Brahmacharya is perhaps one of the more difficult of the yamas to understand as well as to discuss and explain. In a very traditional sense, brahmacharya means strict sexual control or total celibacy. In India, when a person takes a vow to never get married, he is referred to as a "brahmachari".

The well-known rishi Yajnavalkya says, "Brahmacharya is abstaining from all kinds of Maithuna or sexual enjoyment for ever, in all places and in all conditions, physically, mentally and verbally. "

The word is composed of two words, "brahma" and "charya". Brahma literally means the supreme consciousness and "charya" means to "live in" or "get established in". In this sense Brahmacharya would mean "to get fully established in the divine consciousness". That seems like an immensely difficult goal to achieve since that is the ultimate goal of all yoga practices. So, it is generally believed that Patanjali meant to use this term in its more practical understanding of "total abstinence" or celibacy.

Vyasa, in his commentary states that brahmacharya is controlling the "guptendriya" (the secret sense organ). Subsequent commentators have taken this to mean that one needs to control all the five senses as they can lead to sexual desires and finally controlling the sexual desire.

Ancient sages have defined these eight forms of sexual indulgence: Darshan or looking at women with passionate resolve, Sparshan or touching them, Keli or play, Kirtan or praising the qualities of the other sex, Guhya-Bhashan or talking in private, Sankalpa or determination, Adhyavasaya or nearing the other sex with the desire for gratification and Kriyanivritti or the actual sexual act.  Brahmacharya means to abstain from these eight sexual indulgences.

The above interpretation of brahmacharya is applicable for those yogis who have taken the vow of sanyasa (renunciation) and have given up attachment to worldly objects. Even they find it extremely hard to follow strictly the guidelines for brahmacharya. Since such strict definition is not applicable for a householder, most commentators have suggested a more practical meaning of brahmacharya – that of moderation in all sensual enjoyments through the five senses.

As with all the other yamas and niyamas, Patanjali does not provide a definition of Brahmacharya. However, in sutra 2.38 he tells us the benefits of brhmacharya:

ब्रह्मचर्यप्रतिष्ठायां वीर्यलाभः॥३८॥
brahmacharyapratiShThaayaaM vIryalaabhaH

"By one established in continence, vigor is gained." (Sutra 2.38)

There are several well-known stories in our history and mythology which talk about supernormal powers that a practitioner of brahmacharya could attain. One such story relates to Bhishma in Mahabharata (from Wikepedia):

Bhishma means He of the terrible oath, referring to his vow of life-long celibacy. Originally named Devavratha, he became known as Bhishma after he took thebhishana pratigya (‘terrible oath’) — the vow of life-long celibacy and of service to whoever sat on the throne of his father (the throne of Hastinapur). He took this oath so that his father, Shantanu could marry a fisherwoman Satyavati — Satyvati’s father had refused to give his daughter’s hand to Shantanu on the grounds that his daughter’s children would never be rulers as Shantanu already had a son(Devratha). This made Shantanu despondent and upon discovering the reason for his father’s despondency, Devavratha sought out the girl’s father and promised him that he would never stake a claim to the throne, implying that the child born to Shantanu and Satyavati would become the ruler after Shantanu. At this, Satyavati’s father retorted that even if Devavratha gave up his claim to the throne, his (Devavratha’s) children would still claim the throne. Devavratha then took the terrible vow of life-long celibacy, thus sacrificing his ‘crown-prince’ title and denying himself the pleasures of conjugal love. This gave him immediate recognition among the gods and his father granted him the boon of Sweccha Mrityu(control over his own death — he could choose the time of his death, but he was not immortal, which would have been an even severe curse and suffering).

