Yoga Sutra Study Group – Update

[Next meeting: Saturday, June 1, 2:00-4:00 PM]

One of the common reasons why people join  a yoga class is to learn how to manage stress. Ever wondered what causes stress in the first place? Is it caused by people or events external to us, or is it something that happens in our own minds? Ever wondered why we have all the negative tendencies like anger, jealousy, hatred etc which corrupt our minds and blind our reasoning abilities? How does yoga help us deal with and overcome all these situations in life? Does the practice of yoga involve only the practice of asana (physical postures) or is there more to the practice?

Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras provides an insight into not only these but many more questions and situations that we face in our life. Study and understanding of the sutras can bring about a true transformation in our lives.

As many of you are aware, we have a Yoga Sutras of Patanjali Study Group (YSP SG) wherein we discuss the underlying concepts of the yoga practice given to us by Patanjali. The group meets twice a month on the second and fourth Saturday of the month at 2-4 PM.

I invite to join us for these ongoing meetings of the Study Group. You will find these meetings stimulating and transforming.

For our study of the sutras, we have chosen two commentaries, one by Swami Satchidananda and the other by Edwyn Bryant. In our studies, we read the commentaries by these two authors word-by-word and then discuss each sutra so we can understand the sutra at a deeper level. 

So far in our studies, the focus has been on the theoretical and philosophical aspects of yoga. Now we have arrived at a place in the text where Patanjali provides a much more practical approach to the practice of yoga in order to achieve the prescribed goals of yoga. This approach is commonly referred to as the Eight Limbs of Yoga which are briefly described below:

1. Yamas (self restraints): The yamas are guidelines for how to interact with the outside world at a social level. The five yamas are: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (abstinence), Aparigraha (non-hoarding).
2. Niyamas (observances): The niyamas represent guidelines for self-discipline. The five niyamas are: shoucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (austerity), swadhyaya (study of the scriptures and self-study), and Ishwara pranidhana (surrender to God). Together, yamas and niyamas provide an ethical and moral code to be followed so the aspiring yogi can establish an adequate moral foundation for his/her spiritual journey.
3. Asana (posture): Asana refers to the seated posture which should be steady and comfortable so the yogi can sit and meditate for long periods of time.
4. Pranayama (breath control): Pranayama, which literally means stretching or expansion of prana, the vital life force, involves breath control and helps train and prepare the mind for dharana (concentration).
5. Pratyahara (sense withdrawal): Through pratyahara one gains the ability to withdraw the senses from their objects thus achieving perfect control over the senses.
6. Dharana (concentration/focus): Dharana involves focusing the mind on a single object of concentration for long periods of time.
7. Dhyana (meditation): When there is an uninterrupted flow of the mind toward the object of focus, the yogi enters the state of meditation.
8. Samadhi (total absorption): Finally when even the self-awareness of the mind disappears and only the object of meditation shines through, it is called the state of samadhi. It is only in the highest stage of “Samadhi”, called the “nirbeeja Samadhi” (seedless Samadhi) when the mind is fully under control and brings the yogi to a state of perpetual peace and tranquility.

You may like to visit the Yoga Sutra website/blog where we record a summary of the discussions on each sutra.

Please contact me if you would like to join the meetings or if you have any questions. I look forward to your participation in future meetings of the Study Group.