The Essence of the Sutra Digital Workshop

Digital Workshop Guide Lecture and Practicum Resources Workshop Guide Instructions

This Workshop Guide is designed to help you along the way. As you watch each lecture, you’ll see quotes, Sanskrit terms, practice tips, and other information occasionally pop up on the screen. You will not need to jot these down; they are all in this booklet “As soon as the mind reaches for your reference. Below, you’ll see the Takeaways, Tweetable Wisdom (great to share this wisdom with your friends on Face- the lotus of the heart, it becomes book and Twitter!), along with a Lecture Snapshot or summary. established in concentration, We advise that you refer to the Snapshot after watching the lec- ture video. You may wish to keep it beside your bedside table or , and focus. meditation cushion when you need inspiration to do your prac- tice. For each of the practicums, you’ll find a list of practice tips, Then the trail of joy itself becomes along with a list of helpful further resources: articles, video, and audio that will reinforce the and techniques our guiding force, leading us all the way presented in this workshop. The Sanskrit terms are all included as a glossary at the end of this Workshop Guide. to the core of our being. Here again, you will not need to worry about writing these terms down as they And when that experience matures, flash on the video screen. automatically it turns into : We suggest that you start by reading the preface to The Secret of the Yoga Sutra, and that you read the relevant sutras that the place of our true power and perfection. are associated with each lecture (listed in the video lecture as “Homework”) in between each Essence of the Yoga Sutra ses- It is something very natural.” sion. This will reinforce the content as you build the foundations of your study and practice. As you put the techniques you learn in this workshop into practice, The Secret of the Yoga Sutra will continue to guide you, providing depth and insights for years to — Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD come. The Secret of the Yoga Sutra Enjoy this exciting journey!

The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 1 Workshop Overview Lecture 1. The Secret of Being a

This digital workshop is designed to introduce you to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, one of the core texts of the Yoga tradition, in a practi- Tweetable Wisdom cal and experiential way. In today’s fast-paced world, we often find o “We are always connected to our source. That's the ourselves with too little time, too little energy, and too much stress. only reason we are alive, healthy, happy, motivated, Yoga—the wisdom of the ancient sages—teaches us how to reclaim and creative.” @YI_mag #yogasutra our clear, calm, and tranquil mind so that we can apply it to whatever spiritual and worldly pursuits we wish. Inner freedom and fulfillment o “Self-luminous joy is what constitutes our core. The is our birthright, and the Yoga Sutra teaches us a precise method for human body is perfectly designed to reach samadhi.” @YI_mag #yogasutra reaching this goal. o “Yoga sadhana is the journey of life itself.” Yoga is a living tradition. For millennia, have studied and prac- @YI_mag #yogasutra ticed the timeless wisdom that is contained in the Yoga Sutra. Each sutra (which means “thread”) is short, which means it is easy to memorize and portable, but this compactness means that further Takeaways explanation is necessary to put the wisdom into practice. For this Takeaway #1 reason, teachers have explained and clarified the cardinal points of Ultimately, what we are looking for is a qualitative change the sutras. And generations of students have integrated the wisdom in our personal life—to enjoy life in a much more profound way. into their practice, using their bodies and minds as laboratories in the process of self-transformation. This is part of Yoga as a “living Takeaway #2 tradition.” To follow the path of being a yogi, the most important thing is to understand life’s purpose. Life has a purpose, and we have the Pandit Rajmani Tigunait has distilled the wisdom of the Yoga Sutra ability to find it. and the living tradition into a format that is useful for today’s modern seeker. The Secret of the Yoga Sutra offers a storehouse of informa- Takeaway #3 tion and inspiration. This digital workshop is designed to comple- Life’s purpose can be put into two words: fulfillment and freedom. When we come to realize this, everything in life ment your book learning and give you tools and knowledge to take becomes a wonderful Yoga sadhana. your current practice to the next level. You’ll learn, in a step-by-step way, techniques of asana, pranayama, and meditation that will point Takeaway #4 the way toward the ultimate goal of yoga: samadhi. You will also Yoga sadhana helps us recognize our own weaknesses and have the chance to engage in dialogue with your yoga teacher and habit patterns—those subtle yet potent obstacles—so we can fellow students, and with Pandit Rajmani Tigunait in a live Q&A ses- overcome them. sion and guided practice.

