INTRO TO THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PATANJALI
This course is aimed at building an understanding of classical yogic concepts as presented by Patanjali and how these timeless concepts are relevant to our personal yoga practice. When we establish a felt sense of relatedness to the concepts as a whole picture we can then start to fill in the gaps through ongoing yogic practices (sadhana) and study (Svadyaya).
The Patanjali process is one of both inner and outer transformation. It is a powerful process that has stood the test of time. If the aim of the teachings are diligently adopted it will lead to the biggest most profound changes in your life. It is not to be attempted if we are not prepared to go into the unknown. To go into the unknown our intellects generally need enough information to proceed with trust and enthusiasm. I believe that Patanjali has provided a manual that sets the scene for that trust and enthusiasm to take root and to blossom In all who hear it's calling. All yoga traditions begin with the big concepts such as consciousness. Patanjali makes a distinction between – everyday consciousness and Root Consciousness. According to Patanjali everyday consciousness gets enmeshed in the forces of nature which represent dynamism ie “change” (prakriti). The mind ( manus) exists within the world of nature/change ie prakriti. So how do we manage change with the tools that exist within the world of things that change itself? Patanjali draws on a combination of the last 3 limbs of the 8 limbs of yoga acting together, known as samyama to effect this transformation with the 3 real time subtle adjustments known as parinamah. How do we effect change and incorporate that back into our life gracefully and with ease? Once we develop deep clarity about our true nature as part of the pattern of the universe ( Viveka) we can navigate life from that center.
Our mind, body, breath, prana are all interweaved with the primal forces of nature (prakriti ) and karma and the emergence and manifestation of the particular individual imprints / conditioning (samskaras) will be unique to each person. The good news is that Patanjali provides the basis for using the minds ability to be imprinted samskara to create new more sattvic samskaras which have been illuminated by the light of the Self.
Patanjali leads us to an appreciation of the common forces at work that are ubiquitous to all human conditions. To seek to experience the transformation from avidya to viveka and to transform the samskaras are as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago. The overall driving force of our study is to delve into the truth of our own nature svarupa.
According to Patanjali this truth will set us free.
There are various ways to study any scientific text. However in the case of spiritual texts I believe that meditation on the concepts with applied experience is required over a long period of time.
This program will lead you to deepen your studies and provide a rich source of interesting topics and concepts for your own meditation practices. They may also challenge some of your own beliefs and nothing I say in this program or in these notes is meant to be taken as an academic analysis or as gospel. It is meant for inspiration and motivational purposes only.