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Interview with Bal Mukund Singh

Our short conversation with Yogacharya Bal Mukund Singh, who had been a disciple of Swami Dhirendra Brahmachari, and was the leading yoga-teacher at Morarji Desai National Yoga Institute (Delhi), took place in the practice hall of the said Institute in June, 2002. The scorching heat of Delhi’s dry air and distant motorickshaws’ popping noise were coming through the doorway. Dried flower garlands were hanging over the portraits of the founders of this yoga tradition, Maharishi Kartikeya and his disciple Dhirendra Brahmachari, who were starring at us from the white crumbling plaster walls. Their black and white photos were marked with red tilakas (the ritual forehead sign) by somebody’s careful touch. Our morning class has just finished...  

How old are you, Guruji, and when did you start practicing yoga?

B. M. Singh: I’m now 52. I started my practice when I was 23. Prior to becoming a yoga teacher, I worked as an assistant in a chemical laboratory, and because of this, had nasopharyngeal problems. Someone advised me to try yoga exercise, and I came to Delhi to study yoga, and after that I became a teacher myself. 

Did you do straight to Dhirendra Brahmachari?

Yes, I started learning yoga under the guidance of Swamiji Dhirendra Brahmachari. I gave up my work and was practicing, and later on I became a yoga teacher. I completed a yoga teacher training course. In 1980 approximately 160 people entered that course. There were some courses that lasted 1 month, 3 months and 1 year. I completed them all. In 1980-83 I was a yoga instructor in Vishwayatan Yoga Ashram in Kashmir (founded by Dhirendra Brahmachari - I.Zh.) 

Have you also studied yoga with some other teachers?

No, I have searched for yogis in various places of India, but I haven’t gotten any yoga. Hence, I think my Guruji was the best.


In Russia there are some yoga teachers who have learned yoga all by themselves, from books. Later on they created their own styles of hatha yoga which were usually quite different. Is there any difference between Indian hatha yoga styles, and do they vary greatly?

In India different schools vary in their yoga styles. Frequently, the same asanas have different names. Remember, the most important thing is that you should read yoga texts, such as: Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Gheranda Samhita, Siva Samhita, Yoga Kundalini Upanishad, and Vasishta Samhita. However, many yoga teachers are far from perfect. They could be good at their own practice, but not at teaching others. You should try to find a good teacher.

You are trainer of National Indian yoga sports team. What do you think about yoga sport? Some people think it is nothing but show business.

It is not true. Asana, Pranayama, Meditation - all of them are parts of Yoga. Yoga means Unity. Asana is also Yoga. It can be a sport for achieving good health. Sportsmen often injure their limbs, and they have heart problems, headaches and so on. But yoga will never bring about any of such problems. Thus, it can be treated as a sport. One can make use of yoga in different ways: it can be a philosophy, a therapy for curing ill people, a sport or a children’s exercise.   

Some people think that to practice yoga they should learn only a few simple asanas. Even Yoga Sutras of Patanjali describe just a small number of sitting poses. Why do we need various asanas?

Patanjali deals with the mental level of yoga. He describes only some specific poses, because there are 84 000 asanas, and it is difficult to describe them all. If you perform your asana correctly, you can reach samadhi. Patanjali writes the following: ... (He is citing a Sanskrit shloka that says that an asana is a comfortable position). If you feel at ease while holding your sitting asana, and concentrate your mind on Sahasrara chakra for a long time, you will reach samadhi. Therefore, Patanjali writes about the asanas which you use to liberate your mind. After Patanjali, there were lots of yogis who practiced different asanas, not only to reach samadhi, but to attain a good health and eliminate diseases. Nowadays, people don’t start by practicing their sitting asana for achieving samadhi; they should, first of all, become healthy, and then they can do pranayamas and meditation. Of cause, it is not essential that everybody should practice difficult asanas. You can improve your health performing only a few poses. There are spiritual asanas, such as padmasana, siddhasana, paschimottanasana - you can hold them for a long time. You can’t hold any difficult asana that long. You can hurt yourself if you make a mistake. Difficult asanas are for professionals. They make your body very strong, flexible and full of energy.

But they are not essential for reaching samadhi, are they?

No, they are not. However, it is easier for a profound practitioner to reach it.

In ancient texts of traditional yoga they mention that there are different techniques, such as Khechari Mudra and Vajroli Mudra. Is it possible to learn them now? Does anybody practice them in India at present?

I can teach you how to do them. Many Indian people come to me to study Khechari Mudra, Vajroli Mudra and (pointing to his groin area) Basti.


Do you cut under your tongue to practice Khechari Mudra?

Yes, you do it with a razor.

With a razor? I have read that it should be done by a salt crystal.

Salt is also good.

Do you know Sanskrit, and is it essential to learn it for anybody who studies Yoga?

Yes, I know Sanskrit. But you don’t have to learn it. The main thing is to understand the meaning of the texts. Sanskrit is quite difficult to learn. In India many people can cite some Sanskrit verses, since Shastras (the Holy Scriptures; their fragments are often learned by heart as prayers - I.Zh.) are written in Sanskrit, but still they do not understand their meaning. Now there are a lot of translations into English and into Russian as well.

If people start practicing yoga not only to attain a good health, but also for their spiritual development’s sake, do they have to become Hindu?

Not necessarily. You can practice yoga, no matter which religion you believe in. You can be a Hindu, a Sikh, a Muslim, a Jain or a Christian.

But you start pronouncing mantras which name Hindu Gods. What happens if you don’t believe in them?

Yoga is the liberation of your mind. Your goal is not necessarily the God. Yoga doesn’t teach you any religion. It strengthens your body, mind and spirit.

Your tradition was founded by Maharishi Kartikeya. Which religious school did he belong to?

He was a sannyasi and brahmachari.

Was he a vaishnava or shaiva? (Did he pray to Vishnu or Shiva?)

He was a yogi, an Indian yogi. He could believe in any God.
 

Is it true that he has lived for 300 years?

Yes, it is. He lived in the mountains, away from any society.

Is there any school that teaches yoga in the tradition of Dhirendra Brahmachari after his death?

Yes, that’s where you are right now.  The National Yoga Institute established by the Indian government.

When was Vishwayatan Yoga Ashram in Kashmir closed?

There were some military operations in that part of Jammu and Kashmir ten years ago, in 1990-92.

Are there any other teachers who have inherited the tradition of Swami Brahmachari?

Several hundreds of disciples have completed the course led by Swami in order to start teaching yoga at schools. It was organized by the Indian government.

Has Brahmachari written only 3 books: "Sukshma Vyayama", "Yogasana Vijnana" and "Mudra and Pranayama"?

"Mudra and Pranayama" has never been published. After the death of Swamiji, the government sealed up his house. There were lots of beautiful things which poor people could steal. Probably, the manuscript is still there. 

Q.: Have there been any film or video recordings of yoga by Swami?

No, there haven’t.
(Later i`ve got information from B.M. Singh that Dhirendra Brahmachari participated in few yoga educational programms on Indian TV, but nobody knows now - were there video-recordings or just direct translation - I.Zh.)

Why do you think the tradition of Dhirendra Brahmachari is not known on the West?

Because Swamiji was not interested in that. As opposed to a number of other teachers, among his contemporaries, who mostly headed for the West, he wished to popularize yoga here. He left India a few times to make some visits, but never to lead any popular yoga classes. But he sent his disciples to various locations in India.  

Russian Yoga Magazine, #0, 2003
 

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Hara Hara Mahadev!