Monday, May 5, 2014

Yoga Sutra I:II

Greetings Sadhakas,

This week in class we will be exploring Yoga Sutra I:II.

Let the wise guard their thoughts, which are difficult to perceive, which are extremely subtle, which wander at will. Thought which is well guarded is the bearer of happiness.

                                      –The Buddha

When the mind has become completely still, when there is no movement at all - neither on the conscious level nor in the unconscious depths - then there is no anger, fear, or greed.

When in deep meditation the turbulent factory of the mind closes down for just a few minutes, we find a soothing stillness which heals the body, mind, intellect, and spirit. In this stillness we feel the enormous draw of the ocean of pure love deep within, pulling us into a union that is complete peace, complete joy, and complete fulfillment. Then it is we realize that boundless joy has been right there within us all the time, joy that cannot be limited by separateness and does not depend on any circumstances outside, but is an abiding legacy that never leaves us. This is what is meant by everlasting life, which we can find here and now.

The stilled mind is spirit - eternal, infinite, immutable, and indivisible. When the mind has been completely stilled from top to bottom there can be no separateness.

Words to Live By: Inspiration for Every Day – Eknath Easwaran

The homework is to consider PYS 1:2, "The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga" (The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sri Swami Satichidananda). BKS Iyengar writes that "Restraint of the movements of thought brings about stillness (dharana), which leads to silence (dhyana) with awareness." Ask yourself if your practices can transform how you think.

References: Light on the Yoga Sutras, BKS Iyenger , The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Sri Swami Satichidananda and The Essence of Yoga, Bouanchaud

Blessings,

paul cheek
Rushing Water Yoga
417 NE Birch St., Camas, WA 98607
360.834.5994
www.rushingwateryoga.com
info@rushingwateryoga.com

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