Siddharth Shiv Khanna
1. What inspired you to write “Shiva’s Grace,” and how does it differ from other yoga guides on the market?
Thank you for taking out time to discuss yoga and this great book. In all honesty, I never knew I could write a book or I would ever write a book. The credit goes to the people around me, specially the students who have done a lot of hard work on compiling notes from lectures, especially those who take my Siva Om yoga educational programmes. I was often asked by people to write a book, but my schedule is a bit intense, so every year for the last 7 years I would keep myself available from May till August to work on this and little by little it became what you see today. There are 8 to 10 primary books of yoga which can be called as the governing treatise of yoga and the language in those traditional yoga books is actually for the intellectuals, many of my students had claimed that their love for yoga is unparallel but they simply couldn’t get their heads around the books and many times the books were not available either, therefore the entire purpose was to gather that knowledge in one place while make sure the language remains simple as well as to simplify the concepts without diluting their essence even by 1%.
2. Can you elaborate on how the principles of Lord Shiva and yogic philosophy influenced the structure and content of your book?
Simply put, yoga comes from Bhagwan Shiv as also reflected in the various names and titles we have given to himsuch as Adi Yogi (the first yogi), Adi Guru (the first guru), Yogishwar (the Ishwar of yogis), Mokshdata (the bestower of Moksa). Going beyond this, even at the basic essence, all the major yogic teachings are a dialogue between Bhagwan Shiv and Mata Shakti. Shiv may exist in nirgun aspect without yoga but yoga simply cant exist without Shiv, they are inseparable. If we go back into the concepts of yoga as explained in Kashmir Shaivism, it is even said that the universe itself is a product of the yoga between Shiv and Shakti. To understand that is to understand the essence of yoga. This has formed the core foundation of the entire thought process around the groundwork for this book.
3. In “Shiva’s Grace,” you discuss the importance of moving beyond physical postures to explore deeper aspects of yoga. How do you guide readers through this journey of self-discovery?
When we look at yoga, there isn’t just one yoga, even though the book is #1 in a series of 7 books and primarily focuses on hatha and raja yoga (ashtanaga yoga), one has to understand the layering and reasons behind the Yoga Darshan, which lays emphasis on going beyond the body and mind, which makes us understand that both , that is the body and the mind are limited in their own existence, having understood that one may understand that that yes we should do asanas to make the body strong and cleanse it of toxins, but that is not the final goal, for example, if we were to take Maha Rishi Pantajalis yoga sutras which forms the basis of our 5th book which is being worked upon, he mentions asana just 3 times in his entire 197 sutras. I do not want to take away the importance of asanas, however I also want the people to understand that asana is but one aspect and only a beginning stage of yoga. In all fairness I am too little to guide anyone into anything, the path is very clear and has been very clearly laid out by Bhagwan Shiv and the Maha Rishis along with the Maha gurus, I just provide that in simple and easy to follow language.
4. The book delves into practical techniques for incorporating yoga into everyday life. Could you share some examples of how readers can apply these teachings to navigate modern challenges?
When people think of yoga, it is thought of a discipline or a practice which we do in a specific place, under specific rules and under the guidance of someone specific, however that is just another aspect of yoga, the real test of yoga happens throughout the day and this is the secret of yoga, how much can you apply all of that you have learnt and practiced during your day and throughout your life. Mata Sita’s father, Raja Janak was a classic example of yogi, he was also called Videha, meaning that he sometimes he wouldn’t even remember that he has a body and yet he executed all the work to perfection and performed all his kingly duties with perfection, at the same time in the modern context, I know of countless people who embraced yogic teachings as a method to enhance their performance and reduce their stress. To practice yoga is to open gates to a better life. For example, how much you can control the breath during an asana leads to mental control, this is nothing but a form of mind wandering and the ego taking control to, if you can learn to master this during your sadhana, then you just have to replicate this throughout the rest of the day, same goes for other theoretical and philosophical aspects, such as the concept of Satya, that is to speak the truth under all circumstances, when you constantly read about that, then you also eventually begin to practice that.
5. How did you reconcile the traditional teachings received from your Hindu family with the modern influences he encountered during his education and swimming career?
As far as the topic of traditional Hindu family or traditional is concerned, I think most people think being traditional is backwardness. I personally think and this comes from the experience I have, that this is not the case. Traditional and modern are subjective interpretations, yoga was thought to be traditional but now America and Europe embrace it and call it the modern way to live a healthy and happy life. My parents are very understanding, they give us a lot of space and freedom in terms of what we can do and should do as per them but also support us if we do not want to follow the path which they think is right, this has helped me a lot since many of my major decisions f life have been made by myself without anyone council. Going back to the topic of modernity versus tradition, let me give another perspective, the rishis who uncovered yoga were the modern people of that age, only when we look at them, today do we think of them as ancient, the same way we think of ourselves as modern but the people who will come to earth in a 1000 year, we will be ancient for the when we understand that and put that yoga is a very perfected cosmic science, it caters to people of all backgrounds, needs, character, ages, geographical locations, and its teachings are eternal. Therefore we should leave these mundane and unnecessary comparisons which never do good to anyone, and simply accept that we can be better and go and do yoga to achieve that better version of ourselves.
