Fake Drinking the Cow Pee: Sharath in Conference March 2011

Martina is still in Mysore, and she granted me permission to republish her article on Sharat's latest conference. I am sure you would enjoy her blog. Thank you Martina! And here it is.


Just in case you are new to the blog, Sharath Jois is the current head of the Ashtanga Yoga Lineage.


VEGETARIAN DIET
Sharath spoke about the importance of a vegetarian diet for the purpose of better health and ahimsa (non-harming). He quoted one of Guruji’s favorite Ayurvedic mantras about the importance of eating ghee to sharpen the brain, milk to increase lifespan, and fresh food to feel fresh. Humans are designed to be vegetarians because if you look at our teeth we have “cow teeth, we don’t have tiger or lion teeth, we are not meant to eat meat.” He commented how in his experience, meat eaters are angry people whereas people who eat sattvic food are very calm. He also joked about how chappatis (in moderation) are the key to lifting up in uth pluthi and to avoid garlic since it has strong effects on your exhale in doing drop backs!

A recipe from Sharath for increasing your strength:
* Soak mung beans in a copper bowl over night
* In the morning add jaggary to the mix
* blend it up for a smoothie
* drink after your morning asana practice.

QUESTIONS AROUND ASANA PRACTICE

• Two verses from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika advise how:

1. The sweat produced in asana practice is beneficial to the body to rub back into the skin and joints. The toxins released will not re-enter the body, only the beneficial minerals.
2. Cow’s urine is medicinal, in the olden days people drank a concoction of the five fruits of the cow –urine, milk, ..., ...and poo (Sharath giggled when he said the word poo.) He also said that nowadays if someone gives it to you to drink, you fake drink it and throw it over your shoulder.

• Changes happen inside asana work. Toxins come out. Temporary fever, diarrhea, etc are all natural and part of the purification process. Someone asked “what if I do not sweat during practice?” and Sharath replied to do the practice faster. It should not be too slow or too fast. Each person has to find the right pace for him/herself. The practice is designed to be followed by the breath, what Sharath calls “free breathing.” This is not ujaii breath, which is an advanced pranayama. Free breathing, which is what we should be practicing during asana is a full and deep inhale and exhale which are equal in length. This type of full breathing removes the toxins in the body via apanavayu. A lengthened breath leads to a lengthened life.
• People who practice yoga using tristhana will remove toxins and have beautiful skin, a “yoga glow.” In contrast, people who just do the physical feats like circus performers, will look weathered and old, like circus performers.
• There are a prescribed count and breaths to the Ashtanga yoga asana series, but Sharath gave permission for extra breaths in harder postures.
• The teacher should be like honey. Honey is in the flower. The bee comes to the honey. Not the other way around. Guruji never advertised. Sharath recommended teachers not to promote themselves.
• A question was asked whether/when to meditate and Sharath reminded that meditation is control of all sense organs, and that it is better for us to refine sukham sthiram in asana work. Urban life is challenging for meditation, asana is best performed in the morning from 4:30am-6:30am when it is more peaceful, the air is more full of pure oxygen, and the mind will be most calm.

ASHTANGA YOGA SYSTEM
A question was asked whether it is more challenging to practice in such a large group because of the distraction and perhaps competition that arises. Sharath warned people not to compete with others. “You should only compete with yourself, with your ego, your desires, etc. Nowadays there are so many material challenges, rarely does someone challenge themselves spiritually.” He continued “to practice yoga, you should love asana, you should love spirituality, you should love your practice, whatever it is, and (with a smile on his face) you should enjoy suffering also!” … “You must also be intelligent. There is a wide variety of things out there that people are calling yoga. You must know what it is so you can explain it properly to people. Yoga means to join. To join jivatma (soul/self) and paratma (God). You must realize the divine inside of you. Purify yourself with yoga in order to be closer to divine. And understand that purity! There are eight limbs or steps: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. The practice is designed perfectly. Follow it step-by-step. Asana alone does not make you a yogi. A yogi is one who is pure. Follow all eight limbs.”