The Goal

What is the goal of yoga?

To transcend the tangled mind of all its conditioned thoughts & memories. To become present with the serene, luminous Self.

I’ve finally framed my mind-mapping work lay out of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’.

This is how I learn & absorb any information. 

If you want to know more about the science of yoga & the mind, grab yourself a copy of the book.

Patanjali gave us tools to help us reach the ultimate goal of yoga- Freedom & Enlightenment. Self-realisation.

The ‘tools’ help us to become aware of our actions & reactions, behaviours & mindsets. (Yamas & Niyamas)

Patanjali lists the obstacles that get in our way to freedom & also gives us remedies that remove them.

In yoga, we learn to control our body (asana), our senses (pratyahara) our breathing (pranayama) then ultimately our thoughts (Dharana, Dhyana). 

So we no longer identify with our thoughts & we connect with our serene, supreme self- full of love & joy, free from suffering.

The tools

The 8 fold path to freedom & happiness

These stepping stones do not have to be done in this order:

Yama- The restraints

Niyama- The observances

Asana- Stable postures

Pranayama- Mindful breathing

Pratyahara- Withdrawal of the senses to the mind

Dharana- Concentration

Dhyana- Meditation

Samadhi- Spiritual Illumination

“ A pure mind can reflect the beauty in the world around it & when the mind is still, the beauty of the self is seen reflected in it.”

BKS IYENGAR

The obstacles

Sutra 11.3

Whats stopping you reaching Samadhi?

These obstacles prevent clear perception. Our actions & the consequences are influenced by these obstacles. We must learn to contain & control these obstacles.

‘The colour of an object is affected by the colour of glass through which it is seen.” TKV Desikachar

Misapprehension/Ignorance- what we seek as a source of pleasure, may turn out to have the opposite affect.

False Identity/Egoism- the quality of our perception is affected by the state of our mind. depending on how we are feeling at the time, we perceive things through this lense.

Attachment- at the time we assume obtaining things will bring us happiness but the result maybe future unhappiness.

Dislikes/Hatred- these are the result of painful experiences in the past. These dislikes persist even when the situation has gone away.

Insecurity/clinging to our bodily life. A feeling of anxiety of whats to come.

The Remedies

We must reduce the persistent intrusion of the obstacles & follow the tools in the 8-fold path of yoga.

When misapprehension is reduced there is an increase in clarity. We must develop the distinction between the changing qualities of what is perceived & the unchanging quality of what perceives.