YogaYoga SutrasSutras ofof PatanjaliPatanjali
AshtangaAshtanga YogaYoga (8(8 LimbsLimbs ofof Yoga)Yoga)
Subhash Mittal Integral Yoga Studio www.integralyogastudio.com ♦ 919 -337 -0072 ♦ [email protected]
1 InvocationInvocation toto SageSage PatanjaliPatanjali
ी ि yogena chittasya padena vAchAM || malaM sharIrasya cha vaidyakena |||| yo.apAkarottaM pravaraM munInAM || pata~njaliM prA~njalirAnato.asmi || "I respectfully bow down with folded hands and offer my salutations to Sage Patanjali , the highest among the Munis (sages), who has presented the remedies for removing the impurities of the body through his treatise on Ayurveda , of language through his treatise on grammar ( Patanjala Mahabhashya ) and the impurities of the Chitta (mind field) through his treatise on Yoga (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali )."
2 WhyWhy AshtangaAshtanga Yoga?Yoga?
PracticePractice isis meansmeans toto eradicateeradicate impuritiesimpurities
LustreLustre ofof knowledgeknowledge increasesincreases
DiscriminativeDiscriminative enlightenmentenlightenment attainedattained
DistinctionDistinction betweenbetween PurushaPurusha angang GunasGunas knownknown ---- SutraSutra 2.282.28
3 EightEight LimbsLimbs
YamaYama (restraint)(restraint) NiyamaNiyama (observance)(observance) AsanaAsana (physical(physical posture)posture) PranayamaPranayama (regulation(regulation ofof breath)breath) PratyaharaPratyahara (Sense(Sense withdrawal)withdrawal) DharanaDharana (focus/concentration)(focus/concentration) DhyanaDhyana (meditation)(meditation) SamadhiSamadhi (total(total absorption)absorption) ---- SutraSutra 2.292.29
4 YamasYamas
AhimsaAhimsa (non(non --injury)injury)
SatyaSatya (truthfulness)(truthfulness)
AsteyaAsteya (non(non --stealing)stealing)
BrahmacharyaBrahmacharya (continence)(continence)
AparigrahaAparigraha (non(non --hoarding)hoarding) ---- SutraSutra 2.302.30
5 YamasYamas -- GreatGreat VowsVows
MustMust bebe followedfollowed inin totality,totality, universallyuniversally
WithWith nono regardregard toto birth,birth, place,place, timetime oror circumstancecircumstance
Ex:Ex: class/birthclass/birth –– fishermanfisherman cancan onlyonly killkill fishfish -- SutraSutra 2.312.31
6 NiyamasNiyamas
SauchaSaucha (cleanliness)(cleanliness)
SantoshaSantosha (contentment)(contentment)
TapasTapas (austerity)(austerity)
SvadhyayaSvadhyaya (self(self --study)study)
IshvaraIshvara --pranidhanapranidhana (surrender(surrender toto God)God) -- SutraSutra 2.322.32
7 WaysWays toto RemoveRemove DisturbancesDisturbances
BringBring thoughtsthoughts oppositeopposite toto disturbingdisturbing thoughtsthoughts
Ex:Ex: lovelove forfor hatred;hatred; compassioncompassion forfor injuryinjury
EvilEvil actions:actions: byby oneself,oneself, byby anotheranother oror approvedapproved
PerformedPerformed throughthrough anger,anger, greedgreed oror delusiondelusion
CanCan bebe mild,mild, moderatemoderate oror intenseintense
OpposingOpposing thought:thought: thesethese areare thethe causecause ofof infiniteinfinite miserymisery andand unendingunending ignoranceignorance -- SutraSutra 2.332.33 andand 2.342.34
8 AhimsaAhimsa (non(non --injury)injury)
AhimsaAhimsa towardtoward allall livingliving creaturescreatures –– plants,plants, animals,animals, humanshumans
EvilEvil tendenciestendencies likelike selfishness,selfishness, hatred,hatred, jealousy,jealousy, angeranger etcetc causecause tendencytendency toto inflictinflict injuryinjury toto otherotherss
ToTo nourishnourish oneone ’’ss ownown bodybody withwith thethe fleshflesh ofof anotheranother isis ‘‘himsahimsa ’’
InflictingInflicting painpain forfor oneone ’’ss ownown comfortcomfort isis ‘‘himsahimsa ’’
AhimsaAhimsa throughthrough action,action, thoughtthought andand speech;speech; asas thethe thoughtsthoughts soso thethe actionsactions –– soso purifypurify thoughtsthoughts
