"Man searches for happiness and shuns pain. Even the most refined physical existence cannot guarantee everlasting happiness or a life without pain. The root of all well-being lies in the mind. Once the root is cared for, each leaf of the tree will grow.
The Raja Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Maharishi is a complete manual for the exploration and control of one's own thoughts. It is a classical scripture of yoga and a holistic guideline for the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of meditation.
Self-reliance or self-discipline is the fundamental requisite on the spiritual path. Without self-discipline even those with high intellect cannot benefit from the teachings of yoga.
The Yoga Sutras are a precious resource for any yoga practitioner especially for the study of the spiritual psychology of yoga, the oldest psychology of mankind.
Sri Swami Vishnudevananda taught Raja Yoga in five basic principles for people of all ages, religions and walks of life :
Proper exercise (Asana)
Proper breathing (Pranayama)
Proper relaxation (Savasana)
Proper diet (Vegetarian)
Positive thinking and meditation (Vedanta and Dhyana)
Once these principles are applied in daily life, the universal teachings of Patanjali Maharishi's Yoga Sutras will gradually reveal themselves through personal experience."
Swami Sivadasananda.
Yoga is a way of life, something that I have been open to and have been blessed to have been exposed to and taught by great authentic teachers. The Yoga sutras as mentioned above give us the means to find a joining with the inner self and the Supreme Soul and only when this joining happens we can find rest and a supreme satisfaction which is very hard to be able to describe. The Sutras highlight practice and can enhance our understandings through an intuitive knowledge. Swami Durgananda tells us that we need not be an academic to be able to understand but the sutras will reveal themselves in understanding that grows in our practice. I think I can testify to this as not being an academic myself; being a creative who finds studying texts difficult I seem to have reached points of knowledge or understanding through a very dedicated and disciplined practice of the five points mentioned above. However there are those who love to spend much time in study as opposed to time in action, so we should find a good commentary on the Sutra's as without perfect knowledge of Sanskrit understanding would be very very difficult. Also there are now words in Sanskrit where no words in our modern languages can be found so explanation from a Master is absolutely needed.
I recommend - Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - text and commentary by Swami Durgananda published by Sivananda Yoga Retreat house - Tryol - Austria. You can find this book in all the world wide Sivananda centers also.
Let us look at Chapter 1 Verse 1 of the sutras and the explanation from the book -
Chapter 1 is titled The Road to Samadhi (the supreme state)
Verse 1
Atha Yoganusasanam = Now yoga is explained or Now Yoga
"Patanjali is thorough from the outset, explaining the very word 'Yoga.' Yoga means union of the Jiva and Atman. The Jiva is the individual soul with its components of three bodies. The Atman is the universal or Supreme Soul. We need to know the workings of the individual soul and eventually transcend it. The word 'transcend' can be misleading because it wrongly suggests that we are ignoring something. This is not so. It is through understanding that the Jiva is only an instrument that the idea of being an individual soul vanishes. Avidya (ignorance) is dispelled by Vidya (knowledge.) Vidya allows you to understand that you are neither the body nor the mind. This knowledge comes not as a sudden realization, but as a slow awakening through Sadhana (spiritual practice.) Sadhana leads to knowledge, and this knowledge gives us the understanding that we are not the body or the mind."
I also think that this 'Now Yoga' verse is outlining the fact that you are now ready for yoga - you are ready to deepen your experience of life and find other dimensions, you are ready to let go of mere material pleasures as a point of your happiness and start the yogic journey to inner happiness, that when you find it, although it is always coming and going like clouds - but you find the knowledge that it is there, you feel it - this nobody can take away from you! You are ready to expand and to elevate yourself and believe me you will never look back! I simply cannot imagine my life without Yoga or more to the point my life is YOGA! I would feel so unwell, limited and even trapped without it.
So Atha Yoganusasanam - Now Yoga - be ready to dive into a beautiful profound and deeply meaningful way of life - that which will expand out into our world and create more harmony and balance. So so needed in these times if not more than any before.
Have a beautiful journey everyone
Wishing you all the very best of wishes as always and AUM shanti shanti shanti
Mangala / Nicky
Yoga Mangala is based in Casablanca - Morocco and offers private classes for individuals and small groups in her home. Also corporate classes to introduce ideas of yoga for well being. Yoga for kids and pre-natal. Retreats out in the countryside and on-line classes for experienced yogis. Om Namah Sivaya.