A more recent story relates to the vow of celibacy taken by Mahatma Gandhi. In his autobiography "My experiments with Truth", Gandhi talks about brahmacharya at length. Here are a few quotes from Gandhi on brahmacharya:

"Brahmacharya, like all other observances, must be observed in thought, word and deed. … the foolish man, who appears to control his body, but is nursing evil thoughts in his mind, makes a vain effort….Mere control of animal passion has been equated with observing brahmacharya. I feel, that this conception is incomplete and wrong. Brahmacharya means control of all the organs of sense. He who attempts to control only one organ, and allows all the others free play, is bound to find his effort futile…Brahmacharya will come easy to anyone who controls his palate. "

[from Wikepedia] "In the 1940s, in his mid-seventies, he brought his grandniece Manubehn to sleep naked in his bed as part of a spiritual experiment in which Gandhi could test himself as a "brahmachari." Two other women also sometimes shared his bed. Gandhi discussed his experiment with friends and relations, and the experiment ceased in 1947."

Vyasa further adds that one who, having been established in brahmacharya, becomes a siddha (an adept), can effectively transfer his supreme knowledge to his disciples. That means he can become a most effective teacher for the disciples.

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In today’s discussion, I will be talking about the third of the five yamas – asteya (non-stealing).

Defining Asteya

The word Asteya (अस्तेय) is derived from the Sanskrit root word "steyn" which means ‘to steal’ to ‘to rob’. The word for a thief is "steynaH". "Steyam" is the word for theft. By adding the prefix "a" it becomes ‘asteya’ which means "to not steal or rob".

Understanding Asteya

Vyasa defines "steya" or "theft" as "taking things from others while not following the guidelines provided in the scriptures. There are scriptures called "Dharma Shastras" which define codes of conduct that contain guidelines for behavior in all situations in life. Viewing someone else’s possession such as property or wealth as "mine" and taking possession of it forcefully, deceitfully, unjustly or illegally is stealing. They also preclude acceptance of gifts. "Asteya" or non-stealing is the opposite value which negates these behaviors and actions.

Tendency to steal comes when we desire to acquire things belonging to others. The more we desire things the more the mind will be compelled to act on the desire to steal.

Practicing Asteya

Practice of asteya is very closely linked with some of the other yamas and niyamas – for example ‘aparigraha’ (non-hoarding) or ‘santosha’ (contentment). Greed and attachment to the objects of the senses ("raaga") cause the temptation to steal.

On the surface, asteya seems to be a fairly straightforward concept to understand and follow. However, when we look a little more deeply, we will find that many times we "steal" in ways that we are not even aware of.

Some common examples of stealing are:

• Taking bribe
• Charging more money than set/just price
• Using work property for personal use (for example using work telephone for personal phone calls).
• Spending time on the internet at work for non-work related activities
• Stealing someone else’s job by making false claims on your resume or during the interview
• Being late for an appointment – you are stealing someone else’s time and happiness
• Trying to dominate a conversation and not allowing others to express their opinion in a meeting or conversation
• Cheating at exams

I am sure you can add many more examples from your own experiences.

The esoteric principle behind asteya has to do with a kind of pride or arrogance. The ancient teachings on this say that to think of yourself as really important is to steal your soul from God. That means that we’re not surrendering ourselves to the larger view that we’re this one consciousness (purusha). Once we identify ourselves with the elements of prakriti (mind-body complex) , then we are becoming self-absorbed and are going to steal, either symbolically or literally.

According to Patanjali, all the negative emotions arise due to our "avidya" (ignorance – sutra 2.2). Avidya implies confusion between what is real and what is unreal or going after short-term gains which could ultimately lead to suffering etc. It is due to this avidya that we crave for things which are beyond our means and thus develop a tendency to steal. Once we realize that we are truly "complete" and don’t really lack anything in life, we will have overcome the tendency to steal.

In Sutra 2. 37, Patanjali states that "when we are firmly established in the principle of asteya (non-stealing), we are presented with all jewels and treasures".

When I read this sutra the first question that comes to my mind is "if the yogi is firmly established in asteya, he is already completely desireless". That means the yogi doesn’t crave for material objects. Why does Patanjali then state that he will be offered all jewels which the yogi has no need or use for. So, my feeling is that Patanjali is not referring to physical gems or material treasures but treasures of a spiritual kind. These may include company of good people, blessings of saints and sages and spiritual upliftment.

