Prasad Rangnekar

Make your Self, your home with Yoga.

Something that I will never be tired of saying.

The intent of this post is not to undermine popular modalities but to give a broader view of diverse traditional Yogic practices that have existed for hundreds of years In modern times, Yoga is so closely identified with āsana-prānayāma that its impossible to even imagine Yoga without them.The ‘āsanization’ of Yoga & physicalization of Yogic practices is a fairly recent turn in Yogic history It might come as a surprise to many that even today most Indians practice Yoga (knowingly or unknowingly) without even doing āsana or pranāyāma Traditionally, āsana-prānayama were modalities used primarily by renunciate monks to calm the mind & bring it to a state of samādhi. But, spiritual aspirants who were not monks & lived in a family unit as house-holders (grihastha) have used other modalities that served the same purpose I have seen my mom do her sādhanā every single day without fail. Each day she would read her scripture (swādhyāya), chant her mantra (japa) & pray devotedly at a specific time. My dad, who was not so religious, would neither do scripture reading nor chanting, but I never saw him miss his japa-meditation, which he would dedicatedly do twice a day. I am sure those who come from Indian households too have witnessed such scenes at home, right ? If you go to smaller towns in India, you see people of all ages sit around a tree & do bhajan (devotional singing) or pāțha (group scripture reading) every evening. Every morning one can see devotees go to their respective temples with flowers, or to the river for holy dip & do ‘Sun Salutation’ – mantra prayer to the Sun (not the physical exercise). Most families (house-holders) will light a lamp at their home altar at sundown & do prayer (ārati) & charity (dāna) like feeding people or animals everyday. Then, there are weekly/yearly pilgrimages (yātrā), & community talks (pravachan) etc. These practices work on the practitioners gradually over the years serving exactly the same purpose as āsana & prānāyāma does for monks Why am I saying all this? Because our definition of Yoga practice guides our growth in Yoga. If our definition of Yoga is narrow, our transformation through Yoga too will be partial

If you know, you know. Right fellow Pranayama practitioners?

Do you feel guilty for missing your 'practice'? Many do. Perhaps, reflecting on the definition of 'practice' could help You see, as humans we live by our definitions. The narrow the definition, the narrower the scope of working When practitioners complain about missing their Yoga 'practice', usually they mean their asana practice Viewing Yoga only as asana is a fairly recent phenomenon in Yogic thought The traditional, pre-modern view of Yoga Sadhana (yoga practice) has always seen Yoga as a Life Practice, & not merely asana practice This is why scriptures like Bhagavad Gita & Hatha Pradipika include guidance on dietary habits, sleep, level of activity, & life variables like ethics, social behavour, roles, responsibilitues etc. Yoga is about your entire day, not just about what you do on the mat with your body for 90 mins 3 times a week When we start seeing Yoga as a 24/7 life process, instead of limiting it only to the practice on the mat, we expand the scope of our transformation. That is when we start living Yoga & not just doing Yoga (as asana or other modalities) Indeed, a diligent asana practice is important, & surely is a gateway to Yoga for many. But reducing the entirety of Yoga practice just to asana practice could keep the practitioner in a loop of guilt & self-blame for having missed their practice. I've seen way too many practitioners give up on the whole of Yoga because they couldn't continue with asana. Unfortunately they were made to see Yoga only as posture practice. This is unfair on the practitioner & Yoga in general What if we could expand the definition of 'Practice' & let out some steam from the pressure we put ourselves under as a practitioner? There is lots more to Yoga Sadhana (practice) than Asana Sadhana (postural practice) Find your definition instead of blindly following one Living one's life based on Yogic principles itself is the grand definition of practice Enjoy your practice, learn what you have to & progess with patience, without blame PS: My note is not a permission to miss your sadhana, or do whatever you like in the name of Yoga. Pls consult your teacher or guide before making any changes to your practice

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👆🏽 Summary of my discussion with a group of Yoga Teachers few days ago. Ofcourse, the above is true for other roles and life in general. Feel free to comment with addional pointers you may have. Share 🙏🏾

Popular spirituality thrives on ‘Spiritual Materialism’, creating demand for ‘Spiritual Experiences’ by selling the idea that the more you accumulate, the better a seeker you are. This fuels a seller’s market, where the industry profits from people’s spiritual lack by constantly telling them what they lack rather than reminding them what they truly are. The global wellness industry, including spiritual self-care, has ballooned to $4 trillion—growing twice as fast as the global economy! Social media fuels this further, making us crave experiences to showcase rather than internalize. Just last week, my feed was flooded with a “Holy man’s” pitch to open my Heart Chakra for Rupees 299. This is how modern marketing works—monetizing spirituality, selling ‘Nirvana’ at a discount. Somewhere, we’ve also bought into this narrative so deeply that we assume a 300-hour YTT is superior to a 200-hour one, a $100 crystal mala works better than a $10 one, and the higher the ashram in the Himalayas, the better the spiritual vibe. Modern Yoga has become an experience-provider, selling fleeting highs over deep self-inquiry. In a performative Yogic economy, where visibility equals validation, FOMO drives experience addiction—chasing the next retreat, another teacher, newer certification or mystical experience, believing more means progress.  Digital.economy thrives by generating FOMO, and this very FOMO keeps us in a constant ‘what’s next?’ mode, preventing us from fully absorbing the depth of what’s already present. This FOMO also.keeps us in a fight & flight high, eventually making us exhausted and dissatisfied with ourselves. As sincere seekers we have to know that Yoga is NOT about collecting experiences—it’s about deepening presence in what is. Yes, we do need aids, teachings, teachers and travels for growth, but how much is too much? Are we truly seeking, or just feeding spiritual neediness and FOMO? As Mahayogi Gorakhnath said, “All 68 pilgrimages are within you, just hold on to your Guru’s words.” Or as my Guru Maharaj would say, “Don’t go anywhere, sit here.” Just leaving you this note here for your contemplation 🙏🏾 Share

