For most people, the word "yoga" brings to mind the image of someone twisted in the shape of a pretzel or some similar yoga pose. For the most part, yoga is associated with ‘asana’ (physical postures). In many of the fitness centers and gyms where ‘yoga’ is taught, it is the physical aspect that is emphasized. However, when we take a closer look at the deeper meaning of yoga we find that yoga involves much more than just physical stretching postures. In the classical text called the Yoga Sutras, the author, Patanjali, has provided the complete philosophy and methodology for the practice of yoga. In the first four sutras of chapter 1, Patanjali has given us a very clear and concise definition of yoga which serves as the foundation for the rest of his exposition on yoga. In this article, I will be discussing these four sutras in some detail. When we develop an understanding of the basic definition, we can start viewing our own yoga practice with a different perspective.

To listen to an audio rendition of each sutra, please click on the small blue button at the beginning of the sutra.

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Recently I received this link from a friend of mine about an article in NYT describing research on creativity conducted at the University of New Mexico. The research utilized f-MRI technology to study and "measure" creativity under different conditions. On reading the article I noticed striking parallel between the findings of this research and yoga philosophy as given in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In order to point out the similarities to the author of the article, Patricia Cohen, I have written her the following letter:

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Here is an excerpt from an email that I recently received from a friend of mine.

“The last couple of months have been unusually busy (though not necessarily fruitful) for me at work. Days seemed to be packed with demands. The to-do list would often seem longer at the end of a long work day than it had at the beginning. Problems and worries abounded. When I opened my eyes in the morning, my first thoughts were of the to-do list. I suspect that many people struggle with similar situations and the sensation of being terrorized by their to-do list. The list may be work related, but it may also involve taking care of children or parents, regular chores and even things that we impose on our selves like going to a yoga class. We begin to live our whole lives in a hurry, trying desperately to get it all done. Even if we can find a day off, we continue to feel hurried, walking quickly, cleaning the kitchen quickly, brushing our teeth quickly. The habit energy carries on. Perhaps there is a subtle realization that we are not really living in the present moment, that this is not working; but we don’t know how to stop, how to get off the tread mill, or even how to find some peace and happiness in the work that we are doing.”

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