‎”Another aspect of Atha is Saṃkalpa,
which in the Vedic Tradition is the decision to initiate something important
and to ensure that it is completed at any cost, without distraction or deviation.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 1

“In Sūtra 1.14 Patañjali outlines qualities he feels are
important in cultivating the intention within Abhyāsa.
What are these qualities and how can we
realise them within our efforts to remain there?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 14

“In Sūtra 1.19 Patañjali appears to be alluding to
two possible cul-de-sac’s for misplaced intention,
in terms of experiencing an illusion of freedom.
What are they and how can they be avoided?”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 19

“Three types of Śiṣya:
1. The student doesn’t get started e.g. doesn’t get beyond Saṃkalpa
2. The student starts, but when there is an obstacle, stops.
3. The student starts, but when there is an obstacle, takes it as a challenge”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 22

“Our actions reveal our intentions.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 14

“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

Question to TKV Desikachar on Yama and Niyama:
“The idea behind Yama and Niyama is the attitude we have to the inside and outside.
If I don’t know what is true there is no question of telling the truth.
However there is the intention, because one day it may become a reality.
Even though some of these things are not there in the beginning, if the intention is sincere then one day it will become an action if conditions and our psychological state change.
Yama as telling the truth also means discretion.”
– TKV Desikachar France 1983

“Saṃkalpa is mainly the intention to do something,
to be serious about my goal; it is something I feel I must do.
Saṃkalpa must be on both parts: student and teacher,
like when we chant ‘saha nāvavatu…’.
Saṃskāra means the purification,
like cleaning a vessel before I use it for another purpose.
It’s a kind of Viyoga or separation.
It concerns how I prepare for the situation.
The Saṃskāra is an effort in both directions: student and teacher.
Saṃyoga means there is a good exchange;
something begins to happen, something is given and something is received.
The best teaching has all three of these.”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“Saṃkalpa is a serious intention between and both from teacher and student.
The less the depth of Saṃkalpa, the less the depth of what follows.
Once this is there what is required is Saṃskāra.
Saṃskāra is to remove the obstacles.
In a way it is Viyoga, so that certain things that get in the way are put aside.
Saṃskāra is like cleaning a vessel before you cook.
Saṃyoga is where something begins to happen.
The accumulation of what begins to happen between teacher and student is Saṃyoga.
Proportionate to the quality of the three, the output will be different”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“What sustains Saṃkalpa day after day?”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“When looking at the means to explore the art of
improvisation within the choice and application
of Āsana, we need to be specific in our intention.
For example,
we could look through the lens of two questions:
1. What are the areas that we wish to investigate?
2. What are the ways to explore these in Āsana?
If we are specific in regard to the first question,
as in what is the area or areas to be investigated,
then we can explore these in the second question,
through utilising the art of improvisation in Āsana.”
– 108 Postural Practice Pointers

“As with Prāṇāyāma, the role and practice of Mudrā
needs to be considered from two distinct, but
complementary and developmental viewpoints.
In other words, there are Mudrā that are primarily
utilised within the context of Haṭha Yoga and there are
Mudrā that are utilised within the context of Rāja Yoga.
Within these two viewpoints, there are also those Mudrā
that can be applied in either context, depending on the
Saṃkalpa and Bhāvana employed by the practitioner.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“The intention within
Bṛṃhaṇa Kriyā
is to feel brighter.
The intention within
Laṅghana Kriyā
is to feel lighter.”
– 108 Yoga Practice Pointers

Voluntary Efforts and Involuntary Effects in an Āsana Practice
“As well as the consideration around the use of
Āsana dynamically or statically, there is also,
depending on our background to Āsana practice,
the voluntary effort and the involuntary effects.
According to the impact of this in the background,
certain voluntary intentions can, often unconsciously,
trigger certain involuntary, multilevelled responses.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

Voluntary Efforts and Involuntary Effects in an Āsana Practice
“Also, certain steps have to be taken to avoid, anticipate
or compensate for the effects of the involuntary response.
This means certain steps have to be taken to consider the
voluntary intention and a potentially involuntary response.
From this, we can evolve certain suggestions with regard
to anticipating potentially unconscious practice patterns.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

A third factor, that of Respect for Responses
“There is also a third factor besides the relationship
between voluntary efforts and involuntary effects,
namely a person’s response to the notion of effort and effect.
In the travel from our everyday postures to Yoga postures
we need to consider respect for the idea of responses.
We can often ignore the body’s response to our efforts
within our aims and intentions for ideals, such as in Āsana.
Voluntary efforts and involuntary effects are the variables.”
– 108 Yoga Planning Pointers
– The Viniyoga of Planning Principles Guidelines – Collected & Collated

“Yesterdays Smṛti can become Todays Saṃskāra,
without Tomorrows Saṃkalpa being re-affirmed,
through Todays Sādhana each and every day.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

“Rakṣaṇa Krama is  a proactive process
in the intention to engage in how you
you support an absence of symptoms.”
– 108 Yoga Study Path Pointers

Links to Related Posts:

• Finding your starting point within Āsana to set a direction and route towards a goal…
• Laṅghana Kriyā has two functional dimensions…
• The study of Yoga is a vast undertaking that requires sustained effort……