citta

Root: cit Devanāgarī: चित्त Translation: psyche (the totality of the human mind, conscious and unconscious); mind; heart Similar words:cittaprasādana Opposite words:ātman, cetanā, dṛś, puruṣa, draṣṭṛ, cit Related concepts:anātman, hṛdaya, buddhi, ahaṃkāra, manas, manana, vāsanā, pratyaya, saṃskāra, vṛtti, vikṣepa, kṣipta, vikṣipta, mūḍha, ekāgratā, pratyāhāra, pramāṇa, viparyaya, nirmāṇa, sattva, ekāgra, antaḥ karaṇa, sūryacandra, vyutthāna, nirodha, acit

Appears in

Yoga Sūtra:

Chapter 1: 2 , 30 , 33 , 37
Chapter 2: 54
Chapter 3: 1 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 19 , 34 , 38
Chapter 4: 4 , 5 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 21 , 23 , 26

Bhagavad Gītā:

Chapter 4: 21
Chapter 6: 6 , 12 , 19 , 20

Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā:

Chapter 2: 2

Click here for complete Saṃskṛta Index

Commentaries around

Links to Related Resources & Longer Articles:

Collated Related Short Posts & Quotes:

“The Section on the assimilation
of what thinks it perceives,
with the source of perception.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One

“Patañjali, in the Samādhi Pādaḥ or Book One, introduces
two primary paths for cultivating a Dhyānam Sādhana.
Firstly, that of Jñāna Dhyānam where the Prayatna is Viyoga.
Here, the Bhāvana is to unlink from the activities of the Citta.
Secondly, that of Bhakti Dhyānam where the Prayatna is Yoga.
Here, the Bhāvana is to link to and direct the activities of the Citta.
Both Sādhana can lead the practitioner towards the same goal,
the unalloyed abiding inherent within the source of perception.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One

”Citta Vṛtti Nirodha, the state of mind in which no distractions arise from undesirable external stimuli and the individual is able to choose an object of focus, ideally Īśvara.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

”Another term for Citta Vṛtti Nirodha is Dhyānam,
the state of mind in which an individual focuses on,
visualises and remains with Īśvara.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The ideal Dhyānam,
which becomes easier with practice,
requires certain preparations to reduce
the tendency of the mind to be distracted,
either by being jumpy and agitated, or dull and inert.
Chief among these preparations are proper diet and Prāṇāyāma.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The Veda speak eloquently of the lotus in one’s heart, where Īśvara resides.
It is only when the mind is quiet, clear, and steady that we can
reach into and visualise this most intimate part of ourselves.
Yoga as a Saṃskāra leads to Yoga as a means to experience this.
The experience of Dhyānam, in this ideal sense,
eventually evolves into Samādhi – total absorption in Īśvara.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Cit is always the same.
Nirodha always refers to Citta.
Thus Cit is a witness.
What changes is only Citta.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“When we say our name we relate to our mind and not Cit.
However we are not able to separate mind from Cit.
They are so close – mind and not mind.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Mind is not the highest point in Yoga.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The mind depends on Cit.
It is like a stone,
it depends on Ātman or Cit to give it life.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Any Abhyāsa is only for the mind,
you cannot go beyond that point.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The mind is subject to change or Pariṇāma and as such can be channelised.
Certain movements can be emphasised or de-emphasised.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“The mind is like a fluid,
which can modify into different things.
A sense of change.
Thus restraining modifications is channelising.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2 is a Lakṣaṇa Sūtra in that it
describes the characteristics of Yoga as Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2 is not Yoga Sarva Citta Vṛtti Nirodha.
This is a relative Sūtra, which allows for a gradual evolution.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2

“To experience the spaciousness of Cit,
Yoga says practice enclosing the Citta.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 2-3

Yoga is the experience of stillness,
within the fluctuations of mind,
rather than the experience of stillness,
of the fluctuations of mind.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verses 2-3

“In the Yoga state we experience what is beyond the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 3

“When the mind is very clear,
you get the message from deep inside.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 3

“The less we act from within
the field of the present moment,
the more we re-act from within
the field of past memories.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verses 3-4

“Yoga is about refining
the skill to rest in the
awareness of the Cit,
rather than nest in the
nature of the Citta.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verses 3-4

“Working together with and directed by past impressions,
the three Guṇa, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas determine
whether the mind is calm, agitated or dull.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Past impressions also determine the
mind’s direction and quality of perception.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“When the mind is not very clear,
you only get the message from the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“In Sūtra Three and Four the mind is operating.
In Sūtra Three the mind is the means.
In Sūtra Four the mind is the means and the boss.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“The mind is like a glass through which we perceive.
When it is painted there is Rāga.
Often the painting colours what we see.
It is the colour of the mind that decides the quality of perception.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Whatever perceives is always right,
it is the mind that colours what we see.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Perception is said to be right when something happens,
where we can see the design of the mind as well as the object.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Yoga presumes for most people that mind is the same,
always planning ahead or basing itself on what has happened.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Yoga directs the mind to what is happening now.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“At all other times we identify with
the fluctuations within the mind.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“It is difficult to realise the wonders of Cit
within the wanderings of the Citta.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“The mind modifies perception.
Though you might even say that,
the mind muddifies perception.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Every step towards observing the play of the mind,
is a step towards observing the ploy of the mind.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Given the at all other times in this verse,
we need to thwart the ploys of the mind to
conform to its unhelpful fluctuations by reducing:
1. The tendency of the mind to perceive in too many ways.
2. The tendency of the mind to distort what we see.
3. The tendency of the mind to fantasize.
4. The tendency of the mind to go to sleep at inappropriate moments.
5. The tendency of the mind to get lost in memory or impose memory on reality.
When these old or other tendencies take over you are not there.
So if you are not consistent with your efforts,
you will not change your state of mind.
Plus, the unhelpful aspects of the fluctuations reduce
the tendency of the mind to experience a clarity of being.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 4

“Mental activities are called Kliṣṭa when they result
in Duḥkha and Akliṣṭa when they do not.
When the three Guṇa are dominant,
Jīva is troubled and mental activities result in Duḥkha.
When the mind is free from desires, inclined toward discrimination
and seeking truth, mental activities do not result in Duḥkha.
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 5

“Citta
is defined in this Sūtra, only
in the language of its function.
It cannot be, or is not,
defined in a qualitative way.
It is defined in a functional way.
Not what it is, but what it does.
It functions in many ways.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 5

“In Sūtra 1.5 Patañjali suggests that the psychic
fluctuations will be either Kliṣṭa or Akliṣṭa.
How can we discern?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 5

“In this Sūtra, Patañjali lists the five types of mental activities:
Pramāṇa Vṛtti, Viparyaya Vṛtti, Vikalpa Vṛtti, Nidrā Vṛtti, and Smṛti Vṛtti.
Vṛtti and Pariṇāma are synonymous, meaning “change of form”.
These five Vṛtti represent changes in the characteristics and functions of the mind.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“What is the true nature of the Citta?”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“The mind acts in countless ways and all of them
stem from the power of past Karma Vāsanā.
This is why individuals differ from one another.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“Although the activities of the mind are countless,
Patañjali categorizes all of them in one of five groups:
Pramāṇa, Viparyaya, Vikalpa, Nidrā, and Smṛti.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“In Sūtra 1.6 Patañjali identifies the psychic
fluctuations as being fivefold.
In looking at this statement,
which of these are you engaging?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 6

