Lesson 6: Online Education in Yoga by Sri Prashant Iyengar

In this lesson there is a delineation of how the concept of hiṁsā stands differently from the way it is understood in the social context. With regards to moral-ethical principles, the hiṁsā is on another person. Hence it is interpersonal.
However, with regards to oneself even in our yoga practices, it becomes intrapersonal because it is hiṁsā on oneself. For eg., according to Guruji when we do our asana we are committing hiṁsā. Not that we are ferocious like wild beasts; rather this hiṁsā is to be understood at a different level. It could be hiṁsā by us on our body or the mind or even by the mind.
The statement that dharma is that which sustains man is opened out. This statement is explained by reference to the Dharma Shastra Grantha which mentions that sustenance by dharma will be in proportion of 1:100. If a wee bit is done by us, dharma will sustain us with a huge hundred-fold bounty bounty; ‘dharmo rakshatiye rakshitah’.
Dharma also gives ‘abhyudaya’, enrichment.

Further, it is explained how ‘dharma-adharma’ is not to be equated with ‘pāpa-puṇya’.
Dharma for one person may not be the dharma for another person. Dharma has a personal reference. Therefore, dharma is ‘nīti-mimāṁsā'
Essential yoga commences when the seeker has karma consciousness from the dharma point of view. Any activity becomes right when the motive, intention is right. In our yoga practices, the dynamics are more important, not just the activity.

At the end of the lesson, the virtues of sūrya namas̍kāra are considered, also making it clear that yoga is not sūrya namas̍kāra and the two should not be mixed up. Sūrya namas̍kāra does not fulfill the criteria of 'sthira sukham āsanam' hence it is not yoga.