Sutra Squad

This week we complete our journey through the niyamas and arrive at the heart of yoga spirituality - īśvara pranidhānā - surrender to the divine of our own understanding.  This concept of devotional surrender shows up several times in the verses of the Yoga Sūtra - in the first chapter we are given the only “shortcut” in yoga practice, verse 1.23 - īśvara praṇidhānād vā - or one could attain samadhi through complete surrender to the divine. Then in the first verse of the second chapter includes this concept in the prescription for kriya yoga, the yoga of action, in verse 2.1 - tāpas svadhyāyā īśvara pranidhānāni kriyā yoga - heat or austerity, study of self, and surrender to divine are the path of kriya yoga.  Then we see this concept appear again as the final niyama with another simple and powerful verse, 2.45 - samādhi siddhir īśvara pranidhānā - with wholehearted devotion to the divine samadhi can be perfected or attained (translation based on Inside Patanjali’s Words, Rev. Jaganath Carrera).  Each time the concept of surrender is central to understanding the verses and core idea of yoga spirituality.

Yoga is a path of embodied action, and the surrender prescribed here is not a passive act of metaphorically throwing our hands in the air to “let go and let God”.  We are called to the heat of disrupting entrained patterns of behavior and thought, the deep study of self & scripture so that we may find a manifestation of divine presence that sings to our heart, and only then find the sweet surrender to the inner voice of loving awareness that resides within each and every one of us.  This is a surrender to what we know to be true, which often means letting go of old patterns, beliefs, or stories that no longer serve our higher calling.  This is a surrender of the ego, the small self bound by sensory gratification and separateness.  This is a surrender to the Truth of spiritual awakening - feeling into our profound connectedness, and the lovingkindness of every sentient being.

Our journey through the heart of the yoga system continues this week with the fourth niyama - svadhyaya - study of the self, sacred texts and wisdom.  Interestingly svadhyaya is also included in the prescription for kriya yoga - the yoga of action - in the first verse of the second chapter, the Sãdhana Pada, illuminating an understanding that this practice is important and central to our journey on the path of yoga.  The practice of svadhyaya is echoed in modern interpretations of a famous verse / sloka of the Bhagavad Gita (BG 6.20), “Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self.”  

In ãsana / physical practice we experience this as proprioception (the ability to feel where the body is in space) and interoception (the ability to feel the internal sensations of the body) and is often our gateway to deeper understanding of the self and the Self.  The lowercase self is the introspective study of our individual experiences, the content of our mind, mantra, and wisdom teachings.  The verse explains that this practice leads to the uppercase Self - awareness and communion with our Ishta Devata, defined by Reverend Jaganath Carrera in Inside Patanjali’s Words as “...the symbol, image, or enlightened being that is their most cherished connection with divinity”.  Yoga is not a religion, it is a spiritual practice of devotion - and this verse illuminates how we are called to turn inward in order to cultivate a deeply personal and spiritual relationship with something bigger than ourselves.

This week we explore a foundational concept for many modern yoga ãsana practices and the third of the Niyamas - tapas.  The root word in Sanskrit is tap meaning to burn, make hot, shine (as the sun), or to practice austerity.  Tapas, as presented in the Niyamas, is the practice of cultivating that heat or consuming by heat, and it can also mean austerity, self-discipline, penance, intense meditation, excellence of devotion or even causing pain or trouble, distressing, and purification.  In the methodology of Baptiste Power Yoga, Tapas is one of the “Five Pillars of Baptiste Yoga” (Dristi / Ujjayi / Bandhas  / Tapas / Vinyasa).  Tapas is both the literal heat we generate in challenging vinyasa ãsana practice, and the burning desire of devotional love that draws us to deeper study and practice.  Tapas is the heat that arises from friction when we “disrupt the drift” - when we explore uncomfortable truth, challenge our assumptions and cultural entrainment, and take the challenging path of the sadhaka or spiritual seeker.  While sometimes uncomfortable, tapas is the practice of challenging ourselves to our highest self.

Our journey through the limbs of yoga continues this week with the second principle of niyama - samtoṣa or contentment. The verse teaches that by contentment the flow of supreme joy is achieved.  Many modern commentaries do not expand much on this straightforward teaching, yet living in a world where we are barraged with relentless messages of how and where we should want more, be better, and strive to “achieve” it feels worthy of taking some space to consider how this yogic principle can inform our immediate lived experience here and now.  First and foremost, contentment is not complacent, and contentment is not “neutral”.  Yogic contentment does not mean we forgo our discernment - pratipaksha bhavanam - that informs what is and is not aligned to the principles of yama and niyama.  Instead it means we greet the world as it is, not as we want or wish it to be.  It means that we cultivate clarity and let go of the pernicious myth that so often starts with “I’ll be happy when…”.  Happy or sad are fleeting states, ephemeral and temporary.  The true joy of contentment is within, and inherent to our very essence.  It is like the effulgent inner light within each of us, unaffected by the worldly winds of temporary sensation.  Samtoṣa is the principle that lets us release the “not enoughness” to welcome the joyous nature of the truth, the light, the spark of divine, within each and every one of us.

