“By persistent and sustained practice, anyone and everyone can make the yoga journey and reach the goal of illumination and freedom.
Many of you may worry that you are unable to meet the challenges that lie ahead. I want to assure you that you can. I am a man who started from nowhere; I was heavily disadvantaged in many ways. After much time and effort, I began to reach somewhere. I literally emerged from darkness to light, from mortal sickness to health, from crude ignorance to immersion in the ocean of knowledge by one means alone, namely by zealous persistence in the art and science of yoga practice (sadhana). What held good for me will hold good for you too....
You have the beginning already shown to you, and no one knows in what wholeness and felicity you may end. If you take up any noble line and stick to it, you can reach the ultimate. Be inspired but not proud. Do not aim low; you will miss the mark. Aim high; you will be on the threshold of bliss.” Yogācārya Srī B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on Life, preface.
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_ “You must do the āsana with your soul. How can you do an āsana with your soul? We can only do it with the organ of the body that is closest to the soul— the heart. So a virtuous āsana is done from the heart and not from the head. Then you are not just doing it but you are in it. Many people try to think their way into an āsana, but you must instead feel your way into it through love and devotion. In this way you will work from your heart, not your brain, to create harmony. The serenity in the body is the sign of spiritual tranquility. As long as you do not feel the serenity in the body, in each and every joint there is no chance for emancipation. You are in bondage. So while you are sweating and aching, let your heart be light and let it fill your body with gladness. You are not only becoming free, but you are also being free. What is not to be glad about? The pain is temporary. The freedom is permanent.” Yogācārya Srī B. K. S. Iyengar, Light on Life, p. 63.
With deep gratitude for the efforts of our lineage, wishing you all a Happy New Year. May you find freedom and unalloyed bliss in the vessel of your being.
Love,
jennifer