The mind is basically neutral……
“The mind is basically neutral.
It depends on what happens to us.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga
Posts archive: All Collected Yoga Articles, Views & Posts Timeline
Reflections on TKV Desikachar’s Teaching and Svatantra……
As a student, my teacher worked at guiding me towards becoming increasingly independent in developing and refining more and more my personal practice skills so I became less and less dependent on him being the vehicle for if, when, where, what and how well I practice.
I have always respected this aspect of his 121 teaching, in that, like a parent with a child, he progressively facilitated my learning. This enabled me to evolve an intelligently consistent, situation adaptive and yet long term developmental self-practice, initially through and then much more than, just Āsana.
“TKV Desikachar did not teach different people different things.
Nor did he just teach the same thing to different people.
He taught different people the same thing in different ways.
The same could be said of T Krishnamacharya’s teaching.
Hence the context of the phrase the Viniyoga of Yoga.”
Especially as, like any art that we wish to become accomplished in, this self-skill was cultivated primarily within my home environment with all its hues and moods that inevitably influence, or are driven by deeper motivations within our current intentions and situation realities.
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108 Yoga Sūtra Study Question Pointers – 2 – What does the word Nirodha signify for you
The aim of this series, and its companion series (Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords), with its single guided Sūtra word within a parallel flow, is to progress through a themed reflective journey across the four chapters or Pāda that comprise the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali.
On this page, a question will be proffered as a reflection and inquiry into a single verse. Here each verse in the text will be explored successively, via a link to its translation, word by word breakdown and added commentaries collated from the website, to invite the reader to form their own opinion as to what is implied.
On the companion page, a word will be listed as a symbol for a specific verse or set of verses as we progressively traverse each chapter. It will offer an exploration, via a link to the Saṃskṛta Glossary, of all the connected quotations and posts, collated from within the website these past 12 years, again to invite the reader to form their own opinion as to what is implied.
My wish is to offer an insight into the spectrum of Yoga teachings received from T Krishnamacharya mainly via TKV Desikachar, in terms of both breadth and depth.
Chapter One Samādhi Pādaḥ verse 2
yogaḥ citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ |
In Sūtra 1.2 what does the word Nirodha signify for you
in terms of choosing both what to keep in and to keep out?
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords – Collected & Collated into Chapters
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Questions – Collected & Collated into Chapters
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108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers – 12 – Controlling the Nostrils with Mṛgi Mudrā in Nāḍī Śodhana
Prāṇāyāma Pointer 12 – Bhāvana for the fingers within Mṛgi Mudrā in Nāḍī Śodhana
One aspect in the refinement of Nāḍī Śodhana
is an almost undetectable deftness within
the finger movement when using Mṛgi Mudrā,
whilst keeping them permanently on the nostrils.
Link to Posts Series: 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers
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Draṣṭṛ is one who initiates and follows what is initiated.
“Draṣṭṛ is one who initiates
and follows what is initiated.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 20
T Krishnamacharya Yoga Sūtra Study Quotes Collected and Collated
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Design a Practice to experience the application of Sound in Āsana…
Design a Practice to experience the application of Sound in Āsana.
Present keynotes with your reasoning behind your choices.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 60 working breaths.
– It will be based primarily around Āsana, perhaps with Mudrā.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any sitting Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana, do not count in the breath tally.
– State the intended direction and outcome of the practice in terms of the goal or goals.
– Indicate the primary or crown you are choosing to build the practice around.
– Justify your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
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108 Sūtra Study Pointers – 115 – How to deal with the conundrum that we are thinking or feeling we are changing…
How to relate with the inner conundrum that we are
thinking or feeling we are changing every 5 minutes.
Yet, from within that seeming flux we can observe that
we are only appearing to be changing every 5 minutes.
This implies that there is something else, not obvious,
yet constantly abiding within our psychic fluctuations.
Yoga offers a journey towards a direct experience of that
which perceives within our coalesced sense of “I” Am-ness.
In other words, how to be with that we call awareness or
the observer within the seeming seduction of the observed,
given that both mind and senses are part of the observed?
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 18
Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra
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108 Yoga Practice Pointers – 79 – What constitutes lazy Adhyayanam practice?
108 Yoga Practice Pointers – 78 – What constitutes lazy Dhyāna practice?
108 Yoga Practice Pointers – 77 – What constitutes lazy Prāṇāyāma practice?
108 Yoga Practice Pointers – 76 – What constitutes lazy Mudrā practice?
108 Yoga Practice Pointers – 75 – What constitutes lazy Āsana practice?
108 Yoga Sūtra Study Question Pointers – 1 – What does the word Atha symbolise for you
The aim of this series, and its companion series (Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords), with its single guided Sūtra word within a parallel flow, is to progress through a themed reflective journey across the four chapters or Pāda that comprise the Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali.
