Chapter 9 Posture & Letting Go (office micro-yoga)

First, we must dispel the most fundamental misunderstanding. Patanjali's yoga has been completely misunderstood and misled. Patanjali was not a physical education teacher, yet yoga resembles gymnastics. Patanjali was not against the body. He did not teach you to contort your body. He taught you graceful movement because he knew that only with a graceful body can there be graceful intention; and only with graceful intention can grace arise naturally; inner grace is the manifestation of divinity. Gradually, one enters into deeper and higher grace, which Patanjali called the asan posture. He was not a masochist; he did not want you to torture your body; he was not against the body at all—how could he? He knew the body was the foundation of everything. He knew that if you neglect the body, if you do not train the body, then there can be no higher levels of training.

The body is like a musical instrument; it must be played correctly to produce more profound music. If the instrument is misshaped or incorrect, how can you expect it to produce beautiful melodies? You will only hear discordant sounds. The body is just like a musical instrument.

Therefore, the purpose of yoga postures is by no means external physical shaping or display of physical fitness. It is a method of calming the mind, harmonizing the inner "instrument" by adjusting the "shape" and state of the body, allowing the higher music of the soul—tranquility, awareness, and divinity—to be played. It is a preparatory work from the outside in.

So, what is the correct posture for "tuning"? Patanjali provides a very concise and essential definition : The posture must be stable and comfortable.

You won't find a clearer definition of posture than this: "The posture must be stable and comfortable." In fact, I'd like to put it another way, and the Sanskrit definition can also be translated as: Posture means stability and comfort. We always like to make rules, but yoga is just a simple definition, a guide, not a rule. You must know: people like Patanjali are never foolish enough to make rules. They only give guidance, hints. You must decipher the code in your own way; you must feel it, find the answer within it, and then you will find a rule that works only for you and doesn't apply to anyone else.

Yoga postures must be stable and bring great joy and comfort. Never torture your body or force yourself into uncomfortable poses. For Westerners, the lotus pose is not easy because their bodies have never been trained in this way, so there's no need to disturb them. Patanjali would never force you into such a pose. In the East, people sit like that from childhood; on the floor. In cold Western countries, chairs are necessary because the floor is too cold. So there's no need to worry about posture. If you look at the definitions of postures in Patanjali yoga, you'll understand: postures must be stable and comfortable.

If you can sit firmly and comfortably in a chair, that's perfect. There's no need to force your body into the lotus position. In fact, if Westerners were to force themselves into the lotus position, it would take six months, and it's incredibly physically demanding—it's unnecessary. Patanjali would never want you to torture your body. You can torture your body, but that has nothing to do with Patanjali.

Also, remember: what's comfortable for you might not be suitable for your neighbors, so never teach anyone what you think is comfortable. Everyone is unique, and what's good for you might be bad for someone else.

Every person must be unique, because every body houses a unique soul. Your handprint is unique; in this world, you will not find anyone with the same handprint as you. Not just now, but throughout history, you will not find anyone with the same handprint as you.

It is said that even in the future, no one will be able to find someone with the same handprint. Handprints are not important, yet they are so unique. This clearly shows that every body carries a unique soul. If even your handprint is so different from others, then your entire body must also be different from others.

So never listen to anyone's advice. You must find your own posture. You don't need a teacher; comfort is your teacher. If you keep trying different postures, one day you will unexpectedly find the one that suits you perfectly. Once you find the right posture, everything within you will calm down and enter a state of tranquility. No one can teach you, because no one truly knows what posture suits you.

Try to find your own posture. Try to find your own yoga.

Your posture must allow you to forget your body. What does comfort mean? Comfort is when you forget your body. If you are constantly aware of your body, it is not comfortable. So whether you sit in a chair or on the floor is not the point. The point is comfort, because if your body is uncomfortable, you cannot desire deeper levels of joy: if you miss the first level, all other levels will be shut off. If you truly want to be happy and joyful, you should be happy from the very beginning. For anyone who wants to reach inner ecstasy, a comfortable body is the most basic requirement.