“The first type of Pramāṇa, Pratyakṣa, arises from the continuous active link,
through the mind and senses, between Jīva and the object it perceives.
The second type, Anumāna, is when present perception is
based on what has been seen in other situations in the past.
For instance, when I see dark clouds, I think that it may rain.
With the third type, Āgamā, undistorted words from
a reliable source are the basis for perception.
The Veda are Pramāṇa by virtue of their source.
The sage Āpastamba proclaimed that the Veda are Pramāṇa for Dharma.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 7

“Vikalpa is a particular kind of Citta Vṛtti in which understanding
arises from the spoken word. Is this kind of understanding valid or not?
Patañjali, in the definitive Mahābhāṣya commentary on Saṃskṛta grammar,
states that the essence of the spoken word is not separate from the fact
or object it refers to. Objects themselves cannot express their various aspects;
only Śabda can present them to us. Śabda can convey nuances
of meaning that only a special faculty of the mind can grasp.
Such an ability to comprehend is not given to everyone.
The essence of this Sūtra is that Vikalpa is the mental activity by
which what is spoken is understood to mean what it represents,
even when the actual thing is not present.
Thus when we hear the word Sarpa we know it means snake
even though there is no snake present at the moment.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 9

“Nidrā or deep sleep is the state in which the
mind’s link with external stimuli is cut off.
In this state, Tamas is dominant.
Although in deep sleep the mind
has no link with anything external,
this does not exclude all links,
which is why we are often able to recall
whether our sleep was sound or disturbed.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 10

“In Sūtra 1.10 Patañjali defines Nidrā as a
Citta Vṛtti or, a specific type of cognition, one
where Tamas is the object, to the point where
the mind’s link with external stimuli is cut off.
How do we discern between states such as
Pratyāhāra as a disengagement, or Samādhi,
where one is as if empty of one’s own character,
and what is seen as the experience of Tamo Nidrā?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 10

“Anubhūta is the change that
occurs in one’s state of mind
when it is related to external objects
through the involvement of the senses.
This is also known as experience.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 11

“When this relationship becomes strong through repeated encounters,
a unique power develops in the mind which is linked to Jīva.
This power is Saṃskāra and from it arises memory or that aspect of understanding
where objects can be comprehended without being physically present.
Based on previous experiences of objects, Saṃskāra gives rise to understanding
and in order for this to happen, Jīva must be linked to the mind.
This ability to remember, known as Asaṃpramoṣa, stays with us for a very long time.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 11

“In this Sūtra Patañjali states that there are two ways
to discipline the five types of mental activity.
They are Abhyāsa and Vairāgya.
Abhyāsa is practice.
In order to discipline the mind,
we need to develop a mental practice
that clearly reveals the distinction
between the nature of Jīva and Prakṛti.
Vairāgya is to disconnect or sever the link
between the Citta and external objects.
These two, Abhyāsa and Vairāgya,
always go together as a pair.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 12

“Patañjali defines Yoga as a particular state of mind.
This can be developed through Abhyāsa and Vairāgya.
Abhyāsa is the effort to remain there,
Patañjali doesn’t say what this effort is.
Vairāgya is when somebody is not interested in
what is in the senses, or what is beyond the senses.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 12

“According to Patañjali, the process of Abhyāsa needs
to be in place before Vairāgya is a viable reality,
as one is an increasingly subtle developmental process
arising from the initial engagement with the other.
Hence Abhyāsa is the attentive and consistent effort
to remain there and Vairāgya is our relationship with
what arises from and within our effort to remain there.
Here is a psychological drama where the internal play
of our neuroses acts itself out on the stage of the mind.
Though at least, with our efforts with Abhyāsa, the inner
audience can look at the play, rather than from the play.
Until we embrace the skills to remain there consistently,
we cannot consistently engage within the very erratic
relationship we have with the neurotic characters
that populate the drama/mystery/romance plays we
stage on a daily basis in our mind, as if a plat du jour.
Essentially until we choose to desist from not stopping,
we cannot begin to observe how much movement there is.
Thus, firstly there needs to be a consistent effort at
Abhyāsa Dhyānam, then we have the developmental
correlative of Vairāgya to help contend with what arises.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 12

“Abhyāsa is the practice of reflecting on the difference
between the nature of Jīva and the nature of Prakṛti,
which brings momentary tranquillity to the mind and
eventually leads to complete and sustained mental tranquillity.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 13

“The starting point for Abhyāsa is not the mind,
it is other than the mind.
The moment the mind takes over you are in difficulty.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 13

“One of the aims in Yoga is to yoke to
the more discerning aspects of the psyche,
rather than to the more distracting aspects of the psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 14

“Those mental activities
responsible for unhappiness
become rare and ineffective.
Whenever the person desires,
he can be completely absorbed
in his object of contemplation.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 18

“All mental distractions arise from the free play of the senses
and only through continuing practice can one keep their power in check.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 18

“Samādhi is a state of mind and an
understanding that arises from it.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 18

“What is Samādhi?
It is the ability to experience the true nature of the objects of Meditation,
through a mind rid of the provocation of excitability and inactivity.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 20

“Where does Śraddhā sit in a human being?
Is it a part of the mind?
No. It is beyond the mind.
It is Śraddhā which instructs the mind.
It comes from the hidden depths of the Saṃskāra and Vāsana
to influence one’s actions.”
– TKV Desikachar on Śraddhā in the Yoga Sūtra

“Or, from a respectful attitude
when mediating between the
immutability of awareness and
the mutability of the psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 23

“Bhakti Dhyānam uses Japa to build a bridge,
over the fear bringing streams of the mind.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 28

“What are the impediments which disturb the mind?
What are these called and how many are there?
The obstacles in question are nine in number
and are discussed in the next Sūtra.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 29

“Serious practitioners of Yoga from Vedic times to
the present day emphasise that a clear mind
is a prerequisite for Bhakti and
that it is only through Bhakti that
the true nature of the Jīva is revealed.
Bhakti, singe minded and abiding,
is the mark of a certain unique relationship
characterised by unshakeable faith,
absolute trust and boundless devotion.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“The Antarāya are presented as if
a mirror reflecting one’s Citta.
They function as if a subliminal playlist,
thus feeding our distractive tendencies.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“These inner obstacles that
confuse the psyche are:
– Physical Sickenss,
– Mental Rigidity,
– Lack of Trust,
– Negligence,
– Lethargy,
– Dissapation,
– False Opinions,
– Not Attaining a Foundation,
– Not Maintaining What is Attained.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“In Sūtra 1.30 Patañjali suggests nine interventions
as potential initiators for distraction in the psyche.
Reflecting on these nine interventions as obstacles,
Which of them are ‘favourites’ in your sense of self?
To the point of being ‘as if’ friends along the way.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 30

“Duḥkha is the mental activity that
brings impurities into the heart,
thus disturbing it.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 31

