such col- ‘umns was also eight. But the columns composed of circles and loops were different. This wall also had some swirling symbols in the shape of swastikas with smooth wave-like twists, Each of them twisted first to one side, then to the other. These swastikas consisted of four, eight, 16, 32, and 64 rays. The more rays they had, the less was their resemblance to a swastika and more to the sun. There were not as many pictures on the artificial wall but they attracted me with their inex- plicable beauty. On the left side, just above the floor, there were intricate snakes and unusual symbols drawn, All of them were different. On the right side, just above the floor, there were images of various gods and some inscriptions. In the middle between them, there were several rows of men in different postures. Above all of them, a huge Yantra in the shape of concentricy Fae ____________ YOGA: TRADITION OF UNIFICATION. circles was depicted. Rays divided its margin into sectors with the human drawings inside Close to the middle, there was a circle with different snakes drawn inside, and further in, a circle of godlike faces. In the very center, there was a multi-ray, double-sided swastika that looked like the sun. Unfortunately, since the wall was artificial, it seemed to have been worn by time. Quite a number of the elements of the drawings had already been lost Viewing all of this, I completely lost track of time. [ first noticed it had become dark out- side only when the batteries of my flashlight discharged and the light began to fade away. 1 had a couple of candles with me and lit one of them. It seemed strange to find that I had begun to feel quite comfortable inside the cave. It felt as cozy as home. There were neither mosquitoes nor bats, and I could hardly believe that I was “god knows how far” from people and civilization, After [ ate a little dried fruit and nuts I decided not to burn the candle down too far and instead go to bed early so that I could use the morning light to have a closer look at the walls. I put my sleeping bag on the stone that I took as a bedstead, blew out the candle and lay on my back, At that moment, I noticed that I had become ill and probably had a fever. Most likely it was due to the fact that I climbed over three kilometers without due acclimatization. For some reason I did not want to sleep at all. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, someone pressed down on my shoulders. I jerked, trying to get up on my feet, but his hands held my shoulders firmly to the bedstead. I opened my eyes and peered into the darkness, but I couldn't see anything, Suddenly an ultraviolet light flared up behind me. I closed my eyes and opened them again, peering in the darkness, but the light wasn’t disappearing, The silhouette of a man in a mantle and a high hat appeared in the distance. He approached me smoothly, as if he were flying. His garment reflected the light with an ultraviolet shine. He stopped in front of me The shape of his hat was incredible. It was as high as an Egyptian headdress, but cut, front to back, at an angle. It wasn’t strictly oval but rather wavy in front. The hat was decorated with shining patterns resembling interwoven mandalas. A violet crystal, the shape of a long drop of water turned upside down, was set in the middle. It was impossible to identify the sex of this creature bytits face. No hair was seen from under the hat as if it was bald. The face was pale white, but seemed to look ultraviolet because of the streaming light. He had proper and exquisite features. And, as his predecessor, he had two hollow openings instead of eyes, and the expression on his face was absolutely neutral. His look affected me so badly that my state of mind was completely under his control and manipulated by him. He kept me in a state of awe to prevent me from jerking, but at the same time, did nothing to harm me. In an attempt to understand him, | looked into his eyes and became lost in them. At that moment I realized we had begun to exchange information, without words or thoughts, at a very high level. He was likely to be reading the content of my consciousness and, at the same time, sending extremely packed conceptual codes back. It went on for a few minutes. After that he disappeared in the same smooth fashion, and the light disappeared as well. I moved cautiously. The hands on my shoulders were gone. I jumped up and lit the candle. I walked around the cave and looked outside. Nobody was there. I was scared and decided to leave the candle burning the whole night. However, it was impossible to sleep. When the first candle burnt down, I lit another one. I didn’t notice when T finally fell asleep. The events of that night continue to exert their influence on me, assisting me in under- standing fundamental events in my life and guiding me on.13 Despite the high temperature and continuous chill, I stayed in the cave for two more days until | ran out of all sources of light, including matches, During this time, I copied everything that was possible to copy from the walls, Despite a strong desire to stay in this holy place, my common sense pushed me to get back to civilization in order to stop the progression of my illness On my way back to the road, I realized that the differences in the pictures on the opposite walls were in some way connected with their directions towards India and Tibet. The pictures that I found on the walls of the cave have become