Iyengar's translation of the eight limbs

Sutras II 29- 48

II. 29 Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and Samadhi are the eight limbs of yoga.

II. 30. Non-violence (ahimsa), truth-telling (satya), non-stealing (asteya), continence (brahmacharya), and absence of greed (aparigraha) are the five yamas.

II.31 Yamas are the great might, universal vows, unconditioned by place, time and class.

II. 32 Cleanliness (sauca), contentment (santosha), religious zeal (tapas), self-study (svadhyaya) and surrender of self to god (Isvara pranidhanani) are the niyamas.

II. 33 Principles which run contrary to yama and niyama are to be countered with knowledge of discrimination.

II. 34 Uncertain knowledge giving rise to violence, whether done directly or indirectly or condoned, is caused by greed, anger or delusion in mild moderate or intense degree. It results in endless pain and ignorance. Through introspection comes the end of pain and ignorance.

II. 35 When non-violence in speech, thought and action is established one’s aggressive nature is relinquished and others abandon hostility in one’s presence.

II. 36 when the sadhaka is firmly established in the practice of truth, his words become so potent that whatever he says comes to realization.

II. 37 When abstention from stealing is firmly established, precious jewels come.

II. 38 When the sadhaka is firmly established in continence, knowledge, vigor, valor, and energy flow into him.

II. 39 Knowledge of past and future lives unfolds when one is free from greed for possessions.

II. 40 Cleanliness of body and mind (sauca) develops disinterest in contact with others for self-gratification.

II. 41 When the body is cleansed, the mind purified and the sense controlled, joyful awareness needed to realize the inner self also comes.

II. 42 From contentment and benevolence of consciousness (santosha) comes supreme happiness.

II. 43 Self-discipline (tapas) burns away impurities and kindles the spark of divinity.

II. 44 Self-study (svadhyaya) leads toward the realization of God or communion with one’s desired deity.

II. 45.  Surrender to God (Isvara pranidhanani) brings perfection in Samadhi.

II. 46 Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence, and benevolence of spirit.

II. 47 Perfection in asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within in reached.

II. 48 from then on, the sadhaka is undisturbed by dualities.

Sutras II 49- III 13

II. 49 Pranayama is the regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practiced only after perfection in asana is attained.

II. 50 Pranayama has three movements: prolonged and fine inhalation, exhalation and retention; all regulated with precision according to duration and place.

II. 51.  The fourth type of pranayama transcends the external and internal pranayama, and appears effortless and non-deliberate.

II. 52.  Pranayama removes the veil covering the light of knowledge and heralds the dawn of wisdom.

II. 53 The Mind also becomes fit for concentration.

II. 54 Withdrawing the sense, mind and consciousness from contact with external objects, and then drawing them inwards towards the seer, is pratyahara.

II. 55 Pratyahara results in the absolute control of the sense organs.

Vibuthi Pada

III. 1   Fixing the consciousness on one point or region is concentration (dharana).

III. 2 A steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation (dhyana).

III. 3 When the object of meditation engulfs the meditator, appearing as the subject, self-awareness is lost. This is Samadhi.

III. 4 These three together- dharana, dhyana and Samadhi- constitute integration or samyama.

III. 5 From mastery of samyama comes the light of awareness and insight.

III. 6 Samyama may be applied in various spheres to derive its usefulness.

III. 7 These three aspects of yoga are internal, compared to the former five.

III. 8 Similarly, samyama is external when compared to seedless (nirbija) Samadhi.

III. 9 Study of the silent moments between rising and restraining subliminal impressions is the transformation of consciousness towards restraint (nirodha parinamah).

III. 10 The restraint of rising impressions brings about an undisturbed flow of tranquility.

III. 11 The weakening of scattered attention and the rise of one-pointed attention in the citta is the transformation towards Samadhi.

III. 12 When rising and falling thought processes are in balance, one-pointed consciousness emerges. Maintenance of awareness with keen intensity from one-pointed attention to no-pointed attentiveness is karate parinama.

III. 13 Through these three phases, consciousness is transformed from its potential state (dharma) towards further refinement (laksana) and the zenith of refinement (avastha). In this way, the transformation of elements, senses, and mind takes place.

Read The Eight Fold Path II.28-III.8 and LOY p. 31-53.

New reading assignment for  thursday.


The Eight Fold Path II.28-III.8 and LOY p. 31-53.

Class Plan on Asana

Reminder  about  the  Memoir  2000 word paper response it is  due  two weeks from Thursday.  Get reading.   Remember you can also post four 500 word responses as you are reading if you prefer.  The links to  the   books you can choose from  are on line.

Nabi  asked a great question  doesn’t it seem strange that asana is hardly mentioned at all.

There are only three  sutras that directly deal with  asana.   Interesting side note, it occurs right after the sutra that says  “Surrender to God brings perfection in Samadhi.”

