History of Yoga

What are the Yoga Sutras and Who is Patanjali?

As we start to dip our toes in the vast history of yoga, let’s begin our journey with the Yoga Sutras.  In the Sutras, guidance is offered to help the reader create peace and achieve fulfilment. While yoga has been practised for over 5,000 years, it wasn’t until 2,000 years ago that Indian sage and author of several Sanskrit texts, Patanjali Pronounced – “PUH TAN JUH LEE”, systematized the practice of yoga and documented his work, the Yoga Sutras.

This is what’s known as ‘classical yoga’  in the time period, before that was other texts including the Vedas, Upanishads and The Bhagavad Gita all known as ‘Pre-Classical’.

Patanjali’s work is considered the foundation of classical yoga, he starts by asking the question, “What is yoga” and he writes “to calm the fluctuations of the mind”.

The Yoga Sutras are 195 in most editions, but some include 196. The word Sutra (Pronounced – SOO TRUH) roughly translates as ‘threads’ and I love how Richard Rosen puts it in his book (Yoga FAQ) “It is often compared to a necklace on which are threaded the texts pearls of wisdom”. the yoga sutras then continue to list an eight-limbed path towards Samadhi, a state of bliss and enlightenment. (Pronounced- SUH MAH DEE) 

 We will look at them a bit closer below

Yamas (Pronounced – Yah Mah)

There are five Yamas and these are classed as restraints that we must follow, all based around intending “no harm in a word, thought or deed; being sincere, honest and faithful; being careful not to misappropriate another’s wealth; being chaste and not coveting the possessions of others or accepting gifts, are the practices of Yama. It is essential they be observed and followed. They are to be practised individually and collectively irrespective of lineage, place, time, condition or career. The Yamas are mighty universal vows, says Patanjali.” (B.K.S Iyengar)

Ahimsa – Non- Violence/ Non-Harming

“11:30 Non-violence, truth, abstention from stealing continence, and absence of greed for possessions beyond one’s need are the five pillars of Yama.”

This sutra can be applied not only to physical violence but also to the violence of words or thoughts that we use to ourselves and others.  To practice ahimsa, we must be aware of our thoughts, actions and intentions and actively practice peacefulness.  We can choose to live in peace with ourselves by practising more compassion and train ourselves to watch our thoughts.

As we move through the sutras let Ahimsa be your guide, whatever practices we do after the Yama’s it must include Ahimsa first. For example, practising postures without ahimsa we negate the benefits these practices offer and that’s when we can start to cause injury to ourselves.

Satya – Truthfulness

11:36 “When the Sahaka (Our intent) is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization.” 

This sutra shows us to speak and act with integrity, being truthful with ourselves, the life we want to cultivate, and those around us.  It’s worth remembering that what we experience as truth one day may not be the same truth we live the next and that each one of our truths is filtered through our own experiences and beliefs about the world. Practising Satya requires staying open to the truth in the present moment, as it reveals itself.

Asteya – Non-Stealing

11:37  “Upon the man who does not take what does not belong to him, all riches are showered.  Being without desire, he effortlessly attracts what is precious, materially and figuratively, including the jem of all jewels, virtue.” 

This sutra is about not just the obvious of not stealing physical items from others but not stealing their time, peace or energy.  I’d like you to think about why anyone would want to steal in the first place, and generally, it would be from them feeling a sense of lacking in something.  A feeling of not being enough, they are looking to fill a void and are stuck in this whirlwind of taking more than what they need, or what is not theirs to take in the first place.  This can also be applied in relationships, both towards ourselves and others, about stealing ours and loved one’s peace and time with negative thoughts or habits.

Brahmacarya – Self-Control

11:38 “When the sadhka ( A Yogi devoted to the practice of yoga) is firmly established in continence,(Self-restraint) knowledge, vigour, valour and energy flow to him” 

The traditional meaning of this sutra is celibacy, not making it my favourite sutra until I started to delve and explore a little bit deeper.  This was originally written with an encouragement to preserve sexual energy, so that the yogis could apply all their energy into their yoga practice.  If we take this idea of preserving our energy showing self- control and finding a balanced approach to life, now this I can get on board with.  Think about our habits that deplete us, how we overschedule our lives, can we start to become aware of where we need to say no and create necessary boundaries to cultivate a balanced approach to life.

Aparigraha – Appreciation

11:39 “knowledge of past and future lives iufolds when one is free from greed for possessions.”

We often think that more is needed from us, especially in this modern life where we are constantly stimulated that we are not enough as we are, for big corporations to sell products.  We find freedom from having less and finding gratitude and appreciation for what we do have.  Aparigraha is often translated as not taking more than we need, and this is super easy to apply to our lives but when we practice aparigraha we can start to free ourselves from constantly striving for more, not only with physical items but also in our rigidity of thoughts.   When we do this it is so much easier to stay centred, have a clearer mind and enjoy the abundant world around us.

 

 Niyama – (Pronounced-  Knee yamas)

There are five Niyamas and these are known as observances, standards to move towards to create harmony with us and the outer world.  We must cultivate each one of these Niyamas to be available for the inner quest throughout the rest of the limbs.

Cleanliness, Contentment, religious zeal, Self- Study and surrender of the self to the supreme self or god are the niyamas”

These Yamas offered us restraints, what not to-dos. Whereas the Niyamas are more like recommended habits for healthy living, these are the ways we can feel more connected, take better care of ourselves and in-turn then show up as our best selves to the world around us.  This is where the magic begins to unfold, not just “doing yoga” on our mat but bringing our yoga practice into every aspect of our lives.

Saucha – (Pronounced- Sow- Cha) – Purity/ Cleanliness

This Sutra is all about cultivation of a physical and mental cleanliness as well as a pure and clean environment.