This week we climb the limbs of the path of yoga to the Niyamas, the personal practices of the yogi.  The first niyama is sauca (pronounced like “shaucha”) which translates to cleanliness or purity.  Interestingly there are two verses dedicated to this one principle, both require close examination to reveal their true meaning.  There is a literal translation that when we practice purification we develop distaste for the body, and for bodily contact with others.  The second verse literally translates that practices of sauca develop sattva, cheerfulness of mind, mastery of the senses, and fitness for yoga.  But deeper study reveals a more subtle understanding of this principle - similar to how when we detoxify our physical form we come to see how much toxic substance and energy we have been holding.  We see with new clarity, and our discernment focuses the mind toward the clarity that arises with yogic practice.  When we cultivate a cleanliness of body and mind, our tastes and preferences shift away from old self-destructive and limiting practices.  The clarity of a “clean” perspective feels illuminating and radiant, and the body and mind are fully prepared to receive the full benefits of Truth that arise with time.

This week we study the 5th yama, aparigraha, and complete our journey through the yamas - the first limb on the 8-limbed path of Yoga.  Aparigraha is often translated as non-greed, non-covetousness. or non-possessiveness.  The verse teaches us that when we are established in this practice - also sometimes referred to as freedom from sense cravings - the meaning and purpose of our life becomes clear.  Greed arises from a scarcity mindset, a “zero-sum” or “win / lose” approach to life, firmly anchored in the material plane and deeply connected to the kleśas of raga (attraction to pleasure) and dveśa (repulsion from displeasure or pain).  We often begin a physical practice of asana from a place of wanting something we see in others - maybe a beautiful physical form, or a perfect handstand, or maybe sense of peaceful ease in another’s way of being.  When our practice deepens and we turn that attention from the external wanting to internal curiosity, a clarity arises that illuminates our individual dharma or purpose.  When we let go of grabbing for what is outside our reach we can truly receive the deep wisdom that arises from within, listen to the inner voice of our highest self, and our hands are free to receive the wisdom of the True Self.

This week our study brings us to the fourth of the yamas, and perhaps one of the most challenging to understand for western practitioners - brahmacarya - continence, intentional direction of life force energy, and sometimes translated as celibacy.  The verse teaches that by practicing brahmacarya we will preserve our vitality and vigor.  In some lineages this does translate directly into restriction or sometimes full abstinence from sexual practices.  And if we look closely at the word brahmacarya we may come to understand its more subtle and deeper meanings.  Brahman is the Absolute, the Infinite, and sometimes a placeholder term for the vastness of the Divine.  Carya means to move with or remain with.  So another way to consider the practice of brahamacarya is to move in alignment with the Divine, or to intentionally direct our attention and vital energies to Divine purpose.  This can take many forms beyond the restriction of sexual activity, and invites us all to consider how every dynamic and aspect of our life can be brought into closer alignment to the Divine of our personal understanding.

This week we continue to explore the wisdom of the yamas with the principle of asteya or non-stealing, not taking what is not ours.  There is a literal, surface understanding of this fundamental moral principle that appears across faith traditions (i.e. in the 10 Commandments - Thou Shalt Not Steal) and is entirely a valid understanding of the verse.  Yet master Patañjali tells us more - that by being firmly established in the practice of non-stealing great gems of wealth come to the yogi.  These are not necessarily literal gems, although they do symbolize powerful forces of natural energy and purity.  These are the gems of our faith, realization of our true nature, and infinite love of the divine.

This week we continue our journey through the yamas to the foundational principle of Satya or truth / truthfulness.  The verse teaches that when one is firmly established in the practice of truthfulness all they say and do manifests as truth.  This can appear at the surface as an axiom of circular logic - when we have a firm foundation in Truth then all we say and do is Truth.  Deeper study of this principle instead reveals the incredibly powerful action of alignment to Truth in both the spiritual and material planes of awareness.  In the material plane the Truth is that all matter, experiences, emotions, and phenomena are changing, in flux, and temporary.  Yet in the spiritual plane the Truth is that which is unchanged and unchanging, unconditioned by place, time, and context.  One who is firmly established in the principle of Satya can hold this paradox with ease, in flow with both material and spiritual Truth.  Once we align with the practice of Satya our words and actions are inherently Truthful because they are grounded in the wisdom of Truth.  We don’t make or manifest truth, we surrender to Truth and allow it to infuse our body, mind, heart and soul.

This week we begin our exploration of the yamas with the first, most fundamental - the principle of ahimsa - not causing harm or nonviolence.  The verse teaches that when the yogi is firmly established in the practice of nonviolence all violence and enmity ceases in their presence.  This teaching is a profound message resonating through the ages reminding us that violence can never truly cease violence - or as said in the immortal teaching of a modern master, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”