Proud To Be Ruled — an essay on the authority in Ashtanga Yoga & life.
Authority and taboo in ashtanga yoga
The authoritative mindset and taboo has been part of the ashtanga scene for decades.
It’s quite astounding to witness the ‘most traditional’ of all the Yoga styles to be flooded with a rigid and totalitarian mindset. An ancient tool which was designed for the inner engineering of the Self and yet, taught by some as if having the ‘Imperial March’ on the background.
This is nevertheless, the elephant in the room of the ashtangis, the ‘Emperor’s new clothes’ of the mysorians, and the big bamboozle of the spiritual ego.
The deep impregnation of the belief in the authority not only trickles down to the general vision of Yoga, but also how is practiced and taught.
In this article we will begin dismantling the authority deception, followed by its effects on the behaviour. Lastly, we will see the repercussion authority has in the dynamic teacher-student.
Definition of authority
To have a better understanding on the topic, let’s first define what ‘authority’ is (as in Merriam-Webster dictionary) and settle the concepts into context.
power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behaviour
an individual cited or appealed to as an expert
Although these two concepts are very different, they share the same word. And often, they are mistakenly interchanged. Regardless of the illusion of the concept of “authority” (which we will discuss soon) these two definitions differ in one thing. The number ‘1’ is based in violence.
The interchangeability of these two distant concepts will entangle the beliefs, attitude, and consequently the actions of those that can’t discern between them.
Let’s have a look now to the ‘authority’ myth and how any type of ‘authority’ is just a mere mind construct.
If the first definition is taken, “power to influence or command thought, opinion, or behaviour”, the reader might appreciate that if there is no consent from the person to be influenced, there is no ‘authority’ anymore in that sense.
When the ‘authority’ chooses to impose its will without the consent of the individual, it’s called assault. And assault is always violence based, which invariably goes against the Natural Law Principles and the very first of the Yamas, Ahimsa (non-violence).
(For a deeper investigation about ahimsa and satya click here)
If it is to be said without euphemisms, that is not ‘authority’ but bullying in the best of the cases.
Although the second definition is not inherently violent, “an individual cited or appealed to as an expert”, is surely an illusion. This is due that the one perceiving someone else as an ‘authority’ is giving this ‘title’ in his own head.
It is true, that when someone wants to be proficient in any area, a mentor is usually the best option. Someone that knows more in the matter.
But while one can feel that someone else knows more in certain topics, nobody can know for sure how much someone else knows unless they know the same or more in that topic.
This demonstrates that the whole idea of ‘authority’ is at least to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Group thinking vs critical thinking: the ashtanga challenge
As the reader begins to understand the illusory nature of authority in its raw form, let’s move on to a more subtle aspects of the topic and how this destructive belief percolates into the ashtanga world.
It is significant to note that while Yoga is an instrument for the development of consciousness, some teachers choose to impart this knowledge from a domination perspective.
There are some people that need and want rules. They not only want to be told what to do, but want others to follow them too.
Some ashtangis can practice for decades under this perspective, but unfortunately their hard work and effort is not enough for the inner transformation to happen.
Even more, the very fact of adhering to this mindset is hindering their own process of maturation. They just can’t take responsibility for themselves.
Those in the need for rules, “order followers” of any type, tend to have more trouble in the learning process because they don’t have the chances to make mistakes and own them.
Another point of this detrimental mindset is that favours the group-thinking at the expenses of individual critical thinking.
Those that engineer the public opinion know very well how the mind works and (mis)use the fact that a figure of authority can shift how the masses think and behave.
Furthermore, in extreme cases, anyone that defies that figure will be heavily scolded by the group-thinking gang.
Of course, this is a severe illustration of what happens when the concept of authority is brought to the utmost.
But, the same happens in a micro-scale and usually in a lesser degree in some places of the ashtanga scene.
People are conditioned since the beginning of their lives to obey blindly. This may be the official in the uniform, the doctor with the white robe or the teacher in the school.
This is something that happens in the society everyday since inmemorial times.
This phenomenon can be ‘translated’ into the ashtanga world when the ‘older teachers’ claim ownership over students, or even over a territory in such a way that no other teacher can go and teach in those locations because is the monopoly of someone else’s.
“Someone” can't come to this city to do a workshop because it's ‘someone's’ territory. Hehe, it has me crying.
Of course, this will never be openly stated but it’s part of this “implicit Mysorian claims”. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about.
The Milgram experiment applied to ashtanga: are we replicating the same mistake?
As a side note for the reader to investigate the power of this inmoral belief, you can look for the “Milgram experiment”. The experiment was intended to measure the willingness of the people to obey an authority figure commanding them to act against their own moral judgement.
The following is a short synopsis of the experiment.
Subjects were asked to volunteer for what they were told was an experiment testing human memory.
Under the supervision of a scientist (the ‘authority’ figure), one person was strapped into a chair and wired with electrodes, and the other (the actual subject of the study) sat in front of a shock-generating machine.
The person in front of the electro-shock machine was told that the goal was to test whether shocking the other person when he gave a wrong answer to a memorisation question would affect his ability to remember things.
The true goal, however, was to test to what degree the person in front of the shock machine would inflict pain on an innocent stranger simply because someone in the role of authority told him to.