a part of this book... ‘The next day, a lorry going to Lhasa picked me up... INTRODUCTION ‘ow is the time to pass on from training instructions to an understanding of the true goal of the Yoga Tradition and its technical content. During the past few years, numerous sources were published on Yoga that recently were unavailable or very rare. At present, there is no knowledge of the universal laws and phenomena that would serve as a basis for Yoga practice, independent of style differences. This book may reconcile this need. Modern people have all but lost the possibility to trust in words. Before taking action, they need to know the goal and the means of their accomplishment. Instead of acting, they find numerous reasons for doubt. This is the reason why I devoted this book to the generalization and systematization of the acquired experience by means of which one can better understand the Tradition of Yoga. It is the reader's free will and karmic choice as to how to use this knowledge in the fature, and what schools and styles to accept. Book knowledge always falls behind the development and evolution of the knowledge itself. It is obvious that experience and perception come faster than one can write about them. It is natural that after the completion of a book the writer accumulates lots of new practical experience and a better understanding of the content, such that the material seems partially outdated; But, of course, not for the reader. Apparently it’s always going to be like that. ‘That's why I fully realize that this book only summarizes the experience of a particular stage of development. Tomorrow, some new experience will allow us to see other horizons of the Truth, and it is possible that I will have to criticize myself. In this book, I have tried to write about things that have never been published in any special literature, and to view certain aspects of Yoga practice from a different angle. Therefore, the greater part of the content of this book is original and has not been published before. This book makes use of Sanskrit names of Asanas, Pranayamas, Bandhas and Mudras, according to the terminology and technique of “Light on Yoga’, the authoritative book by B.K.S, Iyengar, since it is widely available and known to the majority of Yoga practitioners. This book also includes chapters dealing with processes in the practice of Yoga that I thought had not been sufficiently investigated. I hope the reader will not be too captious to these materials, but will submit something of their own for the further development and perception of these issues.Wao YOGA: TRADITION OF UNIFICATION, Cece Cree CREPE eee Senne Ecce rege SeSeeg tae In the view of the techniques and exercises described in this book, one may have the inipression that they are too complicated and not suitable for everyone. This is not true, It will be helpful to rid oneself of the idea of maximizing and avoid attempts to “try on yourself” all the advanced exercises, A perfect system is capable of meeting the demands of everyone, from a weak beginner 0 a professional teacher. One just needs to be realistic in evaluating his or her capabilities and Present stage of development. One should remember that progress depends solely on you. There is no need to compare your abilities with the abilities of other Yoga practitioners. Also there is no sense in thinking that this system is not suitable for you due to the fact that the actual stage of your development doesn't meet the suggested standards. —————— eee The publication of this book was preceded by a longstanding search for knowledge, persist- ent practice, and the perception of laws that serve as the basis for the Tradition of Yoga. I was lucky to practically penetrate into the practices and techniques of different Yoga schools and styles. At the same time, I have always resorted to freestyle in my own practice, combining the knowledge I learned through study, the feeling of the Supreme Goal, and my own findings that incorporate the most effective elements of various styles. The majority of those who have enough experience and have followed the Tradition of Yoga for a long time sooner or later come to the same conclusion. This book contains no basic practical sets and therefore one may have the impression that the material proposed here can hardly be used in practice. This is not true. In this book, the reader will find something better than simple sets of exercises. It contains the Universal Keys to the Knowledge of Yoga. The keys will allow you to compile individual training programs and, at the same time, remain creative and independent. Everyone knows that, among all the possible sets of exercises, an individually-tailored program turns out to be the best one, The system represented herein presupposes consciousness of the practitioner. It has been created for those who have proceeded along the path of Yoga and gained some practical expe- rience and wisdom. It is for those who are capable of using the knowledge, see the substance of phenomena, and act consciously and creatively. There are just a few of them, but they are the leaders. The spirit of unity is at the heart of this book. It coveys the gist of the Tradition of Yoga without infringing on your freedom and life mission. The information proposed herein acts like a traffic sign. Using one’s own karmic motivations, everyone should decide independently where to go and what to do. Life is an ancient fairy tale. Just