Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo The Mother Techniques

Why do men want to worship? It is much better to become than to worship.

reluctance to change that makes one worship.

It is the

[Mothers Agenda, April 30, 1969]

The perfection of the integral Yoga will come when each man is able to follow his own path of Yoga,
pursuing the development of his own nature in its upsurging towards that which transcends the
nature. For freedom is the final law and the last consummation.
[Sri Aurobindo, Synthesis of Yoga]
What I meant by some concrete method was things like repetition of a mantra, pranayama, asana,
etc. What I mean by subtle methods is psychological, non-mechanical processes e.g.,
concentration in the heart, surrender, self-purification, working out by inner means the change of
the consciousness.
[Sri Aurobindo to Dilip, Vol.3]
It is practice first and knowledge afterwards
[Swami Vivekananda]
Sri Aurobindo & The Mother for their Integral Yoga did not lay down a fixed set of techniques like
the eightfold path of Buddha or Patanjalis eight limbs of Yoga. The underlying rationale was that
the techniques should evolve with the growth of consciousness and spiritual progress. Instead,
Integral Yoga incorporates conventional Yoga techniques from Raja Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Mantra
Yoga as necessary. For example, one may start with some Mantra and devotional Music and then
graduate to some type of Meditation. Until the mind begins to naturally enter the state of cessation
of thought (Unmani Avastha), the various techniques of Pranayama are also helpful and these can be
learned from other knowledgeable sources.
In Integral Yoga, emphasis is laid on 24-hour Sadhana, which implies maintaining a certain
concentration (which connotes neither staring nor stargazing!) of consciousness during all activities
of the day. This also includes raising the level of consciousness at night through conscious
exploration of our Sleep and Dreams.
The general psychological principles (i.e. attitude of the seeker) of Integral Yoga areAspiration,
Rejection, Surrender. ( See more on Surrender.)

In variance to other schools of Yoga, the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother does not try
to force the awakening of the Kundalini but allows it to occur naturally, and preferably as part of
the descent experience. The descent of Kundalini is preferred to its upward rise from the bottom of
the spine because the Shakti (power) which descends from the head is pure while the Shakti (power)
which awakens from bottom of the spine can get contaminated by the egoistic impurities of the
aspirant as it ascends. This aspect is further explained in the page on the descent experience.
Sri Aurobindo stated that his was not a world-negating Yoga which treats the phenomenal world as
an illusion from which one must escape, but rather a world-affirming Yoga in which Matter and
Spirit must be reconciled through the enlargement of consciousness. Towards that end, the
development of the body as a fit instrument for the manifestation of the spirit
through Physical culture is also given importance.

General

Four Austerities and Four Liberations

Religious, mechanical and psychological methods of self-realization

Equanimity as the foundation of Integral Yoga

Triple movement of Integral Yoga (Witness, Consenter and Enjoyer)

Liminality or negative capability required in Yoga

Interplay of faith and doubt in Yoga

The spiritual aptitude (adhikara) needed for Yoga

Sharing spiritual experiences with others

The occult spirits which influence our actions

Receiving guidance from Masters of a bygone age

How to increase will-power

The equipoise required for Yoga

Practicing Yoga without a Guru

Sexuality & Relationships

The transmutation of sexual energy

Sublimation of the sexual urge through Yoga

What is wrong with promiscuity?

The foundation of spiritual relationships

Further remarks on sexuality

What exactly is a crush or love at first sight?

Four stages of human love

How to choose the right life-partner

Should women dress modestly?

Psychic

How to awaken the soul (psychic being)

The elusive touch of the psychic being

Meditation

See Meditation Techniques

Sleep

Towards more conscious sleep and dreams

A contemplation exercise before going to sleep

Explaining out-of-body and near-death experiences

Why do we forget our vivid dreams?

How can we see in our dreams when our eyes are closed?

Vital

Vital immobility

Physical

Stabilizing the body before meditation

Dharana Shakti : the capacity to sustain spiritual experiences

Transcending the work-leisure cycle

Rising above ennui or boredom

Jnana Yoga

Subtle forms of the ego (transcending suffocation)

Jnana Yoga : the ego blocks that have to be dissolved

How to distinguish between right and wrong?

The role of intellectual development in the spiritual path

Karma Yoga

Aspects of Karma Yoga

Study of science as an aid in Yoga

Art as an aid in Yoga

Social life

Ill-effects of television on Yoga

How do movies affect yoga practice?

On popular music and movie songs

Food : How to eat like a Yogi

Food : The rationale behind vegetarianism

Conversation : Self-control over speech

Conversation: On being truthful in speech

Walking with eyes unfocused

Reconciling Family life with Yoga

Disrupting the routines of life

On collective prayer and meditation

Significance of places of worship, relics and prayer rooms

Whats the purpose of praying in temples?

On reading books

Guidance by random book opening

How to read holy books

Sravana Manana and Nidhidhyasana

Why read Sri Aurobindos books

Sri Aurobindos prose style by Goutam Ghosal

Hermeneutics: how to read holy scriptures

External Links

Summary of Integral Yoga (Sri Aurobindo Society)

Free book : Practical Guide to Integral Yoga based on extracts from works of Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother.

See the article by Larry Seidlitz on Practice of Integral Yoga in the Collaboration
magazine (pp 11-20)

Articles at the Gnostic Centre in New Delhi, India

Books
The following books contain introductory material. Click on the book to go to SABDAcatalog