Seclusion and solitude is highly important for self-inquiry and self-realization

Renunciation must be observed along with seclusion and solitude, especially in this era, of the end of dhamma, where ignorant passionate egoistic thinking and behavior are predominant in everywhere.

Some yoga practitioners might think that renunciation is about renouncing or retreating from their worldly life, not living and mingling among the worldly community, but then, they are attaching towards the yoga family or community, engaging in many kinds of yoga activity regularly interacting with many others who are like-minded, to be accompanying, supporting and motivating one another on the path of yoga, physically, mentally and emotionally, however, after spending some time living a life of 'renunciation from the worldly community', the mind is still not free from the worldly passionate egoistic thinking and behavior pattern.

This is because ignorance and egoism exists even in the yoga community, where many yoga activities, yoga events, yoga classes, yoga courses, yoga retreats, yoga schools, yoga ashrams, yoga organizations and yoga associations are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, that empowers passion, attachment, identification and desires of craving and aversion, instead of developing dispassion and desirelessness. Having similar interest and being like-minded, as well as passionately engaging in yoga activities regularly, doesn't mean that the minds are free from ignorance and egoism. By continuously mingling among and interacting with the yoga community that is not free from the passionate egoistic thinking and behavior pattern under the influence of ignorance and egoism, it couldn't serve the purpose of renunciation effectively, because the mind doesn't get the chance to move away from the worldly passionate egoistic thinking and behavior pattern, continuously thinking and behaving in such way unwittingly, while mingling among and interacting with the yoga community and learning and practicing yoga that is not about the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, but empowers passionate egoistic attachment, identification, desire, comparison, judgment, intention, expectation, as well as mental and emotional dependence.

The essence of renunciation, is for the mind to stay away from such passionate egoistic influences completely for a prolonged period of time, that serves the purpose of thinning out the attachment and identification towards the worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, which allowing the mind be able to develop the basic foundation of dispassion and right discrimination, as well as mental and emotional independence, for inquiring towards all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic thinking and behavior, actions and reactions, and their consequences.

Unless the mind has already developed or be endowed with a strong foundation of non-attachment, non-identification, dispassion and correct understanding (right discrimination), if not, it's highly important for the sincere yoga practitioners who have intense yearning for liberation to be observing seclusion and solitude during the practice of renunciation, not just renouncing from the worldly affairs and the worldly community that are mostly under the influence of passionate worldly egoistic thinking and behavior pattern, but also retreating from the world of yoga community and yoga activities that are not necessarily be free from the influence of worldly passionate egoistic thinking and behavior pattern.

Some minds believe that they only need to renounce the world mentally, while physically mingling among the worldly passionate egoistic minds, engaging in passionate egoistic interactive activities and affairs, however, there are not many minds have such strong foundation of non-attachment, dispassion and right discrimination, as well as mental and emotional independence, to be living and mingling among the passionate egoistic minds, and not being influenced by the passionate egoistic way of thinking and behavior.

There will be some non-understanding reaction and even criticism and condemn coming from family and friends, as well as some others in the yoga community when the mind renounces not only the worldly community, but also the yoga community, however, it only shows that these minds are very much thinking, behaving, acting and reacting under the influence of passionate egoistic thinking and behavior pattern. Some minds will be puzzled, disappointed, and even offended, when a mind stops engaging in any family and friends social cultural activities, as well as not participating in or associating with any yoga organizations, associations, gatherings, activities and events. There's neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, in all these egoistic reactions towards the mind that observes renunciation, seclusion and solitude. All minds take their own time to evolve, at their own cause and pace.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, including the different teachings and practice of yoga deriving from the world of yoga, as well as all the teachings here.

It's everyone's freedom whether they want to observe seclusion and solitude, or not, that allows the mind to develop the foundation of dispassion and right discrimination, and mental and emotional independence, effectively. However, such intense practice might not be suitable for all and everyone.

After developing a strong foundation of non-attachment, dispassion and right discrimination, one can live and mingle freely among the passionate egoistic minds, and not being influenced by them at all, while performing selfless service to disseminate the teachings that leads other minds onto the path of self-inquiry and self-realization, to be free from ignorance.

