People asked us how come we don't run/teach yoga classes and teachers training courses?
Yoga practice is about taming/quieting the restless mind to free the mind from suffering of restlessness and impurities derived from ignorance and egoism by realizing selflessness (birthlessness, deathlessness, attributelessness, namelessness, formlessness) through the practice of dispassion, renunciation, silence, self-inquiry, concentration, meditation, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation that require a high degree of open-mindedness, right discrimination, intense yearning for liberation, will-power, perseverance, independence, self-control and discipline.
After one learned about the teachings and practice from someone who has direct experience of the teachings and practice, one implements these teachings and practice in everyday life, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, which is nothing to do with attending regular 'yoga classes' or attending 'yoga teachers training course' to become 'certified professional yoga teacher' to teach/conduct 'yoga classes'.
Most people don't really interested to learn and practice yoga when they are interested in joining 'yoga classes', as they wouldn't/couldn't let go the thinking and belief which they think and believe is who they are (the main hindrance towards the realization of selflessness.) They just want to do some physical exercises to keep fit and be healthy, to feel good and look good. And it's nothing wrong. Everyone has the freedom for what they want and don't want, and what they think and believe.
Most 'yoga classes' are existing mostly as one of the healthy leisure activities for health and fitness enhancement by doing some yoga asana, relaxation and breathing exercises, just like any other personal/group fitness training exercise classes, which is a very healthy activity. It's very good that people would love to do some form of physical exercise regularly for maintaining good health and vitality to enjoy a higher quality of life. And some highly talented people even transformed yoga asana practice into amazing acrobatic performance, it's very inspiring for people to take up some physical fitness training to look good and feel good, and not spending time and energy in unhealthy/unwholesome activities.
The initial objective of 'teachers training courses' is about oneself learning and practicing the teachings of yoga to purify one's mind, to awaken/realize the teacher within to become one's own teacher, to discipline one's mind to be free from ignorance and egoism. It's not about training people who are interested in 'teaching yoga classes' or 'running yoga courses' to become 'certified professional yoga teachers' and issue/authorize them with 'recognized certification' to conduct yoga courses/teach yoga classes according to the different types of teaching style from different types of yoga school. It's training one's own mind to be it's own teacher. Upon self-realization of yoga/oneness/selflessness, one might or might not share the direct experience with others.
'Yoga retreats' are also being 'transformed' into self-pampering/indulgence of the senses getaway that empowers the egoistic desires of carving and aversion, or being 'transformed' into 'mystical healing' camp. Even so, it's neither right nor wrong. That is what most minds like and desire. It really doesn't matter. In the end, yoga is still what it is, whether people are learning and practicing and teaching yoga as it is, or not. The truth won't be affected/contaminated by any add-on/take-out elements, although the creative worldly minded can transform the teachings and practice of yoga into something that they prefer.
Most of the serious yoga practitioners don't really run/teach 'yoga classes', or 'yoga courses', or 'yoga teachers training courses' although they might be teaching yoga to many others. Sharing the teachings and practice of yoga with others doesn't necessarily has to be in the form of conducting yoga classes/courses/retreats. Some might have been teaching 'yoga classes' in the beginning, but after some time, they renounced the worldly social life and activities to concentrate on their own practice, upon realization that renunciation from worldly affair/interaction/activities/relationships is the greatest compassion towards oneself and all beings. Everyone is responsible for their own practice to look after their own mind, to discipline/quiet/purify their own mind, to deal with the consequences of their own ignorance, to become their own teacher, to free their own mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities via their own effort.
Meanwhile, 'yoga teachers training courses' are no longer about learning and practicing yoga to become one's own teacher to be self-independent, to perform self-inquiry, to silent/annihilate the mind to attain self-realization, but the identity and qualification of a 'yoga teacher'/recognition/authorization/certifications/association/commercial value/career value are the drive for conducting/participating yoga teachers training courses.
This is the world of yoga, and there's nothing wrong or bad with it.
Many people think that they like and love yoga, but not really. When come to serious yoga practice, most people would turn away or justify that it is not yoga (the way that they think it should be.) And there's nothing wrong, as all minds take their own pace and own path to evolve and realize.
