The Definition of Adi-Yoga

Photo from Adi-Gate1 Manual

Adi: primordial, source, first, original
Yoga: union, method, path

Adi-Yoga is a comprehensive system of Hatha Yoga. It is called “Adi,” which in Sanskrit means primordial or source, because it is Yoga in its original form as it was practiced and transmitted by the Himalayan masters of the tradition.

The Sanskrit word “Yoga” in Adi-Yoga has three meanings. First, the word yoga means union or joining together. This refers to the Yogic view that when the world of opposites is unified in your experience of self and Universe, a bliss that is your true Nature is revealed.

Yoga teaches that the suffering you experience is due to being bounced between the poles of pleasure and pain, desiring and rejecting, happiness and sadness, control and out-of-control, etc. By practicing the path of yoga (its second meaning is “path”) dualities are resolved and the inherent, uncreated and non-dual bliss and freedom of your true nature is discovered. Classical, authentic Hatha Yoga as presented in the Adi-Yoga system is a complete path of spiritual cultivation. It has been practiced since before the Upanishads were written and the Buddha was born.

The third relevant definition of yoga is “technique or method.” Adi-Yoga has an incredible amount of techniques available for the practitioner to work with. In the traditional practice of Hatha Yoga it is considered very important for you, the student, to find the right combination of methods that is appropriate for your capacity, competency, and emotional-mental disposition (adhikara, bhumikara, svabhava in Sanskrit). Adi-Yoga has what are considered “outer” and “inner” methods of practice.

The modern impressions of yoga come almost entirely from the outer practices such as postures (asana), breathing practices (pranayama), and concentration exercises (trataka), but the tradition has a well-developed range of inner methods as well. These include, but are not limited to: meditation with and without form (sapeksa and nirpeksa dhyanam), using the subtle channels and energy centers (kriya), purifying the five elements of being (tattva suddhi), working with deities (deva yoga), sleep and dream practices (susupta yoga, svapna yoga), the method of transferring consciousness at the time of death (muncara), etc.

Adi-Yoga is the Way of the Mahasiddhas
Mahasiddhas were the great adepts of the original Tantrik system of yoga. Originally they were Indian Saivists, but as Tantra spread to Tibet and Bhutan, Tantrik Buddhism also began to develop a Mahasiddha tradition. In appearance, as well as practice, the Mahasiddhas of Saivite and Buddhist origin were virtually indistinguishable. They lived a philosophy, practice, and lifestyle that were beyond religious definitions and affiliations. They were beyond restrictions of caste, sect and socially accepted mores.

Through they never formed a formal school; the live experience of their raw awaked state was passed on via oral instruction and direct transmission. With some notable exceptions, most Mahasiddhas ridiculed harsh disciplines, asceticism, empty rituals, study of texts, etc. though most made extensive use of these methods in their pre-enlightenment years of training.

Adi-Yoga is a system of spiritual cultivation handed down intact from generation to generation from the Mahasiddhas, without dilution or corruption.

Adi-Yoga and Kashmir Saivism
Adi-Yoga is informed by the non-dual philosophy of Kashmir Saivism. Arguably, the greatest Indian philosopher-yogin to ever live was Abhinavagupta who formed the Trika School of non-dual Saivite Tantra. Abhinavagupta refers to Mahasiddha Matsyendranatha as the founder of Kashmir Saivism. It is Sri Matsyendranatha that is credited with refining and systematizing most of the Hatha Yoga presented in the Adi-Yoga system.

Adi-Yoga is Pan Himalayan and Central Asian
During the last six thousand years there has been a lot of transfer of spiritual ideas and techniques by masters throughout the Central Asian and Himalayan regions.
The Mahasiddha, Kashmir Saivite, Tibetan Buddhist, and Adi-Yoga traditions are the products of a tremendous amount of cross-fertilization. It does not seem likely that there was one origin to the yoga of the Mahasiddhas. There are many similarities and identical practices between the yoga systems of the Indian Saivas, Nathas, the Zhang-Zhung Bon, Tibetan Buddhist, Chinese Chan and Daoism. Adi-Yoga shares many of the same yoga practices found in these systems.

Discovering the Unity of Body, Mind, and Speech
One common ideological theme to the practices of the above listed systems is that they are decidedly not transcendental. The body, energy, and the mind are worked with to realize their fundamental unity, and their indivisibility with the universe. Reality is discovered within your actual situation and is not a transcendental experience; hence working with the body and its energies is of primary importance in Adi-Yoga.

The 11 Limbs of Adi-Yoga
Adi-Yoga can be likened to a pie with eleven slices. All eleven slices or aspects of Adi-Yoga point to, and can potentially reveal the “center;” your Source or True Nature.

