It's easy to understand why John Friend highly recommends the book Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Yoga "for all sincere students of yoga." Because, Mark Singleton's thesis is a well researched expose of how modern hatha yoga, or "posture practice," as he terms it, has changed within and after the practice left India.

1. Yoga Body, Yoga Spirit: Can We
Have Both?
It's easyto understandwhyJohnFriendhighlyrecommendsthe book YogaBody:The Originsof
ModernPosture Yoga "for all sincere studentsof yoga."Because,MarkSingleton'sthesisisawell
researchedexposeof howmodernhathayoga,or "posture practice,"ashe terms it,has changed
withinandafterthe practice leftIndia.
But the bookis mainlyabouthowyogatransformedinIndiaitself inthe last150 years.How yoga's
main,modernproponents-T.Krishnamacharyaandhisstudents,K.Patttabhi JoisandB.K. S.
Iyengar-mixedtheirhomegrownhathayogapracticeswithEuropeangymnastics.
Thiswas howmany Indianyogiscopedwithmodernity:Ratherthanremaininginthe cavesof the
Himalayas,theymovedtothe cityand embracedthe oncomingEuropeancultural trends.They
especiallyembraceditsmore "esotericformsof gymnastics,"includingthe influential Swedish
techniquesof Ling(1766-1839).
Singletonusesthe wordyogaasa homonymtoexplainthe maingoal of histhesis.Thatis,he
emphasizesthatthe wordyogahas multiplemeanings,dependingonwhousesthe term.

2. Thisemphasisisinitself aworthyenterpriseforstudentsof everythingyoga;tocomprehendand
accept that youryoga maynot be the same kindof yoga as my yoga.Simply,thatthere are many
pathsof yoga.
In that regard,JohnFriendisabsolutelyright: thisisbyfar the mostcomprehensivestudyof the
culture andhistoryof the influentialyogalineagethatrunsfromT. Krishnamacharya'shumidand
hot palace studioinMysore to Bikram'sartificiallyheatedstudioinHollywood.
Singleton'sstudyon"postural yoga"makesupthe bulkof the book.But he also devotessome pages
to outline the historyof "traditional"yoga,fromPatanjali tothe ShaivaTantricswho,basedonmuch
earlieryogatraditions,compiledthe hathayogatraditioninthe middleages andpennedthe famous
yoga textbooksthe Hatha Yoga Pradipikaandthe GerandaSamhita.
It iswhile doingthese examinationsthatSingletongetsintowatermuchhotterthana Bikram sweat.
Thus I hesitate ingivingSingletonastraightA for hisotherwise excellentdissertation.
Singletonclaimshisprojectissolelythe studyof modernposture yoga.If he hadstuckto that
projectalone,hisbookwouldhave beengreatandreceivedonlyaccolades.Butunfortunately,he
commitsthe same blundersomanymodernhatha yogisdo.
All yogastylesare fine,these hathayogissay.All homonymsare equallygoodandvalid,theyclaim.
Exceptthat homonym,whichthe cultural relativisthathayogisperceiveasanarrogant versionof
yoga.Why? Because itsadherents,the traditionalists,claimitisadeeper,more spiritual and
traditional fromof yoga.
Thiskindof ranking,thinksSingleton,iscounterproductive andawaste of time.
Georg Feuersteindisagrees.Undoubtedlythe mostprolificandwell-respectedyogascholaroutside
Indiatoday,he is one of those traditionalistswhoholdsyogatobe an integral practice-abody,mind,
spiritpractice.SohowdoesFeuerstein'sintegral yogahomonymdifferfromthe non-integral
modernposture yogahomonympresentedtous by Singleton?
Simplyput,Feuerstein'sremarkablewritingsonyogahave focusedonthe holisticpractice of yoga.
On the whole shebangof practicesthattraditional yogadevelopedoverthe past5000 plusyears:

3. asanas,pranayama (breathingexercises),chakra(subtle energycenters),kundalini (spiritual energy),
bandhas(advancedbodylocks),mantras,mudras(handgestures),etc.
Hence,while posture yogaprimarilyfocusesonthe physical body,ondoingpostures,integral yoga
includesboththe physical andthe subtle bodyandinvolvesawhole plethoraof physical,mental and
spiritual practiceshardlyeverpracticedinanyof today'smodernyogastudios.
I wouldnothave botheredtobringall thisup had itnot beenforthe fact that Singletonmentioned
Feuersteininacritical lightinhisbook's"ConcludingReflections."Inotherwords,itisstrategically
importantforSingletontocritique Feuerstein'sinterpretationof yoga,aform of yoga whichhappens
to prettymuch coincide withmyown.
Singletonwrites:"Forsome,suchasbest-sellingyogascholarGeorgFeuerstein,the modern
fascinationwithpostural yogacanonlybe a perversionof the authenticyogaof tradition."Then
SingletonquotesFeuerstein,whowritesthatwhenyogareachedWesternshoresit"wasgradually
strippedof itsspiritual orientationandremodeledintofitnesstraining."
Singletonthencorrectlypointsoutthatyoga hadalreadystartedthisfitnesschange inIndia.He also
correctlypointsoutthat fitnessyogaisnotapposed to any"spiritual"enterprise of yoga.Butthatis
not exactlyFeuerstein'spoint:he simplypointsouthow the physical exercise partof modernyoga
lacksa deep"spiritual orientation."Andthatisa crucial difference.
ThenSingletonexclaimsthatFeuerstein'sassertionsmissesthe "deeplyspiritual orientationof some
modernbodybuildingandwomen'sfitnesstraininginthe harmonial gymnasticstradition."
While IthinkI am quite clearaboutwhatFeuersteinmeansby"deeplyspiritual,"Iamstill not sure
whatSingletonmeansbyitfromjustreadingYoga Body.Andthat makesan intelligentcomparison
difficult.Hence whydidSingletonbringthisupinhisconcludingargumentsinabookdevotedto
physical postures?Surelytomake a point.
Since he didmake a pointabout it,I wouldlike torespond.
Accordingto Feuerstein,the goal of yogaisenlightenment(Samadhi),notphysical fitness,noteven
spiritual physical fitness.Notabetter,slimmerphysique,butabetterchance at spiritual liberation.