In the silent meditation retreat that doesn't charge any fees (donate as you like, or even nothing), quite many people would want to runaway or quit after a few days observing silence, for not being able to talk to other people, can't have physical/eye contact with other people, not able to express as they like, can't do what they usually like to do, can't eat what they usually like to eat, no stimulating entertainment for the mind, sleeping on hard bed in basic accommodation, and they have to sit for meditation for more than 10 hours a day, while lots of physical/mental/emotional discomforts arise and random thoughts bubbling up to the surface of the mind. Some people would stay until the retreat finishes, but they don't really observe silence throughout the entire retreat, such like they are still talking/whispering/making signs/interacting with their friends and keeping their phones with them, even though it's not allowed. But, there's nothing wrong with that either, as it's how most worldly minds would behave, out of loneliness, boredom and meaninglessness derived from being refrained from their usual worldly stimulation/activities.
Most minds would 'cheat' to be comfortable and not to be uncomfortable. It's not about what's right and what's wrong. And it's not about how good is one's yoga practice and meditation experience, but it's the ability to confront/deal with all the things that the mind doesn't familiar with, doesn't like and doesn't agree with, while not coming in contact with the things that the mind familiars with, likes and agrees with, being free from craving and aversion, be able to forbear difficulties and unpleasantness equanimously, and free the mind from restlessness/impurities out of ignorance and egoism, that matters most.
The mind won't evolve/progress and keeps running round and round in the loop of worldly ideas/thinking/belief, if it keeps swaying in between craving and aversion, running away from difficulties and unpleasantness and what it doesn't like (the mind perception of the qualities of bad, negative, wrong, meaninglessness and unhappiness,) and chasing after what it likes and desires (the mind perception of the qualities of good, positive, right, meaningfulness and happiness,) even after many years of attending 'yoga classes' and 'yoga retreats' or doing yoga asana and breathing exercises regularly, or possessed many 'yoga certifications' and given 'yoga classes' to many people.
Be free.
Yoga practice is about taming/quieting the restless mind to free the mind from suffering of restlessness and impurities derived from ignorance and egoism by realizing selflessness (birthlessness, deathlessness, attributelessness, namelessness, formlessness) through the practice of dispassion, renunciation, silence, self-inquiry, concentration, meditation, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation that require a high degree of open-mindedness, right discrimination, intense yearning for liberation, will-power, perseverance, independence, self-control and discipline.
After one learned about the teachings and practice from someone who has direct experience of the teachings and practice, one implements these teachings and practice in everyday life, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, which is nothing to do with attending regular 'yoga classes' or attending 'yoga teachers training course' to become 'certified professional yoga teacher' to teach/conduct 'yoga classes'.
Most people don't really interested to learn and practice yoga when they are interested in joining 'yoga classes', as they wouldn't/couldn't let go the thinking and belief which they think and believe is who they are (the main hindrance towards the realization of selflessness.) They just want to do some physical exercises to keep fit and be healthy, to feel good and look good. And it's nothing wrong. Everyone has the freedom for what they want and don't want, and what they think and believe.
Most 'yoga classes' are existing mostly as one of the healthy leisure activities for health and fitness enhancement by doing some yoga asana, relaxation and breathing exercises, just like any other personal/group fitness training exercise classes, which is a very healthy activity. It's very good that people would love to do some form of physical exercise regularly for maintaining good health and vitality to enjoy a higher quality of life. And some highly talented people even transformed yoga asana practice into amazing acrobatic performance, it's very inspiring for people to take up some physical fitness training to look good and feel good, and not spending time and energy in unhealthy/unwholesome activities.
The initial objective of 'teachers training courses' is about oneself learning and practicing the teachings of yoga to purify one's mind, to awaken/realize the teacher within to become one's own teacher, to discipline one's mind to be free from ignorance and egoism. It's not about training people who are interested in 'teaching yoga classes' or 'running yoga courses' to become 'certified professional yoga teachers' and issue/authorize them with 'recognized certification' to conduct yoga courses/teach yoga classes according to the different types of teaching style from different types of yoga school. It's training one's own mind to be it's own teacher. Upon self-realization of yoga/oneness/selflessness, one might or might not share the direct experience with others.
