Mentorship (Part two)

by Grant Ifflander

After 11 years of teaching yoga, 6 years of facilitating international retreats, and 3 years of running education programs for teaching certification, I've had a good amount of opportunity to learn about the developmental process on the path of Yoga. Each year I accrue more experience in terms of my own journey, and, for me, has been a profound & quite humbling study throughout this time. There have been many instances where I've wondered "what's next?" and have had to pause to seriously consider how to proceed. I believe that it is through periods of deep reflection and contemplation that the path continues to reveal more and more in terms of the mystery of the spiritual process. Stagnation occurs when I feel like I've conclusively arrived somewhere, and yet at the same time drawing conclusions based on experience is what helps the whole experiment move forward in any meaningful way. There is an interesting paradox here: a conclusion is necessary make a stand, and yet the very ground we stand on is constantly shifting and evolving with our progression.

Anybody who has been practicing yoga for any length of time may have noticed that there is a vast amount of information out there related to this path. Much of what we see nowadays is (fortunately or unfortunately) influenced by the enormous social networking systems that rapidly spread information around the world. Authority and credibility have become byproducts of amassing a large number of Instagram followers. This was not the case 50 years ago, or even just 20 years ago. At one point, receiving tradtional knowledge and wisdom was something that required a trepidatious journey and a very sincere heart; today we can search for "bhuta shuddhi" on Youtube and come across dozens of videos of Indian Gurus speaking at length on the subject.

Although it may appear that the process of the journey of acquiring spiritual insight has changed, I would argue that it remains very much the same as it has for millenia. Times have indeed changed.... but the human nervous system, I would argue, has changed very little. The building blocks are the same and the physiology is as it was 200,000 years ago when homo sapiens emerged from the evolutionary soup.

Which means.... what?

Well, in the context of this essay, I'm sharing some thoughts I have related to an upcoming container that I've been developing (MENTORSHIP). As much as I love teaching to groups and sharing what has worked for me along the way, I find that personal attention is, or can be, extremely supportive for progression on this path. There is indeed a large amount of information out there. What are we to do with all of it?

Personally, I've spent a considerable amount of time experimenting on myself and dabbling in different techniques, forms, methods and suchlike. Although I've been teaching for 11 years, I consider myself first and foremost a student; I am simply fascinated by this stuff. What has worked has stayed with me and what has not has simply fallen away. Through the ongoing process of trial-and-error, I've managed to arrive at some understanding around what is needed. There remains so much to be discovered, to be sure, but I feel confident enough in my own undertaking that I can translate this into the steps on the path as it unfolds.

When it comes to working with others, there is the unique process of developing a personal relationship with each individual that allows the insight to flow between the two parties (between the guide and the one who is accepting guidance). In terms of "teaching" Yoga, I've come to realize that this is an essential part of the path: the process of relationship. Although information can be transferred, or transmitted, it is in relationship that this information can take root and flourish. Furthermore, it is in one's own spiritual laboratory which this information can gradually crystallize into embodiment.

As one progresses in their journey, the information they pick up along the way has one of two outcomes: it remains cognitive and purely intellectual, or it becomes embodied. Embodiment is like a catchphrase nowadays but it is not something that can be faked. We either know, or we pretend to know. Of course, pretending to "know" is an initial stage in the process, and cannot or should not be skipped, but nonetheless is only a step on the way to true knowing. Jñana, as it is referred to in Sanskrit, is the word or concept that we are interested in here; the Greek word gnosis bares similar meaning and shares a common root. A loose translation is something like "to know directly". Traditionally speaking, jñana is one of the four margas or paths of Yoga; it is also one of the three shaktis or primordial energies of the Universe.

Since we are talking about Yoga, and more specifically the spiritual process within the yogic path, understanding these terms can be helpful to consider how we might progress; if and only if spiritual growth or spiritual evolution is our inspiration for walking the walk. Otherwise, we risk 'talking the talk' but never actually making the journey ourselves. Then, we may end up contributing to the mass amount of information out there, but never going through the transformation of said information into wisdom.

These are all merely descriptions of stages on the way to enlightenment. A conceptual framework, if you will, to aid one in their approach and methodology. Yoga is, after all, a profound spiritual science; one that cannot be "learned" merely by books or through workshops. The Western mind and the pernicious attitudes of the ego are aspects of one's psyche that must go through gradual purification in order to regain the pristine states of awareness which allows true spiritual insight to arise. As and when this occurs, the individual on his or her journey will awaken to hidden, expansive levels of consciousness and the teachings which led the way begin to reveal deeper layers of meaning and understanding. What was previously held as conclusively true may begin to shift and morph as new conclusions arise and guide the way forward into the vast unknown territory of Spirit. The information received up to this point may either be completely discarded, or reevaluated for its utility. The practitioner must continually start over as a complete beginner, albeit with a refinement of their virtues, which should assist them well in the next steps on the path.

All of this must be taken with a grain of salt and a healthy dose of humility, lest we forget the true purpose of our spiritual journey. Each person must decide for themselves what is being alluded here. Only a courageous few will consider this carefully and proceed accordingly. Most remain content with the information received and, if the current social environment is anything to go by, will continue to spin their wheels and "talk the talk" while never even taking the step that's right in front of them. Choose wisely.

Grant & BYA