Atha Yoga Anushasanam
Where do we begin our yoga journey? What is the point of departure to connect in a more profound way to ourselves and, by doing so, easing some of the suffering we can so often experience in life? What can we do first?
The very first word of Patanjali’s text* says it all:
अथ योगानुशासनम्॥१॥
atha yoga anushasanam
1.1 Now, the teachings of yoga [are presented].
Atha translates as now - what a beautiful word to start a text! The whole spiritual journey Patanjali guides us through starts with an invitation to be present. In other words, it is impossible to connect with our True Self if we are reliving the past or anticipating the future. If we are to understand more about who we are and solve the problem of disconnection, we start in the now. Being in the present moment is our point of departure.
Being present looks nice in a caption for an IG post, but it’s not always easy in practice, especially when most of us live in a sea of distractions - primarily through the endless pings on our phones. In addition to the external overwhelm we are continuously exposed to, we all have a “monkey mind” too. All of us. Some days we’ll feel content and grounded. Other days, we may feel irritable, impatient, or angry. This is part of being human. Regardless of what you are currently experiencing in life, this is what sutra I.1 (and yoga philosophy more generally) teaches us: be here fully.
As such, if you are interested in following the path of yoga, you will sooner or later come to realise how important it is to train the mind – more than obsessively trying to perfect your handstand. Broadly speaking, this is what “spiritual practice” is all about. Through practice, we are refining our awareness and cultivating a state of presence in which we are no longer distracted or easily swayed by both external and internal triggers.
Remember, your journey to healing and wholeness (yoga!) starts in the choices you make at this very moment. All will flow from there. I hope the exercise below can be helpful as a starting point. Let me know how you get along.
Aho.
Christian
PRACTICE: present moment breathing
It’s very simple, but don’t underestimate the power of this practice for its simplicity:
1. Find a place where you will not be distracted and, if you feel comfortable, close your eyes.
2. Place your hands on your chest and take three deep breaths (counting 4, 3, 2, 1…) feeling your hands rise and fall with each cycle. Be fully immersed in this act of deep breathing and ask yourself “what am I present with?”. Direct your thoughts to your heart with the help of your breath and observe what happens with curiosity.
3. Spend a few moments in silence after.
* Whether you are interested in yoga or whether you are a yoga teacher, you will without a doubt come across Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras on your journey at some point. Compiled approximately two thousand years ago, the sutras talk about the nature of the self, how we can experience it, the obstacles that we are likely to encounter, the “supernatural” powers one attains in the process, the moral values we can embrace in life, amongst many other things. If you would like a reliable place to begin your study of the sutras, I strongly suggest Edwin Bryant’s translation and commentary (click here to buy).