There is nothing particularly ?wrong? with ego. It can be a very useful instrument for living in this world. If you want to practice asana like gymnastics or aerobics, that is fine. You need not worry about ego and you can put all of your ambition and desire into it. If you want to practice asana within the context of hatha yoga, then it?s a different story altogether. Hatha yoga and raja yoga are inseparable. Therefore, asana can be seen as one aspect of spiritual practice, the third step on the rung of classical yoga. Asana, pranayama, and the awakening of the kundalini combined even make hatha yoga a spiritual path in its own right. Walking the spiritual path of yoga, the realisation may dawn that the ego has its limitations. The ego?s grasping, ambition and desire can be seen in a different light. Then you can act with much less of the ?ego-factor? involved. Let me explain.
What is the ego or ego-sense? There is much confusion about it, even within one school of psychology. For our purposes, let us say that the ego is a function of the mind. It has two aspects. First, the ego is our inner instrument for organizing and controlling our experience: When I see a yoga mat, I am able to recognize it as such and do my asanas, in spite of feeling a bit lazy today. A strong ego denotes the capability of functioning effectively in the outer world, without being undermined by inner conflict. Second, the ego is an aspect of the mind that gives us the continuous and apparently trustworthy impression that ?I am?. When I get on the yoga mat, I always know that I am John and not Peter or Sally.
From a spiritual point of view, the ego is merely an activity of the mind. It is seen to be full of attachments and aversions; it is full of judgement and prejudice that color the world. The ego seeks pleasure and avoids pain. It is full of ambition and desire. The ego is forever [B]intentional [/B]and[B] grasping [/B](at things, thoughts, emotions and ideas) in order to create the impression of a [B]separate self[/B]. It is always about [B]? I?[/B] and always in the [B]doing[/B] [B]mode[/B]. (Buddhists point out that this self is by nature impermanent and without a separate existence of its own; therefore there is no self). When you look for this ego, you will not find it. Who thinks these thoughts? Who feels these feelings? Who is this ?I?? Looking for the answers, you will not find the ego, but you may find your true nature.
All spiritual traditions assert that there is another way of looking at the world, a broader view that encompasses the ego too. Let?s call it yoga, Big Mind, turiya (the fourth state), the Self or unity-consciousness. It is a state of greater awareness, it is [B]non-intentional[/B], and it is groundless and [B]boundless[/B] in the sense that it makes no separation. It is about ?[B]not-I[/B]? and in the [B]being mode[/B]. The fourth state is beyond separating the world into pairs of opposites, beyond ?right? and ?wrong?. The seer (subject) , the seen (object) and the process of seeing are one. The whole of creation is interdependent. Since the separation between the self and others is lifted, a greater sense of compassion may arise; call this Big Heart. You are perfect as you are. You can accept yourself as you are. There is no need for the grasping, the ambition, and the desire so characteristic of the ego. Be here, now!
On the spiritual path, it is possible to gradually free oneself of the ego-sense. Enlightenment is the experience of yoga. It is also the realization of yoga in our daily consciousness. The smaller ego is (gradually) infused by something larger than us. This allows us to act spontaneously, with more awareness and compassion, and with less attachment to the results. You truly can do everything in life with much less of the ?ego-factor? involved.
If you want to practice asana, rather than gymnastics or aerobics, then do so in the spirit of classical yoga. Look for stability and comfort by relaxing the effort. Relax both physical and mental effort. Use less than 70% of your muscle power. Use only those muscles necessary for the pose. Often, you will be able to relax your face and neck. Allow your breath to slow down. Do not make an effort to achieve results, free yourself of ambition. Just do your practice. Progress in asana is only made through consistent earnest practice and dispassionate non-attachment. Identify with something greater than yourself, your chosen ideal or the infinite breath of life. Gradually, you will find more poise and balance and you will be less distracted by the pairs of opposites, both physical (feelings of comfort and discomfort) and mental (praise and blame).
When you further incorporate pranayama and meditation into your practice you may eventually find your true nature ? the true nature that lies beyond the ego-mind that identifies itself with the vacillating waves of perception.
(I?m indebted to John Welwood for his discussion of ego and to Mukunda Stiles and Nico Tydeman for their teachings)
I again had some of you wonderful members asking me why I want to do it. When I asked about how should I progress and be able to do all advanced yoga asanas. Again the same thing. When I asked about meeting my goals of doing “chakrasana” I again was slapped with comments and advice like why I want to do it. It is somethingt very advanced and I should not attempt it without proper guru.