2 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 3 Lecture 2. Yoga: Lecture Snapshot Power to Change, Power to Prosper

The Yoga Sutra is a guidebook for how to live with meaning and vibrancy. Although day-to-day human lives have changed in the Tweetable Wisdom past 2,200 years, we all desire essentially what the ancients desired: o “Peace and tranquility are our innate nature. There is no peace, joy, inner freedom, and fulfillment. This takes us to the heart commotion and no chaos at our core. It is a joyful place.” and goal of Yoga: samadhi, which is the focus of the Yoga Sutra and @YI_mag #yogasutra something we’re all intrinsically equipped to experience. But what exactly is samadhi, and how can we experience it? According to o “Being in that state of freedom and joy which is not dependent on anything is called Yoga.” Yoga, samadhi is a perfectly clear, calm, and tranquil state where @YI_mag #yogasutra we are free from all doubts, fears, disturbances, and distractions. In samadhi, we are in the state of joyful luminosity which is our core o “We need a one-pointed mind not just for yoga and being, our birthright, and Yoga is the way to reclaim it. To start, we meditation but also to be successful in any aspect of life.” need to realize that life has a purpose, and then we must work to @YI_mag #yogasutra achieve that purpose. We begin by turning our gaze inward, examin- ing who and what we are. Takeaways

First, consider our strength—the inherent power of our own intrin- Takeaway #1 sically self-luminous mind. Then consider our weaknesses—the That the mind is a mystery is no secret. Nothing is a greater mystery than our own mind. acquired conditions of our mind that arise through our thoughts, speech, and actions. Over time, these solidify into habit patterns, Takeaway #2 veiling the mind’s intrinsic brilliance. The Yoga Sutra teaches system- Yoga is: atic ways to recognize and work with these habit patterns to regain o mastery over the mind’s roaming tendencies our pristine mind, filled with clarity and joy. To fully experience the o understanding the dynamics of the mind promise of Yoga, we must commit ourselves to the path of prac- o transforming disturbances into vibrant energy tice which will bring life-affirming changes. By integrating the twin Takeaway #3 cornerstones of Yoga sadhana—abhyasa (practice) and vairagya Yoga practice helps us break the vicious cycle of samskaras SYS (non-attachment) ( 1.12–1.14)—into our daily activities and culti- (subtle impressions) and their actions. vating a mindset that supports our journey, we will find balance in all aspects of our life. With sustained practice, we will experience pow- Takeaway #4 erful, positive changes, and can create a new reality of our choice. Through deconditioning our mind, and disentangling ourselves That is the promise of Yoga, and will lead us to our ultimate goal. from what does not serve us, vairagya (non-attachment) changes ordinary yoga practice into “precision yoga practice.”

Takeaway #5 We gain access to a vast pool of power and wisdom through the manipura (navel center).

4 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 5 Lecture 3. Samadhi: Lecture Snapshot The Power and Perfection of Yoga

The mind is our greatest secret, our greatest mystery—and our greatest gift. We all desire an undisturbed mind. More often than Tweetable Wisdom not, however, we find ourselves anxious or fearful about the future, o “Nutritious food sustains our body. Positive thoughts feed dissatisfied with our present situation, or stuck in the past. Yoga our mind. But pure, self-luminous joy feeds our soul.” teaches us how to recognize what destabilizes our mind, and then @YI_mag #yogasutra how to transform this agitation into vibrant energy. According to Patanjali, Yoga is mastery over the roaming tendencies of our mind o “When the knot at your heart center is cut asunder, (SYS 1:2). Our goal is to attain and maintain a crystal clear, tranquil the doubts will disappear and you will become completely fearless.” @YI_mag #yogasutra mind that is under our control. But this can be a challenge, since the causes behind our inner unrest are hard to detect. Every thought we think, word we speak, or action we perform creates a subtle impres- Takeaways sion (samskara) in our unconscious mind, which keeps propelling the Takeaway #1 wheel of karma (karma chakra) to remain in motion: every thought The hallmarks of an authentic asana practice are sthira (steadiness) leads to more desires, which in turn creates more action (karma) and and sukham (comfort). fresh desires. There seems to be no way out of this vicious cycle. But Yoga wisdom tells us differently: we can cultivate our power of will Takeaway #2 and determination (sankalpa shakti) and prioritize what we need to Awaken the shakti (power and wisdom) of your body and mind, work on first. Practice and nonattachment help us erase past nega- become energetic and radiant, and then use that vibrancy to discover deeper aspects of yourself. tive karmas to create a new reality: freedom from undesirable habit patterns and a way to “live in the world while remaining above it.” Takeaway #3

Our body, mind, and nervous system are all designed to work We experience vishoka (pure, sorrowless joy) and jyotishmati (inner luminosity) at the lotus of our heart. together in perfect harmony. We can learn to tap into the vast reser- voirs of wisdom such as the manipura chakra (the vortex of energy at the navel center) to ignite our body’s healing power. When this center is blocked, we feel mentally and physically dull or sluggish. Working with the manipura chakra to clear the blockages is essential to shake off inertia so we can gain access to the deeper dimensions of our being. In the upcoming practicum, we will learn some spe- cialized yogic techniques for activating the power that resides here. When we learn to harness this vital energy, we can begin to direct it to our own center: the lotus of our heart.

