XSutras

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Several years ago I decided that it was about time that I read the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. I was well into my fourth decade as a yoga practitioner and somehow I’d managed to skirt any serious study of the Old Sage.

I thought that Yoga Suits Her would suit a sort of online self-study forum for me and my readers as well.
Each night for 9 months I sat down at my computer and worked my way through all 196 sutra. I relied on the wise interpretations of teachers, such as by Georg Feurerstein, B.K.S. Iyengar and T.K.V. Desikachar. But more importantly, I wove in my everyday experiences to make the sutra relevant to me and others.

It was a sort of dusting off of the old text, and hopefully ‘with all due respect.’

Here they are!

A Sutra a Day: IV-31 – "All is Known and Nothing is Known"

A Sutra a Day: IV-31 – "All is Known and Nothing is Known"

by | Feb 18, 2013 | Healing, Philosophy, Wisdom, XSutras, xTmp, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Source: weheartit.com via Christy on Pinterest

 
Have you ever heard of an exercise that’s done in personal development courses called “If you really knew me….”? It’s designed to create a greater depth of intimacy among the members of the group by sharing something of a personal nature. By opening up about a subject where there’s been fear or embarrassment attached to it, the speaker has an opportunity to let go and move on. […]

A Sutra a Day: IV-32 – A Balancing Act

A Sutra a Day: IV-32 – A Balancing Act

by | Feb 19, 2013 | Philosophy, Pranayama, Wisdom, XSutras, xTmp, Yoga Sequences, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Source: dailydoseofstuf.tumblr.com via Michael on Pinterest

 
Yoga philosophy has a handy way to categorise elements of the material world. In Sanskrit there are three forces called gunas: tamas, which exhibits qualities of darkness, inertia, or heaviness; rajas, which equates with raw energy, passion, dynamism; and, sattva, which is defined as Being, clarity, or spiritual essence.
Objects can be characterised according to the above scheme, and so can human moods and personalities.
Think about it. At times you’ve probably felt yourself in a heavy mood, like a dark cloud is hanging over you (tamasic). […]

A Sutra a Day: IV-33 – Tiny Instants of Time Add Up

A Sutra a Day: IV-33 – Tiny Instants of Time Add Up

by | Feb 20, 2013 | Dharana, Wisdom, XSutras, xTmp, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Source: mostbeautifulpages.com via Michelle on Pinterest

 
For some reason, maybe because of teaching some workshops on ‘How to Work with Older Students’, I seem to be preoccupied with ageing. It may be because I am, er… getting on myself.
A newsletter landed in my email today from my friend and colleague Maggi, who was writing about ‘Age and Attitude’. She says,
‘I have a bad attitude to ageing. […]

A Sutra a Day: IV-34 – Here Ends the Sutra of Patanjali

A Sutra a Day: IV-34 – Here Ends the Sutra of Patanjali

by | Feb 21, 2013 | Philosophy, Wisdom, XSutras, xTmp, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Source: themetalfairytale.tumblr.com via Carrie on Pinterest

 
I’ve not been well today. A stomach complaint – severe cramping and slight nausea. Perhaps a dose of gastro or food poisoning? It could have been to do cleaning out a big mucky garden pot. Maybe something that is meant to live outside got inside me.
So here I am, all alone at home, while everyone in our household has gone to choir practice. I truly can’t remember having an evening alone for yonks. It’s exceptionally nice.
And, this is a special night too… […]

A Sutra a Day: The Prize – Holistic Yoga

A Sutra a Day: The Prize – Holistic Yoga

by | Feb 22, 2013 | Philosophy, Wisdom, XSutras, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Do you ever set off on a journey not knowing exactly where you’ll end up? Even when you embark on a what you think is a certain path, you still may not arrive at your imagined destination.
That can be a good outcome, a bad one, or simply what is.
When I started interacting with Patanjali on this blog – teasing out each of his tightly packed Sutra – I did it as an exercise in discipline. […]