The importance of mental and emotional independence for self-realization

Mental and emotional independence is the reflection of a mind that is free from craving, longing and expectation towards receiving any kind of external mental and emotional support and acknowledgement to feel love, good, happy, satisfied and meaningful about oneself or life existence, who doesn't need to feel love, good, happy, satisfied and meaningful about oneself or life existence at all, as it is happy as it is, unconditionally, who is free from ignorant egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation, who is not being determined by the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, who is not being influenced by all kinds of duality, the pleasant and unpleasant experiences, the agreeable and disagreeable relationships, or the good and bad condition and situation in one's personal life and in the world, who respects the law of cause and effect, who embraces the truth of selflessness and impermanence, who knows how to accept the perceived reality as it is and the impermanent changes as they are, who knows how to love oneself unconditionally as one is, which allowing oneself to love others unconditionally as they are, void of craving and expectation towards receiving certain reasonable or deserving reactions from others upon being kind and loving towards all and everyone unconditionally, being free from possessiveness, who is free from the sense of self-esteem, confidence, connection, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, intimidation, humiliation, victimized, unloved, left out, self-pity, loneliness, boredom, meaninglessness, insecurity, guilt, regret, shame, pride, and etc, void of fear and disturbs, understanding that all kinds of ignorant selfish and hurtful behaviors and affairs in the world, are deriving from ignorance, and that it has to come from the minds themselves to be aware of ignorance, and be initiative to be free from ignorance.

Many minds, including some enthusiastic yoga lovers, yoga practitioners and yoga teachers, might think and believe that, "Everything that I do, is for everyone to be happy. I want everyone to be happy. If you are happy, I will be happy," is a kind and loving sentiment, or a form of selfless compassionate gesture or action, or even, one of the yoga practice. It's not. It's pure ignorance, as well as empowering ignorance in oneself and in others.

Yoga practitioners and yoga teachers need to inquire towards the truth of everything, including all kinds of worldly passionate 'positive', 'uplifting', 'inspiring' and 'motivational' words of encouragement or inspirational quotes, that derived from ignorance and egoism, as well as empowers ignorance and egoism.

A mind is craving for sweets and drugs, and will only be happy if sweets and drugs are available, and if the sweets and drugs are not available, it will be unhappy. Some other minds who think and believe that they are kind and empathetic beings, where they will be unhappy when seeing others are unhappy, where they don't want others to be unhappy and only want others to be happy, and hence, they will give this mind whatever it wants that will make it happy. That's not compassion. That's pure ignorance.

It's understandable that many compassionate actions and reactions or the state of mental and emotional independence, are being seen as a form of 'selfishness', 'uncaring', 'unloving', 'unkind', 'harshness', 'non-sympathetic', 'non-empathetic', 'madness' or 'emotionlessness', by the minds that are righteous, kind, loving, caring, sympathetic and empathetic, but are under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

It's also understandable that even when there are quite many good, kind, loving, sympathetic, empathetic and righteous minds in the world, who want to be good and do good, who are performing many good and kind actions in the world, however, all these qualities don't stop the minds from thinking, acting and reacting under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that bring along the consequences of actions/reactions out of ignorance and egoism, while being disturbed by the many things or happenings in the world that are indeed the consequences of the mass actions and reactions out of ignorance and egoism, that the minds themselves don't like, don't agree with and don't desire.

One can be engaging in yoga and meditation practice for many years, and/or teaching yoga and meditation to many other minds, being enthusiastic towards adopting and propagating a healthy way of living and clean eating, who wants to be good and do good, who upholds righteousness and goodness while strongly against wrongfulness and evilness, who is well-educated and knowledgeable about many things under different topics, being brought up in a well-mannered family background, as well as be endowed with a friendly, kind, caring, loving, sympathetic, empathetic, gentle, non-violent and peace loving personality, however, if the mind is not free from ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, passionate desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation, where the mind doesn't have mental and emotional independence, while encouraging mental and emotional dependence among one another, and it doesn't know what is or how to develop mental and emotional independence, where it doesn't know how to love itself unconditionally as it is, or love all and everything as they are, being attached towards and determined by the actions and the fruit of actions, being determined and influenced by the perception of duality in all kinds of experiences, relationships, conditions and situations in life and in the world, being determined and disturbed by the sense of self-esteem, confidence, connection, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, intimidation, humiliation, victimized, unloved, left out, self-pity, loneliness, boredom, meaninglessness, insecurity, guilt, regret, shame, pride, and etc, where the mind is occupied by fear and disturbs, then this mind is not free.

Mental and emotional dependence among one another, is something in common among the many different types of beliefs, values and practice in the world, as the survival of those beliefs, values and practice are very much depending on the mental and emotional dependence among one another within the family, tribe, followers or community of any particular belief, values and practice. Children growing up under such condition being encouraged to be developing mental and emotional dependence among one another, and passing down such belief, values and practice to the next generations. This extends to an area, a state, or a country, where mental and emotional dependence among the community of a particular area, state or country, is highly being encouraged and developed as something good, normal and healthy. Many leaders, teachers, supporters or followers of certain organizations are strongly against mental and emotional independence, which is something that the mind should inquire and reflect upon, if the mind really wants to free itself from ignorance.

Mental and emotional independence doesn't mean that one will not be kind and loving towards others.

