So where to start? Lets start at the beginning.
अथ योगानुशासनम्
atha yoga anuśāsanam
With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga.
~ Yoga Sutra 1.1
atha - now, auspiciousness, a prayer, a good omen
yoga - joining, union, junction, application, deep meditation, contemplation of the Supreme Spirit
anuśāsanam - advice, direction, guidance given in a procedural form
Whether you have just landed for the first time in the realm of yoga, on this page or been dedicated or dabbling for years, there is something about just landing on the mat as we are, where we are as an accumulation of all our experiences that we can relate to.
Yoga is an ancient practice, steeped in wisdom from sages and rishis in India who began to open up the exploration of us as individuals as a part of a much grander and intelligent system. The word itself, yoga means ‘union’ or ‘to yoke’ and offers us a philosophy for living, a state of mind and a discipline that allows us in this modern world to open up to that universal connection.
The first written recordings of yoga philosophy came about some 2500 years ago from the renowned sage, Patanjali. These recordings known as The Yoga Sūtras, a collection of aphorisms, outline the eight limbs of yoga as a serious of ‘threads’ of wisdom, or ‘seed’ teachings offering potent tools and steps to living a meaningful and purposeful life.
The sage Patanjali outlined for us in these sutras the Eight Limbed Path (more on that to come), steps toward an enlightened blissful state that apply now as the yogis code for living and moving through the world with a higher awareness.
Though there is not necessarily one such text that the philosophy and practise of yoga is based on, the Yoga Sutras do provide the most succinct guide that we can look into, practise with and meditate on. We can use these threads to guide us through our steps into fulfilling our potential, landing on our most true path and discovering the most meaningful life we can live. The first sutra (above) can be with us in any given moment to bring us into the present moment.
As we land on our mats - yes of course, however more importantly in those moments of frustration in a queue, when we want to be present with our kids, friends or partner, when we need to apply our focus or make an important decision - we can remember that feeling from the mat of ‘now’.
That in this moment, atha, my life has given me preparation and practice to allow me to be here now, present and awake.
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