like many, many years ago, everyone still faces the crossroad stone: What do I choose? Do I go straight, turn right, take a rest, or go back?PATHWAY ViparitaHalAsanaio vO: TRADITION OF UNIFICATION TRUE PATHWAY AND THE MASTER rue Knowledge has no other source than the One. He is the True Master. At the same T time the Keepers of the Yoga Tradition have always stressed in every possible way the importance of the worldly, human Master. Worldly Masters are the conductors of Knowledge and Power of the One. Sincerity and mutual confidence between the Master and the student are absolutely necessary for the transfer of Knowledge and Power. Only in this case, despite differences in experience and personal mission, can each demonstrate their superior limits. In this case the miracle of the initiation of the new keeper of the Tradition may occur. The Master conveys to the student the joint experience of the previous generations of the Keepers, whose feats enhanced the power of the Tradition, and enable him to maximize his time without repetition of preceding mistakes. Phe True Tradition of Yoga has no specialized clarifying names. It is neither copyrighted nor patent protected. It is simply Yoga. This ancient word implies Unification with the Immense. This Pathway has its own direction for every human being. Those who have achieved prefer to avoid any names at all because they see the limitation of freedom, even in this one word. They are not oriented toward particular material expression but rather to the abstract, ideal protection of the essence of Unification. The True Pathway implies complete fteedom of choice. It is for those people who are capable of loving the True Master and receiving his lessons, in any form He creates. NATURAL AND INVERTED FLOW rom the time of the Big Bang, all forms of life received a direction. It is set uniquely, and F a special counter measures the life duration of all creatures. All religions created by mankind have their own principal positions with respect to how one should live, either along the initially set direction or backward, against the current, There are also schools that accept both directions, depending on the situation, Furthermore, any flow has explicit and implicit anti-flow. In this way, for example, the flow of electrons in semiconductors implies the oncoming flow of “vacancies” The schools insisting on the supremacy of the natural course of events bring to the foreground the Higher Will, which sets the direction and the sense of life. The schools oriented towards the Anti-Force declare their goal as the inversion of the natural course of events. In other words, actions against the linear flow of time. The schools which count on the conscious choice of means, depending on the goal and the situation, employ both for what to apply and when. The vital functions of a human being, as well as that of any other creature, are taken as flow-oriented, The secret of rejuvenation and extraordinary powers lies within the ability to control these directions, to keep the Counter of Life well in hand and consciously realize one’s destination under the guidance of the Higher Sense of Existence. There are numerous physical and psychophysical manipulations developed in Yoga, which are devised for the inversion of the direction of the natural flows. One of the typical means ofPATHWAY 17 inverting the flow of the main powers is Brachmacharya (a comprehensive control of the senses) and the use of inverted postures in training, The latter results in the process through which qualitatively different powers, which naturally act in the lower and upper centers, rush into one another and mix together, manifesting themselves in a third qualitative state, Likewise, any power can be reversed, be it an obtrusive appetite, sexual obsession, or a habit of constant consideration. WILL AND THE POWER OF SPIRIT the will manifests itself when the power is restrained and kept under control. A human being has a center where power is concentrated and distributed from. This is an extremely small zone where the vital power of a man is controlled. Numerous doors surround this zone. Each door opens its way, its own sector of directional thinking, feeling and action, which is necessarily followed by the reaction of the Infinite. As a rule, an “ordinary” man keeps the doors wide open. They hang loosely under the blows of the multidirectional winds of the outer Will, accumulating the Power. In the East, the attention of such a person is compared to a cloud that moves from one door to another, carried away by the winds of publit.opinion, prestige, commercials, personal ambitions, weaknesses, habits and other “pests”. But Power resides at the place where attention is captured. There exist your life and your money. The one who controls attention is considered to be a true Master. The Power is subjected to his Will. In this situation, freedom is gained through the conscious control of the doors. A true Master willfully decides where, when, and to what extent the door be opened, thus controlling the power of the flow in this particular sector. His Will manifests itself only at the time when the door is closed (with resignation) or half-opened for a precisely set width. The Power of Mind keeps the doomin a position that is independent of external sensual influences. Only through gaining control over the doors can the Will be manifested and the Power of Mind increased. If the potential becomes