I would like to hear your thoughts on what Patanjali might have implied in sutra 2.37 as stated above.

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Let us continue our discussion of the five yamas. In the last article I talked about Ahimsa (non-violence). In this post, I would like to discuss the yama of Satya (truthfulness).

Defining Satya

Sage Vyasa defines Satya as "speech and mind conforming to reality as seen, inferred or heard". In this statement, "seen, inferred or heard" correspond to the three modes of right knowledge (pramana) as given in sutra 1.7. "Seen" corresponds to "pratyaksha" and thus includes information received through all the five senses – touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. "Inferred" corresponds to "anumana" which is a combination of current perception through any of the five senses with previously stored information.  "heard" corresponds to the "agamas" or "scriptural testimony" or testimony from a highly trustworthy source.

Understanding Satya

As defined above, truthful speech must conform to the knowledge as received from the three sources of "pramana" without any negative influence from the ego or the lower mind. That means no personal judgment should be superimposed on the information being conveyed.

A quick example may help illustrate this point. Let us say I am sitting in a room facing a window talking to a friend whose back is to the window. We hear footsteps outside and my friend asks "who was that?". Through the window I had seen John walk by. Instead of simply saying that it was John, I superimpose my own judgment by adding "Oh! It was that wonderful John who is always ready to help others". This, according to the above definition of satya, would be considered untruth as the information presented was not a true replication of what was perceived through the senses.

Truth must convey reality as is or exactly as perceived through the senses. Even if the information presented is pulled from memory, it must reflect exactly what was in the memory, not superimposing any personal judgment.

Speech should not be deceptive, confused, equivocal, barren of a meaning, or hurtful. We all know how politicians make false promises in order to gain vote. Sometimes people use difficult words or words from a foreign language in order to impress the listener. Such statements are also deceptive and fall in the category of untruth. I picked up the following example from the internet – instead of saying, "People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones at others’ homes”, consider this, “Individuals who perforce are constrained to be domiciled in vitreous structures of patent frangibility should on no account employ petrous formations as projectiles"!

Here is an urban legend that conveys how pain is caused by telling untruth:

The basic story is that a family dog came trotting in into the yard carrying the neighbors’ dead rabbit in its mouth. The owners panic because they don’t want to have a bad relationship with the neighbors. They wash it, blow dry it and sneak over to the neighbor’s yard to put it back in the cage.

The neighbors are horrified when they discover the dead rabbit, not because it is dead, but because it died the day before and they had buried it.

The words that we speak can have a profound impact on the listener. It is therefore important that we choose our words carefully and express our thoughts truthfully. A person who always speaks the truth gains tremendous respect and is considered trustworthy. On the other hand, people shun a habitual liar. Not only that, hurtful words can leave mental and emotional scars that last a lifetime.  The famous story of the "boy who cried wolf" is a grim reminder of how telling lies can have detrimental impact both on the speaker as well as the listener.  Our scriptures also mention that we should avoid unpleasant truth or pleasant untruth.

A speaker of truth has a pure and clean consciousness with no feelings of remorse or guilt. A person who habitually lies always carries a heavy burden of guilt in his mind.

Practicing  Satya

As I mentioned in a previous post, Patanjali does not provide a definition of any of the yamas or niyamas. He, however, tells us what one can expect to achieve when fully established in a particular yama. For Satya, he provides the following statement (chapter 2, sutra 36):

सत्यप्रतिष्ठायां क्रियाफलाश्रयत्वम्॥३६॥

satyapratiShThaayaaM kriyaaphalaashrayatvam (sutra 2.36)

"When Truthfulness Is Achieved The Words (Of The Yogin) Acquire The Power Of Making Them Fruitful."

I can’t say that I fully understand the meaning or the significance of this statement by Patanjali. One interpretation is that when a person is fully immersed in the value of Satya, both through speech and mind, his actions and fruits of action are both under his control. For example the person can shower blessings on someone that will bring about positive results for the other person.

