Yoga(t) Some Sutras

Yoga(t) Some Sutras

            The yoga sutras were one of my favourite readings that we covered in class. The only thing that might beat it is How Yoga Works just because I absolutely loved the storyline. I really miss going through the sutras in class together and getting to understand them at a deeper level. So, because I loved the sutras so much, I am just going to go through and explore my favourite verses and sections of them.

            My first favourite verse is the very first sutra, “With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga” (1.01) (particularly the Iyengar translation). The reason I love this one so much is not only because I love to do yoga, and this marks the beginning of a yoga session. Rather, I love the deeper implications of this verse. This translation includes an emphasis on the reliance on the divine, which, for me, is God. This shows that yoga is to be practiced, at its most basic, with the desire to get closer to God and receive blessings from Him. This, in my opinion, demonstrates that yoga and Christianity are not mutually exclusive. For me, yoga is a way that I can glorify God through the things my body is able to do and focus my mind on dwelling in the peace He gives me.

            Additionally, there is another verse that confirms my belief that yoga can be also done under the scope of a Christian religion. “Īśvara was also the teacher of the ancients, because he is not limited by Time” (1.26) Through this verse, I see a direct connection to the Christian God. God is omnipresent, which is echoed by this verse when it says that  Īśvara is not limited by time. Also, when it says that He was the teacher of the ancients, I immediately think of the Bible, more specifically the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the earliest foundation of Christian religion, which was inspired by God. Therefore, this verse supports the Christian notion that God is transcendent of time and the divine inspiration of the beginnings of our faith.

            Finally, on a slightly different note, one of my favourite things about the sutras is that they say that it is okay to fail to still the oscillations of the mind. “At other times, the seer identifies with the fluctuating consciousness” (1.04). I frequently find myself getting upset if my mind is going, and I cannot stop it. As an instructor, I hold myself to a standard that I should be able to do almost anything in yoga so that I may demonstrate it to others. When I just cannot stop thinking during savasana, I almost feel like my entire practice was fruitless. The one thing that never changes in a yoga class or session is that there will always be a savasana. However, this sutra reminds me that yoga is not an all or nothing practice. Each and everything you do in yoga is planting seeds for future practice.

With that being said,

Until next time, my fellow yogis and yoginis,

Namasté,

Upward-facing Bear