What is Sarvanga Yoga?

     In a way it is unfortunate that yoga has sired so many new styles.  Perhaps it is good that various styles which emphasize limited aspects of yoga are able to speak to specific groups that might not otherwise be drawn to yoga.  However, generally speaking, the stylization of yoga has resulted in a watering down of principles and movement away from the source.  With that in mind, why Sarvanga Yoga?  Due to current marketing trends and business environment it is necessary to label one's product.  If I were to advertise Yoga with its singular, accurate name only, its unlikely anyone would ever look into it further.  In addition the term Sarvanga strikes at the heart of this problem of diversification that is so often the result of modern yoga.  So while Sarvanga Yoga might suggest just another style, its actually an approach that is intended to invite and allow the practitioner's rapid, safe, practical expression and experience of yoga.  This is significant in that much that is out there that is identified as yoga is rather a collection of techniques geared towards realizing popular goals like strength, flexibilty or a more peaceful mind.
     Sarvanga means throughout the limbs.  This can be interpreted in two ways.  Limbs can refer to the limbs of the body or the limbs of Patanjali's eightfold yogic path.  When referring to the body, Sarvanga Yoga, means that all actions are applied in a manner that recognizes the whole body to the degree possible.  Though this principle is given lip service in many styles of yoga, an objective assessment of related instruction and its consequences reveals that diversification and localization of awareness is being fostered rather than unified awareness of body.  This fact cannot be overemphasized as it means the difference between a yoga practice that invites one to yoga and something that is called yoga practice that leads one to diversification while promising unity.  When referring to Patanjali's yoga, Sarvanga Yoga suggests the unity of the eight limbs.  Because most of us operate in and consider normal a dualistic framework, one can recognize how rare it is for someone to actually grasp the principle of unification, what it represents and how one would convey it without compromising its actual meaning.  To put it simply, the eight limbs of Patanjali's yoga interrelate and cannot exist without the others.  When one is present the others are also present.  Though this aspect of the eight limbs is often referred to in yoga book introductions, it is rarely fully understood.  The dualistic tendency is to see the eight limbs as steps which must be followed in a sequential, linear manner so that they will unfold or be revealed to the practitioner accordingly.  But the word limb was specifically chosen by Patanjali to convey the interrelationship between these aspects of yoga.  Therefore rather than looking at these aspects of yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi as steps, we can see them as facets of the same unit which when neared reveals them all.  Once this is grasped, it can be recognized that instruction must be geared to facilitate the recognition of yoga.  It must also be noted that yoga need not be complicated.  Though many egos are making lots of money suggesting that yoga is complicated and can only be achieved through vigorous, complicated regimes, the truth is that yoga is here for all and its not dependent upon physical, mental or spiritual ability.  In our next post we'll get into how this might affect actual yoga instruction.