When your body is truly in a state of comfort and relaxation, the fire within you no longer flickers; you are as still as a mountain. Suddenly, it's as if time has stopped, there's no wind or rain, everything is still, and your body doesn't rush to move... a state of stability, deep balance, calmness, and tranquility... In this state, duality and the unease it brings disappear.

You see, the highest standard of comfort isn't feeling "great," but feeling "no feeling"—you forget your body's existence. Your body no longer cries out to you with pain, soreness, numbness, or tension; it quietly recedes into the background. Only then is the stage for consciousness cleared, allowing you to turn inward and experience a peace and joy that transcends the body. If your body is constantly bothering you, it's like trying to listen to a subtle symphony in a noisy factory—it's impossible.

Never follow any rules, because rules are averages, and all regulations are averages. It's good to know some established things, but never follow them, or you'll feel uncomfortable. If 4'8" is the average height, and you're 5'4", what do you do? Cut off the extra? How awful… Walking at the average height will make you look awkward, hunched over like a camel. Anyone who tries to follow the average will miss the point.

Your feelings are the decisive key. That's why Patanjali explained it so thoroughly, enabling you to find your own feelings. If people could do this, it would be a wonderful world; no one would force anyone to do anything , and no one would need to follow anyone else's discipline. Your precepts may be good for you but could poison others. Your medicine isn't suitable for everyone; don't keep giving it to others.

How to achieve yoga postures? How to remain stable like a mountain? First, focus on comfort. Is your body completely relaxed, comfortable, and at ease, with a sense of peace and tranquility surrounding you? This must be a standard of judgment, a touchstone. This standard applies equally to whether you are standing, lying down, sitting on the floor, or in a chair. It applies everywhere because it is an inner sense of comfort. Whenever you find that feeling, you will no longer want to constantly adjust your body, because the more you move, the more you lose that comfort. It only appears in a certain established state. Every time you move, you disturb it.

Comfort is a natural desire for everyone, and yoga is the most natural thing. Whenever you feel uncomfortable, it's perfectly natural to want to change it. Always listen to the voice of your inner nature; it's almost always right.

Have you ever noticed that when your mood changes, your body changes too, and when your body changes, your mood changes as well? When watching a movie, have you paid attention to how many times you changed positions? Have you ever tried to figure out the connection between these changes? When the plot is exciting, you can't just sit back in your chair; you'll sit up and straighten your spine. If the plot is uneventful, you become relaxed, and your spine doesn't straighten. If the plot is uncomfortable, you'll constantly change positions. If a truly beautiful scene is on the screen, you won't even blink, because even the slightest movement would be a disturbance… Complete stillness, you become completely stable and relaxed, as if your body has disappeared.

Have you noticed that when your mind is disturbed, your body becomes more restless, making it impossible for you to sit still? ...Or when your body is fidgety, your mind cannot quiet down? They are one. Temppagari clearly understood that the body and mind are not two separate things. You are not divided into body and mind. Body and mind are one. You are connected in body and mind. The body is the beginning of your thoughts, and the mind is merely the end of the body. They are two sides of the same coin. Therefore, whatever happens to the body will affect the mind. And whatever occurs in the mind will affect the body. They are in parallel. That is why the importance of the body is so emphasized, because if the body is not relaxed, your mind cannot relax either.

It's easier to start with the body, as it's the outermost layer. When you find that "stable and comfortable" posture through constant fine-tuning, the body achieves a deep balance and stillness. This stillness immediately transmits to the mind. The body no longer sends out chaotic signals, and the mind gains a foundation for tranquility. Inner energy is no longer dissipated by bodily turmoil and mental distractions; it begins to flow naturally and smoothly. This flow is not a physical movement, but a harmonious operation of inner vitality, a state where profound peace and vitality coexist. In this state, you truly embark on the journey of yoga—from bodily harmony to harmony of mind and soul. This is the fundamental transformation brought about by "finding your own posture": it opens a door for you, allowing everything within to return to its proper place and flow.