Mental and emotional dependence doesn't mean that one will not be hurting oneself and/or others out of ignorance and egoism, upon the non-gratification of desires, or upon the presence of unpleasant, undesirable and disagreeable experiences, relationships, conditions and situations, and upon the absence of pleasant, desirable and agreeable experiences, relationships, conditions and situations.

The minds that understand this, they are happy as they are. They don't need anyone or anything to make them happy. They don't need to experience, do, attain or possess something that will make them happy. None and nothing can make them unhappy, even when they are being aware of, disagreeing with and non-supporting many things that derived from ignorance and egoism, that empowers ignorance and egoism.

The minds that don't understand this, then none or nothing can make them happy, if they want to be unhappy. If they feel happy because of experiencing, doing, attaining or possessing something that they like and desire, it is merely the conditional and momentary sense of love, righteousness, confidence, goodness, happiness, satisfaction, accomplishment or meaningfulness upon the gratification of desires, that is impermanent.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (10)

All minds under different degrees of ignorance and egoism will take their own pace depending on their effort, discipline, understanding, determination, perseverance, condition and situation to learn, practice, inquire, understand and realize what is going on in their own mind.

There's nothing to be comparing and judged about among the different minds on the different paths of yoga.

All the different types of yoga paths and lineages under different names and forms, with different ways of styles, approaches and practices, to suit different minds of different temperaments and degrees of understanding, are all about Self-realization, the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. If it doesn't lead towards the elimination of ignorance and egoism, then it's just some physical and mental health and fitness activities, just like many other physical and mental health and fitness activities in the world, still benefiting the body and the thinking mind to certain extend.

Most minds begin their journey of Self-realization under an impure egoistic modification of the mind, being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, to behave, act and react, to analyze, compare and judge. Somewhere along the path or lineage, somehow, some minds that weren't/aren't pure might behave, act and react under the influence of ignorance and egoism and impurities, and hence, there might be some 'mischievousness' occurred/occur in the different yoga lineage/school/ashram/organization.

Minds that have certain degrees of understanding, will not be disturbed, affected or determined by the different types of 'mischievousness' that existed/exist in certain yoga lineage/school/ashram/organization, either experiencing by oneself or some others, and move on in one's journey towards Self-realization, knowing that the corruptions or mischievousness of the impure minds are deriving from the ignorance and impurities in the minds, and are nothing to do with the teachings and practice of yoga.

While the minds that don't have such understanding would be disturbed, affected and determined by such disagreeable/unpleasant experiences, thinking and believing that the 'mischievousness' of certain minds within the yoga lineage/school/ashram/organization are due to there's something 'imperfect'/'wrong'/'bad' about the teachings and practices of yoga, and hence, they condemned/condemn the teachings/practices/lineage/school/ashram/organization, and generated/generate aversion or resentment towards the path of yoga. That's their freedom of thinking, understanding, action and reaction.

That's why the development of self-reliance, mental and emotional independence, and the practice of openness, non blind-following, non blind-believing, non blind-practicing, non blind-propagating, self-inquiry, renunciation, dispassion, seclusion and solitude are very important, even in the beginning of the yoga practice, along with the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-judgment, non-comparison, non-craving, non-aversion and non-expectation.

There are many different kinds of 'distractions' and 'obstacles' on the path of Self-realization.

The yoga practitioners need to be aware of certain worldly habits of unintentional or intentional random chit-chatting while socializing and interacting with some others, either being aspired to care for others and vice versa, or with the intention of building personal connection or friendship, want to know about others and be known by others, by talking about oneself, one's origin/background/knowledge/identities/attachments/expectations, one's desires and don't desire, one's agreements and disagreements, one's satisfaction/achievement and dissatisfaction/non-achievement/disappointment, talking about other people this and that, wandering into the past pleasant/unpleasant memories and the future desirable/undesirable anticipations, talking about 'I', 'My', 'You', 'He', 'She', 'They', 'This and that', where the conversation is all about the justification and empowerment of a personal and community identity, judging, comparing, admiring, envying, complaining, bitching, back-biting, glorifying, slandering, boasting, desiring, aspiring, inspiring, anticipating, speculating, scheming, plotting, feelings, emotions, ideas, beliefs and values, or else, there's nothing to be talking about other than saying "Hello", "Good morning/evening", "How are you", "Goodbye", which is 'inappropriate', 'awkward', 'cold', 'inhuman' or 'uncaring' for certain social cultural practices. Some yoga practitioners and/or yoga teachers might not be aware of they might be engaging in such physical/mental/verbal activities most of the time when they meet up, gather, socialize and interact with some others.

Unless the mind is already be free from ignorance and egoism, where there's no attachment, identification or expectation towards all kinds of names and forms in the conversations, one can be talking about this and that without being determined, affected, influenced or disturbed by any conversations about anything, however, how many minds are void of passionate egoism?

