If you’re a regular yoga practitioner or join yoga sessions once or thrice a week, you might know the “Yoga Sutras,” a literature work penned by Yogi Patanjali. There are 196 sutras and of course, everyone can’t read, understand, and apply them to their daily life! So this article contains some of the most fascinating learnings from the yoga sutras. Feel free to pick out your favorites and apply them to your life!
Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on in our minds when we think? How do thoughts arise, how does your Buddhi perceive them, how do you react to them internally, and most importantly, how do you act on them? The sutras detail the complete workings of our mind from the moment the thought rises to the moment we execute its action.
5 Cool Facts from the Yoga Sutras
The yoga sutras are an elaborate guide into how one can gain control of one’s life through restraint over one’s mind. The yoga sutras talk about the calming practice of kriya yoga–a mindful path to spiritual growth. Yoga isn’t just about your body’s flexibility–it’s also the flexibility of your mind.
- Yoga isn’t just asanas: Most of us think that yoga is majorly about postures, asanas, and physical flexibility, isn’t it? You’ll be surprised to know that only three sutras out of 196 are about asanas. On top of this, there’s not a single asana mentioned in any of them! And yes, I’m still talking about the yoga sutras! This means that everything you learn in Yoga Sessions is just a tiny part of what yoga actually is.
Patanjali says that yoga is about mental restraint instead of just physical exercise. In the remaining 193 aphorisms (sutras), he says that yoga is restraining mind fluctuations and not letting your mind control you.
- The essence of Vairagyam: The art of renunciation flows through every moment and experience of our lives. The only way to move to the next world and regain our pure status as a soul is to give up this one instead of being attached to it–let’s be clear that giving up doesn’t mean suicide. Torturing ourselves or our loved ones is not the way to go. It’s more about becoming aware of your own mortality and accepting it.
King Yudisthira once said that one of life’s greatest wonders is that we see people dying around us each day, yet we think we are immortal; the most real materialization of “ignorance is bliss.” So, the smarter option is the art of non-attachment. When you already know you’ll leave this land one day, what’s the point in clinging to it desperately?
- The significance of our perception: The yoga sutras also speak about the process of perception. They say that unless you see the world, it doesn’t exist for you. Think of your eyes–they can’t see unless the brain perceives and accepts what they see. Some people can even sleep with their eyes open; the light enters them, and their eyes are open for seeing, yet they’re not seeing anything.
That’s a little weird to think about, right? But the point remains that if the brain isn’t attached to the activity of our eyes or any other organ, the functioning of that organ is halted. Even if it’s working correctly and in first-class condition, we won’t really know because we can’t actually perceive the world unless our brain connects and directs our organs.
- The power of consistency: The sutras give special emphasis to being consistent. Patanjali says that only regular practice can help us master something. Whatever you practice for an extended period will become a habit, and this habit will lead you to excel in that field. Such achievement needs dedication for a long time, without any gap, and with complete honor and respect for your practice. At the end of this practice, the mastery is established.
- Anand isn’t just a heart-warming movie: Aligning with “Babumoshai, zindagi badi honi chahiye, lambi nahi,” the sutras say that the ultimate goal of yoga is achieving pure bliss, better known as Ananda. The soul that is not easily distracted and does not suffer mind fluctuations triggered by external factors is a soul feeling Ananda.All our efforts towards regaining our pure state are directed only towards feeling this Ananda again; clearly, we’ve forgotten how it feels!
Final Thoughts
After gaining these fascinating insights into human life, you’re sure to feel enlightened. You might even feel inclined to apply some of these teachings to your own life; if you’re a Mumbaikar, you can look into the Online Yoga Classes Mumbai offers to get a deeper knowledge of yoga and practice it daily. Remember, practice makes masters!