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: I-26 – The Twelve Year Teacher Training

A Sutra a Day: I-26 – The Twelve Year Teacher Training

by | Jun 13, 2012 | Philosophy, XSutras, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

One of the more controversial statements I’ve made when instructing yoga teacher trainees is that it takes at least twelve years to become a good teacher. One of those statements I heard from a senior teacher when I was a junior.
Is it true? I don’t know really. I didn’t feel completely comfortable in my skin teaching yoga for about twenty-five years. I still get completely anxious before big teaching gigs, as in not being able to sleep the night before.
First a teacher has to find her own voice to be good. It’s not lost or misplaced. […]

A Sutra a Day: I-27 Good Vibrations

by | Jun 14, 2012 | Philosophy, Wisdom, XSutras, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

I’ve been looking forward all day to a visit from delightful Sydney friends who are staying with us for four days.
We are very well set up for company, with 2 guest suites of rooms and another guest bedroom in the Yoga Shed. It means they can be comfortable and private when they want, and us, too.
We gathered around the fireplace on their arrival for snacks and a glass of red wine, shared a meal of homemade soup and fresh bread, and enjoyed lively conversation.
Then, we adjourned to the t.v. […]

A Sutra a Day: I-29 – Upside Down and Outside In

A Sutra a Day: I-29 – Upside Down and Outside In

by | Jun 17, 2012 | Philosophy, XSutras, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

If you ever drop in for a visit to us on Mitchells Island, I might take you sightseeing to Wingham Brush.
Never heard of it? It’s a small miracle of remnant rainforest in the sleepy riverside town of Wingham. The iconic Aussie poet, Les Murray, has written a poem to the native, furry inhabitants of Wingham Brush called “The Flying Fox Dreaming”. […]

A Sutra a Day: I-30 – Get Thee to a Yoga Studio

A Sutra a Day: I-30 – Get Thee to a Yoga Studio

by | Jun 18, 2012 | Philosophy, XSutras, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Yoga teaching 

When I have guests to stay at our home, I invite them to do practice with me first thing in the morning in the Yoga Shed. People who have had no prior experience with yoga have reported that they take it up after a few of these sessions, and I attribute that partly to the inspiration of the yoga room. I’ve seen even those who used to do yoga and, for whatever reason, have stopped, get a taste for it again after practising in the Yoga Shed.
A yoga studio can be a storehouse of good energy. […]

A Sutra a Day: I-31 Peace in the Garden

by | Jun 19, 2012 | Gardening, Healing, XSutras, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

I am klutzy when it comes to getting around on a computer. It doesn’t come naturally to me. However, maybe like you, I find myself spending an increasing amount of time in front of this screen and keyboard.
On some level I know that I choose to be doing this, but probably at least once a day, I get annoyed with this machine.
Today I spat the dummy. For other than Aussie readers, this is a term that implies overreacting to a situation in an angry or frustrated manner. That’s a pretty accurate description of my disposition. […]

A Sutra a Day: I-34 Simple Breathing

by | Jun 22, 2012 | Philosophy, XSutras, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Yoga Therapy

Source: abeautifulrippleeffect.com via Twyla on Pinterest

 
A few weeks ago I was having a great deal of trouble falling asleep. Nervous about teaching 9 sessions in two days to a completely new group of students, I needed sleep, but it eluded me.
One of the yogic techniques I tried was echo breathing. I’d read about this type of breathing in B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Life. Here’s how Mr. Iyengar describes how to do it and what it achieves:
“Exhale slowly and fully. Pause. Then exhale again. There is always a slight residue left in the lungs. […]

A Sutra a Day: I-35 – Coming to Our Senses

A Sutra a Day: I-35 – Coming to Our Senses

by | Jun 23, 2012 | Philosophy, Wisdom, XSutras, Yoga practices, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

 
Over the years, I’ve done several 10-day vipassana meditation courses. I can recommend them very highly for the fact that they are conducted in silence, and usually in a quiet rural setting.
The downside of hanging out in a silent environment is that for me the noisiness of my mind (citta vrtti) becomes amplified. Eventually, my mind will get quiet but sometimes not without a struggle.
I remember the vipassana facilitator in the nightly dharma talks discussing what happens when we slow down, and, at the same time, outside stimuli are severely reduced. […]