“Patañjali says you know the disease by
the way in which the body responds.
Duḥkha
– A condition I would like to be released from.
Daurmanasya
– How the mind behaves when things go wrong.
Aṅga Ejayatva
– Physical manifestation of a mental problem.
Śvāsa Praśvāsā
– How the disease affects the basic energy of the system.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 31

“Different factors affect the mind and
whatever affects the mind affects me,
since we are linked to the mind.
The mind is always in some relationship,
even silence, Maunam,
will become an object for the mind.
So, if we can look at
something auspicious,
I will not be affected.
This is the notion of Īśvara.
However, when such a possibility
doesn’t exist and a person cannot
link with undivided attention,
we require some other means.
e.g. Arjuna doubts Kṛṣṇa
Therefore, we have to accept some other means.
So while Īśvara Praṇidhānā is the highest,
the reality is that other means need
to be offered to quieten the mind.
Here it is Citta Prasādanam.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33

“Patañjali offers four Bhāvana,
as a conscious effort
to visualise something
we are not able to visualise.
An effort to not let the mind
follow the usual track,
but to say no,
let me look at this
in another way.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33

“In 1.33 four issues are taken which
either disturb the mind or increase
disturbance already in the mind.
e.g. I see someone happy and I become unhappy.
The Bhāvana here is to visualise
something that will help the situation.
An agitated mind is not only a nuisance
for ourselves, but also for others.
So we need to visualise something else.
These four ideas will help us maintain a state
of Citta Prasādanam in different situations.
So, no Īśvara Praṇidhānā, just Bhāvana on
society and our relationships with others.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33

“Karuṇā
Cultivating a feeling of compassion
towards our bodies and minds,
whatever state we find them in.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 33

“It can be said that sickness is Citta Vikṣepa and health is Citta Nirodha.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“Depending on whether the mind is in a state of Samādhi or not,
the person enjoys permanent happiness or
successive chains of unhappiness and happiness.
Those who accept nothing short of Samādhi,
freedom from the suffering of disease is realised.
After all, the root cause of disease is the disturbed mind,
when we cannot distinguish right from wrong or good from bad.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“From this, the role of senses and sense objects
in causing a ground for disease becomes evident.
They are chiefly responsible for creating disturbance in the mind.
Hence the value of Vairāgya insisted as an aid to help the student.
Otherwise the whole system is sure to reach a state of chaos
because of the erratic movement of vital energy all over the body.
To put it another way, disease results from excess of contact
with objects not conducive to the individual system.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“In Sūtra 1.34 Patañjali presents strategies to
work with the breath to help calm the mind.
How does the approach outlined here differ
from the Prāṇāyāma practices discussed in
the Bāhya Aṅga Sādhana in Chapter Two?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 34

“When disturbances that take the mind
everywhere but nowhere are contained,
then the individual is like a high class diamond,
with no blemishes.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 41

“What about others who are known as Vyutthita Citta,
a mind easily prone to agitations and distractions?
This second chapter known as Sādhana Pādaḥ caters to them.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“Īśvara Praṇidhānā is from the Yoga Sūtra
and is mentioned more than once.
It is given on three levels and
both presented and utilised
in Chapters One and Two.
In Chapter Two Patañjali mentions
Īśvara Praṇidhānā as part of Kriya Yoga.
Tapas is elimination, we have things
to remove from body and mind.
Svādhyāya is a reflection of what
I am and what is my goal in life.
Īśvara Praṇidhānā is where we are
more concerned with the quality
of the action rather than the fruit.
Here, Īśvara Praṇidhānā symbolises
our attitude to our actions and the
result of our actions.
Again it is mentioned in Chapter Two
as part of the Niyama,
as part of our daily practices.
Īśvara Praṇidhānā is something
we do every day to bring us
into contact with God.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“The Section on the means
to help do something for
the practitioner starting
with an agitated psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“According to the Bhāṣya of Vyāsa,
the Yoga Sutra Chapter One
speaks to the Samāhita Citta,
as if to a practitioner having
a healthy sense of egoity,
As in Asmitā Jñāna can prevail.
Whereas, in the Bhāṣya of Vyāsa,
the Yoga Sutra Chapter Two
speaks to the Vyutthāna Citta,
as if to a practitioner having
an unhealthy sense of egoity.
As in Asmitā Kleśa can prevail.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“The whole system functions on the strength of mind.
Mind is affected by what we eat.
‘Our mind is like our food‘.
Tapas is to discipline our eating habits.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1

“Activities that nurture a state of Yoga involve
self-discipline, self-inquiry and Self–awareness.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1

“When something is understood differently from what it truly is, it is called Avidyā.
What is changing is taken to be non-changing. For example the mind.
What is subjected to decay is assumed to be pure. For example the body.
What is leading to suffering is taken to be the source of pleasure.
What is not conscious is assumed to be conscious.
All these errors in perceptions have many possibilities.
But the ultimate stage of Avidyā is to assume that we are the Masters, not Īśvara.”
T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 5

“A necessary step in Yoga is to experience a state of complete and utter disillusionment.
Arising from that is a state of Citta prepared to give up its conviction of being the Cit.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 5

“One of the artful illusions presented by the Citta,
is its ability to as if dress in disguise,
so as to appear as if the Cit.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 5

“Patañjali reminds us of
the pitfalls of the illusion of
recognising psyche as awareness.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 5

“Citta and Puruṣa are distinct.
They are in association like heat and water.
Water which is cold becomes
warm in association with heat.
Then we use the term hot water.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 6

“Similarly, because of the proximity of Citta and Puruṣa,
what is the quality of one is taken to be of the other.
In our convention they are often taken as one
and not two distinct entities with different natures.
This state is Asmitā.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 6

“In Yoga freedom is in reality releasing the Citta,
from the illusion that, it is the release of the Cit
from the illusion that, it is that which is bound.
This illusion that it is the Cit that is bound,
blinds the Citta from looking at itself as a
source of the bondage. Within this illusion
there arises a consequent lack of insight into
the symptoms and cause of the confusion in
the reality of any relationship between the two.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 6

“What is unpleasant is not desired.
The response of the mind is then to move away from it.
Whether in fact such a step did prevent Duḥkha is not immediately evident.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 8

“Āsana alone can be a support for
our outer relationship with living.
However, can Āsana alone be a support
for our inner relationship with dying?
Especially as our disposition towards
clinging to life is continuous, as well as
being deeply buried within our psyche.
This is why Yoga offers vehicles beyond Āsana
for the inner and especially the final journey.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 9

“Kleśa are not always dominant.
Through Kriyā Yoga they become weaker and weaker.
How is it possible to completely subdue them?
No mental effort can help as Mind is the storehouse of the Kleśa.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 10

“We experience the world via the conjunction
of the ‘eye’ of the Cit with the ‘I’ of the Citta.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 17

“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

“Yoga is about remaining true to the Self
within the wiles of Myself.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 21

“Ātma is the source of the sunlight in the Psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 21

“The association with the world full of form and change starts with the mind.
Suffering caused because of this association is an eye opener.
Who is suffering?
Who is recognising it?
What can release this suffering?
All these questions exist because of this association,
even though it may often be painful”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 23

