Yogas chitta vritti nirodha

"Yogas chitta vritti nirodha"
- Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

This post is inspired by Yulia Baturina, the founder of Air Yoga Egypt. Yulia is one of the most incredible yogis I have ever met, a teacher who has been a constant inspiration for me since the first day we met in Cairo, now almost a year ago. I am proud to call her a friend, who somehow always pops up with just the right message at the right time, when I need it the most. She pushed me to go to India and do my teacher training, an experience which truly changed my life. She was the one who told me about Guruji BNS Iyengar in Mysore and later motivated me to start teaching.  Today, she suggested that I write about yoga and how it's helped me to stay focused throughout the past months and I immediately realized that she is right - this is exactly what I want to write about. Has she been reading my mind? :)

Let's start with the title quote: "Yogas chitta vritti nirodha" is a famous line from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. Any Ashtangi and most likely any yogi out there, whichever tradition they may follow, knows the Yoga Sutras. It is hard to say who Patanjali was exactly, when he lived and whether he was even an actual single living person. Kind of like Shakespeare, one might be inclined to say. What is certain, is that through the Yoga Sutras, the foundations of yoga, as we know it today, have been laid down in writing for the first time, allowing generations to come to study the tradition and principles of this ancient way of life.

Sanskrit, the sacred language of Indian philosophy, is complex and filled with ambiguity, which study takes years and great dedication. Translation is not easy and so you'll find that there are many variations of even the most well-established texts. This is also the case with Patanjali's Sutras. For "yogas chitta vritti nirodha", the commonly accepted translation is "yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind" (but Google it and you are sure to find other versions). In this one line, the very essence of yoga is contained and so, even if you never read any other Yoga Sutra in your life - congratulations! -  today you have learned the basics of this ancient practice! 

The word "Ashtanga" (used to refer to one of the most commonly-practiced styles of yoga today) derives from the Sanscrit "asta", meaning "eight". The eight limbs of yoga. All of them are covered in the Yoga Sutras and together they touch upon every aspect of human existence, providing the perfect recipe for a fulfilled life. Of course, most people never get passed "asana", the third limb, which means "posture" (or "seat", to be precise) and simply means the physical practice of yoga postures (asanas). According to the yoga tradition, the physical body is a vehicle and must be maintained in good shape, so that it can carry us comfortably through life and enable us to focus on more important things, such as our intellectual and "mindful" development (aka meditation). The very point of asana practice is physical well-being and the purification of the body. The practice of yoga asana is also often called a "moving meditation", because it forces one to focus of the so-called present moment. "Follow your breath" is what we will likely hear in an Ashtanga yoga class anywhere in the world. This means that we must first tune into our natural breathing patterns and then adjust our movements to it. Hence we say that first comes the breath and the movement follows. 

Why is the breath so important? One obvious truth, we don't think about often (unless we practice yoga) is that there is no life without the breath. Breathing happens automatically without the need to focus on it (in most cases, however there are exceptions to this, as I have recently learned watching a program about a polio survivor living in a iron lung - you can watch it on Facebook here) and with the last breath our life on Earth ends. The very purpose of yoga then, as I learned from Guruji BNS in India, is to conquer death with breath. How do we do that? By making the most of our breath each and every day! In particular, by consciously and mindfully slowing the breath down through the practice of pranayama. OK, possibly more on that another time, as today I wanted to talk about why I love my daily asana practice. 

When in doubt, do yoga

If you've read my previous post, you might have noticed that I wrote "when in doubt, do yoga". And this brings me back to "yogas chitta vritti nirodha" - yoga stills the fluctuations of the mind. Yoga stills the mind, stills the thoughts and allows me to focus, to concentrate and to relax. Both literally and metaphorically, my practice creates a space for me to breathe, to slow down, to take a break. My "moving meditation" is my "me time", from which I emerge refreshed, relaxed and energized. Happy and calm. Or at least calmer - it's a work in progress and no two days are the same. Of course, it also makes me stronger, more flexible and thus makes me feel more confident and empowered to face whatever it is I want to or have to face (you might have seen Instagram yogis posting: "I bend so that I don't break"?). That focus, developed through yoga translates into spheres of my life as well, for example I noticed a difference in my performance in the office, when I was still working in Alexandria. Patience has never been my strongest virtue and yoga helps.  

Alright. Let's call it a day and please do tell me what you think! Ask questions and comment what you want me to write about! I'd love to read your feedback. Mexico is so full of yoga, I am surely going to write more about that! XXX