Our scriptures are full of the virtues of Satya. A famous Buddhist statement is "satyam vada, dharmam chara" which means "always speak the truth and follow the path of dharma or righteousness". By violating the yama of Satya, we create stress for ourselves. As stated above, we can develop feelings of guilt or shame by telling a lie which ultimately leads to stress in the mind.

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In a previous post I introduced the concept of the eight limbs of yoga (ashtanga yoga) as given in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. With this post today, I will start discussion of the individual components of the eight limbs. We’ll start by talking about the first of the five Yamas – ahimsa (non-violence).

Defining Ahimsa

The word Ahimsa is a composite of "himsa" with the prefix "a". In Sanskrit, the prefix "a" usually signifies the absence or negation of the term that follows the prefix. The word "himsa" means violence or causing injury or harm. So, "ahimsa" means non-violence or non-injury. It is interesting to note that Patanjali does not provide a definition for any of the terms that are used for the yamas and the niyamas. I believe he must have felt that the students, due to their long training with the teacher, must already be familiar with the basic definition of these terms. What he has provided in the sutras is what one can expect to achieve when fully committed to a yama or a niyama. The sutra (chapter 2, sutra 35) related to ahimsa is:

अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः॥३५॥

ahiMsaapratiShThaayaaM tatsannidhou vairatyaagaH (sutra 2.35)

"In the presence of one firmly established in non-violence, all hostilities cease".

What this sutra is telling us that if we can develop a deep sense of non-violence, then even those with a violent nature will  desist from harming us.

Here is a story from the Indian lore that is commonly retold to illustrate this point . In the late 18th century, Lord Swaminarayana, then known with his original name of Neelakantha, was roaming from place to place in search of spiritual fulfillment. He was not only fully established in the value of non-violence but was also fearless. One evening, as an 11-year old boy, when he reached a village, the villagers asked him to go inside a house for the night as a man-eating lion was known to visit the village each evening in search of human flesh. The boy refused to go inside as he always stayed outside under a tree to spend the night. He then sat under a tree in meditation for the night. At night the lion visited the place as usual but instead of harming Neelakantha, he sat next to his feet until the boy opened his eyes in the morning. The villagers were totally taken aback when they found out that the lion had behaved like a domesticated dog at the feet of the young saint. Realizing that they were in the company of a true saint, they prostrated at his feet in reverence. Neelakantha later became known as Swaminarayana, the founder of the trust by the same name which now has a huge following in India and  in many other countries.

Understanding Ahimsa

Vyasa, in his commentary on this sutra writes that "Ahimsa is the absence of any tendency to hurt or injure any living being, in any manner, at all times". Vyasa adds that all the other yamas and niyamas are rooted in this single yama of ahimsa. We continue to refine all the other yamas and niyamas in order to finally get totally established in the value of ahimsa.

We can injure others through our physical actions, speech or even thought. All violent actions have their origin in the lower mind which is dominated by the ego. Violence caused through speech is the most damaging and long-lasting. Most people can summon feelings of hurt caused to them in their past as they continue to carry the scars of verbal injury for a very long time. It is the ego which gives rise to negative tendencies like anger, hatred, jealousy, selfishness etc. A person who has these negative emotions is most likely to cause injury to others. In personal relationships, one can cause injury through emotional violence – harsh or abusive language, angry outbursts, emotional judgment, sarcasm, skillful manipulations – to name a few of the hurtful actions.

In sutra 2.34, Patanjali states that injury can be caused not just through direct action, but also can be done through another agent (hiring someone to kill for you!) or by simply giving your approval for a violent action.

The value of ahimsa needs to be applied not only to others but also to oneself. We know that we can cause injury to ourselves in many different ways. For example we hurt ourselves all the time through over-eating or eating the wrong kind of food. Another example related to the practice of yoga is when we allow our ego to dictate the performance of an asana and injuring ourselves in the process. We also can hurt ourselves through self destructive behavior caused by feelings of guilt or fear etc.