1. Asana- training in the classical postures of Hatha Yoga to cultivate the experience of the body its energies as manifestations of essence.
2. Pranayama- training energy cultivation via the breath.
3. Mudra- training in the physical placement and gestures of the hands, eyes, and whole body to control movement of energy in the subtle channels of the body.
4. Bandha- training in directing, concentrating and liberating the subtle energies of the body.
5. Meditation- detailed instruction in both conceptual (visualizations, mantra, concentrations, etc.) and non-conceptual methods of meditation.
6. Kriya –training the inner movement of consciousness and energy.
7. Sastra – studying the texts of the yoga tradition as aids to practice.
8. Ayurveda – the principles and practices of Ayurveda (Tantrik science of life and healing) support the practice path of the Adi-Yogin
9. Transmission – the supra-mental method of teaching that maintains the freshness of the experience of awakening.  Transmission preserves the essential fruit of the teachings and practices and is the beginner’s link to the primordial masters state of realization.  Transmission is grace. Grace is the unqualified gift that the enlightened masters of this tradition bestow upon those with pure hearts and minds.
10. Initiation – formal initiation is given to Adi-Yoga acaryas, hermits and those undertaking practice retreats to master a vidya.
11. Integration- training yourself to recognize your true nature in each moment regardless of the difficulty or ease of the situation you find yourself in. Applying the twenty-one precepts of conduct as gateways to integration practice.

Re-Invigorating the Hatha Yoga Tradition
Presently, the once sacred system of Hatha Yoga is in a state of dishevelment and dilution, similar to the situation that prompted the famous yogi Svatmarama to pen the text called the Hatha Yoga Pradipika wherein he says:

“The highest state of yoga is unknown due to darkness created by varying ideas and concepts. In good will and as a blessing, Svatmarama offers light on Hatha Yoga.”
Ch 1, v. 3, HYP

Adding to the general confusion about Hatha Yoga as a science, our modern yoga scene has broken the guru-disciple chain, which is the ancient form of quality control and turned the teaching of Yoga into a commercial venture.

The system of Adi-Yoga is neither diluted nor modernized to make it more palatable to the general public or to make it commercially competitive with modern renderings of yoga.  In the ancient world that still informs Adi-Yoga today, the number of adherents did not prove the efficacy or legitimacy of a school, this is still true today.

Adi-Yoga is firmly rooted in the original intention of the masters: to preserve and make available a path for those who want to end their suffering and realize their True Nature. It is hoped that Adi-Yoga and other classical approaches to Hatha Yoga can re-invigorate the tradition, and that people will realize the unique value of a path of spiritual cultivation that has the body and our immediate experience as its base.

How is Adi-Yoga Taught?
Format of teachings
Adi-Yoga is learned in a group course called a “gate.” Each level of Adi-Yoga has a gate, where you are introduced to the techniques and concepts of that level enabling you to practice solo or with others afterwards in a group class of the proper Gate.

The emphasis is on personal practice in Adi-Yoga and group classes are used to refresh and inspire you as well as for you to enjoy the larger energy of community generated when Adi-Yogins practice One-to-one instruction is also available and will allow you and your Adi-Yoga instructor to fine tune what you learn and pace it appropriately for you. This is the way yoga has been taught for thousands of years and Adi-Yoga wants to preserve this important aspect of learning yoga.

For the First, Second, and Third Gates all physical technique, philosophy, chanting etc. is taught together. From the Fourth Gate onward each aspect of Adi-Yoga has its own gate. For example, you may have studied asana up to the Third Gate and may therefore practice in an Adi-Yoga Third Gate level class. And you may not want to learn more extreme postures but you may still desire to learn more philosophy or more expanded awarenesses that you can apply to your present level of asana. You are able to do this by taking the higher philosophy Gates and awareness gates while not having to take the next asana Gate.

Retreats
There are annual retreats in Adi-Yoga practice held at Kailash Akhara, the Adi-Yoga center in Thailand and in the United States. The general Adi-Yoga curriculum is offered on retreat as well as one-off topical teachings.

How are Adi-Yoga teachers certified?
There are basically two types of teachers certified to teach Adi-Yoga: instructors and acaryas. Instructors must learn Adi-Yoga through the Third Gate and practice for two years before applying to be trained as an instructor. The future instructor then completes a demanding course of study and is certified to teach First, Second, or Third Gate. Acaryas are Adi-Yoga instructors who have taken formal initiation and are junior representatives of the lineage. They are certified to instruct Fourth Gate and up, as well as the First, Second, and Third Gates. They also keep certain vows and commitments. All Adi-Yoga instructors and acaryas will be listed by name and what level they are authorized to teach on the Adi-Yoga website. Only the teachers listed on the website have finished the proper course of study and passed the rigorous examinations enabling them to instruct the Adi-Yoga system.