By Roy E. Thibodeau
For me, this is an interesting topic. I am a Yogi, and in the truest sense, I practice the science of Yoga. For most of you, that comes with an interesting view of Yoga. When you think of Yoga, most of you immediately conjure up images of people in various postures or asanas. You are not entirely incorrect, but the physical side of Yoga, or Hatha Yoga, is only a small part of Yoga. Hatha Yoga is a complete path of Yoga if indeed practiced correctly.
Yoga is very scientific, with procedures and techniques for everything, each designed to produce a specific result. This feeds perfectly into the topic of organizing, balancing, and Adjusting. If you are going to approach something scientifically, you first have to manage yourself and prepare for the procedures you are about to perform. This takes some planning as to what you are trying to accomplish, organizing the different components, finding a good teacher to help you, and then implementing the procedures and techniques in the proper sequence with enthusiasm and devotion.
Much like you would if you were a chef cooking a meal, first you have to decide what you will make, find a good recipe, find a good teacher, gather the ingredients, and then follow the recipe and the teacher’s instructions correctly. If you do that, you get the results you are looking for. In the case of Yoga, that is Self Realization, Enlightenment, Nirvana, Samadhi, whatever name your culture and tradition give it.
Of course, within this procedure, you must constantly balance or rebalance and adjust. With a good teacher or Guru, it is easier as they have already gone this way, and they can help you change along the way as you try to maintain your balance. When treading the Spiritual path, getting off course and out of balance is easy. You might get tired from the effort, not seeing the progress you would like, so you get off track. Or you go off too much in one direction, losing balance. Enthusiasm is essential in your progress, but only if it is in the right direction. Having a Spiritual Teacher or at least correct definite instructions you can follow makes it more likely that you will reach your goal, as long as you follow the instructions and make adjustments if you find yourself getting off the path you set for yourself.
In the traditional path of Yoga, there is something called Patanjali’s eightfold path. It is a blueprint for attaining enlightenment or Samadhi, but it is just that, a blueprint. The details of how to accomplish each step are left to each individual. You can study and read books on Yoga or spiritual topics, and you will find them helpful. You can also find a spiritual teacher or Guru who has already gone through these steps and has led you. Or you can experiment and flounder until you fall into a path that works for you. All of these options are available to you and are okay. It all depends on how quickly you want to make progress.
By the way, Patanjali’s Eightfold Path is 1. Yamas 2.NiYamas 3. Asana 4. Pranayama 5. Pratyahara 6. Concentration 7. Meditation 8. Samadhi. We will all go through these various steps on our way to enlightenment, but there are no rules on how fast you go through them or how long you stay in each step. But all along the way, at each step, it becomes important to organize yourself, balance yourself, and adjust yourself to the changing conditions and even your changing goals.
Roy E. Thibodeau, a dedicated Yoga and meditation teacher for over 52 years, began his spiritual journey after graduating in 1971. Trained by Yogacharya J. Oliver Black and ordained by Roy Eugene Davis, he continues to teach Kriya Yoga and has established Golden Lotus Yoga for Spiritual Awareness, ensuring his lineage endures.