Another common form of violence that is mentioned in yogic texts is the killing of animals to obtain human food. Because ahimsa is a strong value mentioned in many texts, including the yoga sutras and the Bhagavad Gita, most people believe "vegetarianism" to be an automatic corollary of the yama of ahimsa.  Of course, if you live in a climate where it is not possible to grow any vegetation (North Pole, for example) you may be left with no alternative except to eat the meat of an animal. Similarly if you live in a coastal area, then catching and selling fish may be the only means of earning a livelihood. I have also come across people whose health rapidly deteriorates if they go fully vegetarian and they need to eat meat for medical reasons. The injunction of ahimsa is not strictly applicable in these situations.

Ahimsa is not only a common theme in many of the yoga related texts but is a strong component of the Buddhist, Jain and many other faiths and philosophies. Despite its being such an influential value in various cultures, most spiritual authors believe that there may be situations in life when violence in some form or another becomes inevitable. The war of Mahabharata which was fought between Pandavas and Kauravas and in which scores of people were killed, is cited as an example of such a situation. Bhagavad Gita, which is one of the chapters in Mahabharata, is a dialog between Lord Krishna and Arjuna of the Pandavas wherein Krishna provides a convincing argument to Arjuna as to why he should fight the Kauravas in order to uproot evil from the society. In order to determine whether a situation demands such a drastic action one needs a pure and crystal-clear intellect which can make decisions without any influence from the ego.

In our day-to-day life, sometimes it becomes a challenge to determine whether or not a certain action of ours will hurt the other person or not. According to the yoga sutras, a regular practice of yoga can help sharpen the intellect to a point where it becomes easier to identify situations where some form of violence may become necessary and also to determine whether we are inadvertently hurting someone through our action or speech etc. Practicing ahimsa also leads one to develop universal compassion for all living creatures.

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We concluded the last 12-day pranamaya/meditation intensive on Sept 18. We had 20 participants for this session, the maximum number that the studio can accommodate. It is truly heartening to see that there is growing awareness among yoga practitioners that pranayama and meditation are very integral to the practice of yoga. Most people practice yoga purely for physical benefits. However, since yoga has the potential to impact us at various levels including physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and beyond, when we limit the practice to physical only, we miss out on all the other benefits that yoga has to offer. I have been offering these pranayama/meditation intensives to emphasize the value and benefits of these components of yoga.

The feedback from all the participants in the program has been very positive and encouraging. Even though waking up early enough to start the class at 6 AM was a challenge for most of them, they all seem to have adjusted to it within  a couple of days. Here is a sampling of some of the comments from the participants:

"Wonderful!! I learned so much about the history and philosophy of Hatha yoga in 12 days …"

"I felt the energy level was high after doing Yoga and Pranayama… "

"… Subhash…you are a kind and passionate teacher and I hope to know you for many years…"

You can read all the comments on my website here.

As many of you are aware, I offer two kinds of morning programs – the 21-day yoga challenge and the pranayama/meditation intensive. Please let me know if you would like to participate in a future similar program.

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As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be writing about the various aspects of Ashtanga Yoga ( अष्टाङ्ग योग – eight limbs of yoga) in my upcoming posts. The word Ashtanga is composed of two words – ashta, meaning eight and anga, meaning limbs. Ashtanga Yoga refers to the eight limbs of yoga that Patanjali has advocated in the Yoga Sutras as a means to eradicate ignorance and gain an understanding of our true identity. The eight limbs are: yamas (guidelines for social interaction), niyams (guidelines for self-discipline), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (total absorption). For a brief introduction to the eight limbs of yoga, please visit here.

In sutra 2.28, Patanjali, by way of introducing the eight limbs of yoga, gives an insight into what we can expect to achieve by practicing these eight limbs.

