No, the title of this post is not Sanskrit for something particular or grand. It's simply me being frustrated with myself for not fully understanding karma. I realized today (after pondering this topic the entire month of September & not posting a single thought about it) that maybe that's the point of karma. As with many of the yoga sutras & other yoga philosophy, they're often easier to read about and get vs. live. Further try to apply them in full-blown action and whoa! life wakes … [Read more...]
Santosha – Discovered in a Bad Yoga Class
"By contentment, supreme joy is gained." sutra 2.42 "Niyama consists of purity, contentment, accepting but not causing pain, study, and self-surrender. sutra 2.32 Santosha is Sanskrit for contentment. The word contentment/santosha is first mentioned in The Yoga Sutras among the list of five niyamas (sutra 2.32). Side note: My take on the niyamas is they guide our internal compass. They're ethical principles (or observances) that strengthen our character and guide us to live life in the … [Read more...]
Dharma Whispering in my Head
Sutra 1.2, as I blogged here, defines yoga as stilling the fluctuations of the mind. Yet it is sutra 2.1 starts to address what yoga practice is all about. Accepting pain as help for purification, study and surrender to the Supreme Being constitute Yoga practice. sutra 2.1 This sutra really offers up the nitty-gritty of yoga and clearly demonstrates that yoga is so much more than just asana. Of course, depending on one's intention, an asana practice can (and should) contain discipline, … [Read more...]
Stumped by sutra 4.19
The mind-stuff is not self-luminous because it is an object of perception by the Purusha. sutra 4.19 (Purusha is known as the individual soul, divine Self in all beings) I knew there would come a time during my 2012 yoga sutra journey/writing when I would be completely stumped. Well that day is here. The truth is the day actually happened a couple of weeks ago. I kept thinking if I held off on this posting something inspiring would show up in my life that could help me relate to sutra … [Read more...]
Happy Mind, Happy Life (sutra 1.33)
I opened my last post the exact same way...yoga studios in the Northern Virginia/DC area these days are showing up on every corner, becoming as commonplace as Starbucks. Overall it's an awesome trend. I love seeing more people sharing yoga and creating a positive impact in the community. I believe those teachers and studios who "practice what they preach" will succeed. I also believe it will be rough for those opening the doors with expectations of high financial returns (particularly since … [Read more...]
Attachment (sutra 2.7)
Attachment is that which follows identification with pleasurable experiences. sutra 2.7 Pretty straightforward sutra, right? The tricky part of attachment is how sneaky it is in our lives. The action/object/tendency we're attached to starts out as a simple moment of joy. And then we repeat the action seeking the same positive experience it originally created. Next thing you know, we become attached to the experience triggered by the object/action/tendency. And then the attachment … [Read more...]
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