6. Can you elaborate on how your early experiences with Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga shaped the later spiritual path and teachings?
There can’t be any yoga without Bhakti and Karma; this must be understood. I would count myself very fortunate, as there was plenty of Bhakti yoga and emphasis on Karma yoga laid down in the family. The concept of being good and doing good was important, and that is the foundation of both Karma and Bhakti yoga. I would say that perhaps Bhakti yoga is indeed the essential aspect of yoga because, through Bhakti yoga, you dive into all the divine concepts and understand what it truly means to be divine. If you don’t know what it means to be divine, how will you perform the karma that is needed to become divine? Even if we look at the yogic understanding of things and why we want to do yoga, the answer is clear: to have union with the divine, thereby becoming the divine and recognizing the divine nature of this universe as well as all other beings. Now comes the question of what is divine. That which is Dharmic is divine, and the simplest example of this can be the smiling, concentrated face of Bhagwan Shiv, who is known as Bholenath, sitting without the need for anyone to praise him or like him, swimming in the bliss arising from his own heart, in harmony with nature. Such is the beauty of those simple things we see and hear from our family and later in life shape our existence.
7. Your book emphasizes the transformative potential of yoga beyond the mat. How do you envision readers integrating the lessons from “Shiva’s Grace” into their broader lifestyle and mindset? especially the young minds.
As I mentioned earlier, how much you can control the breath during an asana leads to mental control. This is nothing but a form of mind wandering and the ego taking control. If you can learn to master this during your sadhana, then you just have to replicate it throughout the rest of the day. The same goes for other theoretical and philosophical aspects, such as the concept of Satya, which is to speak the truth under all circumstances. When you constantly read about that, you eventually begin to practice it. Regarding young minds, we call them young because their personality and character haven’t fully developed. There is space to input newer things, unlike older minds, which are often full and have little room to add new concepts. Therefore, we have to break old patterns and replace them with newer ones, which can be very challenging. However, this is not the case with younger minds. They have the capacity to absorb a lot of new concepts, develop neurons in specific ways, and thereby strengthen the mind toward these processes, making them a natural way of life. A young mind is an opportunity without burdens, and this should be utilized to our advantage to the fullest. Just as a building with a strong foundation stands the test of time and never needs constant repair, we can build the minds of our younger members of society through yoga in a manner that ensures we do not have to constantly make repairs in society.
8. How has yoga’s historical growth challenged the widely held belief that it is entirely Hindu and Vedic, and what consequences does this variety have for current practitioners and proponents of yoga?
Yoga has its source in India, comes from Vedic belief, and is a part of the Shat Darshan of Hinduism or Sanatan Dharma. I do not see a reason to separate this. On the contrary, to separate them is to bring the ego into a discipline that emphasizes going beyond the ego. At the end of the day, the Vedas, especially the Rig Veda, clearly say, “Ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti” — “Truth is one, the wise call it by many names.” This means that while the ultimate reality (Brahman) is singular, it is perceived and worshipped in various forms and names by different people. Do what you do with the utmost dedication and purest intention, but keep your ego out of it. It is the ego that has brought trouble and misery into your life, and now you want to force that ego upon a cosmic science that is the doorway to infinity. I ask, why? If you resonate with yoga, why injure yoga with the blows of your own ego? When the teachings of the Vedas and Hinduism collectively reflect the inclusive and pluralistic nature of Hinduism, where the oneness of the divine is acknowledged and the diversity of spiritual paths is celebrated, then what is the harm? One line I said to my students is that yoga says, “I am special, but so are you and so is this universe.” It doesn’t get more inclusive than this. Neither is there any subjugation nor coercion. Anything that comes from the ego will lead to limitations, whereas yoga, having its origins from dialogues between Shiv and Shakti, is infinite. So, the question here is: do I want to reach the peak of my ego or someone else’s ego and become the best version of that person, or do I want to follow the path of Shiv and Shakti and become infinite like them? At the end of the day, nobody is forcing anyone to do yoga. If you want to achieve Moksha, enlightenment, become a better person, become wise, follow Dharma, be in harmony with nature, and have synchronization with the cosmos, do yoga. See, we are happy if you do yoga and we will still be happy if you dont do yoga, but the question is do you want to be happy and if the answer to the question is yes, then i suggest, do yoga the way its supposed to be and not the way your ego wants you to do it.
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