Stopped In Our Tracks
Stories of U.G. In India from the Notebooks of K. ChandrasekharTranslated and Edited by J.S.R.L. Narayana Moorty 2d/3d Series
First Visit to Madras
U.G. underwent much physical turmoil after the Calamity that befell him in 1967. Either because of the chemical changes that occurred in his body, or because of energy outbursts, his whole body used to undergo contortions as though a wet cloth was being wrung out. At the time, Mr. Desikachar, who was well known as a yoga teacher in India, happened to be in Saanen, Switzerland, where U.G. was also. He became acquainted with U.G. and used to visit U.G. and spend time with him under the pretext of eating South Indian meals prepared by U.G.
Observing U.G.'s bodily condition, he opined that if U.G. practiced yoga his body would quiet down. He told U.G. that his father, Sri Krishnamacharya, was in fact more capable of teaching yoga than himself.
At Mr. Desikachar's insistence, U.G. came to Madras with Valentine at the end of that year. There he started practicing yoga under the guidance of Sri Krishnamacharya. Sri Krishnamacharya was even more renowned than Mr. Desikachar as a yoga teacher. He was also a scholar and a centenarian. U.G. was surprised to find that the yoga postures Sri Krishnamacharya taught proved contrary to the natural energy movements in U.G.'s body. U.G. remarked about this to Sri Krishnamacharya. The latter quoted verses from the Bhagavad Gita substantiating his methods. With that, U.G. lost the little faith he had had before in the worth of yoga practice. Because, by his nature, he wouldn't brush aside anything so quickly, U.G. wanted to give this yoga practice a good chance, and continued to practice it for three years. So he practiced all the postures prescribed by Sri Krishnamacharya faithfully. He examined minutely all the effects of this yoga on his body, and thus proved to himself beyond doubt that those practices were all of no avail to him.
At that time, U.G. used to live in the house in Hanumanthanagar in Bangalore. I too stayed in that house for a few days. As was my practice, I used to get up early in the morning, take a cold water bath and practice some yoga postures in the manner taught to me by Sowris. During my practice, U.G. sometimes used to come in and correct me in some places. For instance, he admonished me not to open my eyes during my headstand.
The truth which U.G. finally realized from his own experience was that yoga does more harm than good to the body. U.G. says that the movements which the body goes through spontaneously as it is coming out of the state of 'death' are closer to the Tai Chi movements than to the postures of yoga. Also, U.G. says that it's a mistake to perform the 'Corpse Posture' (Savasana) at the end of the yoga practice. He insists that it should come at the beginning.
Observing U.G.'s bodily condition, he opined that if U.G. practiced yoga his body would quiet down. He told U.G. that his father, Sri Krishnamacharya, was in fact more capable of teaching yoga than himself.
At Mr. Desikachar's insistence, U.G. came to Madras with Valentine at the end of that year. There he started practicing yoga under the guidance of Sri Krishnamacharya. Sri Krishnamacharya was even more renowned than Mr. Desikachar as a yoga teacher. He was also a scholar and a centenarian. U.G. was surprised to find that the yoga postures Sri Krishnamacharya taught proved contrary to the natural energy movements in U.G.'s body. U.G. remarked about this to Sri Krishnamacharya. The latter quoted verses from the Bhagavad Gita substantiating his methods. With that, U.G. lost the little faith he had had before in the worth of yoga practice. Because, by his nature, he wouldn't brush aside anything so quickly, U.G. wanted to give this yoga practice a good chance, and continued to practice it for three years. So he practiced all the postures prescribed by Sri Krishnamacharya faithfully. He examined minutely all the effects of this yoga on his body, and thus proved to himself beyond doubt that those practices were all of no avail to him.
At that time, U.G. used to live in the house in Hanumanthanagar in Bangalore. I too stayed in that house for a few days. As was my practice, I used to get up early in the morning, take a cold water bath and practice some yoga postures in the manner taught to me by Sowris. During my practice, U.G. sometimes used to come in and correct me in some places. For instance, he admonished me not to open my eyes during my headstand.
The truth which U.G. finally realized from his own experience was that yoga does more harm than good to the body. U.G. says that the movements which the body goes through spontaneously as it is coming out of the state of 'death' are closer to the Tai Chi movements than to the postures of yoga. Also, U.G. says that it's a mistake to perform the 'Corpse Posture' (Savasana) at the end of the yoga practice. He insists that it should come at the beginning.