6 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 7 Practicum 1. Access to the Heart Center Through Lecture Snapshot the Gateway of the Lower

Samadhi is the heart of Yoga, and the gateway to samadhi is via the heart center. For millennia, yogis have preserved a particular technique called “meditation on the lotus of the heart.” This tech- “No matter where you are in your life, nique, when practiced with the right prerequisites and with the right frame of mind, leads us all the way to samadhi. Here resides our in- you need clarity, vibrancy, and focus. ner guide: an unfailing resource filled with unsurpassed wisdom and infinite power. The practices described in the Yoga Sutra, and fur- That’s what you get at the heart center.” ther elaborated on in this digital workshop, help us create a bridge between our outer world and our inner world. This integration takes — Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD place at our heart center (SYS 1:36). There we experience the unique The Secret of the Yoga Sutra properties of our heart: vishoka (sorrowless joy) and jyotishmati (in- ner luminosity). Yoga teaches that in order to be happy, we don’t Practice Goal need anything external. All we need is to undo the knots that block the passage to our own inner space. As soon as the knots at our o The goal of this practice is to lift the veil of darkness heart center are cut asunder, all doubt disappears. We become en- that covers the self-luminous nature of our mind by working with the lower chakras. This allows us to thusiastic, motivated, and fearless. enter the lotus of the heart, experiencing our intrinsic joy and peace. How do we reach this center when our lives have become so convo- luted: toxins in our body, choppiness in our breath, disturbance and o Major techniques: agni sara and variants. distraction in our mind? Yoga gives us a methodical system. First, we prepare our body and mind with diaphragmatic breathing, asana, Practice Tips the proper balance of nutritious food, exercise, and sleep, and an attitude of positivity. Next, we learn a specific set of techniques— 1. Women who are pregnant or menstruating should not agni sara and pracchardana-vidharana pranayama — to unblock the practice agni sara.

energy at our manipura and ajna chakras (SYS 1:34–1:35; see Practi- 2. Let the breath and body become fully united before starting cums 1 and 2). These practices clear the passages to our heart, redi- agni sara. recting the energy here. Then we can learn meditation on the lotus of the heart (SYS 1:36; see upcoming guided practice). Through this 3. Agni sara is deeper than what you see on the surface (muscular effort). It's more mental than physical. practice, the mind becomes one-pointed and calm, allowing us to

apply it to whatever spiritual or worldly endeavors we wish. We 4. The more relaxed you are, the more perfection you will gain become grounded and come to know ourselves at every level. Our in this practice. life becomes infused with a newfound sense of purpose and free- dom. When this experience matures, it automatically ripens into the place of our true power and perfection: samadhi.

8 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 9 Practicum 2. Access to the Heart Center Through the Gateway of the Ajna Chakra Practicum Further Resources

Practices to activate the healing power of the navel center: o Practice Goal o o The goal of this practice is to awaken the vibrant o eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon) energy at the soft palate and eyebrow center. o agni sara By directing this energy to the heart center, we will begin o to experience inner tranquility, sorrowlessness, and joy. o (peacock) o Major techniques: anuloma, viloma, pratiloma, bhastrika, o ganesh asana pracchardana, and pracchardana-vidharana . o o vajra yogini mudra Practice Tips Online Resources 1. Anuloma: Exhale and inhale from the same nostril, then switch to the other. As a Basic Member of YogaInternational.com you get 10 free articles a month. Viewing some of the following material may 2. In the pranayamas in this practicum, movement is driven from require signing up for a free Basic Membership. the navel center. Mental focus is at the eyebrow center. Guided Diaphragmatic Breathing Practice 3. Viloma: Exhale strongly from one nostril, inhale strongly Rolf Sovik from the other. YogaInternational.com > Yoga > Practice > Relaxation Practice This short, guided audio practice will help you establish deep, even, 4. Pratiloma: Exhale and inhale twice from the same nostril, and smooth diaphragmatic breathing. With regular practice, you’ll then switch; vigorous and quick. begin to sense that you're the quiet observer of your body breathing and that your nervous system, mind, and whole body are relaxing 5. Bhastrika: Vigorous exhale, vigorous inhale through both nostrils deeply. Bonus: download to your phone or music player so you can at once, driven from the navel center. practice diaphragmatic breathing on the go!

