yoga citta vrtti nirodha
I was asked to be one of the four teachers to co-lead Black Dog Yoga's Teacher Training coming up, and I'm so deeply honored. There is really nothing better for me to do than to read about yoga, share the teachings with others, and revel in the exchange of thoughts.
I've been re-reading Patanjali's Yoga Sutras to prepare for the training. Patanjali famously defined yoga as "citta vrtti nirodha" or yoga is the "cessations of the fluctuations of the mind." What an interesting statement to chew upon and reflect on for the rest of our lives! Yoga is the experience of what happens when the mind stops identifying with outside stimuli and inner turmoil. When the mind (defined as the totality of your mental processes) stills and quiets down, then the Seer, the Self, the Witness can rest in its own presence. Think of when a river is agitated how you cannot see your image but when the waters settle, you can see yourself.
I've been thinking about how much effort, how much fire is necessary to do this. Inspired by Patanjali's second sutra, I've been teaching about tapas. Tapas come from the verb tap which means "to burn." It is the fire in us the drives our effort, our deepest longing. It is what keeps us holding a pose with steadiness but it is also the drive that takes us back to our yoga mats over and over, year after year.
I've always found Patanjali to be so much about discipline and effort. It's not a criticism, in fact, I honor that part of me that is a warrior, that is strong, the part of me that says, "enough of that already; I need to stop doing this." It's a warrior strength. It's the strength necessary in civil right movements, in any social justice movements. It's the strength necessary when a kid starts to run across a busy intersection and you stop and say to them: "no, you cannot do that ever again."
A friend told me recently a story about a psychiatrist she knew, a famous psychiatrist in NYC. One day he got a call from one of his clients, His client was suicidal and she was calling him to tell him that she could no longer endure living, that she was indeed going to kill herself. The psychiatrist calmly yet sternly told her "don't do it. Don't kill yourself. I will see you on our next appointment this coming Monday." The psychiatrist hung up the phone and the next Monday morning the client was there.
So I honor this part of me that is disciplined and strong, encouraging me to come back to the mat, to come back to my meditation cushion day after day, to come back to my breath guiding me to the freedom that exists in each moment.
Theme: Tapas
Focus: Muscular Energy
Something to think about:
It's good to challenge the students- they respond to that well here in Los Angeles.
They also appreciate the bringing of thought provoking material to chew upon as they move through their practice.
We've also been doing short meditations before savasana using ujjayi breathing as focus.
Anusara Poster Project Pose: Upavista Konasana
Posted by Moving Through My Vinyasa at 1/12/2010 12:36 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: patanjali yoga sutra
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: patanjali yoga sutra
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