Links to Related Resources & Longer Articles:

• Exploring the Bhagavad Gītā as a Vinyāsa Krama starting with Chapters One to Six…
• Īśvara Praṇidhānā appears as a Sādhana Upāya at three unique reference points…
• Learning Support for Chanting the Tri Guṇa Mantra – Saṃhitā Pāṭhaḥ – Learning Rhythm
• Learning Support for Chanting the Tri Guṇa Mantra – Krama Pāṭhaḥ – Learning Rhythm
• Learning Support for Chanting the Tri Guṇa Mantra – Krama Pāṭhaḥ – Typical Rhythm
• My understanding on the context and content of Yoga Makaranda….
• Navarātri or the Nine Nights of Durgā as a time for Mantra Sādhana……
• Physiological and psychological considerations around the practitioner’s starting point…
• Studying, Practicing and Learning the Tri Bandha involves Theory, Techniques and Cautions…
• What are the concepts of Sṛṣṭi Krama, Sthiti Krama and Antya Krama?

Collated Related Short Posts & Quotes:

“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

“When Jīva, attached to Prakṛti,
realizes its own true nature with
clear understanding, all desires,
arising from the three Guṇa and
their variations cease entirely.
This state of Vairāgya,
free from all types of desire,
is called Para Vairāgya.”
– T Krishnamacharya on  Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 16

“In this particular Sūtra, along with the following
three verses, Patañjali offers different approaches,
all of which appeal to those with different needs.
All propose that a steadying of the mind can arise
from utilising a Jñānam approach of inner inquiry.
In this verse, the inquiry is directed towards the
relationship of the mind with the internal sources
of sensory processes. Rather than their externalised
role in gathering and presenting objects to the mind.
Knowing how the senses can easily distract the mind,
inquiry into their both their external activities and
internal processes can help to sustain a steady mind,
within the external pull of unhelpful sensory pathways.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter One verse 35

“Can reflection on the relationship
between Svadharma and Dharma
be deepened through the lens of
viewing Niyama within Kriya Yoga,
and Yama as within Aṣṭāṅga Yoga?
This viewpoint, offered by Patañjali, is
one that suggests a preliminary Personal
Svadharma Sādhana, in terms of the three
Niyama introduced as Kriya Yoga in the
opening section in the Sādhana Pādaḥ.
Here, this foundational relationship
offers a Vinyāsa Krama towards how
we can intelligently embrace the more
complex Universal Dharma Sādhana,
in terms of the five Yama within the
Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, that follows later in
the Sādhana Pādaḥ of the Yoga Sūtra.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“According to Patañjali, we initiate our
Sādhana by firstly looking at ourselves,
in terms of our Personal Svadharma via
Kriya Yoga. This aspect of our Sādhana
involves the three activities that nurture
a state of Yoga, namely self-discipline,
self–inquiry and self–awareness.
From there we can be clearer about
what is our place and potential within
the role and purpose of the Universal
Dharma inherent within the Bāhya Aṅga
aspect of  Aṣṭāṅga Yoga in Chapter Two.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two

“What is the nature of the Dṛśya or what can be perceived?
It has three qualities; it reveals, it acts, it has substance.
It has many components, the objects known and the means to know them.
They serve two roles.
When in strong association with the perceiver they produce pleasure or pain –
when this association is absent they let the perceiver visualise its own nature.
Experience of pleasure or pain is by the perceiver.
Freedom from them is also its fundamental situation.
This freedom is no different from Mukti.”
– T Krishnamacharya on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 18

“The Das Indriya or ten senses of experience and action,
whilst seen as belonging to the Bāhya Aṅga or five external limbs
in the eight limb Aṣṭa Aṅga Yoga of Patañjali,
are also the gateway to the Antar Aṅga or three internal limbs.”
– Paul Harvey on Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 54

“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

“Amongst three powerful definitions of Yoga
within the Bhagavad Gītā, the first of which
defines Yoga as Samatvam or equanimity.
TKV Desikachar described it as:
“When acting responsibly within our Dharma,
there is no attachment to the fruits.”
However, he also described Samatvam
as being the fruit of a Sādhana in that:
“Samatvam is a Siddhi.
Because it is a state already achieved.”
Thus, Samatvam is both a Sādhana with a
Saṃkalpa towards the why of our self–interest,
as well as being a Siddhi with the fruit being a
discernment into the how, revealing our deeper
motivations for self–fruit within self–intention.
Hence, that of an acquired skillfulness in acting
from a place of Dharma within the field of Karma.
– Paul Harvey on Bhagavad Gītā Chapter Two verse 48