6. Do 15–20 seconds of pracchardana daily for about a month Sandbag Breathing: 30 Days to a Stronger Diaphragm before adding vidharana. Rolf Sovik YogaInternational.com > Yoga > Pranayama > Breath Training Diaphragmatic breathing allows our major organs—heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidneys—to function properly and relaxes our nervous system so we can experience less stress, and more tranquility and energy. Rolf shows you a simple technique for establishing diaphrag- matic breathing. With a sandbag or other similarly weighted object, you can effectively train your diaphragmatic muscles to breathe in a natural, healthy way—not just while actively practicing, but all day.

10 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 11 Bhastrika Pranayama: The Bellows Breath Sanskrit 101: Sandra Anderson Essence of the Yoga Sutra Key Terms YogaInternational.com > Yoga > Pranayama > Energizing Bhastrika (bellows breathing) is a vigorous, dynamic, and vitaliz- ing pranayama that clears obstructions in the respiratory system, abhyasa • practice, along with effort. Training the mind to flow strengthens the nervous system, increases physical vitality, and peacefully inward, and then retaining that state. Abhyasa and enhances clarity of mind. Learn to do this practice safely and vairagya together form a complete system of Yoga sadhana. effectively: take your practice to the next level. agni sara • "essence of fire" The practice of capturing the energy Anuloma Pranayama to Enhance Your Meditation of fire, which is the foundation for all the healing forces of our body, Shari Friedrichsen through a combination asana-pranayama that targets the lower three chakras, especially the manipura chakra (navel center). This YogaInternational.com > Yoga > Pranayama > Cleansing practice awakens and purifies the channels that lead from the lower Anuloma pranayama is a practice to sensitize your nostrils to the chakras to the heart center, preparing us to meditate on the lotus of flow of the breath so that you can actually follow the breath to the our heart. center of the mind. It works on clearing the channels to allow your focus to be at your center, ultimately resting your awareness in the anuloma pranayama • a breathing practice of a strong exhale, then pranic field that you have created in the mind. a smooth and extended inhale from the same nostril. The movement is driven from the navel center; the mental focus is at the eyebrow Surya Bhedi Pranayama: Video Practice. center. Activate and expand the pranic body. Sandra Anderson bhastrika pranayama • “bellows breathing.” A breathing practice YogaInternational.com > Yoga > Pranayama > Energizing of a vigorous exhale, then a vigorous inhale through both nostrils at once. The movement is driven from the navel center; the mental Like bhastrika (bellows breathing), surya bhedi (otherwise known focus is at the eyebrow center. as pratiloma pranayama) strongly activates and expands the pranic body from the navel center. chiti shakti • the power of consciousness that infuses every cell. Guide to Agni Sara Sandra Anderson ekagra • one-pointed, focused. One of the five states of mind. YogaInternational.com > Yoga > Pranayama guna • one of the three attributes of Primordial Nature, which per- “In , there are a few indispensable master practices—agni meate the existence of the manifest world (see sattva, rajas, and sara is one of them.” This “master practice” transforms your asana tamas). and meditation, strengthens your abdominal area, improves your digestion and mood, and infuses you with vibrant, radiant energy jyotishmati • inner luminosity; experienced at the lotus all day. of the heart.

karma chakra • the cycle of karma, or action.

karuna • compassion. One of the four properties that bring positive change.