9 AhimsaAhimsa (cont.)(cont.)
Apply ahimsa not only to others but to yourself as well Ex: hurting yourself by over -eating, performing asana beyond your capability etc Self -destructive behavior caused by fear, guilt Food wastage is a form of violence against those who sleep hungry Love involving demands and expectations entails violence, both to self and others Emotional violence in relationships: harsh, abusive language; angry outbursts, emotional judgments, sarcasm, skillful manipulations As the yogi becomes established in ahimsa, all beings coming near him cease to be hostile (sutra 2.35)
10 SatyaSatya (Truthfulness)(Truthfulness)
Speech and mind conforming to reality as seen, inferred or heard Action that conveys the reality as is Speech should not be deceptive, confused, equivocal, barren of a meaning, or hurtful – avoid unpleasant truth or pleasant untruth Give up luxury of imagination in favor of pure objectivity False ego hides the true voice of intuition Everyone has their own perception of truth When established in truth, fruit of action depend upon the action of the yogi (sutra 2.36)
11 AsteyaAsteya (non(non --stealing)stealing)
TakingTaking somethingsomething notnot belongingbelonging toto youyou isis stealing;stealing; toto forsakeforsake anyany suchsuch desiredesire isis asteyaasteya
GreedGreed (( lobhalobha )) andand desiredesire (( raagaraaga )) causecause stealingstealing
DevelopingDeveloping nonnon --desirousnessdesirousness helpshelps resistresist temptationtemptation forfor objectsobjects ofof thethe sensessenses
MakingMaking demandsdemands inin aa relationshiprelationship isis stealingstealing
ThroughThrough practicepractice ofof AsteyaAsteya ,, allall treasurestreasures willwill bebe atat youryour disposaldisposal (sutra(sutra 2.37)2.37)
12 BrahmacharyaBrahmacharya (Celibacy)(Celibacy)
CelibacyCelibacy isis controllingcontrolling thethe sensesense organsorgans RefrainRefrain fromfrom thethe 88 formsforms ofof sexualsexual indulgenceindulgence AA brahmacharibrahmachari shouldshould havehave frugalfrugal dietdiet andand moderatemoderate sleepsleep AvoidAvoid cravingcraving forfor sensualsensual enjoymentsenjoyments SublimateSublimate andand redirectredirect sexualsexual energyenergy –– toto achieveachieve innerinner strengthstrength OneOne establishedestablished inin celibacycelibacy attainsattains ““viryavirya ”” –– indomitableindomitable courage,courage, vigorvigor (sutra(sutra 2.38)2.38) CanCan effectivelyeffectively transmittransmit truetrue knowledgeknowledge ofof selfself toto disciplesdisciples
13 AparigrahaAparigraha (Non(Non --hoarding)hoarding)
StrictlyStrictly speaking,speaking, nono possessionspossessions besidesbesides whatwhat isis neededneeded forfor barebare sustenancesustenance TimeTime andand energyenergy spentspent inin accumulationaccumulation andand guardingguarding possessionspossessions ConstantConstant fearfear ofof loosingloosing causingcausing mentalmental anguishanguish andand painpain AparigrahaAparigraha removesremoves fear,fear, hate,hate, disappointment,disappointment, attachment,attachment, anxietyanxiety andand painpain WhenWhen stabilizedstabilized inin aparigrahaaparigraha ,, oneone obtainsobtains fullfull knowledgeknowledge ofof pastpast andand futurefuture liveslives (sutra(sutra 2.39)2.39)
14 SauchaSaucha (cleanliness)(cleanliness)