“The purpose of Āsana and Prāṇāyāma are twofold,
to reduce symptoms of ill-health or,
to prepare the mind towards fulfilling the
main emphasis of Patañjali, which is Meditation.
However according to the teaching I have received,
both of these roles can be fulfilled with relatively
few Āsana postures and Prāṇāyāma techniques.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 28

“Prāṇāyāma leads to this. Pratyāhāra,
to see without the senses distracting or pulling the mind,
and Dhāraṇā –
To see without the mind losing itself,
because of colouring or expectations.
Dhyānam arises out of this.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 49

“Pratyāhāra is not feeding the tendency of the Citta
to automatically form a positive, negative, or neutral
identification with whatever stimuli the senses present to it.
From that, we can begin to understand how their external gathering
activities stimulate our conscious and especially, unconscious choices.
From this, we can begin to understand how the impact
of this sensory knowing can lead us to travel in different directions
and trigger different levels of response, often without us being really
conscious of how deeply their input stimulates our psychic activities.
From these responses, there will be the inevitable re-actions,
again quite possibly unconscious and multilevelled,
according to our psychic history in terms of our memory,
habit patternings and deeper memory processes.
From those initial insight, we can begin to understand
and interact in how we can resist unconsciously slipping
into the trance states that can so often culminate with
the Kleśa manifesting fully in the entrancing dance of
Udārā Rāga, or Udārā Dveṣa, or Udārā Abhiniveśa,
the potent and profligate children of Avidyā.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 54

‎”A busy mind is always telling you where to go.
A quiet mind can be told where to go.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

“Here the word Citta is used rather than Manas.
Citta is not used in Chapter Two,
except with regard to Pratyāhāra in verse 54.
Otherwise, the term Manas is used,
as in when the mind is automatically
pulled out by external forces.
Therefore for many of us mind is Manas.
Unless there is a shift from Manas to Citta,
it is not possible to do Dhāraṇā.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

“Deśa – Place
Bandha – Fixing
Who is going to decide the place,
and who is going to say go there?
Or something else is telling the
mind to go there and stay there?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

“If there is no Dhāraṇā,
there is no Grahaṇa or grasping.
Mind itself cannot do Dhāraṇā.
Something else is required.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

“Since Dhyāna cannot occur without an object of concentration,
there must be an area where you fix your mind.
So, first you have to fix or bind your mind
on a particular place, a chosen object;
this is known as Deśa Bandha.
And second, the mind should establish
a relationship with this object which
should last, at least, for a moment.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

“Dhāraṇā is when we create a condition so that the mind,
going in a hundred different directions,
is directed to one point.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 1

“To hold the Citta for connective moments is Dhāraṇā.
To be held by the Citta for connective moments is Dhyānam”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verses 1-2

“The state of Dhyānam is possible in a seated posture.
If a person lies down, it may induce sleep.
If a person walks and moves about,
he may be distracted by the objects around him.
This posture must be in a place
where the mind will not be distracted.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“Dhyānam is an activity of a mind
dominated by Sattva linked to Ātma.
So Ātma and Sattva required for Dhyānam to occur.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“Dhyāna is not simply to still the mind.
It involves our ability to reflect afresh,
to discover what we had not known before.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“How can we distinguish
the actual state of Dhyāna
from infatuation with an object
that pleases and fills the mind?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“Dhyānam is the art of cultivating
a continuity of presence within
the activities in the psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“According to TKV Desikachar,
the process of cultivating a
state of meditation involves a
connective triad consisting of:
1. Dhyāta
Or, that which initiates the link,
namely the source of our awareness
as in Cit, Ātman, or Puruṣa, in other
words, something other than the mind.
2. Dhyeya
What it is I choose to link with, as in
the place, point, object or Deśa, as in
the Yoga Sūtra of Chapter Three verse 1.
3. Dhyāna
The activities of the psyche or Citta,
as in that which acts as the link or
connection between, for better
or for worse, the Dhyāta or the
meditator, and the Dhyeya or
that which is meditated upon.
Thus, according to this teaching,
the continuity and quality of the link
between the Dhyāta and the Dhyeya,
is dependent on the consistency
and clarity of the mind which links
the meditator and the meditated.
Hence, acccording to the teachings of
T Krishnamacharya, you must first
change the mind In order to meditate,
rather than trying to meditate in
order to change the mind.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 2

“From Meditation
arises Integration.
The Splendour of Knowing
Connective Moments of
Containment within the Psyche.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 3

“Meditation must elevate the mind.
That is its basic purpose, to be where I was not.
This involves an ascent of the individual’s mind.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 5

“The preceding limbs cleanse the Mala of the Mind.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 7

“The state where the mind has no impressions
of any sort and nothing is beyond its reach,
is more complex than the state of
directing the mind towards an object.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 8

“How can our minds, which
are used to one way of
operating, be changed?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 9

“The mind can have two types of Saṃskāra,
Vyutthāna or Nirodha Saṃskāra.
Vyutthāna is an earlier state
within the three levels of Citta.
Here, the Citta is like a ball.
It is not by you, it is in spite of you.
This applies also to the body and speech energies.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 9

“From meditating on the Heart,
we come to know the habits of the Mind.
From coming to know the habits of the Mind,
we come to know the intrinsic nature of the Mind.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 34

“The Yoga Sūtra is about reflecting on that which reflects,
in order to reflect from that which is the source of attention,
rather than from that which is the scene of intention.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 49

“The mutual aim of Yoga and Sāṃkhya is to
experience the more discerning aspects of the psyche,
rather than just the more grasping aspects of the psyche.
In the former, the tendency of the Buddhi to discern discriminately
prevails over the tendency of Ahaṃkāra to grasp indiscriminately.
In the latter, the tendency of the Ahaṃkāra to grasp indiscriminately
prevails over the tendency of the Buddhi to discern discriminately.
The former is a state known as Buddhi Sattva,
where the clarity of discernment prevails over the
indiscriminate grasping nature of the Ahaṃkāra.
The latter is a state of Buddhi Tamas,
where the discerning clarity of the Buddhi
is obscured by the grasping nature of the Ahaṃkāra.
Thus our Yoga Sādhana has but one primary Saṃkalpa,
that of the reduction of the obscuration by Tamas in the Buddhi.
This reduction of Tamas facilitates the advent of the clarity of Sattva,
as in the metaphor of the reduction of the cloud facilitates the advent of the sun.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 49

“Kaivalya is the outcome of the
equality of Sattva and Puruṣa.
The clarity of Sattva acquired
through our efforts with Citta,
coexisting with the eternal
abiding awareness of Puruṣa.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Three verse 55

“The fourth book, called Kaivalya Pādaḥ, reinforces the idea
that whatever happens is actually already existing within us.
It is not something we can or need to acquire from outside
and it reminds us that the mind is the essential tool to help
in the final discernment of what is the unchanging essence.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four

“There are five different ways in which the fruits described in Chapter 3 can manifest:
1. Some people are born with this ability.
2. Through taking certain herbs in a special way.
3. Chanting Mantra can change one’s state of mind.
The chanting can be very complex.
4. Austerities can bring power and change perceptions.
This is why Tapas is mentioned as a tool in Chapter Two verse 1.
Tapas needs to be linked to a purpose, so that the heat can be redirected.
There has to be reflection as well as restraint;
you have to reflect on the effect of the restraint on yourself and on others.
5. The practice of Yoga.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 1

