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Category: Yoga Sutra

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is an experiential workbook for ultimate spiritual development. Here we discuss and explain the true meaning of the sutras in the light of spiritual experiments.

Top Ten Yoga Quotes

Kristin Russel

Best Yoga Posture

I’m experiencing the benefits yoga every day. The practice helps me to expand my consciousness. It helps me stay grounded and strong. Here is a list of my ten favorite quotes of the great masters.

#1: “Yoga is the practice of undisturbed calmness of mind. It is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked. ” ~ Patanjali

#2: “When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady. But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves a healthy and long life. Therefore, one should learn to understand the quality of the breath.” ~ Hatha Yoga Pradipika

#3: “Yoga is not possible, for the one who eats too much, or who does not eat at all; who sleeps too much, or who keeps awake. ” ~ Krishna in Bhagavad Gita

4#: ”The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind & the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” ~ B.K.S. Iyengar

5#: “Yoga is not a religion. It is a science, science of well-being, science of youthfulness, science of integrating body, mind and soul. Yoga is more about the exploration and discovery of the subtle energies of life.” ~ Amit Ray

6#: “Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.” ~ Krishnamacharya

7#: “Yoga is essentially a practice for your soul, working through the medium of your body.” ~Tara Fraser

8#: “Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are.” – Jason Crandell

9# “Under the bright sun, many of us are gathered together with different languages, different styles of dress, even different faiths. However, all of us are the same in being humans, and we all uniquely have the thought of “I,” and we´re all the same in wanting happines.” ~ Dalai Lama

10#: “Be a lamp unto yourself. Work out your liberation with diligence.” ~ Buddha

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Many Paths one Goal: Yoga and Vipassana

Kristin Russel 2 Comments

Vipasana means observing the movements of body and mind in a systematic manner as they are in the present moment.  It is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India before the birth of Goutama Buddha. Goutama Buddha re-established its importance of this path to get freedom from human suffering. The three foundations of vipassana are sila, samadhi and panna. Which means:

Sila :  Moral conduct

Samadhi: Observation and Witnessing

Panna: Wisdom of the ultimate.

Vipassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka in the tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, is well known. There are one hundred and twelve methods in Vijgana bhairaba, vipassana is one of them. Theravāda vipassana teachers like Mahasi Sayadaw emphasize the importance of examining the kalapas as a means to gaining insight.

Great Vipassana master Sri Amit Ray who wrote,  “Yoga and Vipassana: An Integrated Life Style” , combined the vipassana and the eight limbs of  Patanjali’s yoga as follows:

  1. Yama and Niyama: Self Discipline and morality
  2. Asanas :  Observation of the movement of the body postures
  3. Pranayama : Observation of  the breaths
  4. Pratyahara : Observation of the senses
  5. Dharana : Observation of the thoughts, the movements of the mind.
  6. Dhyana : Witnessing the feelings of the pain and pleasure
  7. Samadhi : Union with the ultimate

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Frank Boccio, in his book  Mindfulness Yoga, agrees. “Patanjali talks about asana as stability and ease,” he mentioned, “and when that happens, there is the dissolution of the sense of separation, an overcoming of the pairs of opposites. That’s the whole practice right there: People feel more able to sit with whatever is arising.”

Click here to know more about the essence of yoga and vipassana.

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Yoga Sutra

Kristin Russel

Sage Patanjali in his book “Yoga Sutra” explained the complete procedure for the integration of body mind and soul in 4 chapters as follows:

Samadhi Pada (51 sutras) :

Samadhi refers to a blissful state where the yogi is absorbed into the One.  Here, the sage Patanjali explained the nature and the means to attaining Samadhi. This chapter contains the most famous definitional verse: “Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodha” (“Yoga is living above the mental fluctuation level”).

Sadhana Pada (55 sutras)

Here, the enlightened Guru Patanjali describes “Ashtanga Yoga”  the eight limbs that together constitute the complete Yoga system.

Vibhuti Pada (56 sutras)

In Sanskrit the word “Vibhuti means “power” i.e. the Super-natural powers.  In this chapter Sri Patanjali explained that the attraction of these super natural powers should be avoided and the attention should be fixed only on realizing the ultimate truth.

Kaivalya Pada (34 sutras)

The Kaivalya Pada describes the nature of  ultimate freedom and the reality of the transcendental Cosmic Self.

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