“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

“A human being is made up of the three Guṇa:
Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
All three are important and have their respective roles.
The role of the Rajas Guṇa is to initiate action.
Every function of the body and action of the person is
because of the operation of the Rajas Guṇa.
Even breathing requires the action of the Rajas Guṇa.
In all his teachings, my father would always insist on action.
As long as a person is alive, the three Guṇa will exist in his system
thereby making action not only necessary but inevitable.”
– Yoga Sūtra on Stress – An interview with TKV Desikachar

“The teacher decides which of the Tri Krama is the best for the student:
Śikṣaṇa Krama requires a perfect knowing to transmit a strict practice,
without any compromise, as it should be in Vedic chanting for example.
Rakṣaṇa Krama is aimed at protection and preservation;
it promotes continuity in any levels like health, abilities, knowledge, etc.
Cikitsā Krama looks for adaptation, healing, recovering…”
– TKV Desikachar speaking with his senior Western students London 1998

“Tri Bandha Sādhana – Jālandhara, Uḍḍīyāna and Mūla,
starts from the top down rather than the bottom up,
in both senses.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“The Teaching of the Tri  Bandha starts the day we teach the exhalation.
1. Introduce the exhalation.
2. Extend the exhalation.
3. Attention on Lower Abdomen during exhalation.
4. Deepen attention on Lower Abdomen during exhalation.
5. Further intensification on the Bāhya Kumbhaka.
6. Introduce Uḍḍīyana Bandha by moving Navel Backwards
and Upwards, towards the point between the shoulder blades.
7. Retain the Mūla Bandha during the inhalation, by holding
the lower abdomen as you release the diaphragm.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“In Learning the Tri Bandha we engage with certain potential contraindications:
1. The Tri Bandha reduce the length and subtlety of the breath.
2. The accumulative effect when repeated should be more intense,
but often the opposite is what can actually happen.
3. In the beginning the use of the Tri Bandha can disturb the system and
create tendencies, such as for the practitioner to lose their temper.
4. The continued use of the Tri Bandha can easily
raise tensions in the neck and shoulders.
5. If the abdomen appears to be retracted strongly, but the breath
is getting shorter the practitioner is probably cheating.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“In Practicing the Tri Bandha we engage with Haṭha teachings:
In that, the inhale takes the Agni towards the Mūlādhāra.
This effect on Agni increases with the Antar Kumbhaka,
as the Antar Kumbhaka helps to intensify the fire.
Following this process in bringing the Agni down,
the exhale takes the Mūlādhāra towards the Agni.
Thus the exhale draws the Apāna towards the Agni,
plus adding Uḍḍīyana Bandha holds the Apāna up.
This is the link with the effect on the Kuṇḍalinī,
though in terms of practice, very hard to get.
Here also, the coming down period is important.
For example, do not eat just after, though you feel hungry.
Uḍḍīyana Bandha is a heating process and Madhura Rasa,
such as sweet rice cooked with milk is initially recommended.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“One primary prerequisite to initiation into a Tri Bandha Sādhana
was an ability in Prāṇāyāma within a Vinyāsa Krama around
Nāḍī Śodhana where the crown was 12 breaths at 12.12.12.12.
Thus, before being taught Uḍḍīyana Bandha,
an essential precursor to Mūla Bandha,
there needed to be competence in sustaining Prāṇāyāma,
within a Vinyāsa Krama leading to a crown ratio of 1.1.1.1.
with the Pūraka, Antar Kumbhaka, Recaka and Bāhya Kumbhaka
each set at 12 seconds in a crown of 12.12.12.12. for 12 breaths.
Thus, a Vinyāsa Krama peak of almost 10 minutes sustaining the crown
ratio within a Prāṇāyāma practice, with the entire practice itself totalling
over 20 minutes, all performed with one technique, Nāḍī Śodhana.
This technique alone is already in itself demanding to sustain with
an inaudible softness, as if pouring oil slowly and smoothly amidst
an almost undetectable deftness of finger movement on the nostrils.
A further example of how there needs to be an effortless skill in working
with the Kumbhaka and how our fluency with all four components of the
breath sets a practice direction and evolution in that, amongst other goals,
it determines our readiness to incorporate the Tri Bandha into our Sādhana.”
– 108 Mudrā Practice Pointers

“Holding the body steady, with the three upper parts erect,
causing the senses and the mind to enter the heart,
the wise person should cross by the boat of Mantra,
all the fear bringing streams of the mind.”
– Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad Chapter 2 verse 8
– 108 Chanting Practice 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