Sutra Sunday
Sundays, Maggie Reagh presents a series of blog posts on one of Patanjali’s key Yoga Sūtra-s (YS), encouraging you to reflect on how it relates to your current life situation through a Yoga Sūtra Journal Question.
The sacredness of Sun (Surya)-day, the day that the Sun is honoured in many cultures, is a brilliant day to do Sva-dhyaya (Self-reflection) through the vehicle of the YS, which like koans, can break your head open, revealing the wisdom of your inherent shining Heart.
Maggie honours her great Yoga-acharya, DV Sridhar of Yoga Rakṣanam, Chennai, India for teaching her the YS for more than 10 years. This blog is dedicated to him and her other Yoga Masters, Radha Sridhar and Viji Vasu with great gratitude.
While what she has learnt from her Masters is the starting point of her Sūtra reflections, Maggie’s blogs include her own insights and interpretations from 20 years of Yoga practice both on and off the mat.
She requests your indulgence for any mistakes unintentionally made and would appreciate any feedback.
Latest on Sutra Sunday
Letting In Something New
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra-s (YS) I-12 Abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyām-tannirodhaḥ
That centred, grounded state (tannirodhaḥ) can be reached both by letting in something new (abhyāsa) and by letting go of something old (vairāgyābhyām).
What is Abhyāsa? Practicing Something New Abhy+ās, to practice being (-ās) fully present (abhy-), begins with committing (atha, YS I,1) to letting in new patterns of thinking and behaviour (samskāra-s) that replace old, dysfunctional ones no longer serving us.
In 2001, when I first started studying with my teachers DV & Radha Sridhar and Viji Vasu at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai, India, I was introduced to their basic Yoga Therapy teachings. One of the first lessons learnt was that when designing a Yoga practice for someone with addictions like smoking, the student was never asked to give up the addiction before starting the practice. He was only asked to do one new thing, to start practicing what had been prescribed. The openness of this allowing process created a paradigm shift for me.
As I studied further, I learnt that my Yoga teachers/therapists weren’t interested in digging around the past, releasing old traumas from our childhoods. The main goal was to fan the flames of enthusiasm/trust (śraddhā, see YS I, 20-22) so that our trust in them and our Yoga practice grew. The therapeutic relationship and practice itself would heal us by promoting self-love with which addictions would just naturally drop away in their own time.
How do we let go? We are all addicted to something in life. We all have those dysfunctional patterns that just won’t let us off the wheel of futile behavior. How do we find the strength to let them go (vairāgyābhyām)?
In my own life, as I try to let go of a major relationship attachment (rāga kleśa – see YS II-3), I am opening myself up to new ways of being in the world to replace the hole that this break up has left in my heart and life. I am also looking for new practices and activities (abhyāsa) to strengthen my ability to let go (vairāgyābhyām).
Next week, we will explore many yogic tools of support that guide us home to that centred, grounded state (tannirodhaḥ) called Yoga.
Yoga Sutra Question What can I let in to let go?
Let in to Let go – Let go to Let in – The Two Sides of Practice
Last month, we discussed the meaning of Yoga in Yoga Sutra-s (YS) Chapter I-2. Patanjali goes on to explain that there are five ways to experiencing that state called Yoga:
1. Abhyāsa– By practicing – YS I, 12-16
2. Vairāgya – By detaching - YS I, 12-16
3. Bhavapratyayo – By birth (naturally born in a state of Yoga) – YS I, 19
4. Śraddhā – By trusting in your goal - YS I, 20-22
5. Īśvara pranidhānā - By surrendering to the Highest - YS I, 23
In the months to come, we will be focusing on these five routes to experiencing Yoga, starting with YS I-12.
I-12 Abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyām-tannirodhaḥ That strongly centred state of mind-body (tannirodhaḥ), carrying us towards Yoga, can be reached through the continuous practice of being Present (abhyāsa) by letting go of anything standing in our way of that Presence (vairāgyābhyām).
Let in to Let go - Let go to Let in – The Two Sides of Practice One of the hardest things in life is letting go of the old to let something new move into our lives. How do we find the strength to do that?
Patanjali says that these are two sides of the same coin. On one hand, we need to let go to let in. On the other, we need to let in to let go. We need both to transform. For example, for months, I have been trying to let go of a very deep relationship that is no longer serving either of our lives in its present form. How will I find the strength to do that?
In the next month, we will be diving deeper into both abhyāsa (letting in something new) and vairāgyābhyām (letting go of something old) to experience tannirodhaḥ (centred, grounded mind-body).
Yoga Sutra Question What do I need to let go of right now in order to let something new in? How will I find the strength to do that?
Reining in the Mind
I-2 Yogaḥ Citta-Vṛtti -Nirodhaḥ - CVN
The state called Yoga naturally arises when we continuously practice directing (nirodhaḥ) the cognitive processes (vṛtti-s) of the mind (citta) in a positive direction for a sustained period of time.
What is Nirodhaḥ? Learning How to Rein in the Wild Horses of the Mind
We learn how to reign in the mind (citta) by focussing its wild horses (vṛtti-s) in a positive direction for a sustained period of time. We need to learn how to direct these wild horses of the mind (vṛtti-s) by putting blinders on their eyes and keeping them focussed on where they are going (nirodhaḥ).These blinders (nirodhaḥ) keep us on track, moving us towards our goal of experiencing that natural state of mind-body-spirit called Yoga.
There is so much that bombards us in life. There is so much coming at us all the time as we navigate ourselves on a path leading to Joy. We need nirodhaḥ to help us focus so that we don’t get distracted by the many choices of the Disneyland world that we live in. It is so easy to get lost in the outside world of our jobs, families, relationships, activities, desires and to forget our-Selves, our radiant Selves that are calling us Home to that Heart of deep-seated Joy called Yoga.
The brilliance of Patanjali’s definition of Yoga is that he doesn’t define it in a spiritual way at all, but rather as a practice of learning how to focus the mind. All we have to do is practice reining in our mind’s wild tendencies (nirodhaḥ), to practice retreating inside of ourselves to uncover our own unique experience of spirituality. All we have to do is to go Home to rest, retreat, and be with our-Self that is just waiting to be heard, acknowledged, and revealed in all of its awakened joyful brilliance.
Yoga Sutra Journal Questions
What activities help you focus the mind to experience your radiant, joyful Heart? Can these activities be called Yoga?
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