Gokul Yoga: Yoga As It Is

Gokul Yoga is a system of yoga practice that is being passed down through an unbroken chain of disciplic succession. Under the vigilant care and protection of Mahayogi Gokulacandra Das, Gokul Yoga is yoga practice in alignment with the unaltered principles of a bona fide yoga tradition. 

So what does all this mean?  Simply, that we don’t stray from the goal, the process and the practice, as instructed by Guru, as defined in The Yoga Sutras, and as revealed in the Bhagavad Gita. 

The Guru 

Gokulacandra Guruji founded Gokul Yoga to hand down Yoga true to its tradition.  His lineage has roots in the Brahma Madhava Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, a school of philosophy and practice that emphasizes guru parampara (disciplic succession) and bhakti (devotional service) to maintain a true yoga practice.   

Gokul Yoga emphasizes a holistic approach, integrating physical postures, breathwork, meditation, philosophical understanding and spiritual studies.  Gokulacandra Guruji serves the tradition and its current chapter, Gokul Yoga, as both spiritual master and yoga teacher. 

Gokulacandra Guruji was born in Finland and presently lives in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. 

The Yoga Sutras 

Pretty much the blueprint of what Yoga is and how it is practised - a yoga manual, you could say.  The Yoga Sutras is a concise treatise of 195 verses compiled by the sage Patanjali over 2000 years ago defining the process and practice of Yoga. 

Here is where you find the Eight Limbs of Yoga, which defines what a yogi is, and what it takes to be one.  It begins with the assertion that Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the Mind. And through that comes understanding of the nature of the Mind and the techniques to keep the Mind in check. 

All this to purify the consciousness and eventually be able to separate the False Ego from the True Self. 

The Bhagavad Gita 

If The Yoga Sutras is the “What Yoga is”, The Bhagavad Gita is the “Why Yoga”.  A small excerpt of the epic poem Mahabharata, the Gita is a crash course on Truth, Destiny, Free Will, the nature of the Soul, and the nature of God. 

The Bhagavad Gita is set on a battlefield.  Prince Arjuna and his brothers prepare to battle their cousins to reclaim their rightful place in the kingdom.  But Arjuna is overcome by despair and dilemma on having to kill so many innocents and seeks Krsna’s counsel. 

Krsna states facts, offers guidance, but tells Arjuna it is ultimately his decision. 

Going Inward 

Deepening your practice, as far as The Yoga Sutras are concerned, requires a clear understanding of the nature of the mind, to have control of it and ultimately purify the consciousness.  After all, that’s what Yoga is. 

The nature of the mind is clearly described in The Yoga Sutras from the get-go.  By the time you get to the fourth and final chapter, it lets you in on the fact that the mind is in fact only a sliver of a layer of your entire being. 

This inward journey is often hijacked by the False Ego. 

The Koshas 

Kosha means “sheath” or “cover”. Like layers of an onion, we are made up of 5 layers.  These are the Physical, Energetical, Mental, Consciousness and Spiritual; from gross to subtle. 

1. Annamaya Kosha (Physical Sheath): 

This is the physical body, sustained by food. It includes our physical form and sense functions.  

2. Pranamaya Kosha (Energetic Sheath): 

This layer is the vital life force or energy that moves the physical body. It moves via energetic channels called nadis.  

3. Manomaya Kosha (Mental Sheath): 

The mental layer includes the mind, emotions, and the lower intellect. It is the realm of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.  

4. Vijnanamaya Kosha (Wisdom Sheath): 

This layer of pure consciousness is where intuitive wisdom and the higher intellect is.  Also where discrimination via higher intelligence happens. 

5. Anandamaya Kosha (Bliss Sheath): 

The Bliss Sheath is situated around the Soul. Spiritual awareness, pure bliss, and connection to the divine are experienced here.  

The Bandhas 

Yoga is ultimately an inward practice.  So the basics of Gokul practice begins with the bandhas.  The bandhas, also known as energetical locks, happen in the Pranamaya Kosha (Energetic Sheath).  Whilst a lot of yoga instructions focus on physical cues, a Gokul class also has a lot of energetical cues. 

As such, bandhas are executed in an experiential rather than physical manner.  And because it is energy that moves the body, we focus on manipulating that energy. Just as the subtle moves the gross – like how energy moves the muscle and bones - it is the mind that works that energy.   

Ultimately, we are practising controlling the mind via execution of the bandhas and cultivating awareness of Cause and Effect. 

Gokul Yoga Asana 

There is a system in the Gokul Yoga Krama (sequence) grounded in Mrdu, Madhya and Adhimatra as prescribed by Patanjali.  Loosely translated into Mild, Moderate and Intense, these 3 levels echo throughout the practice, in sequence within sequences. 

What makes an asana (posture) Mrdu, Madhya or Adhimatra, often, translates into the physical difficulty factor of the asana.  In actuality, the asana is a specific shape physically taken to manipulate energy to flow in particular ways, to set us up for mental practice, for energetical reinforcement towards spiritual awakening. 

Gokul Yoga Pranayama 

Pranayama (breath techniques) kramas (sequences), are intended to access different levels of the Mind and Consciousess.  The primary purpose of pranayama practice is to refine our awareness of breath and energy, to improve control of the mind and accurately perform meditation. 

The Narayana Krama is a sequence of 5 pranayamas, offered as the starting point of Gokul pranayama practice. It prepares and facilitates us to be situated in energetical awareness. In Vedic lore, Narayana is the Protector of the Universe. 

by Pearl Bhasin