“Taking a bath is external purification; performing asanas and pranayama is internal.”

B.K.S. Iyengar beautifully expresses it: “The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.”

Santosa – (Pronounced- San-Toe-Sha) – Contentment

True joy arrives through contentment.

This Sutra reminds us to bring peace and joy into every moment.  It’s impossible to be a 10/10 level happy all the time and thinking like that sets us up for disappointment, but through the practice of contentment and understanding where we are right now, we will find freedom.  If we can learn to find peace in the chaos of life and actively work to create a positive change, we will find cultivate joy.

Tapas – (Pronounced-  Ta – Pass) – Discipline

Through committed discipline we remove impurities and strengthen our personal power.

Tapas means to burn or purify with heat.  This is like when we are holding a plank pose and you can feel your core burning if we accept the short-term discomfort knowing that with discipline (The practice of Tapas) this pose will start to become easier every time. It’s about seeing the bigger picture when practising Tapas, we think about our long-term goals, rather than just thinking of our immediate desires or impulses. In the same way, a fire can cause disruption with too much vigour but just the right amount can keep you warm at night. It’s about learning self-control, finding the wisdom to not have an all or nothing attitude, or push past the discomfort too quickly but rather, small steps every day remembering that lasting change is slow and consistent.

Svadhyaya – (Pronounced-  svard – eyara) – Self-Study

Contemplation and self-study connect us to the inner divine.

To know ourselves is a humbling undertaking, the practice of Svadhyaya is about discovering our true nature.  Taking time to sit and be with ourselves, recognizing our strengths and uncovering our weaknesses, having an honest reflection and connecting with our truth.  When we practice Svadhyaya we can move through life more authentically, pausing in moments throughout our day will help deepen your understanding of ourselves and our authenticity.

Ishvara Pranidhana – (Pronounced- Ish-va-ra-pra-nid-hah-na) – Devotion – Surrendering to Love

Through faith and trustful surrender to the unknown divine we find ease an joy.

This sutra is translated as absolute devotion, we are dedicated to who and what we love and what we dedicate our devotion to with our time and energy, will determine the course of our life.  Our devotion must bring us closer to a space of love, and practicing meditation or moments of silence with ourselves we build a trusting relationship with something bigger than us.  There are so many different names for this devotion: Devine, Spirit, love, God, and Universe. It doesn’t matter what we choose to call it, but that we fully absorb it until there is no difference between us.  That we know ourselves as it, our love simply becomes Love, our light simply becomes light. We are all one.

 

Asana – (Pronounced-  Ass An a)

Postures should be practiced with steadiness and ease.

We all know how hard it is to find steadiness and ease whilst in a challenging pose, but with the intention of being present in your body it becomes so much more complex than what we see on the surface. With the literal translation of Asana being “to take one seat” which can be interpreted to mean being here, just now, in the present moment.  The principles of Yama and Niyamas weaved throughout our physical practice also determine the intentions behind how and why we move.  This is often why at the start of class we are asked or reminded to set an intention, it helps cultivate a point of focus, and it’s there to help support our practice so that we can find steadiness and ease (both on and off the mat).

Pranayama – (Pronounced-  prana Yama)

Pranayama is essentially the practice of controlling the breath, roughly translated as vital life force (Prana) and restraint (Yama) and by practicing breathing techniques we become able to turn our practice inwardly and be able to find steadiness and ease.  Patanjali also reminds us that the eight limbs are to be done in order and when we find steadiness and ease in our body first through Asana and then with the breath the mind follows.

As the postures are mastered, controlling the breath begins to further balance emotional and mental energy.

Pratyahara – (Pronounced-  pra-tya-haa-rah)

This is the practice of drawing senses inward; we experience the outer world from our inner world and external influences shouldn’t affect how we feel or act.  Have you ever had the same event happen on different days, and noticed that one day you react one way and on another day you react completely differently?  Patanjali explains that the mind tends to be drawn outwardly to whatever is stimulating senses, with the practice of Pratyahara we tune our awareness inward and remove distractions of the outer world.

Next, the senses are directed to focus inwardly and on the mind itself..

Dharana and Dhyana – (Pronounced- Dha-raa-na) – (Pronounced- Dyyaa-na)

This first sutra (Dharana) is translated as focused concentration.  The second Sutra (Dhyana) is translated as meditation or profound contemplation. Patanjali gives no specific guidance on what to focus on, breath, or an asana, but whatever your chosen point is we use it to help control the fluctuations of the mind and enhance our experience on and off the mat.  If we take a modern approach to this, modern science has shown us that the mind-muscle connection enhances our workout, meaning that if you focus on the muscle, whilst practising yoga or working out it can enhance muscle activation, performance and engagement as well as enhance proprioception.

Next, the senses are directed to focus inwardly and on the mind itself..

 A steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation.

Samadhi – (Pronounced- suh-mah-dee)

This limb is often referred to as pure bliss. “Samadhi means yoga and yoga means samadhi: both mean profound meditation and supreme devotion.”  Patanjali explains that if we follow the 8-limbed path, we will achieve Samadhi, much like finding the flow-like state in other aspects of our lives but the ancient yogi found samadhi every day, without the ego or reaching effort through activities.  It was found in every aspect of normal behaviour and this last limb isn’t something that can be practised or taught, it is a result of practising all the other Sutras.

From here on it’s simply joy.

If you enjoyed this and are keen to learn more about yoga, Becky and Chloe are holding an open day for their next 200 hour yoga teacher training in September next year.

The open day is April the 6th at 10am – 1pm.  You don’t have to want to be a teacher to join us, just a thrust for learning more about Yoga.

To join us and find out more click the link here.