“What is the common factor of all the ideas in this Sūtra?
From one character to another.
Changes of mind are not based on the acquisition of new qualities,
but on those that already exist.
To bring about a desired change in the mind,
one must vary the proportion of the three basic qualities:
openness, activity and heaviness.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 2

“Who does this?
What is the force that brings about this adjustment?
We need some means – that is called Nimitta.
We must have the intelligence to know the basic
characteristics of our materials and their possibilities.
We must also have ability to bring about desired change.
Change of the mind, as in the movement from an ordinary mind
to one that is extraordinary, is similar to the process of irrigation.
A farmer attempts to direct the flow of water from
an oversupplied plot to one with insufficient supply.
The very nature of water makes it necessary only to cut
a dam to cause it to flow. However, he must recognise
which plot is surplus, which is deprived and which
dam he must cut in order to solve his problem.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 3

“Asmitā Mātrāt is the starting point,
Nirmāṇa Cittāni is the possibility.
The quality of the Asmitā decides
on the reformation of the Citta.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 4

“Those who use their Nimitta have another facility at their disposal.
They have the ability to influence another.
In that they can change other people’s states of mind.
Asmitā is the common source of this influence over another.
The link between teacher and student is through Asmitā.
The more open the link the stronger the influences.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 4

“The influences are not uniform,
they vary according to the recipient.
It depends on each person,
what they are seeking,
their background and interests,
and the person who is influencing.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 5

“The motive and state of mind of the teacher can
also vary and therefore produce varying results.
Thus the influence may or may not be for good,
depending on the person who is influencing and
the source of their powers; except in the case of Yoga,
because the actions of a Yogin are free of self–interest.
Thus, the motivation and intention of the teacher are
important in helping the student illuminate their Nimitta.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verses 5-6

“One whose Citta is refined through
Dhyāna acts without self–interest.
This influence, born out of Dhyāna,
allows the person to act without harm.
Otherwise we do not know what will happen.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 6

“When I do something is it
because I want to do it,
or am I being led to
do it by the mind?”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 9

“There are four ways or pillars in which
the past is triggered and supported
1. Hetu
– Misapprehension or the cause or origin
Difficult to work here
2. Phala
– Attachment to the fruits of actions
Based on the combination of Vāsana,
Saṃskāra and Smṛti fruits have effects
which add to what is already there
3. Āśraya
– The mind has different qualities, hence the
substratum or underlying state of mind
4. Ālambana
– There are different external circumstances.or external stimuli”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 11

“If these four pillars are constantly
reinforced by Vāsana and Saṃskāra.
Which of them is easiest to remove?
1. Hetu –
Cause or origin can’t be easily removed
What influences you is not the cause itself,
but the memory of how you felt at the time.
You have to recognise and respect the cause,
if you want to move forward.
2. Phala –
Fruits may be immediate or long term,
so it’s hard to anticipate them.
3. Ālambana –
Object which provokes Vāsana to move.
May be immediate or cumulative.
Could be even a word.
External influences can be hard to remove.
How can it last when we do so many things?
4. Āśraya –
So the best one to work with is the structure of the mind,
Those forces which affect the impulse of Vāsana.
e.g Guna affecting desire, the power of Saṃskāra.
When they get reduced, Saṃskāra get reduced.”
– TKV Desikachar on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 11

“Attitude is nothing but an attitude.
If you can change your attitude,
you lay down another Saṃskāra.
The mind learns through habits.
So by changing habits you change the mind.
Yoga is a way of taking steps to initiate change.
Therefore Yoga practice is a Saṃskāra,
to prepare the mind for a different attitude.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 11

“What you are looking at is coloured
by where you are looking from.
Where you are looking from is coloured
by what you are looking at.
So the mind may know or not know,
where it is actually looking from,
or what it is actually looking at.
Or even not know that it doesn’t know
the nuances inherent in what and where.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 17

The safest place for the mind is in the past.
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Four verse 27

“The ability to do whatever we do in life
is linked to our state of mind.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Two verse 50

“When dominated by Kleśa,
Citta is not a friend.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Six verse 6

“Only the Citta is the cause for Bandhana or Mokṣa.”
– TKV Desikachar on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Six verse 6

“Fixing the Manas in a particular place,
disciplining the senses,
seated in a proper posture,
a person begins Yoga for Citta Śuddhi.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Six verse 12

“Ekāgratā is compared to the sharp tip
of the steady flame of a Ghee Lamp
when not exposed to any wind.
In other words,
the mind should not move
anywhere else other than in the
direction fixed for Dhāraṇā.
Obviously the Viṣaya for Dhāraṇā
and Dhyānam should be the same.
The stronger the Dhāraṇā,
the steadier the Dhyānam.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Six verse 19

Question to T Krishnamacharya:
How necessary is Yoga in these modern times?
Krishnamacharya’s Response:
“For the strengthening of the Aṅga,
Yoga Āsana practiced with long
inhalation and exhalation is important.
To reduce the disturbances of the mind,
to gain mental strength and to increase longevity,
Prāṇāyāma is necessary.”

“When the mind thinks it is seeing rather than the Puruṣa there is Avidyā,
and this is the beginning of Duḥkha.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Six Page 85

“The mind is an accumulation of actions and memories of actions.
This conditions us to act as we have been acting.
In doing so, we cannot detect that things are changing and therefore,
our actions might go wrong.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Six Page 85

“If we are doing Āsana and the mind continues to wander,
we are not doing the Āsana, only our bodies are doing them.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Seven Page 91

“Dhāraṇā is the contact.
Dhyāna is the communication.
Further, when we become so involved in
an object that our mind completely merges with it,
that is called Samādhi.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga Chapter Eleven Page 155

“The terms Ha and Ṭha also represent
two extreme sides of a wavering mind.
Ha often is meant to represent the sun, Ṭha the moon.
Suṣumṇā in the middle Nāḍī.
Prāṇa in the Ha and Ṭha represents
a confused and wavering mind.
Prāṇa in the Suṣumṇā represents a clear, steady mind.
Hence, Jñāni is one whose Prāṇa is in Suṣumṇā
and Ajñāni is one whose Prāṇa is still
in the opposite two Nāḍī, Ha and Ṭha.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘Various Approaches to Yoga’ Chapter Seventeen Page 246-247

“The mind functions at five levels.
Mostly it functions in such a way that we hardly notice it.
So much happens, so many ideas, perceptions
come and go that very often we lose track.
It is like a monkey that is drunk and somebody is poking it.
It is distraught and cannot comprehend anything.
In Yoga this level of functioning is called Kṣipta.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 251

“A slightly better condition than Kṣipta
is what is called Mūḍha.
Here the mind is like a dull, sleepy, heavy buffalo.
There is hardly any inclination to act, to respond, or to observe.
This could be a temporary situation or a more regular affair.
There are many reasons for this–”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 251

“Another way the mind functions is called Vikṣipta.
We act but we have doubts;
distractions come about,
there are obstacles.
The set direction does not look right
and we don’t know what to do about it.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 251