4. For him,yogais primarilyaspiritual practice involvingdeeppostures,deepstudyanddeep
meditation.Eventhoughposturesare anintegral partof traditional yoga,enlightenmentispossible
evenwithoutthe practice of posture yoga,indisputablyprovenbysuchsagesasAnandaMai Ma,
Ramana Maharishi,NisargadattaMaharaj,and others.
The broader questionaboutthe goal of yoga,fromthe pointof view of traditional yogaisthis:isit
possible toattainenlightenmentthroughthe practice of fitness yogaalone?The answer:Notvery
easy.Notevenlikely.Notevenbypracticingthe kindof fitnessyogaSingletonclaimsis"spiritual."
Accordingto integral yoga,the bodyisthe firstand outerlayerof the mind.Enlightenment,
however,takesplace in andbeyondthe fifthandinnermostlayerof the subtle body,orkosa,notin
the physical body.Hence,fromthisparticularperspective of yoga,fitnessyogahascertainlimits,
simplybecause itcannotalone deliverthe desiredresults.
Similarily,Feuersteinandall usothertraditionalists(oh,thosedarnlabels!) are simplysayingthatif
your goal isenlightenment,thenfitnessyogaprobablywon'tdothe trick.Youcan standon your
headand do poweryogafromdawn tomidnight,butyoustill won'tbe enlightened.
Hence,theydesignedsittingyogapostures(padmasana,siddhasana,viirasana,etc) forsuch
particularpurposes.Indeed,theyspentmore time sittingstill inmeditationovermovingaboutdoing
postures,asit wasthe sittingpracticeswhich inducedthe desiredtrance statesof enlightenment,or
Samadhi.
In otherwords,youcan be enlightenedwithouteverpracticingthe variedhathapostures,butyou
probablywon'tgetenlightenedbyjustpracticingthese posturesalone,nomatterhow "spiritual"
those posturesare.
These are the kindsof layeredinsightsandperspectivesIsorelymissedwhile readingYogaBody.
Hence hiscriticismof Feuersteinseemsrathershallow andkneejerk.
Singleton'ssole focusondescribingthe physical practice and historyof modernyogais
comprehensive,probablyquiteaccurate,andratherimpressive,buthisinsistencethatthere are
"deeplyspiritual"aspectsof moderngymnasticsandposture yogamissesanimportantpointabout

5. yoga.Namely,thatour bodiesare onlyasspiritual aswe are,from that space inour hearts,deep
withinandbeyondthe body.
Yoga Body thusmissesacrucial pointmanyof us have the right to claim, andwithouthavingtobe
criticizedforbeingarrogantor mean-minded:thatyogais primarilyaholisticpractice,inwhichthe
physical bodyisseenasthe firstlayerof a seriesof ascendingandall-embracinglayersof being-from
bodyto mindto spirit.Andthatultimately,eventhe bodyisthe dwellingplace of Spirit.Insum, the
bodyis the sacredtemple of Spirit.
Andwhere doesthisyogaperspective hailfrom?AccordingtoFeuerstein,"Itunderliesthe entire
Tantric tradition,notablythe schoolsof hathayoga,whichare an offshootof Tantrism."
In Tantra it isclearlyunderstoodthatthe humanbeingisathree-tieredbeing-physical,mental and
spiritual.Hence,the Tantricsveryskillfullyandcarefullydevelopedpracticesforall three levelsof
being.
From thisancientperspective,itisverygratifyingtosee how the more spiritual,all-embracing
tantric andyogic practicessuchas hatha yoga,mantra meditation,breathingexercises,ayurveda,
kirtan,and scriptural studyare increasinglybecomingintegral featuresof manymodernyoga
studios.
So,to answerthe questioninthe title of thisarticle.Canwe have botha limberphysiqueanda
sacredspiritwhile practicingyoga?Yes,of course we can. Yoga isnot either/or.Yogaisyes/and.The
more holisticouryogapractice becomes-thatis,the more spiritual practice isaddedtoourposture
practice-the more these twoseeminglyoppositepoles-the bodyandthe spirit-will blendandunify.
Unitywas, afterall,the goal of ancientTantra.
Perhapssoonsomeone willwrite abookaboutthisnew,ever-growinghomonymof global yoga?
Mark Singleton'sYogaBodyis notsuch a book.But a bookaboutthis,shall we call it,neo-traditional,
or holisticformof yogawouldcertainlybe aninterestingcultural exploration.Visit
https://www.3doshas.de/
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