'Yoga retreats' are also being 'transformed' into self-pampering/indulgence of the senses getaway that empowers the egoistic desires of carving and aversion, or being 'transformed' into 'mystical healing' camp. Even so, it's neither right nor wrong. That is what most minds like and desire. It really doesn't matter. In the end, yoga is still what it is, whether people are learning and practicing and teaching yoga as it is, or not. The truth won't be affected/contaminated by any add-on/take-out elements, although the creative worldly minded can transform the teachings and practice of yoga into something that they prefer.
Most of the serious yoga practitioners don't really run/teach 'yoga classes', or 'yoga courses', or 'yoga teachers training courses' although they might be teaching yoga to many others. Sharing the teachings and practice of yoga with others doesn't necessarily has to be in the form of conducting yoga classes/courses/retreats. Some might have been teaching 'yoga classes' in the beginning, but after some time, they renounced the worldly social life and activities to concentrate on their own practice, upon realization that renunciation from worldly affair/interaction/activities/relationships is the greatest compassion towards oneself and all beings. Everyone is responsible for their own practice to look after their own mind, to discipline/quiet/purify their own mind, to deal with the consequences of their own ignorance, to become their own teacher, to free their own mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities via their own effort.
Meanwhile, 'yoga teachers training courses' are no longer about learning and practicing yoga to become one's own teacher to be self-independent, to perform self-inquiry, to silent/annihilate the mind to attain self-realization, but the identity and qualification of a 'yoga teacher'/recognition/authorization/certifications/association/commercial value/career value are the drive for conducting/participating yoga teachers training courses.
This is the world of yoga, and there's nothing wrong or bad with it.
Many people think that they like and love yoga, but not really. When come to serious yoga practice, most people would turn away or justify that it is not yoga (the way that they think it should be.) And there's nothing wrong, as all minds take their own pace and own path to evolve and realize.
In the silent meditation retreat that doesn't charge any fees (donate as you like, or even nothing), quite many people would want to runaway or quit after a few days observing silence, for not being able to talk to other people, can't have physical/eye contact with other people, not able to express as they like, can't do what they usually like to do, can't eat what they usually like to eat, no stimulating entertainment for the mind, sleeping on hard bed in basic accommodation, and they have to sit for meditation for more than 10 hours a day, while lots of physical/mental/emotional discomforts arise and random thoughts bubbling up to the surface of the mind. Some people would stay until the retreat finishes, but they don't really observe silence throughout the entire retreat, such like they are still talking/whispering/making signs/interacting with their friends and keeping their phones with them, even though it's not allowed. But, there's nothing wrong with that either, as it's how most worldly minds would behave, out of loneliness, boredom and meaninglessness derived from being refrained from their usual worldly stimulation/activities.
Most minds would 'cheat' to be comfortable and not to be uncomfortable. It's not about what's right and what's wrong. And it's not about how good is one's yoga practice and meditation experience, but it's the ability to confront/deal with all the things that the mind doesn't familiar with, doesn't like and doesn't agree with, while not coming in contact with the things that the mind familiars with, likes and agrees with, being free from craving and aversion, be able to forbear difficulties and unpleasantness equanimously, and free the mind from restlessness/impurities out of ignorance and egoism, that matters most.
The mind won't evolve/progress and keeps running round and round in the loop of worldly ideas/thinking/belief, if it keeps swaying in between craving and aversion, running away from difficulties and unpleasantness and what it doesn't like (the mind perception of the qualities of bad, negative, wrong, meaninglessness and unhappiness,) and chasing after what it likes and desires (the mind perception of the qualities of good, positive, right, meaningfulness and happiness,) even after many years of attending 'yoga classes' and 'yoga retreats' or doing yoga asana and breathing exercises regularly, or possessed many 'yoga certifications' and given 'yoga classes' to many people.
Be free.
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