high enough, the door opened intentionally attracts the required result. One may hardly believe in this effect, but this magical law operates with the same consistency as the law of gravitation. The greater the potential of the Power of Mind, the faster the achievement of the required result. Everyone who retains the Power of Mind and lives in the Spirit knows this from his or her own experience. The level of the true Freedom of the Spirit depends on the extent of modesty and resignation. Only one mistake is possible: when the attempt is taken in order to live submissively for the achievement of a particularly tangible goal. Power cannot be misled. It reacts to reality. The accomplishment of spiritual feats with a secret plan to achieve a particular goal will bring the situation where this goal will always underlay the external goal of spiritual progress. But the Power of One, being the incarnation of the universal power ties, knows all about it. It grants only what is already protected by the immunity of a detached attitude, only ‘that to which one has become absolutely indifferent and resigned. The existence of the goal implies a certain desire. A strong desire is essential for achieving the goal using the common means available to people, but it becomes a problem in terms of magical realization.ag Hr Pe ere ra oe eae YOGA: TRADITION OF UNIFICATION YOGA AND MORALITY orality is the fundamental law on which human behavior is based. It is very important from where this law originates, i. e., externally or internally. Morality that originates externally prescribes to the man what has to be done and what does not. But biases, prescriptions, and taboos inhabit human consciousness, and this form of morality will only serve to feed them. Sooner or later, the dam bursts and the man takes a false step. Morality that originates internally is based on love as a simple and natural state of pure consciousness. It is obtained through liberation from mental delusions, the balancing of powers and the development of the Spirit, The value of this morality is much greater than that dictated by an external authority. If man does not have internal harmony, and has unbalanced powers boiling up inside of him, it would be useless to teach him how to love and be patient. He will continue manifesting aggression as long as there remains a source for it within, as long as the power in his consciousness remains clenched and misleading. Therefore, it is important to remove the routs of such spiritual disease by balancing the powers, using real stabilizing exercises rather than external morality. The efforts should be targeted towards the source rather than the result, Therefore for the true development of morality the Tradition of Yoga gives preferences to the actions that purify and balance the consciousness. The result will be seen without delay as soon as these changes actually take place. True morality is impossible without love, which is understood as the dynamic unification with the object of attraction. This object can be concrete or abstract. The state of love may be expressed in specific actions or in an abstract state of mind. In the Tradition of Yoga, the process of unification with the object is called Samyama. It is a persistent transition from Dharana (concentration of the rays of attention on the object) to Dhyana (contemplation and confluence with the qualities of this object) and further to Samadhi (the ecstasy of complete identification with it). One should not rely on the hope that once the level of mastership is attained, one may relax and rest on his laurels. Downfall and degradation can occur very quickly at any level. Loss of vigilance and balance is a loophole for new mental delusions. Each stage of practice has codes embedded that correspond to the complexity of the exercises. A Self-acting Law monitors access to the exercises of different levels of complexity and the output of subjected powers. ‘The state of consciousness of the student and his moral foundations determine his way of living: what and how he eats, how long he sleeps, what he is occupied with, what stresses he gets, etc. Consequently, this way of life determines the state of his body, senses and mind. The qualities of the body, senses and mind are the main factors that limit the practice. Therefore, as the basis for a comprehensive transformation itis traditionally recommended when starting the practice of Yoga to begin with purifying exercises and ethical perfection, Some may ignore this and start practicing only those aspects of Yoga that develop strength, following exceptionally pragmatic purposes as practiced by the followers of some magic clans. But Power cannot be misled, The discrepancy between the stage of consciousness and the output of practice is mostPATHWAY 12 likely to result in various traumas and karmic problems. Sooner or later the Law of Karma forces these “deceivers” either to give up yoga practice due to the state of their health, or to realize the absolute necessity of balancing consciousness and accepting internal morality. ‘Asanas are the codes of the state of mind. Their complexity is a simple test of the correspondence between Asanas and a more developed and balanced consciousness. The practice of Asanas is the urge to gain access to higher levels of existence rather than simply physical training. Neither circus nor sport acrobatics can be considered Yoga. These practices are purely physical and