12 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide 13 kshipta • disturbed. One of the five states of mind. energy, tranquility, and joy. A perfectly still state of mind—the mind’s natural state. The heart and goal of Yoga. maitri • friendship, especially toward the successful. Lack of jeal- ousy. One of the four properties that bring positive change. samskara • subtle karmic impression created by any thought or action. Every thought or action produces samskaras, which are stored mudha • dull, stupefied, inert. One of the five states of mind. in the mind and which in turn produce more thoughts and actions (see karma chakra). To gain self-mastery—and reach samadhi—we need to understand, work with, and eventually eliminate these sam- mudita • happiness toward those who are spiritually advanced. One skaras which keep us tied to our karmas. When karmic impressions of the four properties that bring positive change. cease, we will be free. • one of the 72,000+ energy channels of the body. sankalpa shakti • the power of will and determination. niruddha • perfectly controlled, still. One of the five states of mind. sattva • the force of clarity and illumination. One of the three gunas. Pracchardana–Vidharana pranayama • a highly specialized breathing and concentration practice that energizes the space of sthira • stability, steadiness. One of the hallmarks of an authentic the talu chakra and ajna chakra (third eye), allowing us to gather asana practice. and work with the energy there. While exhaling and inhaling through both nostrils forcefully and rapidly, the breath is directed to strike the soft palate region. This is step 1: pracchardana. Step 2, vidha- sukham • comfort, ease. One of the hallmarks of an authentic rana, should only be done once pracchardana has been mastered. asana practice. In vidharana, the breath is retained after the inhalation and directed to the soft palate area and the mental space above. Pracchardana– tamas • the force of dullness, darkness, heaviness, inertia. One of the vidharana activates the brain, limbic system, hypothalamus, and three gunas. pituitary gland. By clearing the pathway to the heart from the higher chakras, it prepares us for meditation on the lotus of the heart. talu chakra • the soft palate; base of the brain. When we access this chakra through pracchardana-vidharana pranayama, we remove pratiloma pranayama • a breathing practice of a vigorous and dullness from our mind and increase sharpness and clarity. quick exhale and inhale twice from the same nostril. The movement is driven from the navel center; the mental focus is at the eyebrow upeksha • seeing without judgment; not looking for faults in others. center. Also known as surya bhedi (piercing of the sun). One of the four properties that bring positive change.

• systematic relaxation; gentle withdrawal of the vairagya • decoloring or deconditioning of our mind; non-attach- senses. ment. Vairagya enables us to disentangle ourselves from the binding forces of our thought patterns, behaviors, and habits. When, through rajas • the force of pulsation and activity. One of the three gunas. practice, these forces cease to exert influence over our mind, the mind becomes peaceful and stable. This allows us to progress toward rasa • sap, vital essence, elixir of life. samadhi. Abhyasa and vairagya together form a complete system of Yoga sadhana. sadhana • a well-defined and structured method of spiritual prac- tice. viloma pranayama • a breathing practice of a strong exhale from one nostril and a strong inhale from the other. The movement is driven from the navel center; the mental focus is at the eyebrow cen- samadhi • a unique space in us that is full of vibrant, self-luminous ter.

14 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop 15 vikshipta • distracted. One of the five states of mind. About the Author vishoka • pure, sorrowless joy; experienced at the lotus of our heart.

vyatireka • the identification of obstacles and resolution to prior- itize: to work on the most important ones first. The second step of vairagya.

yatamana • the realization that you are a practitioner, and applica- tion of effort to begin the process of self-transformation. The first step of vairagya.

PANDIT RAJMANI TIGUNAIT, PHD, is a modern-day master and living link in the unbroken Himalayan Tradition. He embodies the yogic and tantric wisdom which the Himalayan Tradition has safeguarded for thousands of years. Pandit Tigunait is the successor of Sri of the Himalayas and the spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute. As a young man he committed himself to arduous spiritual practice and studied with renowned adepts of India before being initiated into the lineage of the Himalayan Tradition by his master, Sri Swami Rama, in 1976.

Pandit Tigunait is fluent in Vedic and Classical Sanskrit and holds two doctorates, one from the University of Allahabad (India), and another from the University of Pennsylvania. As a leading voice of YogaInternational.com and the author of 15 books, his teachings span a wide range, from scholarly analysis and scripture translation to practical guidance on applying yogic wisdom to modern life. Over the past 35 years, Pandit Tigunait has touched innumerable lives around the world as a teacher, guide, author, humanitarian, and visionary spiritual leader.

16 The Essence of the Yoga Sutra Digital Workshop Guide and linkyour life andpractice together. Course designed to expand your knowledge andgrasp ofthesutras Deepen your experience oftheYoga Sutra withthis4-Part Master Do youwant more Yoga Sutra? Yoga Sutra Learn more at HimalayanInstitute.org/Sutra Secret of the Four seminars8houreach Take thenext step… The Part 4-Samadhi:Freedom Here andNow Part 3-Discovering OurLuminousJoy Part 2-Reversing theWheel ofKarma Part 1-Mastering theMind www.himalayaninsitute.org 952 Bethany Turnpike Honesdale, PA 18431 4

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