Spontaneity through Conditioning

One of the rare objections to Yoga is the it constitutes strict muscular, nervous and mental conditioning, even to the point of reconditioning the unconscious levels of the psyche. Out of ignorance, some people claim that yoga deprives the adept of any spontaneity. For some people spontaneity is synonymous with freedom, eliminating conditions as a means for liberation. the final goal of yoga is to transcend old conditioning and attain complete freedom, born out of a conscious and voluntary acceptance of new conditioning.

Each social conditioning is considered as a restriction of our freedom in action. One example is the wild animal living in nature with very spontaneous behaviour. When it feels tired it will find a quiet, well protected place and just sleep without worrying about time. We humans, on the other hand, only sleep at precise times, which are specified by social regulations. If the animal is hungry, he will look for food and eat. There is comparison between the complete freedom of the hovering eagle in the air and the person in an office (or other set work place), condemned to the desk and chair or set places with mostly fixed breaks.

CONDITIONING OF HUMANS

Yoga is a human discipline because no animal can be a yogi! The animal is free only through the conditioning imposed by the species, through its instinctive behaviour. Humans come into the world with a minimum of conditioning, and must learn everything. We must learn to adjust our appetite to suit a schedule, to sleep at certain times, all of which are not necessary for the animal.
As we grow, we are conditioned by our social group, which controls our way of life, our habits, and even our thoughts. School is the greatest conditioning centre and, as a social animal, we must adjust our behaviour to suit the norms of society. We must become obedient, submissive and attend classes, when we really want to climb trees or play with our friends.
Then we are socially conditioned for a profession, where we play a role in society. This role controls our attitude and actions throughout life. Our freedom, our spontaneous behaviour has all but disappeared.

AND YOGA?

Then comes Yoga, discipline through numerous techniques, which bring more conditioning! By slow and patient practice, the body is conditioned to asanas, requiring steadiness, when the body wants to move; to pranayama when the breath wants to come and go without strain. The mind that desires free associations, and wants to wallow in fantasy, is now compelled to concentrate on a simple chosen object. Meditation and its sequence of psychophysiological states constitutes a method of psychic conditioning - even the unconscious mind is disciplined and ruled.
Where is the spontaneity in all that? Why add more conditioning to what is already imposed by the modern world, perpetuating the training which started with the first cry on this planet? Yogis affirm that real human spontaneity occurs through chosen conditioning.
External conditioning which suppresses our real nature and personality, impedes our progress. The real human freedom consists in choosing our conditioning, with objectives of spontaneity and freedom. Suppose for example, a man who has never skied before puts on skis and goes skiing. His behaviour will be perfectly spontaneous, but he will fall so many times! Compare him now with a champion, who will automatically do what is necessary to manage the snow. The champion has maximum freedom, but only through patient, long term conditioning. Each position, each muscle movement has been repeated several thousand times, until the body reacts automatically and immediately in any circumstance. In a similar way, Yoga creates freedom through yogic conditioning.

(Courtesy, “Yoga Revue”, Belgium 1980)