Crazy, isn’t it?
In short, a significant majority of subjects, nearly two out of three, continued through the experiment right to the end, inflicting what they thought were excruciatingly painful - if not lethal- shocks to a complete stranger, despite the screams of agony, the cries for mercy, even the unconsciousness or death of the (pretending - he was an actor) victim.
“With numbing regularity good people were seen to knuckle under the demands of authority and perform actions that were callous and severe… A substantial proportion of people do what they are told to do, irrespective of the content of the act and without limitations of conscience, so long as they perceive that the command comes from a legitimate authority”
Let’s see now, how occasionally some teachers (consciously or unconsciously) dishonestly misuse this profoundly implanted belief to their advantage.
“The humbleness of a warrior is not the humbleness of the beggar. The warrior lowers his head to no one, but at the same time, he doesn’t permit anyone to lower his head to him. The beggar, on the other hand, falls to his knees at the drop of a hat and scrapes the floor to anyone he deems to be higher; but at the same time, he demands that someone lower than him scrape the floor for him”
Embodying the role of ‘authority’, the teacher now feel entitled to do whatever it was done to him, disregarding if it’s honest or moral.
There is this power-play that is not overtly spoken, but is supported by the rest of the students in the way they behave.
Older students teach the new ones the behavioural etiquette when the “guru” is around. These type of rules are a taboo, and rarely talked about, but somehow everyone knows them really good.
The teachers, on the other hand, benefit from this behavioural dynamics because questions are prevented; something that they really dislike.
Which is kind of funny considering that a teacher always faces questions.
Here, it’s possible to see how the two definitions above mentioned are already a bit mingled together.
It’s possible to see too how a figure of authority is creating a group-thinking dynamic and letting the peer pressure to perpetuate these conducts.
From comformity to authenticity: getting rid of the group thinking in yoga
If you want to know a bit more on group-thinking dynamics, look for “Asch’s conformity experiment” and you’ll see the peer pressure in action.
In short, this experiment revealed the degree to which a person’s own opinions are influenced by those of a group. Asch’s experiment proved that people were willing to give a wrong answer in order to conform with the rest of the group.
Maybe you find some similarities with the ashtanga scene nowadays. If so, there is not much Satya there, right?
As the reader may notice, the ‘authority’ belief not only consist in someone magically having the ‘moral right’ to force his will on others, but the others having the ‘moral duty’ to comply.
And it’s a common thing from unbalanced yoga teachers to keep the students dependent. Since their income depends on the students, they may hinder the student’s progress or dismiss the student’s desires to visit another teacher or try another Yoga style.
[As a side note, I personally think doing “Yoga Shopping” (going to many teachers) is only a good idea in the beginning of your yoga journey, since you need to find someone with whom you resonate with.
After that, I find the most beneficial is to stick with your teacher, since they know you, they know your practice and you avoid getting confused by the different and sometimes contradictory views of too many teachers.]
Putting everything of this into the equation, as a yoga teacher, one must be very honest and straight forward at the time of interacting with the students.
If you’re looking for a mentor, here I leave you the guidance I use in case you need help:
and foremost, there must be a certain connection between teacher and student.
the teacher must be interested and willing to teach you.
the teacher must have a self practice.
the teacher must not be polluted with the authority belief.
“One of the characteristics to look for in a mentor is someone who takes great pleasure in the smallest improvement in her student. This satisfaction is completely altruistic and is an expression of the Yoga teacher’s self-sufficiency and self-realization. A mentor expresses the third “brahmavihara” (quality of heart) (sutra I.33), which is to see and celebrate the good in others and celebrate another’s success as your own. This quality of heart becomes firm in those whose own ego is stable and balanced. .
The teacher’s own identity structure is secure and is not dependent on putting the student in an inferior position. When a teacher does not have this healthy ego structure, she may express envy, jealousy, or covert anger when a student’s progress surpasses her own development. Commonly such a teacher will attempt to knock the student down a notch or two by undermining his confidence. Obviously this benefits neither student nor teacher. .
If a Yoga teacher cultivates a particular student because of what the teacher might gain, either personally or professionally, through increased status or financial reward, the relationship will always be tainted by the teacher’s desire to complete herself through the student”
The practice as a mirror: what authority reflect about ourselves
The imprint of the authority symbol, deeply rooted in the human subconscious, is not endemic in the Yoga circles.
It has been seeping from its clandestine position in daily life onto the yoga community and the transmission of this great tool for consciousness development.
This poisonous belief creates the illusion to be entitled to do what otherwise wouldn’t be accepted, and permeates equally the minds of those willing to impose their will and those willing to submit.
The actions of every single one of us are only our own responsibility. No one else’s.
The ‘authority’ belief have done so much damage through the history of humanity, and it’s time to reverse it to get the freedom all of us deserve.
As yoga practitioners and teachers is imperative to get rid of this toxic belief; first to help ourselves to be free, and only later will be able to help others in their journeys to freedom.
May all beings lift the veil of ignorance and see the truth behind the illusion of authority.
May they all be able to see things as they are through a balanced mind.
SPREAD THE WORD. SHARE IT WITH YOUR PEOPLE.