are not oriented towards changing the consciousness, although the physical shape of an acrobat may serve as a starting point for the possible evolutionary advancement of consciousness. The athletic approach should be avoided when making Asanas more complicated and sophisticated. Yoga is not a sport! The bodies of sportsmen are known to age quickly and ex- perience disease in middle age. Yogis do not become ill and preserve their good looks until an extremely old age. In Yoga, the greatest priority is given to the feeling of one’s personal limits rather than to the complexity of the Asanas. Therefore, it is useless to compare the practice of one person with the practice of another. They are principally incomparable, There is another conclusion to be drawn from the above. The strength and flexibility of a young body do not give any reason to claim oneself an advanced Yogi. True Yoga implies the recognition of the upper spheres of existence, which becomes possible only with the evolution of the Spirit. KEY TO MASTERSHIP lhe system proposed in this book contains the Universal Algorithm of achieving individual mastership that can be applied in any art. Let’s take Yoga practice as an example. ‘A human body hat a potential limit of flexibility, strength and stamina “the Limit of the Maximum Circle” inside of which there is a “Subject Zone”. Usually, before starting Yoga practice, man has no clear understanding of where this limit lies and what can be found within the Subject Zone. But the Boundary (the frontier) can be clearly determined right after the practice has started. In this case, all the exercises within his ability are organized into the “Subject Arsenal” of instrumental and technical facilities. The expansion of the Subject Arsenal can be achieved by two methods. ‘The first method consists of combining and developing new connections between separate components of the Subject Arsenal. According to this method, all suitable exercises are divided into simple components (certain positions of the hands, legs, body, head and some fragments of dynamic movements). The synthesis of these components creates new approachable exercises that can be included into the Subject Arsenal. The second method consists of expanding the limit of the Maximum Circle through regular waining and attempts to acquire previously unknown qualities and functional abilities, such as flexibility, static and dynamic strength, static and dynamic endurance, coordination and reaction. It allows one to inclade new exercises into the Subject Arsenal. Further on, the first20 YOGA: [TION OF UNIF) IN, method may be applied to this expanded arsenal and the resulting elements are then used to create new exercises through the combination of these elements between themselves or with the elements of simpler exercises. These methods allow the practitioner to create new exercises and also to choose the most efficient exercises from all available ones. The development of the Subject Arsenal and the Subject Zone is directly connected with the improvement of mental control and the expansion of consciousness. In this way the practice of Yoga may be applied to any art. For example, for a scientist, the Arsenal consists of the academic knowledge of scientific laws and the technical possibilities of experimental facilities in order to obtain new knowledge. For a merchant, it is in the choice of goods in his store, as well as the technical abilities used to attract the attention of buyers for his goods (ie., using advertising tactics and marketing hooks). The expansion of the Subject Zone is connected with the expansion of consciousness; its division into elementary components and further integration of these components into new combinations allow the perfection of this Zone, Through the consolidation of all accumulated life experience, this allows one to efficiently progress in the selected sphere of activity. This is the key to understanding the contents of this book. The practice of Yoga has two mutually supplementing ways to attain perfection and truc mastership. They are training under a specified program and spontaneous training. ‘The expansion of the Limit ofthe Maximum Circle and the enlargement of the Subjec Arsenal (Kriyas, Asanas, Vinyasas, Pranayamas, Mudras, Rasas, etc.) is achieved by attackin personal limits during the course of regular training using multiple repetitions of well-know: exercises and a set of extremely accessible training exercises. The development of new connec tions within the Subject Zone is achieved through the creative search, recognition, and practi cal development of new, previously unknown forms and algorithms, as well as the creation ¢ various combinations found in the course of spontaneous heuristic training. In fact, there are few people who train all their lives under a prescribed program. Therefor the second method naturally derives from the first one. The accumulation of the practic experience of performing predetermined sets of exercises inevitably builds into a new quali of perception, through the spontancous bursting into unexpected combinations that sprit from the senses without any rules that would come from the mind. This form of heurist comprehension should not be suppressed or restrained. These combinations contain the Spit of Freedom. But one should remain extremely attentive and cautious when attempting the as any movement into the Non-Subject Zone is always connected with surprises,