為什麼呼吸和調息法在艾揚格瑜伽習練中如此重要？

在調息法中，呼吸運動得到升華，變成一個有控制的、延長的、呼與吸的過程。在這個過程中產生宇宙能量——prana。這一生命能量為我們提供了從事任何活動所必需的力量與活力。

以下內容節選於 Father Joe（神父）在2015年8月工作坊結束後的一段採訪——呼吸和調息法在艾揚格瑜伽習練中的重要性。

Q:We notice that in your teaching,you address breathing more than the regular classes we take. Can you tell us the importance of breathing, of pranayama in the practice of Iyengar yoga?

問：相比較於我們所熟悉的其他課程，我們注意到在您的教學中，您會更多地關照呼吸。請您談談呼吸和調息法在艾揚格瑜伽習練中的重要性。

Fr. Joe:All yoga is to be taken as with its 8-foldpaths, 8 limbs. You cannot only practice one limb and say I am a yogi.There are ashta anga, 8 limbs. And in these 8 limbs there are 3 dimensions. Bahianga which is the outer body pursuit; Antaranga which is the inner body dimension,pursuit. Path of wholeness. But lastly there are those 3 steps, angas, whichare known as trans-rational. Which is centering, Dharana, Dhyana,meditation,and Samadhi. Samadhi is like a flow experience. No opposites influence me. Yousay good things to me, I say thank you; you say bad things to me, I say thank you. Nothing affects me, that is a yogi.

神父：所有體系的瑜伽都要在其八分支上進行考量。你不能只練習其中一支便自詡為瑜伽士。瑜伽分為八支，這八支又可劃分為三個維度。第一層為外在身體的修習；接下來是內層身體修習;完整之路。最後還有三步，這三步已經超越了理智範疇，也就是專註、冥想和三昧。三昧就好比是一種流動的體驗。對立性已不再干擾我。你對我美言相贊，我回以感謝；你惡言對我，我仍回以感謝。諸事都不再影響我。

So where does the breath come in? In medical science, Iyengar yoga is not a work out. In medical understanding, iyengar yoga is a work in. We move from the periphery of our being to the center. We move from the sympathetic nerve system to the centralnerve system. How? Via the autonomous nerve system. What is the autonomous nerve system? The breath.

那麼呼吸從哪裡契入呢？醫學已經認識到艾揚格瑜伽不是一種外習練（鍛煉/健身），在醫學的認識中，艾揚格瑜伽是內習練。我們從自身存在的表層深入到核心，從交感神經系統運行至中樞神經系統，如何做到？經由自主神經系統。什麼是自主神經系統？呼吸即是。

So if you do asanas without this autonomous nerve system you can end up in practicing yoga like a gymnast. Lots of peopletoday in the world are practicing yoga as gymnastics. That is not yoga, that is only bahiranga, that is only the asana minus the antaranga which is the breath.And they are not interested in any form of meditation. So there』s nospirituality, they are only jumping like monkeys. And they are doing yoga as an exercise.

所以，缺乏自主神經系統的瑜伽習練最終只能演變成瑜伽體操。當今世界很多人都把瑜伽當成體操在練習。那不能被稱其為瑜伽，那只是缺了內在即呼吸的身體鍛煉而已。如此習練的人們對任何形式的冥想都興趣全無，於是這其中毫無靈性，他們只是像猴子般跳來跳去而已，他們的瑜伽習練無異於身體運動。

Iyengar yoga is not just an exercise, it is definitely an exercise,and it』s a strong exercise, but that exercise is not only for the body, it is for the mind and it is for the soul. That is the speciality of Iyengar yoga, it is holistic. And therefore the breath is an essential component of thisholistic journey to the central nerve system, to the true self which we call,er… the divine.

艾揚格瑜伽不僅僅是身體運動，它當然是一種身體運動，很強的身體運動，但是這裡的運動不僅僅為了身體，而是為了頭腦，為了靈魂。這是艾揚格瑜伽的獨到之處，它是整體的。於是呼吸就成了這個整體的核心成分，這一旅程將帶我們深入到中樞神經系統，帶我們認識那個被稱作神性的真我。

Deep down we are not just human beings, we are more than animals, we are not just rational thinkers, no.We are not only thinking, we have an intuition which is more than what thesenses can give, what the mind can give. So in Iyenger yoga, you go beyond thesenses, beyond the indriyas, into pranayama. Pranayama brings about the trans,trans, what you call it? Trans-sensery perception. Which brings about withdraw from all the things, all the martial things. It comes into pratyahara, which is withdrawal, to get away from all martial things. Why? Because you can sense things which cannot be seen with your eyes, cannot be understood with your mind.

追本溯源，我們並非僅僅人類，我們並沒有止步於動物性，我們不僅僅是理性的思維者，我們不只能思考，我們還有那一份直覺，那直覺超出了感官和頭腦所能給予我們的。於是在艾揚格瑜伽中，你要超越感官，進入Pranayama。Pranayama帶來一種超越，超越怎麼命名的?超感官認知。這樣就進入了那出離物質，出離一切物質產品的境界，這就是制感，感官的收攝，感官要脫離物品的牽制。為什麼？這樣你才能覺知到那些眼不能見，頭腦亦不能理解的事物。

And how do you get to that faculty? That faculty today behavioral medicine is calling the faith factor. And in Iyengar yoga, you can reach that faith factor not just by thinking but by going beyond the senses and thoughts.Sri. Krishna in the 「BhagavaGita」 tells Arjuna: You want to solve the life』s problems by going only with your senses? Useless. By only going with your mind? Not possible. You will remain always in the world of martialism, prakati. You have to come to my level. Which is the level of transcendence, the level of Prusha.

那麼如何才能獲得這種能力呢？這種能力在行為醫學中稱為信念元素。在艾揚格瑜伽中，習練者可以通過超越感官和念頭而非思索碰觸到這一信念元素。室利. 克里希那在《薄伽梵歌》當中對阿朱那這樣說：你想要僅僅通過你的感官去解決生活中的問題嗎？沒用的。僅僅通過你的頭腦嗎？不可能的。如此你只能止步於物質世界（Prakati）里。你需要上升到我的境界，超越物質世界（Prusha）的境界。

That is what Iyengar yoga fulfills in our Saddhana, it is a yoga Saddhana. Saddhana is a way to the ultimate. That is what Iyengar has done it. But there is a bias in Iyenger yoga, and that is the body. Iyengar sees the body as the temple of God』sspirit. That is the specialty of Iyengar yoga.

在我們的修行中，艾揚格瑜伽能夠滿足這一需求，它是瑜伽修行。修行是一種行至無上境界的方法。艾揚格大師正是這樣做的。但在艾揚格瑜伽中，有一個習練方法上的傾向，那便是身體。艾揚格大師將身體視為神的靈魂之聖殿。這才是艾揚格瑜伽獨到之處。