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Does yoga have a dark side to it? This is what the stories of demons are all about. The demons are blessed with immense determination and discipline. They are ideally suited to be the recipients of Siddhis, the benefits that are supposed to accrue to the practitioner of complex yoga. These powers border on the miraculous.
Dharana, the ability to hold the mind still, with focus on an external object, and Dhyana, the ability to do the same introspectively, both require the talents of an Arjuna. The demon Ravana’s austerities which included such yoga impressed even God Shiva. Lesser mortals may understandably not be able to go beyond simple asanas and preferably simpler pranayama. The powers which take one to the realm of the supernormal can be an altered state of consciousness in a different dimension. This, if true, would have serious repercussions on the mind and mental health. The line between delusion and revelation is thin, and both can be devastating.
Each of the eight Siddhis reflects a form of the supranatural. Anima is the ability to reduce in size to the point of becoming invisible. Hanuman used it to enter Lanka. Mahima is the ability to grow to an enormous size. Vishnu in his avatar as the boar manifested this attribute. Laghima and Garima refer to lightness and heaviness. Prapti refers to the power to dominate and attain whatever one wishes. Prakamya is the complete freedom of will. Ishatva and Vashitva are the ability to control and permeate. These Siddhis come with the ability to see the past and future and hence make predictions about life and death. They also come with a strict injunction on misuse. Here is where the demons fail and fall. Even the Gods are not beyond this temptation.
Do the Siddhis have relevance in the modern world? Can Anima and Mahima be understood as humility and magnanimity? Can Laghima and Garima, the light and the heavy be a symbol of coexistence and inclusiveness? Prapti and Parakamya help to attain what is willed. Ishatva and Vashitva deal with power over others. The powerful need enlightenment and compassion more than others. The Siddhis so perceived remain an element of our consciousness which guards against the abuse of what yoga enables us to do. The accounts of demons and the dark side of yoga can be seen as reminders of the need for a moral compass when gaining the strengths of yoga.