Live before you die, so that death is also a lively celebration.
B.K.S. IyengarRead
You must do the asana with your soul. How can you do an asana 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 asana 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 asana, but you must instead feel your way into it through love and devotion
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes that true practice in yoga comes from the heart and involves feeling rather than just intellectual understanding.
B.K.S. Iyengar highlights the importance of emotional and spiritual engagement in the practice of asanas (yoga poses). He suggests that while many practitioners attempt to approach yoga through cognitive means, the essence of yoga lies in a heartfelt connection, driven by love and devotion. This means that an effective practice is more about inner experience and presence than merely executing physical postures correctly.
In practice
During a yoga workshop, use this quote to inspire participants to connect more deeply with their practice.
Live before you die, so that death is also a lively celebration.
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Once, when a religionist denounced me in unmeasured terms, I sent him a card saying, "I am sure you believe that I will go to hell when I die, and that once there I will suffer all the pains and tortures the sadistic ingenuity of your deity can devise and that this torture will continue forever. Isn't that enough for you? Do you have to call me bad names in addition?"
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Are there other people who, when watching a documentary set in a prison, secretly think, as I have, 'Wish I had all that time to read'?
The purpose of the Constitution is to restrict the majority's ability to harm a minority.
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