योगाङ्गाऽनुष्ठानादशुद्धिक्षये ज्ञानदीप्तिराविवेकख्यातेः॥२८॥ (Sutra 2.28)

yogāṅgā’nuṣṭhānādaśuddhikṣaye jñānadīptirāvivekakhyāteḥ||28||

"From the practice of the component limbs of Yoga, on the destruction of impurities, arises spiritual illumination which develops into discriminative wisdom and thus realization of our true nature"

As you can see, Patanjali is promising self-realization if we practice all the eight limbs of yoga. Let us look at some of the terms mentioned in this sutra.

Destruction of impurities (ashuddhi-kshaye)

The impurities here refer to the five afflictions (kleshas) which are the main cause of our suffering. These kleshas are: avidya (ignorance), asmita (ego), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion) and abhinivesha (desire to cling to life, or fear of death). You can read a little more about these in my blog post here. These impurities are like dirt on a mirror. Only when the dirt is completely removed can we see clearly in the mirror. Similarly these impurities are covering our awareness about our true nature. What Patanjali is telling us that by practicing these eight limbs of yoga, one can cleanse the mind of these impurities.

Spiritual illumination (jnana-dipti)

The word "jnana-dipti" in the sutra can be translated as "light of knowledge". Here "light" refers to the spiritual wisdom that shines through after the impurities have been removed. When the mind is under stress, the true wisdom of the intellect is not available. At that time, the mind is impelled by the ego and  the suffering continues. So, Patanjali here states that through the practice of Ashtanga Yoga, one can dispel the darkness of ignorance and have direct access to the light of true wisdom.

Discriminative Wisdom (viveka-khyati)

When the mind is purified and the light of spiritual illumination shines through, then one can attain a state where there is a very clear understanding of right and wrong, good and bad etc. This is discriminative wisdom which allows us always to make the right choice from among various available options. At every step in our life we are faced with two or more choices. The intellect can make the right choice only when it is driven by pure discriminative wisdom and not by the misguided ego.

This sutra is a very strong statement urging us to practice the eight limbs of yoga if we want to attain the sharpest possible intellect which can make the right choice at the right time. When that happens we can attain a sense of inner joy which is independent of external situations in life.

In future posts I will try to cover the eight limbs, one at a time. I would love to get your feedback.

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Until I went for my yoga teacher training at the Swami Satchidananda Ashram in Yogaville, VA in 1996, I had never heard of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Before that my yoga practice consisted of about a 40 minute session of a few asanas which I practiced, on an average, 3-4 times a week. The only other "yoga" training that I had prior to that was introduction to Transcendental Meditation ™ for which I had gone to the Mahesh Yogi ashram in Rishikesh in late sixties. In the beginning I practiced meditation twice a day for 20 minutes each, as guided by the TM teacher. Unfortunately, gradually my meditation practice became irregular and I started skipping days or even weeks at a time. During my TT course at Yogaville, in addition to the asanas we were introduced to different types of pranayama (breathing) practices and meditation. After this training my own individual practice became much more well-rounded and integrated and now includes asana, pranayama, meditation and study of scriptures.

It was during this 4-week training at Yogaville that I got my first exposure to yoga philosophy. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (YSP) and Bhagavad Gita (BG), two of the main scriptures related to yoga, were part of the study curriculum for the course. Even though YSP was covered in brief over maybe 8-10 hours, I found it fascinating because the whole treatment of the subject seemed highly scientific and logical. What really intrigued me the most was the very definition of yoga

योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः॥२॥

yogash-chitta-vritti-nirodhaH — (yoga is controlling the fluctuations of the mind).

Up until then, like most other people, I had equated yoga with simply asanas. What was emphasized during the TT program was that yoga was much more than simply a practice of asanas. This definition clearly showed that yoga was more about making the mind steady and calm than simply making the body strong and flexible. This brief introduction to YSP and the Gita piqued my interest enough that I was motivated to study them further after the course was over.