Talk less. Talk only when necessary. Talk only Dharma, that leads the mind towards reflection upon itself, if this mind really wants to be free from ignorance and all kinds of disturbs, as well as wants to help other minds to be free from ignorance and all kinds of disturbs.

Those who are not interested in practicing yoga, it's their freedom for what they think, behave, act and react, desire and don't desire, or what they want to do or don't do.

Many passionate minds, including some long time yoga practitioners/yoga teachers as well as mental health practitioners might disagree with this, as the minds are being conditioned deeply in worldly egoistic way of thinking, belief, values and practice, where talking and listening among one another, being mentally and emotionally dependent on one another, is a form of 'caring', 'sharing', 'loving kindness', 'meaningfulness', 'empathy', or 'healing'.

Talking and listening to be sharing, is the 'healthy' common values and practice for many kind and caring people that put upmost importance onto 'family/friends/community mental and emotional support and dependence', where they never thought of the importance of developing mental and emotional independence in oneself and in all and everyone, where mental and emotional independence is being recognized as 'selfishness', 'unhealthy', 'lovelessness', 'closed mind', 'harshness', 'bad', 'wrong', or 'insanity'. There's nothing wrong, as it gives momentary relief to most minds, and helps to prevent certain self-harm/harm others incidents, as many minds are never being trained to find out what is going on in the mind, and hence are not capable to look into the mind to see what is going on in one's mind. Instead of curing and preventing 'the mental disturbance/pain/problem/illness' from the root, it's still good to provide some emergency momentary relief by 'talking' and 'sharing' among one another.

While in the yoga practice, is about self-inquiry looking into one's mind, alone in solitude by oneself, curbing the 'urge'/'need'/'desire' to look out for answers, comfort, love, support, sympathy, empathy, encouragement, and so on, to see what is really happening in the mind whenever there are names and forms arising and passing away, when there are pleasant/unpleasant thoughts, actions/reactions, craving, aversion, ideas, feelings, emotions, memories, anticipations, goodness, badness, rightfulness, wrongfulness, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, agreements, disagreements, unrest, hurts, sorrow, anger, hatred, love, sympathy, guilt, shame, pride, loneliness, fear, worry, and so on, where the mind thinks and believes that there is a 'need' for the presence of some others, or 'specific individuals that one is attracted to and admires', to be talking, sharing, listening, interacting, acknowledging, affirming, accepting, understanding, agreeing, attracting, loving, caring, supporting, encouraging, comforting, giving and receiving, among each other. Where the mind feels good, positive and meaningful when all these are available, and the mind feels bad, negative and meaningless when all these are not available.

This teaching and practice is neither good nor bad, but it might not be suitable for certain minds (yet) that haven't develop certain degrees of independence, openness, awareness, dispassion and renunciation, and still have intense mental and emotional dependence on some others, even though they might have been 'practicing yoga' and/or 'teaching yoga' for many years. But, it would lead the mind towards unconditional peace, being free from being determined by the selfless impermanent modification of the mind.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, especially what is going on in the mind, to know Thyself. No other can liberate oneself from ignorance and suffering, but through the mind's self-effort, self-discipline, self-inquiry and self-realization, to know Thyself.

When the mind is void of ignorance and egoism, is in peace unconditionally, is void of disturbs or impurities, who is there that needs to be sharing, listening, interacting, acknowledging, affirming, accepting, understanding, agreeing, attracting, loving, caring, supporting, encouraging, comforting, giving and receiving, to and from some others, to feel good, positive and meaningful, to not hurt oneself and/or others?

Why many minds need to be sharing, listening, interacting, acknowledging, affirming, accepting, understanding, agreeing, attracting, loving, caring, supporting, encouraging, comforting, giving and receiving, to and from some others, to feel good, positive and meaningful, to not hurt oneself and/or others? Because the minds are disturbed and in suffering, is under the influence of impurities and not at peace, due to the veil of ignorance and egoism. The 'problem' is not because of lacking some others being there to be talking and sharing about this and that all the time, but it's ignorance and egoism in the mind.

Teach and guide the minds to be free from ignorance and egoism, is teaching yoga, is compassion, even if it might not necessarily be pleasant or enjoyable.

Learn and practice how to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, is practicing yoga, is compassion, even if it might not necessarily be pleasant or enjoyable.

All experiences in this impermanent worldly life existence, regardless of pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, joyful or sorrowful, enjoyable or non-enjoyable, meaningful or meaningless, right or wrong, good or bad, are just 'great' opportunities for the mind to reflect, inquire and realize the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to be able to let go and unattached.