2.46	sthira sukham asanam
	Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence and benevolence of spirit.
2.47	prayatna saithilya ananta samapattibhyam
	Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached.
2.48	tatah dvandvah anabhighatah
	From then on, the sadhaka is undisturbed by dualities.

  It is mentioned as one of the eight limbs

2.29	yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayah astau angani
	Moral injunctions (yama), fixed observances (niyama), posture (asana), regulation of breath (pranayama), internalization of the senses towards their source (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and absorption of consciousness in the self (samadhi), are the eight constituents of yoga.

  and then referred to  in the pranayama sutras (of which there are five).  

2.49	tasmin sati svasa prasvasayoh gativicchedah pranayamah
	Pranayama is regulation of the incoming and outgoing flow of breath with retention. It is to be practised only after perfection in asana is attained.

So I thought we’d talk a bit about asana in the overall framework of the sutras.

Then some asana  AMS Utt, AMS supta I  AMS UPEP sirsasana,    M1   JS   Sarvangasana   M3   Savasana   

Memoirs are Due Oct 4

Hi All, I just wanted to remind you that your first memoir readings are due October 4  midnight.

Please write a 2000 word response to one of the following.  Waking by Matthew Sanford

Jesus in the Lotus by Russil Paul

Autobiography of a Yogi  by Parmahanasa Yogananda

First there is a Mountain  by Elizabeth Katedsky

Yoga from the Inside Out by Christina Sell

My Body is a Temple  by Christina Sell

Practice and Detachment Sutras

I. 12 Practice and detachment are the means to still the movements of consciousness.

I. 13 Practice is the steadfast effort to still these fluctuations

I. 14 Long, uninterrupted, alert practice is the firm foundation for restraining the    fluctuations.

I. 15 Renunciation is the practice of detachment from desires.

I. 16 The ultimate renunciation is when one transcends the qualities of nature and perceives the soul.

Iyengar's  translation.  

Here's what we'll discuss in class. 

What kinds of things do you practice?  

Do they still the mind  even if they are not  aimed at  stilling the mind? 

Detachment, non-attachment, dispassion, disinterestedness, renunication  are  all translations of the word  vairagya.  

In my experience, we  generally start of  with a fairly negative view of these words? 

Do you agree? 

Why do you think so? 

What  situations seem to require  non-attachment? 

Why might it be helpful to cultivate this  state  on the spiritual path? 

Why might it be harmful? 

Poses for today

Here's what we'll work on pose wise  in class today.

Tadasansa

Vrksasana

Utt hasta Padangustasana  bent  leg

Supta  1

UHP  straight leg

Supta  2

Parsva UHP

AMS

dandasana
BK
Malasana

M1
M3

Chatush

Supta  BK

Savasana

Philosophical Concepts in How Yoga Works 17-24

Here's a list of some philosophical concepts we will discuss in class on tuesday.  The numbers in parentheses refer to where the concepts occur in the Yoga Sutras.

Philosophical concepts in HYW  17-24

Practice and detachment  (1.12-1.16)

Attachment to particular modes of thinking  that promote attachment.  (kleshas-avidya, asmita, raga, dvesa, abhinivesa)

Please and pain (raga and dvesa)

Interpretation of stilling the fluctuations as  seeing things as being what they are in and of themselves.  (1.2)

The mind makes us stuck.

The mind as a mechanism for making us unstuck.

Concept of healing- doesn’t announce itself.

Grasping  not grasping aparigraha  (2. 39)

Liking things in the right way and the wrong way. (1.31).

Cultivating upeksa (1.31)

Everything is  suffering  (2.15)

Focus dharana ( 2.53 and 3.1)

Fixation Dhyana  (3.2)

The  tangible benefits of  focus

Pratyahara - withdrawing the senses inward(2.54).

Sauca cleanliness  (II.32). 

A few class logistics

Hi Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying your Labor day weekend.  I assigned you grades on your practice blogs, your reading blogs, class participation and and comments.

I did not count the frequency of the blogs. I just graded them on the content of what was there.
If you are in the B range, I suggest writing more detailed reflection.  Most of your reading reflections are just fine in the high B to A range.  Some of your practice reflections are great  others could use a bit more elaboration

For class participation, we have had 4 classes.  If you were absent once, you have a B in class participation, otherwise everyone has an A.

On the comments, some of you are not doing these yet.  Some are if  you did 4 comment you got an A,  3 comments  a B   2  a D  and 1 or less an F. 

 In the future, I will need you to send me a list at the end of each week of what blogs you commented on. It will be too difficult for me to keep tally after this week.  I'm open to other ideas about how to facilitate keeping track of this


None of this is set in stone grade wise. In all, I'm very pleased with your work and how the class is going. I just graded you to give you a sense of what grade I would assign based on the amount and quality of work I have seen from you in the first two weeks.