Be your own friend dear friends. Treat yourself well in your own mind by being aware of your self-talk. Be considerate and conpassionate with all aspects of your personality, integrate them and then transform them gradually. This is Yoga. As the Bhagavad Gita says, uddharedātmanātmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayet ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ 6-5 Lift yourself by your Self alone, do not lower yourself; for, this Self alone is the friend of oneself, and this Self is the enemy of oneself. Are you working on being your own friend? Yes ✅️ or No ❌️ ? Share with your friends.

Ever had a chellenging student? Well, I'm sure  we've all been there! Dealing with difficult students is part of the yoga teacher’s journey, & honestly, sometimes it can be really trying. I’ve been hit on the head with a wooden block, pushed over while adjusting, elbowed in the face & shown a middle finger, all this while teaching a workshop, & don’t even get me started about the rage I’ve faced when teaching philosophy! Dealing with difficult students is a learning experience. It personally teaches me patience, compassion, & the importance of setting boundaries. And hey, sometimes it even gives us a funny story to tell! Like now So, how do we navigate these tricky situations with grace (and without getting elbowed)? Here are a few tips from my own experience Breathe: Seriously. Take a deep breath. It helps you stay calm and centered, even when someone's testing your patience Understand: Most times, "difficult" behavior comes from a place of insecurity or discomfort. Sometimes students are triggered when you say something that’s good for them. Try to approach the situation with empathy. Maybe they're new to yoga, dealing with an injury, or just having a bad day Communicate: A quiet word can work wonders. If a student is disrupting the class, gently pull them aside and address the issue privately. Explain how their behavior is affecting the other students and offer suggestions Set boundaries: It's your class, your space. You have the right to set boundaries. If a student's behavior is consistently disruptive or disrespectful, you may need to have a more serious conversation or, in extreme cases, ask them to leave Focus on the positive: Don't let one challenging student ruin the experience for everyone else. Shift your focus back to the rest of the class and continue teaching with your usual enthusiasm Remember the why: Why do you teach? Why do you love yoga? Reconnect with your passion. It helps you stay grounded even when in a challenge I truly believe that in a Yoga world that is becoming more & more commodified, the teacher should consciously work on inculcating values of respect, empathy & gratefulness Did you ever have a challenging student? 👇

A true teacher never misses a chance to educate the student. The following incident is from one of my stays with my teacher in his monastery in rural central India, some 12 years ago It was about 4.00 pm. We all were fast asleep, taking a nap. A visiting Bhagat (devotee) woke up & started arranging firewood to make afternoon chai. I heard some noise & immediately jumped up to help him with preparations. I went to fetch water from the well as he started lighting up the Dhuna (fire pit) It was our daily afternoon routine. After lunch we all would sit on the porch, talking or singing Bhajans. After which everyone would just lay on their side & take a nap. When I was not pestering my teacher with questions or feeding the cows from Gaushala, I would also join them and get some rest As the hot Chai was being served in clay cups, one visiting Sadhu happened to burn his tongue while sipping Chai in a hurry. We all laughed. Peerji, my teacher, who was the abbot of the monastery (akhada), gave the Sadhu a stern look. We all went quiet. Yet, we couldn’t help but notice the innocent twinkle in his eyes Seizing the opportunity, he recited a couplet in Awadhi language which I will try to translate. It is basically a dialogue between the tongue and teeth. I am sure you all will enjoy :) ‘Hum battees, tu akeli, vase hamari mai, jara bahar nikle lo, hum sau kaati jai’ The teeth talk to the tongue (in a condescending manner) saying, 'we are 32 and you are all alone bound by us. If you stick out even a bit, we will bite you' ‘Rasana kahe dasan ko, tum kahat hain sanch, Par hum tedhi baath kahein, to battes pade khanch' The Tongue answers, saying, ‘you are right when you say what you say, but the moment I move in a crooked way, you all will be knocked out anyway’ My wise teacher had seized a simple incident to drive home a very important point – strength may not always be in numbers, a single person, with clarity & confidence, can move mountains As they say in the Yogic tradition, one learns more by just being around in service of one's teacher than merely studying with them theoritically How do you understand this couplet? 📷 Pic. of a visiting Sadhu taken by me

Allow your physical practice to release you from your attachment to the physical, allow !! The release is a skill the practitioner needs to work upon. The surrender is not something that just happens; it's something you must consciously choose and actively permit.The Asana stage of your sadhana is a stage to build resilience, and the permission you give opens doors to subtler experiences of mental unfoldment where the resilience is deployed. This is how the gradual deconditioning process of a conscious Yogic practitioner unfolds. . Image credit to the artist 🙏🏾