The yoga teacher doesn't need to ask, talk, listen, know or share about 'what are the personal problems/disturbs' in the different minds, as all kinds of 'problems/'disturbs' are all due to ignorance and egoism in one's mind, where the yoga teacher just needs to guide the minds to look into their own minds, to know what is going on in the mind, to let go attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, letting go what the mind thinks and believes is their 'problems'/'disturbs', to free their own mind from ignorance and egoism, and realize unconditional peace. That is compassion, however, the passionate minds might not know or agree with this.

It's common and normal that the minds that have some sorts of doubts/disturbs/troubles/hurts/painful sorrow, which ignited their interest to be joining yoga retreats or yoga classes, expecting to be talking and sharing to the yoga teacher about their 'problems', as well as expecting the yoga teacher to be asking and listening towards their 'problems', while hoping to be receiving some sorts of 'comforting' and 'agreeable' response from the teachers, thinking that the yoga teacher should be giving them 'the desirable/agreeable answers/healing to all their doubts/disturbs/troubles/hurts/painful sorrow, and take away all their 'problems'. This might be practicing in many yoga retreats or yoga classes in the world, as well as outside of the retreats and classes, in social/community meet ups, where many 'yoga teachers' emphasized about 'connecting', 'sharing', 'talking', 'listening', 'hugging', 'touching', or 'healing'. However, these minds would be very disappointed, when the yoga teacher didn't ask them anything about what is 'troubling'/'hurting' them, or not showing any interests in 'listening' and 'sharing' their 'problems'. They thought that the teacher is unfriendly, cold, uncaring, unsympathetic and absurd, or is lack of empathy, compassion or professionalism, and hence, they criticized the teacher as 'bad' yoga teacher. What they didn't know is that this kind of yoga teachers, are the real yoga teachers that can teach and guide them towards unconditional peace, void of all kinds of mental or emotional suffering. But, many passionate minds don't like or agree with this. And that's their freedom of thinking, action/reaction and choice.

The yoga teacher doesn't even need to be deliberately doing/saying anything that would be offensive towards the minds, but merely didn't deliberately give the minds what they would like to see or hear, or what they expect to be experiencing, and hence, the minds react and feel offended and disappointed by the yoga teacher who is truly wise and compassionate. But, that's the point. The minds are being given the great opportunity to look into their own minds, to see those ceaseless egoistic actions/reactions under the influence of ignorance. Some minds would start to be aware of the modification of the mind, which is a good start or uplift for their yoga practice. While some minds would still be unable to look into their own mind, and generate dislike and disagreement towards the teacher for not being the way that they think how it should be, or not giving them what they expect to be receiving/experiencing, the way that they desire. That's their freedom of action and reaction.

Either the mind will see what is going on in itself, or not, and be thankful and appreciative, or be offended and unappreciative, it really doesn't matter, the teacher is just delivering the teachings, and it's up to the minds themselves to practice and realize, or not.

Hugging and touching?

In this era of the so called modern and highly developed society, most people believe and observe the practice/habit/culture of 'hugging' and 'touching' as a form of showing love, acceptance and friendliness among beings, while they would feel awkward, bad and wrong, or even be offended, if some people don't have or don't observe the practice/habit/culture of hugging and touching.

Many yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers might also think and believe that 'open mind' and 'loving kindness/warmness' means people need to be affectionately hugging and touching one another physically to be showing non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-intimidation, love, acceptance and friendliness towards all beings, while the absence of such hugging and touching is being perceived as 'closed mind' and 'unloving-kindness'/'coldness' that portrays the quality of discrimination, separateness, intimidation, lovelessness, non-acceptance and unfriendliness. Many also believe that the lack of physical hugging or touching by another being is highly detrimental to physical, mental and emotional health. They expect all beings, especially yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers should be constantly and actively hugging and touching all other beings that they come in contact with, to show that they are genuine yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers who embrace loving kindness, who are open minded and compassionate beings, while they would be puzzled by the very few of the yoga practitioners who don't have or don't observe such hugging and touching habit/culture.

For yoga practitioners who truly want to open their mind, is about to be free from being conditioned by such worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, where the mind understands that 'the existence and non-existence of open mind and compassion' is nothing to do with 'the presence and absence of physical hugging and touching another being', where it's nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with the society having and observing the hugging and touching habit/culture, especially if the minds are pure and desireless, and it's also nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with those who don't have or don't observe the hugging and touching habit/culture either. Accepting all and everyone as they are, even though certain people behave in the way that goes against the thinking, belief, values and practice of the majority of the society.

Hugging and touching or not, doesn't really determine the presence and absence of the quality of 'non-discrimination', 'non-separateness', 'non-intimidation', 'love', 'acceptance' and 'friendliness', while the quality of non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-intimidation, love, acceptance and friendliness aren't necessarily have to be shown/portrayed by physical contact of hugging and touching one another.

