From the outside, Yoga is easily mistaken as a just a form of exercise, and it is an excellent form of exercise. But as we work our bodies, yoga also directs us to exercise our awareness. This deliberate emphasis on weaving together physical and mental activity yields profound results for body and mind.
Around 2000 years ago, a man named Patañjali organized the teachings of yoga into the Yoga Sutras. Sutra means thread, and this book of 196 aphorisms is the thread that carries this ancient wisdom through time. Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras are a complete and succinct source for the mental exercises of yoga. But a sutra is only a thread. Shared practice and study are the jewels that the thread carries. It has been so for thousands of years.
introduction to fsy philosophy discussion
Classical yoga is a systematic method for developing the self. What we mean by “developing the self” is harder to put into words, but a good approximation might be expanding freedom. When we develop strength and flexibility in asana, we have greater options for physical actions. When we develop the ability to watch the play of our emotions with equanimity, we have greater options for emotional response. Developing the self has to do with deliberately choosing our actions rather than reacting from habit.
All philosophies are like flashlights in the dark. They may help us see a detail with clarity or find a path, but they cannot show us everything. This is the nature of logic and words. The Sutras, then, cannot teach us The Truth. Instead, they lead us to exercises that develop real tools to improve our understanding and experience of our lives. Classical Yoga is founded on both action and reflection. Like the wings of a bird, neither, alone, can get us anywhere. Yoga always pairs philosophical reflection with deliberate action, using these two wings to carry us in a spirit of humility toward our goal.
Our Yoga Philosophy discussions are meant to help us penetrate the wisdom of classical yoga as laid out in The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. To carry us forward, each individual will need two things: a copy of Patañjali’s Sutras for study and reflection and a regular asana practice to develop and test the skillfulness of their actions.
the yoga sutras of Patañjali
Sutra means thread and describes the thread of knowledge memorized and handed down from teacher to student. This thread carries and organizes ideas that are meant to be studied and discussed in fuller detail.
Patañjali recorded the knowledge of yoga around 2,500 BC. There are many good translations and commentaries, many of which are out of print (including my current favorite, Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali by BKS Iyengar). I encourage you to look for old copies at used bookstores. Exploring a variety of translations and commentaries will give breadth to our investigation. First Street has a selection for sale.
the laboratory of asana practice
Asanas have specific benefits for the physical body (including the nervous system). An adept can use asana to treat and prevent a range of ills. Even before we get to this point we can use the challenges of learning asana to hone our skills of action and reflection.
As we work to master new and difficult poses, we struggle with a variety of obstacles – fear, laziness, pride, frustration – pretty much the same pattern of responses we are liable to see in everyday life. But our asana practice is much simpler than everyday life. It doesn’t really matter if we’re successful or not. We can afford to make mistakes in asana practice. Philosophical discussion can easily become abstract and lose relevance. To avoid this pitfall, we will use our individual asana practice as a laboratory to experiment with the ideas presented in the Sutras, so that intellectual reflection remains grounded in physical experience. Physical experience gains meaning and effectiveness when it is paired with thoughtful reflection.
When we share our experiences, we broaden our range of understanding.