After the course, I decided to go through the commentary on YSP by Sw. Satchidananda like a story-book, basically to get an idea, at a very high level, of what it contained. And that’s all I really got as a result of that reading. But this reading convinced me that I needed to spend much more time to grasp the various concepts given in the text. I then started going through the text a little more carefully trying to grasp the deeper meaning of the sutras. However, I found the going quite tough as the sturas are very terse and cryptic statements. Even with the commentary I found it hard to grasp the full meaning of several of the sutras. At that time, I decided to establish a study group with a few interested members so we could collectively make the effort to untie some of the tough knots in the text. Despite my best efforts I couldn’t gather more than 4 people to join the group. We started meeting twice a month. Unfortunately, even this group of 4 was unable to meet on a regular basis. So, after about one year the group just disintegrated and I was again left to my own individual efforts. In the meantime, I had also joined a Bhagavad Gita Study group where we read the commentary on the Gita by Swami Dayananda of Arsha Vidya in PA.

After moving to North Carolina in early 2006, I was able to form a new study group to study the sutras in depth. The group has been meeting twice a month for the last four years now. We are studying commentary by three different authors and are currently studying the second chapter. Studying the sutras from three different viewpoints, supplemented with discussion within the group, has truly been a most enriching experience.

Studying the sutras has truly been a transformational experience for me. The concepts have been presented in a very scientific and logical manner and are of immense practical value in molding our day-to-day life. The main theme of the sutras is to analyze the mind thoroughly and understand its functioning at the deepest levels. The sutras make us understand that most of our problems are created by us in our own minds. In order to solve these problems we have to develop a deeper understanding of the mind and then work on cleansing it of all the negative emotions and tendencies. By working on the mind repeatedly we can gradually make it sharper and cleaner so that our intellect can function at a level which is not influenced negatively by the ego.

Patanjali has given us the eight limbs of yoga – Ashtanga Yoga – as a set of tools that we can practice.  When practiced diligently over a long period of time, these tools can bring about the desired result of cleansing and purifying the mind so that it can stay calm and collected even in the most dire circumstances. 

In some of the future blog posts I would like to cover various aspects of Ashtanga Yoga and how we can apply them to enrich our daily lives.

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For most people practicing "yoga", the word yoga is synonymous with the physical aspect involving asana (yoga postures) practice. In most yoga classes taught in gyms or fitness centers, the entire duration of the class is usually spent in an intense practice of asanas. Many of these classes follow the yoga styles such as  Ashtanga Yoga, Power Yoga, or Flow Yoga etc,. Toward the end of the class there is a brief (about five minutes) period devoted to "shavasana" or relaxation. The main objective of these classes is to achieve physical fitness.  Asana, however, is only one of the eight limbs of yoga as per the system of yoga (Yoga Sutras) given to us by Sage Patanjali several thousand years ago. The eight limbs are – yamas, niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi.

Out of the 195 sutras, Patanjali has devoted only three sutras to the topic of asana. In this post, I would like to probe a little deeper into the meaning and concept of asana as given by Patanjali.

Asana defined

Let us start first with the definition of asana – "स्थिरसुखमासनम्॥४६॥
sthira-sukhamaasanam" - "asana must be steady/firm and comfortable" – (sutra 2.46). It is worth noting here that in the context of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, asana usually meant a sitting posture used for mediation. While sitting in meditation it is important that one maintain a very steady pose, without any shaking or trembling, and also comfortable. Since  we need to sit for a long duration while in meditation, it is important that the posture should not cause any discomfort. In the context of the modern day yoga practice, the above definition is now extended to all the yoga postures that are practiced. For example, in a seated full forward stretch, the body must feel relaxed and should remain steady for the duration of the pose.

So, how to achieve a ‘steady and comfortable’ asana? Patanjali gives us his approach in the next sutra "प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्त्यसमापत्तिभ्याम्॥४७॥
prayatna-shaithilya anantya-samaapattibhyaam" – "asana is made steady and comfortable through relaxing the effort and total absorption in the endless" (sutra 2.47). This sutra has two parts – "prayatna shaithilyam" and "ananta samapatti". Let us look at these separately.