Most people would feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely and meaningless upon the absence of physical/mental/emotional interaction of hugging and touching from some other beings. And hence, many people would think and believe that the solution is to be actively giving and receiving affectionate hugs and touches among beings.

It's the ignorant egoistic passionate mind that has attachment and expectation towards the appropriateness and disappropriateness in social behavior and interaction that would feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely, meaningless, piteous or offended upon the absence or the lack of love and affection in the form of hugging and touching from other beings.

Contemplate upon why the ancient teachings/practice of yoga emphasized on the important observation of solitude and seclusion of non-physical/mental/emotional contact and non-physical touching with any other being, where yoga practitioners and spiritual seekers were being advised to observe solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, to free the mind from the worldly habitual passionate desire of craving and clinging towards physical/mental/emotional love and affection, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to silent/annihilate the modification of the mind.

One of the common practice/observation in the Ashrams is about none should be physically touching one another regardless of among the same or different gender, especially among the swamis, monks and nuns, and between them and the householders. But, nowadays, in many of the ashrams, even many 'modernized' swamis, monks and nuns also don't observe this practice anymore, and they mingling intimately with one another and the people who come to the ashrams, not to say many of the householders who identify themselves as 'yoga practitioners' or 'yogis'. Many 'yoga teacher training courses' also emphasize on the physical hands on adjustment, where the many graduated 'certified yoga teachers' think and believe that it's what a good and professional yoga teacher should be doing/practicing while teaching classes and while socializing/mingling with the students or the yoga community outside of the classes to develop stronger connection and relationship among one another, with the intention of sharing love.

There's nothing wrong with the worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice that propagates widely about "Everyone needs love, affection, hugs and touches." But that is not yoga practice at all, as that is indeed empowering ignorance and egoism. It's not any different from keep feeding sugary drinks to the children or keep providing drugs to the people to make them feel 'happy and good' from the momentary effects of sugary drinks or drugs, and from the gratification of desires by giving people what they like and want. The yoga practice is to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to realize selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, where there's absence of the desire of needing/craving/clinging towards physical/mental/emotional love, affection, hugs and touches from other beings. There's no need of developing stronger connection or relationship between 'I' and 'the others' in selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, as connection or relationship doesn't exist in selflessness/oneness/non-separateness. There's neither 'I' nor 'the others'. There's no 'I' existing that needs to be healed by 'spiritual healing hugs and touches'.

A truly 'healthy and compassionate' society exists along with the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism. Everyone can be kind and loving towards one another out of selfless compassion (not necessarily through physical/mental/emotional interaction), not because everyone 'needs' to give and receive love and affection to and from one another through certain action in order to make the egoistic minds feel good, happy, love and meaningful, or not to feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely, meaningless, piteous or offended upon the absence/lack of love and affection through certain physical/mental/emotional interaction with other beings, as the ignorant egoistic minds think and believe that it's so bad and terrible if there's absence/lack of any form of love and affection among one another.

Many passionate minds couldn't understand or agree with this teaching, and that's their freedom of thinking, understanding, action and reaction.

 

Be free.

By-products of the thinking mind

Due to the function of the physical body processing all the physical inputs, there are some by-products (waste products), such as pleasant/unpleasant sensations, sweat, carbon dioxide, dead skin/tissues, pee and shit, and etc.

Similarly, upon the thinking mind processing all the mind inputs, there are also by-products, such as egoism, all kinds of impurity, emotions, feelings, actions, reactions and the consequences of action/reaction, and so on.

It doesn't matter whether it's the physical body and its by-products, or it's the mind and its by-products, they all are impermanent and selfless. And they are not 'I'.

Learn to be aware of the impermanent changes of the physical body and its by-products as well as the impermanent thinking mind and its by-products (all the mental/emotional modifications/activities), without attachment, identification, craving/aversion, judgment, comparison, or expectation. Allowing all these impermanent and selfless names and forms to be there as they are, arising and passing away.

Due to the function of the physical body, the body processes the food/liquid after eating/drinking, while the by-products of that, of sweat/pee/shit being generated has to be 'letting go', and one would just let them go and clean up the sweat/pee/shit and the body by oneself, to maintain personal and public hygiene and cleanliness, to help lower the risk of contracting or spreading diseases/illnesses in oneself and others in the surrounding environment. More importantly, when someone is sweating, peeing or shitting, one doesn't need anyone being there accompanying/watching/listening or to help to clean up the waste products and the body, unless it's a small infant/child or adult that is physically dependent on others for handling such matters. And there's nothing wrong if someone wants to ask help from others for handling such matters, even when one is capable to handle it by oneself.