“The fourth way the mind functions is called Ekāgratā.
Here clarity has come about
and we have direction and are able to proceed.
What we want to do is much clearer
and distractions hardly matter.
This is also called Dhāraṇā which was explained earlier.
Yoga is actually the beginning of Ekāgratā.
Yoga suggest means to create conditions that gradually
move the Kṣipta level of mind towards Ekāgratā.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 251

“The word Nirodha also means “restraint”.
It is not by restraining the mind that it will move and
become involved in a particular direction of choice.
It is the other way round; that is,
so strongly and intensely the mind has moved toward
one area and has become absorbed in one area
that there is no “infiltration”.
Therefore Nirodha meaning “restraint”,
is just an effect of Nirodha meaning “complete absorption”.
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 252

“What we try to do in Yoga is simply to create conditions so
that the mind becomes a most useful instrument for action.
And this can only be done gradually.
Any “short-cut method” is an illusion.
This gradual procedure may involve a number of intelligent means,
all of which come within the realm of Yoga Sādhana.”
– TKV Desikachar Religiousness in Yoga ‘The Way the Mind Functions and the Concept of Nirodha’ Chapter Eighteen Page 253

“Everything we see,
including the instrument of mind,
has three qualities or natures.
All matter has the three qualities.
In Saṃskṛta they are known as Guṇa.
In Sāṃkhya it is said that every problem
comes from the Guṇa and their interplay.
The effects can be based on what we see, eat, hear,
and the effects of what we see, eat, hear.
In Yoga one who has mastered themselves is one
who can produce whatever Guṇa is required.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“The mind has the characteristics that make other things possible.
To develop tendencies or Saṃskāra.
The mind can also adapt and change or Pariṇāma.
Saṃskāra is the opposite of Pariṇāma.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“For Yoga Teachers it is
important to understand
the movement of the mind
as well as of the body.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“The mind is basically neutral.
It depends on what happens to us.”
– TKV Desikachar on Sāṃkhya and Yoga

“The first part of the practice is
very important, as it requires a
slow examination to determine
the state of the body and mind.
This enables one to decide what
form the practice should take.”
– TKV Desikachar Chennai 1979

“To influence Prāṇa,
we have to influence the mind.
This is achieved by the by means of the breath.”
– From personal lessons with TKV Desikachar

“The idea of accepting the breathing techniques can work both ways.
Sometimes it is necessary to withdraw the use of the
breathing techniques from a person’s practice.
The consequence of the breath is not always logical,
as the mind is not logical.
So it is better to be open about the use of,
or avoidance of the use of breathing techniques.”
– From personal lessons with TKV Desikachar

“Āsana offers a purpose more than just physical.
Āsana offers a link of the mind to the physical.
Āsana introduces the concept of Dhyāna as a practice.
Āsana seeks to minimise the Saṃskāra
or habitual patterns which dull the mind.
In doing so it seeks to increase our sensitivity to ourselves,
what is around us and its corresponding influences,
and to what sustains us.”
– TKV Desikachar

“As is the food in front of you,
so is the mind behind you.”
– TKV Desikachar

“Then, he has also some views on Dhyāna.
Since Dhyāna is a characteristic of mind,
and since the mind is limited to form,
Deśa, or the object of meditation,
must be Saguṇa and not Nirguṇa.
Ordinary people need certain forms,
certain visualisations, for Dhyāna,
so any Dhyāna which is Nirguṇa is only Vikalpa.”
– TKV Desikachar Switzerland 1981.

“Yoga is when the mind is completely absorbed in the great force within.”
– TKV Desikachar France August 1983

“There are categories of Sādhana relating to Body, Breath, Senses and mind.”
– TKV Desikachar France August 1983

“Different people explain the cause of disease differently.
In the Yoga Sūtra disease is Vikṣepā, a mind which is unstable.
Mind loses its presence of mind before an object.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“As teachers we can only confine ourselves
to diseases where we have a role play.
These are diseases where the mind is involved.
We work with diseases where a relationship
exists between body and mind.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“The ancient people introduced holding of the breath
to stop, to quieten the mind,
considered as linked to the movement of Vāta.”
– TKV Desikachar December 1987

Question: What is the greatest obstacle to meditation?
“The biggest obstacle to meditation is Vikalpa,
the ability of the mind to fabricate in spite of reality.
Through Vikalpa, the mind fabricates thoughts of no essence,
no substance; and since meditation is, for most of us,
the play of the mind, Vikalpa is the greatest obstacle.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 19th 1988

“In meditation,
one must make the transition
from the gross, that which has form
and which can be seen by the mind,
to the subtle, the formless.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 19th 1988

Question to TKV Desikachar:
How rigorous should we be in the practice of Tapas?
“Tapas is not the rejection of everything around us.
In the Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 1,
Tapas means to be able to discipline oneself.
So if you are too fat eat less.
If you are too thin eat more.
Tapas which harms the mind should be rejected.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras December 21st 1988

“Ancient teachers said our experience must include training
of the body, breath and mind, since for most of us the mind
continues to be the supervisor and we can’t do much about it,
we must use the body and the breath.
So the practice of Āsana must be grounded
not only in the body but in the breath.
So the intimate relationship must be understood.”
– TKV Desikachar 1991

“The body can be underused,
overused and abused, we need to be
aware of what is happening with the body,
but we also need to do something for the mind.”
– From study notes with TKV Desikachar England 1992

“There are many postures to suit a variety of different body types.
Āsana practice is to prepare the body, to sit for Prāṇāyāma.
Āsana also helps to get rid of impurities
so that it is possible to do something deeper, inside the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar England 1992

“The Yoga of Patañjali, presented in very brief pithy statements,
asserts that all human problems emanate from the mind
and can be resolved by changing the quality of this mind.
Not only can they be resolved, but a person can also
utilise this refined mind for every use possible,
including comprehending the divine mystery.”
– TKV Desikachar Madras 1996

“When we are seeking pleasure and possession
the mind is very busy.”
– TKV Desikachar from unedited manuscript for ‘What are We Seeking?’

“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.
But it must be remembered that the essence of Yoga is discipline.
Essentially it is the discipline of the body,
it is the discipline of the mind and
it is also the discipline of the spirit.
But prevention does not interest people
even though it is of obvious importance.
People get interested only when they are in trouble.
So we now need to develop strategies
using the salient principles of Yoga practice,
so that it can be adapted to people with specific problems.”
YOGA: SURGERY SANS INSTRUMENTS
– Interview with TKV Desikachar from ‘The Hindu’ 1998

“The Cakra are points of
concentration for the mind.”
– ‘Concerning the Cakra’ by TKV Desikachar

“The Yoga Sūtra says so much about the mind,
but little about the self.
What can be shared can be expressed,
what cannot be shared cannot be expressed.”
– TKV Desikachar

“The problem is in the mind
and the key is in the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar

“What the mind desires does not diminish as we age,
only the capacity to realise it.”
– TKV Desikachar

“1. We know nothing.
2. We have problems.
3. We do something about them.
4. We have some power.
5. We find this power is something other than the mind.”
– TKV Desikachar

“To define the word Yoga is very difficult, as the word is so adaptable.
A starting point would be Patañjali.
Patañjali removed all the complicated definitions and simplified it to:
‘Making the best out of the most difficult object, the mind.’
His idea was to create a situation,
where the mind becomes more faithful than it is.”
– TKV Desikachar