On this page, a question will be proffered as a reflection and inquiry into a single verse. Here each verse in the text will be explored successively, via a link to its translation, word by word breakdown and added commentaries collated from the website, to invite the reader to form their own opinion as to what is implied.
On the companion page, a word will be listed as a symbol for a specific verse or set of verses as we progressively traverse each chapter. It will offer an exploration, via a link to the Saṃskṛta Glossary, of all the connected quotations and posts, collated from within the website these past 12 years, again to invite the reader to form their own opinion as to what is implied.
My wish is to offer an insight into the spectrum of Yoga teachings received from T Krishnamacharya mainly via TKV Desikachar, in terms of both breadth and depth.
Chapter One Samādhi Pādaḥ verse 1
atha yoga-anu-śāsanam |
In Sūtra 1.1 what does the word Atha symbolise for you
in relation to your moment to moment choices?
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Keywords – Collected & Collated into Chapters
Paul’s Yoga Sūtra Study Questions – Collected & Collated into Chapters
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108 Yoga Practice Pointers – 74 – The more you bend the spine..
The more you bend the spine
the less you arch the spine.
The more you arch the spine
the less you bend the spine.
Link to Series: 108 Yoga Practice Pointers
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Design an Āsana practice to include three hand balance Āsana of your choice…
Design an Āsana practice to include three hand balance Āsana of your choice.
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 90 working breaths.
– It will be based primarily around Āsana.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any sitting Mudrā, Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana,
do not count in the breath tally.
– State the intended developmental path of the practice.
– Consider the primary Āsana you are choosing to build the practice with.
– Justify your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
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Self Planning & Self Practice Project around Mahāmudrā…
Design a personal practice focusing on using Mahāmudrā to explore the following breathing ratios:
1.1.1.1.
1.1.2.0.
1.1.2.1.
1.0.2.1.
The following guidelines are offered as a framework for this project:
a) Total of 12 breaths each side in Mahāmudrā.
b) Different ratios to be tried on different days, at least twice each ratio.
c) Add necessary preparation and compensation.
d) Prepare your practice diary under:-
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Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority…
“Preventive health is a self-discipline and only a minority
seeks Yoga as a preventive measure to prevent illness.
Most people seem to seek Yoga only for therapy.”
– TKV Desikachar 1998
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Design an Āsana practice around Dhanurāsana and Ardha Matsyendrāsana
Design an Āsana practice around Dhanurāsana and Ardha Matsyendrāsana
The Vinyāsa Krama or planning steps in the practice will be for a total of 90 working breaths.
– It will be based primarily around Āsana, perhaps with Mudrā.
– In this instance, the practice will not include any sitting Prāṇāyāma or Dhyāna.
– In the planning structure, any link Āsana such as Samasthiti, Śavāsana, Vajrāsana,
do not count in the breath tally.
– State the intended developmental path of the practice.
– Consider the primary Āsana you are choosing to build the practice with.
– Consider the primary ratio you are choosing to use in the crown of the practice.
– Justify your choice of supporting or compensatory Āsana within the scheme.
To Download or View this Question as a PDF Study Sheet
Yoga Practice Planning and Theory Questions – Collected & Collated
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108 Sūtra Study Pointers – 114 – It is intriguing, or even at times beguiling, in how we choose to relate to the nine interventions
It is intriguing, or even at times beguiling, in what
choices we make in relation to the nine interventions
elegantly presented in Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30.
In other words what ploys do we deploy and employ
with regard to at least living intelligently within,
even if unable to transform at this point in time,
with what appears as if a distraction between how
we feel we are and how we feel we would like to be.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30
Paul’s Yoga Mālā – A Thread of Pearls from Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra
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There is an increasing tendency in terms of Modern Therapeutic Yoga application strategies……
There is an increasing tendency in terms of Modern Therapeutic Yoga application strategies, especially when marketing Yoga as a Therapy through group class situations, to create brand banding to identify ‘sufferers’.
Personally, I feel it is not appropriate when considering Yoga practices for others to ‘lump’ people together as say back pain sufferers, or migraine sufferers, or insomnia sufferers, etc.
It is tempting, or even convenient also, to propose a technique and then state that this technique will help this particular situation or problem.
“We cannot say that this Āsana or this
Prāṇāyāma can be given for this disease.”
– T Krishnamacharya
However, my teacher taught me that Yoga is to be tailored to the needs and aspirations of each person rather than fitting the person to some ready-made group standard technique.
It is true to say there are some common characteristics within various health problems or conditions, but then so there are in all areas of people’s lives. We live together in groups determined by commonalities and yet each of us is unique in our view and relationship with our surroundings.