Similarly, due to the function of the thinking mind, the thinking mind processes all the mind inputs, while the by-products of that, of actions/reactions/emotions/feelings/the consequences of action and reaction being generated that need to be 'letting go'. The mind would just let them go and 'clean up' the mind by itself, to maintain personal and public peace and harmony, to help minimize causing 'disturbs'/'damages' to itself and others in the surrounding space. When the mind is processing all these mental/emotional modifications/activities of the mind (the by-products of the thinking mind), it doesn't need anyone being there accompanying/watching/listening or to help to 'clean up' the mind, unless it's a mind that is mentally/emotionally dependent/disabled, whether due to genetic inheritance, sickness or injury. Though there's nothing wrong if someone wants to ask help from others for dealing with such matters, even when one is capable to deal with it by oneself.

All the food, drinks and oxygen being consumed by the physical body and the by-products of all the sweat, carbon dioxide, pee and shit etc, are not 'I'.

Similarly, all the mind inputs and the by-products of all the mental/emotional modifications/activities, are not 'I'.

There's no 'I' that can be found before/during/after the existence/function of this physical body and the thinking mind.

Infants/children can be trained to be physically independent as they grow up day by day, so does the mind can be trained to be mentally/emotionally independent. Yoga and meditation practice can transform the mind if being done with the correct understanding, perseverance and determination. Unfortunately, most minds are being 'conditioned'/'educated' by the worldly egoistic society to think and believe that all minds (human or living beings) must depend on 'something/someone else' mentally/emotionally. Quite many yoga practitioners/teachers also think and believe that all human beings need to be there for one another to look after one another mentally/emotionally all the time, or else, it's so sad, terrible, lonely, helpless, joyless and meaningless, if one is being alone by oneself.

Do a self-check on whether the mind is being conditioned/educated to think and believe in certain way, such as, "Being alone, living alone, walking alone, eating alone, doing things alone, or solving problems alone by oneself is so sad, terrible, lonely, helpless, joyless and meaningless." Most minds will say 'yes'. But how true is that? It's not necessarily so. Although people don't necessary have to be alone by oneself, but minds that are mentally/emotionally independent have no problem/difficulty being alone, living alone, walking alone, eating alone, doing things alone, or solving problems alone by oneself, and are happy and peaceful as it is.

Look after this mind, before it's too late where it really needs to depend on others/substances to be able to function/think/behave properly.

Be free.

Observe silence to quiet the restless modification of the mind

When someone is performing yoga practice or meditation practice (self-practice), one is observing silence as much as possible practically, regardless of whether the mind is still processing some random thought activities, or not. One doesn't talk, or grumble, or groan, or argue, or debate, or criticize, or inspire, or aspire, or communicate/interact with anyone not even so called 'spiritual connection' with 'God' or 'higher spirits'. One doesn't read any material, or ask questions, or looking at and listening to anyone or anything (teacher/other practitioners/scenery/video/music/podcast/conversation), or expect certain feedback/evaluation towards one's practice, or expect particular result/effect/benefit/pleasure from the practice.

The senses are being withdrawn/restricted from chasing after the objects of the senses, and the outgoing mind is being channeled inward to be resting in the present moment, or to be aware of the practice/the breath/the pulse/the sensation/the flow of energy/prana/heat in the body, without attachment/identification with the selfless impermanent function of the physical body and the state of the mind, while allowing any result/effect/benefit/pleasantness/unpleasantness/ability/disability to be existing or non-existing, to be what it is, as it is, allowing any existing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thoughts being there as they are, without analyzing/asserting/projecting/craving/aversion, without association with or attachment towards all these names and forms, to be quieting the restless modification of the mind effectively.

This is not really possible in a 'yoga class' where there is a teacher giving instructions/explanation teaching/leading a group of people performing the practice, while the group of people have to be looking at the teacher or other people in the group, and listening to while analyzing/understanding/following the teacher's instructions to perform the practice, and expecting feedback/evaluation from the teacher and/or others towards one's performance/practice, as well as expecting particular result/effect/benefit from the practice. "How well/correct am I doing the practice?"

Meanwhile some people's minds are being 'disturbed' or 'offended' very much by certain teachings of yoga being taught in the 'yoga class' that are different from their thinking and belief, or be 'disturbed' or 'intimidated' by how the teacher teach/conduct the 'yoga class', or be 'dissatisfied' with the 'yoga class' is not being the way that they would like it to be (either too intense, or too gentle, or too crowded, or too quiet, too much or not enough attention, too challenging or not challenging enough, or not the kind of practice that they would enjoy).

For people who don't know the practice yet, of course they need to learn from someone who knows the practice, such like attending 'yoga classes' for some time to be following instructions from a teacher to learn about the practice and how to perform the practice. Attending 'yoga classes' is mostly about 'learning'. After 'learning' and 'knowing' the practice, one must develop self-discipline to perform self-practice in solitude and silence, truly immersing into the practice.

