June 2023 | Volume 15
Yoga Sutras In Today’s World
Yoga aphorisms, or Sutras, are credited to Patanjali. It is the source text of the Yoga school of philosophy that contains the theory and practice of yoga strung together in cryptic words. Patanjali was neither the originator nor the founder of yoga rather this sage systematized the Yoga school of thought. Any discussion today of the Yoga Sutras is an interpretation of these concise ideas.
The Yoga Sutra is a prescriptive text that discusses the science of the mind and presents the why, what, and, how of yoga. In the entire text which consists of 196 sutras (divided across 4 chapters), while there are no references to the yoga poses or how to practice, there is much mention that the poses are integral to yoga.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is ancient, it is beyond the mat, it is a science, a way of life, and is everywhere.
Yoga is a state of mind; a process, a practice, a method of refining the mind
The main difference between ancient yoga and yoga in the modern world is that now the word “yoga” is applied mainly to physical activity. Many use yoga to maintain and improve levels of fitness, as physical therapy, and even to reduce stress. Though yoga may attract a wide variety of people primarily for its physical benefits, Patanjali made it very clear that if an individual’s asana practice is not part of a greater intention of working towards stilling the mind, they are simply not practicing yoga.
Yoga is not a practice that gets you to a calm stress-free state of mind. It is a staged journey that is the progressive union of –
○ The body, breath with the life force called Prana
○ The body, breath, prana, and the mind
○ The body, breath, prana, mind, and intellect
○ The body, breath, prana, mind, intellect, and the soul
○ The body, breath, prana, mind, intellect, soul, and the consciousness
Yoga Sutra 1.1 & 1.2
Translated: We make an auspicious start, of the journey into the “science of Yoga” a methodology of uniting with our Authentic Selves.
Translated: Yoga is the process of “Restraining” the hyper-active ‘External Mind’/ ‘Functional Ego Mind’.
Sutras and Me
These are nice to read but are they relevant to these times? Is the study of these sutras only for Yoga teachers?
You may read this for the simple understanding of the first two yoga sutras (and more to come), or you may read these to change something in your life. Whatever the intention that brought you this far in the article, is your reality. Contemplate this for a moment - what drives our intentions are the outcomes of our actions, thoughts, and speech.
Getting to the change we seek is a slow journey that requires hard work and one that is fuelled by our purpose. The journey can be grouped into these stages -
● The first stage of the yoga state is attained when we align our action, speech, and thought with our intentions.
● When we align wisdom and our intellect with intentions, we get to the second level of the yoga state. In this state, we are connected to our ego
● When we align our soul which is based on joy, peace, and love, we are in the third level of the yoga state. Even this state is connected to our ego
● When we align our consciousness which is based on the realization that we are all one we have reached the complete yoga state. Finally, this state is devoid of our ego.
A path towards growth in this journey is to remember to pause between intention and action. The power of pause is that it allows the intellect to distance itself from the mind. Another form of pause is practicing silence and by practising silence, we can hear the thoughts that drive our actions. With this comes the freedom to choose to change.
Yes, the Yoga Sutras are relevant to these times as when they were compiled, in 400 C.E. We start with an intention to change something in our lives and start with a small change that keeps the intention manageable. We practice the essence of Yoga and notice improvements in the hyperactive mind (Yoga Sutra 1.2).
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