Yoga has gained worldwide popularity, for its mental and physical health benefits. While most people have at least heard of yoga as an exercise form, not many understand the significance of Yoga in its full depth and dimension. Sadhguru talks about the science and mysticism behind the 84 core Yogasanas, explaining their fundamental purpose of cleansing the body of deeply imprinted elemental memories.
Sadhguru: “This is the 84th creation.The memory of these 84 creations are still there in your body. If you do not cleanse that, this memory will bind you. All these practices, any Yogic practice for that matter, is rooted in a fundamental system called the Bhuta Shuddhi. Bhuta Shuddhi essentially means to cleanse the elements in your system. There are five elements, but there are only four which need to be cleansed. You know what the elements are – earth, water, wind, fire and space. Your body is a play of these five elements. The whole Creation is a play of these five elements.So, the Yogic system essentially is about handling the elements right.”
“84 is a significant number in the way the Creation is right now. Now, you don’t have to believe this, but this is our inner experience.In our experience this is the 84th creation – 83 times it’s happened and demolished itself, this is the 84th time. It will happen 112 times. And the final one that happens will not be physical in nature. So, it is based on this that you have 112 chakras and 84 are the most important and there are 84 asanas in Yoga. The basic asanas are 84 in number, because when you want to do Bhuta Shuddhi, you want to cleanse the elements. What you are cleansing it of is the previous memory. If you look deep into the system, you will see the memory of everything, the way this Existence happened is right here. If it was not here, certain things could not have been said in the past, before modern science is talking about these things. For example, Paul Steinhardt wrote a book which became very famous in the last three years or so. This book is called the ‘Endless Universe’. Until recently modern science believed that the universe began somewhere and it ends somewhere. For the first time they are putting out a theory saying it’s endless. Always in the Yogic system we’ve been saying the cosmos is ever-expanding.”
”You want to cleanse it from the memory, because this memory binds you. This memory gives you a sense of belonging, at the same time this memory binds you, it doesn’t let you go. See whether you like it or you don’t like it, your great-grandfather who died a long time ago, he’s right now living through you in some way, at least in the shape of your nose, the way you think, the way you sit, the way you stand, isn’t he? If you look deep enough, the memory goes way back. If the elements do not lose their memory, they will not behave the way you want. They will keep on repeating the old cycles.”
”Based on these 84 asanas, 84 Creations, all these things are connected. You don’t have to go by that. Anyway, when we say 84 asanas, do not think of them as just 84 postures. These are 84 systems of attaining. A Yogi masters only one asana. He does not practice 84 or 600 as people are doing. One asana is all that’s needed – you just have to master that. So, this is what 84 asanas are, and these 84 are pertaining to the 4 elements, 21 each. There are many other aspects to this, but without a certain dimension of experience within you, I will be taking you into belief, which I don’t want to do.”
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