Letting go of active effort

The first part of the sutra states that we should let go of any active effort while in a yoga posture. This means that even though we may maintain the intention of deepening the experience of each posture, at no time should we exceed the limits of our body’s strength and flexibility.  This is a very key component of our yoga practice as we need to keep the practice very safe and enjoyable. I always add that while holding a pose, we should be able to smile comfortably.  After all, yoga is meant to heal the mind and body; by exerting active effort, we might hurt ourselves, thus defeating the very purpose of yoga.

Absorption in the endless

The second part of the sutra lends itself to a couple of different interpretations. The word ‘samapatti’ means ‘samadhi’ or total absorption. ‘Ananta’ means endless or infinite etc. Whereas the first part of the sutra involves experience at the physical level, the second part refers to a state of the mind. One interpretation is that while maintaining a posture, we should merge with the endlessness of space, for example. The second interpretation is that we should get completely absorbed in the total experience of the posture. The word ‘samapatti’ implies that the mind is so deeply engrossed in the experience of the stretch that no other thoughts enter the mind. I personally prefer this second interpretation of the sutra as it allows one to become fully mindful of the asana and its experience. This will help us keep the asana relaxed and steady. The third interpretation refers to the mythological meaning the word ‘ananta’ which is a "thousand-hooded snake" which keeps the earth and the entire planetary system stable by holding each one on one of its hoods. The meaning of ananta as snake naturally leads to another interpretation of the word as referring to the serpent-like Kundalini lying dormant at the base of the spine. As per this meaning, while holding the posture, one should meditate on the Muladhara chakra, at the base of the spine, which is the location of this Kulndalini power commonly represented as a snake coiled three and a half times.

Actually, I would think that one could pick any one of these methods of focus while holding a pose and it will lead to a steady and comfortable pose.

In summary, then, an asana is defined as a steady and comfortable yoga posture. Even though Patanjali may have intended this definition for sitting, meditative postures, it can be easily extended to all the yoga postures practiced as part of any Hatha Yoga routine. To attain this level of comfort and steadiness, one needs to let go of any active effort and get completely absorbed in the total experience of the posture, that is, meditating on the experience. This level of mindfulness will lead to asana practice being very safe and thoroughly enjoyable.

I would love to receive your feedback – so please enter your comments in the comment box at the end of this blog post.

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Due to the overwhelming response for the 21-day challenge that is currently going on (June 13-July 3, 2011), I decided to offer another one in July. The next 21-day challenge is scheduled for July 11-July 31, 2011. Once again, I’ve had a very positive response and all the spots for this program are now filled. If there is enough interest, I plan to offer the same program again in August. Please let me know if you would like to participate in the 21-day program in August.

Here are the particulars for the July session:

• When: Monday, July 11- Sunday, July 31, 2011.
• Time: 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM
• Where: Kalasrishti – 3000 Bearcat Way, Suite 112, Morrisville, NC 27513 (off Aviation Parkway – the studio is located on the back side of the last building in the complex)
• Commitment:
  • A firm commitment to complete the program without missing a day (except in an emergency).
  • At the end of the program, continue the same practice at home for another 21 days to make it a life-long habit
• Cost: $125

You may like to visit the testimonials page on my website to see what some of the previous participants have to say about this program.

Please contact me if you would like to participate.

Get all the details here…

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Yes, we are all set for the next 21-day yoga challenge. Are you ready for this exciting and one of the most memorable yoga experiences of your life? Take the challenge and be transformed! Here are the particulars:

• When: Monday, June 13- Sunday, July 3, 2011.
• Time: 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM
• Where: Kalasrishti – 3000 Bearcat Way, Suite 112, Morrisville, NC 27513 (off Aviation Parkway – the studio is located on the back side of the last building in the complex)
• Commitment:
  • A firm commitment to complete the program without missing a day (except in an emergency).
  • At the end of the program, continue the same practice at home for another 21 days to make it a life-long habit
• Cost: $125

You may like to visit the testimonials page on my website to see what some of the previous participants have to say about this program.

Please contact me if you would like to participate.

Get all the details here…

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