Yoga Sutras of Patanjali-deeper than the deepest ocean

The past few weeks I have been starting Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali over, from the very beginning. I started at the preface, I am now only at the Prologue.  In the past ten years, I think I have read the first three chapters many times over.  I have a suspicion I am still missing out on the big picture.  The big picture meaning that this is not a book you sit down and read cuddled up on the couch with a cup of coffee..........it is a book that needs to be read over and over until its subject matter permeates your being.

Permeate:  to diffuse through or penetrate (via Merrium Webster online)

To encourage this permeation, I am going to read and write about my experience here.  However simple or childish my understanding may be, I will try my best to understand what each sutra is trying to give me.  This is a way for me to not only work on my svadyaya (self study or study of spiritual scriptures) but to encourage all of us yoga practitioners to delve a little deeper into the practice.  This already gives me a feeling of apprehension, but how else will I ever commit to such a task?  This may take quite a long time, who knows, I may have another blog or website by the end of this!

I have had the feeling that you have to be a genius, a brilliant person with super human brain power to delve into such a project.  But why sell myself short?  If any of you out there would like to help me on this journey,  let me know! I would love guest writers, comments, and company just sitting down and discussing.  What I do ask, is that there be no negativity, judgement, or harshness of another's idea of what a sutra is giving them.  In my humble opinion,  we need to seek a state of peace no matter how we may disagree.  This is a project of courage and hopefully this can shed some light on why we are yoga practitioners at all. 

Step 1-finish prologue

Yoga=Transformation of.....everything

Today I experienced transformation. I think we always experience some form of it every time we choose to step on our mat. This morning I was challenged by my mind. It said to stay put on the couch, read an entire novel, and feel sorry for myself.  I chose to get off my butt and get to Dean Lerner's Saturday morning session.  I am very thankful I did.

Dean's sense of humor and dedication to the method are always refreshing to me.  Today he encouraged us to move beyond the rigidity that can sometimes accompany the Iyengar method. He spoke of the importance of Supta Pandangusthansana series and the positive effects it can have on our hips.  When we got to anatasana, a difficult pose for most of us, he had me press into his foot with my bottom foot for stability. I felt some freedom and stability I typically do not feel in that wobbly pose. Then he says, "What happens if I walk away?"  I thought to myself, "AHHHH! Don't do it! I want to keep this feeling. Please oh please!"  He did anyways, and I wobbled. Dean also taught a point in a few postures of the importance of not just stretching, but to challenge the top leg and arm away from one another to create even more steadiness in the posture. Lesson learned,  I lived and I learned the importance of not just being flexible, but being stable.  I walked in feeling like a sea-legged zombie, walked out able to stand up and face the rest of my day.

No matter where we are at in our lives, in our bodies, in our minds, the practice of asana, breath, and simple mindfulness can change the moment. Thank you Dean for sharing your pearls of wisdom.