“Within the teachings of T Krishnamacharya,
as transmitted to TKV Desikachar,
the role of Śavāsana within an Āsana practice was as
a transitional link pose between categories of Āsana.
For example between Standing and Lying Āsana,
or Lying and Inverted Āsana,
or Inverted and Prone Backbends,
or Prone Backbends and Seated Āsana,
or Seated Āsana and Sitting Practices.
The extent of its use and length of rest at each stage,
when transiting from one category to another within our
Āsana practice journey, was dependent on the facility
of the practitioner and the intensity of the practice.
Within this individualised variance is the guiding
principle that the role of Śavāsana is to facilitate a
smooth transition for the flow of the breath and also
the pulse through and beyond the Āsana practice,
as a marker for the practitioner’s state of mind.
However according to Desikachar the Viniyoga of
Śavāsana was seen in terms of recovery from the
fatigue of the preceding aspect of the practice rather,
than say recovery from the preceding aspects of one’s life.
Regarding the approach for the recovery
from the preceding aspects of one’s life,
amongst other things such as Āhāra and Vihāra,
the wider purpose, content, duration and frequency
of the Āsana practice must be carefully reconsidered.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

Bhāvana on Śavāsana within a Śikṣaṇa Āsana practice.
“Inherent within the application of Śavāsana
as an Āsana within a Śikṣaṇa Krama practice,
is the active cultivation of a quality of Nirodha,
or what can be described as ‘witness awareness’.
As in the notion of the Cit observing the Citta.
Thus, a key to directing the attention in
Śavāsana, is to intentionally cultivate
a quality of passive observation.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“Āsana has three complementary facets that
need to be considered as unique potentials
for development within any Vinyāsa Krama.
Firstly, exploring the body in terms of what is
its potential regarding Strength and Flexibility.
Secondly, exploring the breath in terms of what
is its potential regarding Length and Subtlety.
Thirdly, exploring the mind in terms of what is
its potential regarding Attention and Attitude.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“In terms of a Śikṣaṇa Krama approach,
Desikachar taught how to cultivate a
skill in actively employing a passive
observation whilst practicing Āsana.
Furthermore, this was a focus cultivated
within all the various categories of Āsana.
Therefore this quality of quiet observation
remained a priority whether in Uttānāsana,
Sarvāṅgāsana, Apānāsana, or even Śavāsana.
Within this, one could also suggest that the
less demanding the Āsana, the more there
is scope for sensory or psychic dissipation.
Hence here, the more there is a need for us
to actively employ a passive observation.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“Mahāmudrā is a rock
on which to take a seat,
amidst the swirling waves
in the ocean that is the Citta.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“There are those Mudrā that are utilised
within Haṭha Yoga to stimulate Agni.
There are those Mudrā that are utilised
within Rāja Yoga to pacify the Citta Vṛtti.
Both work on containment, but with a
different focus and intentional outcome.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“Prāṇāyāma is common to both Haṭha and Rāja Sādhana,
whether working with the Prāṇa Śodhana of Haṭha Yoga,
where you were taught to practice it at each
of four transitional points through the day,
or with the Citta Śodhana of Patañjali,
where it is the pivotal Bahya Aṅga,
Prāṇāyāma is seen as the primary means to engage
the Élan Vital, the vital force or creative principle.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Prāṇāyāma can be practiced
as a Four Quadrant Tool to
influence the flow of the Mind.
1. As a tool in the Morning.
Here it can be practiced as a
Means to Hone the Mind.
2. As a Tool in the Afternoon.
Here it can be practiced as a
Means to Refresh the Mind.
3. As a Tool in the Evening.
Here it can be practiced as a
Means to Settle the Mind.
4. As a Tool in the Night.
Here it can be practiced as a
Means to Clear the Mind.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Is the primary obstacle to
experiencing Prāṇāyāma as a
developmental process, coming
from what arises within the mind,
rather than from within the breath?”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Prāṇāyāma is where the
breath controls the mind,
rather than the mind
controlling the breath.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“From this, the role of Prāṇāyāma is to embrace all the
learned qualities of the breath in Āsana and Mudrā,
both in intensifying its energetic potentials, as well
as cultivating its inherent psychological qualities.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“According to T Krishnamacharya,
we must consider the effects of food on
the state of the mind as well as the body.
In that, he saw food as something which
can nourish you or, that which can eat you.
Interestingly, Haṭha Yoga texts also talk of
the need to examine and refine our eating
habits before we begin taking up Prāṇāyāma,
rather than before we begin practicing Āsana.
Thus, it is a triangle of food, breath and mind.
So, seemingly it is not enough to just hold the
nose and do Nāḍī Śodhana without considering
the influence of Āhāra on the long-term outcome.”
– 108 Prāṇāyāma Practice Pointers

“Krishnamacharya taught that a Samāhita Citta
was a prerequisite starting point for Meditation.
If so, how do we relate to the modern phenomenon
that a Vikṣepa Citta can be a starting point for Meditation?
Unless perhaps we discern that here it isn’t actually Meditation?”
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“In Meditation the most
difficult exercise for
the mind, is the one of
not exercising the mind.”
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“There are special times
when we need to disconnect
from the sensory external in order
to connect with the psychic internal.”
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“Yoga Dhyānam is the art
of settling the mind
within the heart space.”
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“According to the teachings
of Krishnamacharya,
you must first change the
Manas in order to meditate,
before trying to meditate in
order to change the Citta.”
– 108 Dhāraṇā Practice Pointers

“In some moments the heart melds with the Mantra,
in others the mind grapples with the Mantra,
occasionally there is just the wonder of the Mantra.”
– 108 Chanting Practice Pointers

“Yoga Sūtra Chanting for the Mind.
Veda Mantra Chanting for the Soul.”
– 108 Chanting Practice Pointers

“A day of clear clear blue, no past no future,
just the present with the clarity of the sun
permeating every molecule of the sky,
brings to Mind the Gāyatrī Mantra:
tat savitur vareṇiyaṃ
That sun most excellent
bhargo devasya dhīmahi |
on the radiance of the Divine I meditate |
dhiyo yo naḥ pracodayāt ||
wisdom may (that radiance) our impel ||
I meditate on the divine radiance
of the most excellent sun.
May it impel my wisdom.”
– 108 Chanting Practice Pointers