External cleanliness through soap/water etc and taking pure foods (includes fasting) Hatha yoga has six cleansing techniques – neti , basti , dhauti , kapalabhati , trataka , nauli Internal cleanliness through making the mind -field sattvic (pure) by removing anger, pride, arrogance, jealousy, greed, delusion etc. (sutra 1.33 – friendliness etc. to purify the mind) Cleanliness of environment (non -pollution) From Saucha comes disgust for one ’s own body and disinclination for contact with others (sutra 2.40) From inner purity arise purity of sattva , cheerfulness, one - pointedness , control of senses, and fitness for vision of the Self (sutra 2.41)
15 SantoshaSantosha (Contentment)(Contentment)
BeingBeing contentedcontented withwith whatwhat wewe have,have, notnot desiringdesiring moremore thanthan whatwhat wewe needneed
BeingBeing contentedcontented inin allall situations,situations, underunder allall circumstancescircumstances (not(not constantlyconstantly complaining)complaining)
NoNo needneed toto strivestrive toto ‘‘bebe somethingsomething ’’ oror ‘‘achieveachieve somethingsomething ’’ –– wewe areare perfectperfect thethe wayway wewe areare
OneOne establishedestablished inin santoshasantosha attainsattains supremesupreme happinesshappiness (2.42)(2.42)
16 TapasTapas (Austerity)(Austerity)
DefinedDefined asas resistingresisting pairspairs ofof experiencesexperiences likelike heat/cold,heat/cold, pain/pleasure,pain/pleasure, hunger/thirsthunger/thirst etcetc
AbilityAbility toto sitsit andand standstand motionlessmotionless
AbilityAbility toto holdhold silencesilence
PracticePractice ofof asana,asana, pranayamapranayama helphelp developdevelop tapastapas
TapasTapas isis neededneeded toto removeremove impuritiesimpurities causedcaused byby karma,karma, afflictionsafflictions (( kleshaklesha )) andand propensitiespropensities (( vasanasvasanas ))
WhenWhen establishedestablished inin tapastapas ,, masterymastery overover bodybody andand sensessenses isis achievedachieved (sutra(sutra 2.43)2.43)
17 SvadhyayaSvadhyaya (self(self --study)study)
StudyStudy ofof scripturesscriptures –– BhagavadBhagavad GitaGita ,, Upanishads,Upanishads, YSP,YSP, Bible,Bible, QuranaQurana etc.etc.
JapaJapa ofof OMOM withwith ‘‘bhavabhava ’’ (awareness(awareness ofof itsits meaning)meaning) leadsleads toto understandingunderstanding ofof selfself
ThroughThrough SvadhyayaSvadhyaya oneone cancan achieveachieve oneone ’’ss ‘‘ishtaishta devatadevata ’’ (chosen(chosen deity)deity) (sutra(sutra 2.44)2.44)
18 IshvaraIshvara PranidhanaPranidhana (Surrender(Surrender toto Lord)Lord)
IshvaraIshvara isis aa specialspecial PurushaPurusha whowho isis untoucheduntouched byby thethe afflictionsafflictions ofof life,life, actionsactions andand thethe resultsresults andand impressionsimpressions producedproduced byby thesethese actionsactions (sutra(sutra 1.24)1.24) AfflictionsAfflictions areare ignorance,ignorance, II --amam --nessness (egoism),(egoism), likes,likes, dislikes,dislikes, andand fearfear ofof deathdeath (sutra(sutra 2.3)2.3) DedicatingDedicating allall actsacts toto thethe supremesupreme LordLord andand renouncingrenouncing thethe fruitsfruits thereofthereof EmphasisEmphasis onon ‘‘bhaktibhakti yogayoga ’’ –– yogayoga ofof devotiondevotion SamadhiSamadhi cancan bebe attainedattained quicklyquickly throughthrough IshvaraIshvara PranidhanaPranidhana (sutra(sutra 2.45)2.45)
19