That's why 'yoga practice' is always more 'practical' when performing self-practice in solitude and silence in terms of quieting the restless modification of the mind, where the modification of mind inputs and outputs are being limited to the maximum efficiently. Those who already developed their own regular self-practice don't need to attend 'yoga classes' to be following instructions to be performing their practice, though there's nothing wrong if they attend 'yoga classes' once in a while for some reasons.

There are some 'silent self-practice yoga classes' are about providing a specific practice time and space for yoga practitioners to be sharing a practice space at a specific time to be performing their own self-practice. Even though there are other practitioners being in the same space, everyone is observing silence to the maximum, focusing on their own practice. There shouldn't be any social interactions during the practice.

'Yoga teachers' need to teach 'yoga classes' in the way that would allow the students to develop the essential understanding of the teaching and practice, as well as self-reliance and self-discipline, and be able to perform self-practice without supervision/instruction from other people, and this will allow the mind be trained to turn inward to be quiet and be able to process and solve most problems in life by itself.

There's nothing wrong with 'asking and receiving help and support from others' when someone encounters 'problems' in life, especially in terms of some physical and mental illnesses that require special care and specific medical treatment, or some technical problems where everyone has their own limited knowledge and experience to be doing something, and people need to be helped and supported by other people who have the knowledge and experience that oneself doesn't have. While for most non-technical and non-medical care/treatment related problems, such like 'thinking/decision making/relationship/emotional problems', the best solution or the best answer to one's doubt, is coming from within of a calmed and quiet mind.

One just needs to learn to be by oneself and be quiet, be away from all kinds of advice, opinion or suggestion from different people who 'would like' to give 'advice, suggestion, help and support' in the way that they think it's best from their own point of view, and observe/watch what is going on in the mind, seeing the nature and the root cause of what the mind perceives/recognizes as 'problems/doubts/unhappiness/hurts', to allow the mind to go beyond and be undisturbed by these 'problems/doubts/unhappiness/hurts'. Once the mind sees the truth, all kinds of 'problems/doubts/unhappiness/hurts' will eventually cease existing. One doesn't need to talk to anyone about anything to release tension/unhappiness, or hoping someone is there to be listening to and sharing one's 'problems', to be receiving advice, love, care, help or support from other people, to feel better, or to influence oneself making certain decision.

Although there's nothing wrong when most people would see this thinking and emotional independence of 'self-reliant thinking/decision making/relationship/emotional problem solving' as 'unacceptable', 'inappropriate', 'wrong' or 'unhealthy' social behavior, as most people in the society practice and encourage all human beings need to be 'reaching out to other people', 'talking to other people' and 'receiving advice, help, support from other people', and most people do 'need' to reach out to other people to get help and suggestion, as they are being conditioned by the society to be emotionally interdependent, that they don't know how to deal with 'the problems' they have and making decision independently by themselves, or else, when they think and feel that their 'problems' are too much for them, when they think they are alone and have no one being there to be helping and supporting them, they might hurt themselves and/or others, whether wittingly or unwittingly. People think and believe that 'all human beings' need to hold onto 'something' physically/mentally/emotionally to live life, whether it's family, friends, relationship, children, pets, hobby, interest, work, religion, spirituality, 'God', or anything that give/feed the sense of existence and meaningfulness. When something falls apart or during the most difficult moments, at least they think they have something that they can lean or hang onto. And that's their freedom of choice.

People would think and believe, "Oh, what a pitiful meaningless life without family/friends/somebody being there to share, to talk to, to play with, to support one another, to enjoy life." This saying doesn't valid/apply to the minds that practice yoga, that are free from being conditioned by worldly social/cultural/religious/political thinking and belief, that are aware of what is going on in the mind and be unattached towards/undetermined by the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, that are free from desire of craving and aversion.

In yoga, this ability of 'self-reliant thinking/decision making/relationship/emotional problem solving' is true liberation for the mind, being undisturbed or being okay under any difficult moments and challenging condition and situation in life that one has to deal with by oneself, where one has clear thinking and self-control without hurting oneself and/or others. It doesn't mean that one doesn't have any family/friends in life, but one doesn't need to rely on the existence of family/friends/somebody being present as supporter, or receiving help/support from anyone to deal with any difficult moments under challenging condition and situation. When 'family/friends/somebody' or external help and support from other people/teacher/Guru/'God' appear to be absent or not available for some reasons, it's fine. One doesn't need to hurt oneself and/or others, as one is peaceful as one is, being undetermined by any 'difficult moments' or 'existing problems' that one is going through, repairing what can be repaired and letting go what has to be let go, making decisions without doubt/fear/guilt/regret, and taking full responsibility towards one's actions and the consequences of the actions.

"You came alone and you will go alone." - Swami Sivananda