Ask Yogi: Looking at our Yoga Roots (3)

Ask Yogi: Looking at our Yoga Roots

What are the “Yoga Sutra’s of Sri Patanjali”?

Pata = fallen;  Anjali= prayer; Sutra =thread. 

The Yoga Sutras are a set of aphorisms -short, concise, easily-remembered set of instructions - for the practice of the eight limbs of yoga, written by Sri Patanjali.  It is not know when Patanjali lived, or if he was one or several persons; estimates date the Sutras from 5,000 BC to 300 AD.  Patanjali in no way invented yoga but rather compiled already existing ideas and practices into almost 200 Sutras, which are divided into four Padas (Chapters),  The Padas of the yoga Sutras teach a philosphical system about the duality of reality.  In describing the “goal” (to end suffering) and power of yoga, the Sutras also explain how to practice yoga and overcome ignorance and the five “Vritti” – distractions of the mind: ‘right’ knowledge, misconception, verbal delusion, memory and sleep.  In sum, the Sutras teach the language and practices of yoga that help us understand the nature of (and connection between) the material world and the spirit, and achieve complete absorption (i.e. being in the moment) and joy.

There are numerous translations of and commentaries about the Yoga Sutras; I particularly like those written by Sri Swami Satchidananda and TKV Desikachar (you can find these online via Google or Amazon, etc.).  Some of the Sutras are given more emphasis than others in the study of yoga. Two of my favorite Suturas are 1.33 – “By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous and disregard toward the wicked one remains calm”; and 2.33 –“When disturbed by negative thoughts, positive ones should be thought of….”.

Do you have a question about the Yoga Sutras or any other aspect of yoga?  Any ideas about possible yoga history or philosphy topics?   Feel free to send questions, comments, suggestions to nbarnes@csulb.edu.

Ask Yogi: Looking at our Yoga Roots (2)

Ask Yogi:  Looking at our Yoga Roots (2)

What are the Eight Limbs of Yoga?

Yoga is the union between body, mind and spirit. Its objective is to use the breath and body to create awareness of the self as connected to the whole of creation. In short it is about creating balance and equanimity so as to live in peace and health with the world and people around us. Yoga was developed in India thousands of years ago and the foundations of yoga philosophy were recorded in The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali (200 AD).  Sutra means “thread”, and Patanjali’s Sutras are a set of aphorisms, or short, concise, easily-remembered set of instructions for the eight-limbed path that forms the structural framework for yoga practice.

The eight limbs of Yoga are: Yama (respect for others and how we deal with people around us), Niyama (respect for self, how we relate to ourselves inwardly), Asana (posture), Pranayama (science of breath control), Pratyahara (control of the senses), Dharana (concentration and inner perceptual awareness), Dhyana (meditation on the divine), Samadhi (total absorption or union with the divine). 

Each limb builds on the previous one, and there is a progression, with regular practice, from one limb to the next.  That said, it is not necessary (or even possible) to master the first limb of Yoga before attempting to practice the other limbs. As mentioned in last month’s column, in Western Society, “Asana” (posture-focused Yoga) tends to be the one of the eight limbs of Yoga that we do the most.  A focus on Asana can lead to good physical fitness and reduction of stress levels, and can open the gateway for exploration of the other seven limbs of Yoga.  Over-emphasis of Asana can lead to neglect of the other limbs (i.e. breathing, meditation and the spirit), feeding the ego and material desires, and creating imbalances in life; a person “stuck” on Asana can become “stuck” in life in general.

For many of us, simply doing the Asanas while remembering to breathe is a serious challenge.  One of the many benefits of the Hatha Yoga system we practice at HBHY is the combined – and sustained - focus on Asana and the breath.  A regular Asana practice will help you cultivate the other six limbs- whether you like it or not!  Remember, regardless of where you are in your practice, just showing up to Yoga class (and life’s daily challenges) and remembering to breathe is 90% of the work!

Ask a Yogi Column 1

Ask a Yogi: Exploring Our Yoga Roots (1)

Have you ever wondered why we do Pranayama breathing at the beginning of every class?  Or what the Sanskrit names of yoga postures mean?  Or why we say Namaste?

The purpose of this column is to answer such questions about the language, rituals, and philosophy of yoga.  Let me be honest, I am not an expert on yoga philosophy!  But, after completing an intensive 200 hour teacher training in July 2010, it was clear I had lots of questions about yoga that go deeper than “can you show me how to get into that pose?”  Investigating these questions (and yours) will be the basis of this column. 

Typing of questions, here is one for you:  Did you know that the classical techniques of yoga go back more than 5,000 years?  However, the Hatha yoga we practice today was developed only 111 years ago, by Shri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888-1989) who developed an asana-based style of yoga because most of his students were teenage boys who required productive development of their strength and stamina.  Prior to the 1900’s, the practice of yoga was not posture-based nor was it common for everyone to do it; rather yoga was practiced by sages who were focused on cultivating deep states of meditation via chanting and breathing (pranayama) to quiet the mind and eliminate suffering.  The sages wrote down the wisdom that came to them during meditation; the first of these ancient scripts were called the Vedas.  For thousands of years yoga philosophy, rituals (meditation, singing of mantras) evolved and many sages contributed to the debates and practices that eventually formed six major ‘schools’ of Yoga. 

Current yoga instruction in the Western world has an almost totally exclusive focus on posture (asana) and contain very little of the past; many regular practitioners are unfamiliar with the rich philosophical traditions that inform yoga, and have never chanted a mantra or sat in meditation in a yoga class…… While some of us are probably thankful we don’t have to sing at HBHY, I know from conversations that many of you are curious about various aspects of yoga.  So, what about yoga do you want to know but were afraid to ask?