“According to the teachings of Krishnamacharya,
you must first change the mind In order to meditate,
rather than trying to meditate in order to change the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Yoga is more about exploring
the movement of the mind, whilst
Āsana is more about exploring
the movement of the body.
The vehicle common to exploring both
is the movement of the breath.
The yoking of all three is towards the goal of
experiencing the source of all movement.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Haṭha Yoga is about Nāḍī Śodhana.
Rāja Yoga is about Citta Śodhana.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Āsana is an interface between the body
and the systemic energy processes.
Prāṇāyāma is an interface between the
systemic energy processes and the psyche.
Dhyāna is an interface between the psyche
and the awareness that pervades our sense of being.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“In terms of ageing mainframes and creaking joints,
it is perhaps useful to remind ourselves that
Yoga practice is much more than just Āsana.
In other words, even as the body slows down,
can we continue to slow the Breath down,
can we continue to slow the Mind down,
can we be still within the distraction of age?”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Constancy of the body
reveals the inconstancy of the breath.
Constancy of the body and breath
reveals the inconstancy of the mind.
Constancy of the body, breath and mind
reveals the constancy of awareness.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“Amongst other roles Ujjāyī
is a breathing technique that
can facilitate the ability to remain
in the doorway of awareness,
neither going in and introverting, when
tempted by the manoeuvring of the mind,
nor going out and extroverting, when
tempted by the shimmering of the senses.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“In Āsana the emphasis is
more on Body, Breath, Mind.
In Prāṇāyāma the emphasis is
more on Breath, Mind, Body.
In Dhyānam the emphasis is
more on Mind, Breath, Body.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“If you were going to do an Āsana practice,
what would be behind your purpose or aim?
As in, what is it you want the practice to do?
With this in mind, how would you choose?
So, what would be your choices for Āsana?
What would be your criteria for choosing?
What would be your choice of breath ratio?
What would be your criteria for choosing?”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“If you were going to do a Prāṇāyāma practice,
what would be behind your purpose or aim?
As in, what is it you want the practice to do?
With this in mind, how would you choose?
So, what would be your choice of technique?
What would be your criteria for choosing?
What would be your choice of breath ratio?
What would be your criteria for choosing?”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

“In Āsana the breath
is a support for the mind.
In Prāṇāyāma the breath
is a mirror for the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

General Guidelines for Choosing Āsana:
“Consider, the Physiological, Energetic
and Psychological aspects of practice.
Perhaps exploring intended learning
outcomes across five areas that practice
can enable us to interact with, namely the
Body, Spine, Breath, Mind and Emotions.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Relating these two types of activity,
dynamic movement in Āsana is the initial way
of assessing what is what in the body,
in the breath and in the mind.
Furthermore, you can’t just press a button and
get into and out of an Āsana, you have to move.
So there is a starting point in learning the practice of Āsana.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Consequently in looking at the principles
of working with dynamic and static,
we must consider the following:
– The Lakṣaṇa of the chosen Āsana
– The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s body
– The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s breath
– The Lakṣaṇa of the practitioner’s mind
– Along with a time appropriate, category
accessible Vinyāsa Krama to link the
chosen Āsana with the practitioner’s
individual body, breath and mind.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Furthermore, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the fluctuations of the Guṇa.
Ideally, dynamic work is a state of still movement,
rather than a state of active movement, as in Rajas.
Equally, static work is a state of bright stasis,
rather than a state of dull stasis, as in Tamas.
Thus, in relation to the Guṇa, the application
of both movement and stasis in Āsana need to be
appropriately supported by a quality of Sattva.
As in a quality of stillness within dynamic work
and a quality of brightness within static work.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Furthermore, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the concepts of Dhāraṇā and Dhyānam.
Dynamic is the effort to move the activities of the mind,
as well as of the body, in one direction as in Dhāraṇā.
The observations from dynamic work also allow us to see
the role or appropriateness or subtlety of static work.
Here static can be considered as the holding of the mind,
as well as of the body, in one direction as in Dhyānam.
As Dhāraṇā precedes Dhyānam in terms of directing the
activities of the mind, so dynamic work precedes static
work in terms of directing the activities of the body.
So, the quality of the attention within the mind, as well
as the body, is important in helping us to experience the
progressive interrelationship between movement and stasis.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Different Types of Postural Activity in Āsana Practice
“Finally, the consideration of movement
or stasis sits within a relationship to the
deeper purpose of Āsana within our journey
through the body and the breath, to the mind
and beyond, through considerations such as:
In relation to the psychological ideal of remaining there.
According to the definition in Chapter Three verse 2 of
the Yoga Sūtra, a continuity of psychic activity is the ideal.
This is seen as the ability to stay, as if in the same moment, as
one moment melds into the next moment and the next moment.
In other words, the ability to internally maintain a continuity of
experience as if maintaining an apparent stillness of movement.
Access to such subtle states requires a containment of movement
that ultimately extends from the body to the breath to the mind.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

The element of compromise in the body
“This also applies that, as a teacher,
we should be aware of the student’s limitations.
These are variables according to the person,
as well as the climate, the environment, etc.
They are not constant and neither are the effects.
This compromise can react in many ways.
For example:
You put your mind in one place during
an Āsana, the body compensates
and places the escape elsewhere.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

The element of compromise in the body
“It is usually the teacher that initially
observes the escape, rather than the
area of the body where the mind is.
This is another example of an
involuntary, as in unconscious, response
to a voluntary, as in conscious, movement.
Thus, for example, in Āsana what we try
to do can have different responses:
Such as what we want to happen,
and what we don’t want to happen.
If voluntary intentions produce
involuntary responses, then you can
lose touch with what is happening.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Summary of Ideas around Practice Planning
“Given the changes in the body are manifold and
the changes in the mind are also manifold, as
well as the manifold changes in the emotions.
How can we meet these manifold changes and
yet still promote well-being within our practice?”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

“It’s not until I understand how to
cultivate a space within my self
can I begin to experience that
which is the essence of the Self.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“How to cultivate as
intimate a relationship
with our Yoga Practice
as with our mind’s habits?”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“Containing the Body,
or Kāya Nirodha
doesn’t always imply that…
you can contain the Breath.
Containing the Breath,
or Prāṇa Nirodha
doesn’t always imply that…
you can contain the Mind.
Containing the Mind
or Mano Vṛtti Nirodha.
doesn’t always imply that…
you can contain the Psyche.
Containing the Psyche,
or Citta Vṛtti Nirodha
doesn’t always imply that…”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“Haṭha Yoga is about the vitality of our Prāṇa.
Rāja Yoga is about the clarity of our Citta.
Krishnamacharya’s teachings reflect their
relative importance, in the correlation and
integration of both within our Yoga Sādhana,
as beacons for our outer and inner journey.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“Krishnamacharya’s Yoga Loom
had three interwoven threads.
Namely,
an appropriate application,
according to,
an individual’s specific needs,
of:
Kāya Cikitsā through Āyurveda,
Prāṇa Śakti through Haṭha,
Citta Adhyātmika through Rāja.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

Fire in the Belly – Peace in the Mind.
“From a traditional Yoga viewpoint the yoking
of seemingly contrasting qualities or natures
within the body and mind have long been a goal.
According to Yoga, two of these contrasting qualities
are seen through the lens of the body and of the mind.
Known through opposite symbols, as in the Sun or
Surya, to be lived as the fire in the belly, and as in
the Moon or Candra, to be lived as peace in the mind.
Cultivating an intelligent relationship between these
two qualities can offer a model for our practice as well
as a means to better embrace the challenges in daily life.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“The breath is a way
into the mystery
of the mind,
and a way out
of the mastery
of the body.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“How do we refocus on the limbs of
Aṣṭāṅga Yoga and the stretching
or strengthening of the Mind,
rather than the more usual focus
we find on the limbs of the Body
and the stretching or strengthening
of the muscles, tendons and joints?”
– 108 Yoga Teaching Path Pointers

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