Every branch of knowledge develops a ‘popular’ version around it in time, and so has yoga. This is only natural. Hence the responsibility to preserve the purity and focus of the traditional approach becomes important. Be it yoga or the traditional art forms, we at Ambalam are one of those few who are committed to this ideal. We are grateful for being able to stick to this commitment.
Yoga has become another commodity in the popular market. Hence a dilution in standards is inevitable at large. What we popularly see under the label of ‘yoga’, has the approach of a purely physical sport at one end of the spectrum and the approach of hunting ‘special mystic experiences’ at the other end of the spectrum.
The fact remains that yoga is a great tradition that has nurtured an unambiguous and clear understanding of the subject, a systematic methodology of teaching and a vast treasure of scriptures that preserve these. According to this tradition, yoga is neither a sport nor an ‘experience trip’.
Yoga is a systematic approach to self-mastery.
It includes:
- Developing and maintaining health, harmony and resilience in the body, mind and intellect.
- Freeing the mind from the grip of habits and compulsions.
- Developing the ability for clear discernment that is ethical, useful and realistic.
- Developing the ability to apply one’s mind and energies in the wisely chosen direction with minimal inner conflict.
- Opening oneself to the higher and finer aspects of life.
As committed students and dedicated teachers of this timeless tradition, we have the responsibility to stick to the rigour of this tradition while being flexible for the reality of the teaching context. Only then can we facilitate in our students the true intended benefit of yoga.
It is very easy to make them do some postures and give a demo at the sports day or school day. This is not going to make them really enjoy the benefits of yoga as a discipline in one’s life. It is a truly challenging task to inculcate in the students a genuine motivation for making yoga a part of their life.
It requires a lot of time, patience and flexibility in the teaching approach, to effectively plant the seed and nurture the tender sapling of ‘self-mastery’, amidst all the rush and pressure for ‘achievement’ and ‘survival’, in the limited teaching hours given to us. This asks us to be focussed and prioritised in the topics we choose and the time scale we decide.
We can actualise this noble mission through your trust in our approach as well as mutual support and co-operation between our teachers, the school, the students and parents.
May we learn and grow together