Yoga Teacher Training Day 3 – The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali

Big day today, very deep stuff and great discussions with the group. Since I just spent a few hours putting my homework together I am going to post it for your edification as well. Let me know what you think;

Atha – In Sanskrit this translates as ‘now, present moment, connotation of prayer of auspicious beginning and a successful conclusion’ (Heart of Yoga pg 149). It is the first work of the Yoga Sutra’s and appears in 1.1 “Atha yoga anushasanam” which translates as “Now the teaching of yoga”. Where now has multiple connotations. In one sense it serves as the opening of the Yoga Sutra’s telling us that this is the start of the document that will teach about yoga. In the second sense it tells us that Yoga only exists in the now and that only the now is real. In a third sense it is directed at the reader telling them that they have achieved the start of their Yoga practice and is telling them to be present.

Ahimsa – is a Sanskrit term meaning to do no harm. A is ‘non’ and himsa is ‘violence’. It is the first of the Yamas and is central to all of Yogic thought. The first origins of the term date back to the Vedic religion in 8th century BC. There are many interpretations of how this is applied to our environment. One way is to be vegetarian where the eating of non sentient plants removes the karmic effect of killing sentient beings for food. Another is through our thoughts and words to our self and others. Positive thoughts and words beget more positive thoughts and words. By practicing this you will lead others to adopt a similar philosophy. Just as violence leads to more violence so does non-violence lead to non-violence. It is important to note that this is not the same as cowardice or giving up. It is being in a state that shows strength by conscious action and honest thought.

Isvara-Pranidhana – from sanskrit literally translates at God Surrender. It is the fifth and final Niyama and tells us to surrender our Ego to God/Higher Being/Universe. By surrendering our accomplishments, failures, and the fruits of all action to the greatness of that which is greater than us we complete the Yogic sense of detachment. Once we see how insignificant we are in comparison to the totality of the Universe we are freed and have the ability to glimpse what everything is all about.

Patanjali – the mythical author of the Yoga Sutra’s. According to Jeff anyone who says they know anything about the man Patanjali and his life does not know what they are talking about. There are many stories one of which is that he was miraculously conceived and is the incarnate of Ādi Śeṣa, or the Ego of God who came to earth to defend Yoga. Prior to the Yoga Sutra’s there had been a fragmented tradition of yoga but the Sutra’s brought these thoughts together in a coherent and comprehensive manner. This is what came to be known as Raja(King) Yoga and they create the 8 limbs or Asthanga Yoga. This is the ancient basis of modern day yoga practice.

Niyama – translates as ‘our attitude towards the inner world or ourselves’. It is the second of the eight limbs of Asthanga Yoga listed in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. the Niyamas tell us how to adjust our view of our inner world so that the path of Yoga will be clear to us. These are Sauca, Santosa, Tapas, Syadhyaya, and Isuara-Pranidhana.

Raja Yoga – translates as King Yoga and means ‘the royal union with the universal spirit’. It is known as the classical period of Yoga history and first appears in Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s. It is primarily concerned with the cultivation of the mind through meditation.

Santosa – translates as contentment or fulfillment. It is the second of the Niyamas from the Yoga Sutras. It means that we should avoid dwelling on what one does not have and to be comfortable with what we do have. It is about discovering that all we need to live in this world is already within us. We have these amazing minds that are capable of amazing thoughts and ideas and once we are comfortable with that we can being to explore it further.

Satya – means truthfulness or to speak or share truth. It is the second of the Yamas from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and tells us that we must live according to facts and the truth of existence. This is what allows us to be humble with our students. By being truthful with them about what Yoga is and how it can be used we will better connect with them and gain their trust.

Saucha – translates as keeping the body pure and clean. It is the second Niyama from Pantajali’s Yoga Sutra and applies to our physical body and mind. On the physical side we need to eat, drink, sleep, play, and exercise in order to be comfortable and effective in our life. On the mental side we need to have purity of thought, word, and action. By doing all of this our students will be drawn to our way of life and seek answers about how to live in a similar way.

Tapah/Tapas – from the root tap which means blaze, to heat or burn. It is the third of the Niyamas and tells us that directed passion is essential for finding the enlightened path. If we leave our passion unfocused then we end up with desire. By focusing our passion on our yoga practice we can harness its energy into meditating deeper and finding peace within ourselves. This passion will be visible to our students and will draw them to practice further with us.

Yamas – translates as our attitude towards our environment. It is the first limb of Patanjali’s Asthanga Yoga from the Yoga Sutra’s and is made up of 5 parts: Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha. These principles show us how to behave in the world so that we can live a Yogic life.

1.2 Yogas Citti Vritti Nirodhah - translates as Yoga stops the fluctuation of the mind. It is the second Sutra of the Yoga Sutra’s and tells us the fundamental reason for practicing yoga. Yoga is the calming of the mind. It leads us to stillness or essence and allows for the discovery of the stillness of the mind by stopping thoughts. There is a considerable trap here when we try to shortcut the process by asking ourselves to stop thinking, which of course requires that we think. The key is to stop trying and to allow it to happen. Once we stop trying to find the answer the answer presents itself as inspiration and we are able to move forward. Our daily life and habits prevent us from doing this because we think that it is easier to stay with our habits since they got us through yesterday. After time though these habits cripple our ability to see truth and take appropriate action. This Sutra gives us an early peek at the benefit of a Yoga practice.

2.46 Sthira-Sukham Asanam – translates as Asana must have the dual qualities of alertness and relaxation. This means that when we practice Asana’s we have to engage our body into the pose so that we are aware that we are in the pose, this is alertness. On the other hand we should not be hurting our body nor should be we exerting ourselves so hard that we are unable to let our thoughts go. By balancing this high wire act we are able to achieve meditation in the Asana. It is similar to pulling a string for drying clothes on. We need to pull the slack out of the string so that the clothes do not touch the ground and get dirty, but we also need to leave enough slack so that the string does not break thus resulting in the clothes becoming dirty as well. The Goldilocks metaphor also comes to mind. We don’t want cold porridge or hot porridge, we want warm porridge so that we get the benefits of a warm meal without burring our mouths.

Posted: July 9th, 2009 under Home.