The yoga sutras of Patanjali

"Yoga Sutras" may be a text of 195 aphorisms ( sūtras ) statute by Patanjali, that is that the basis for the transmission of Yoga.

It deals with the inner world of man and therefore the suggests that to implement to unharness or cut back the confusion, cognitive content ( avidyā ) owing to all the obstacles and inflicting suffering.

The text consists of 4 pada (chapters), every having a definite and consistent education.
Chapter I: s amādhi ( samadhi-Padah)
This initial chapter consists of fifty one sutras. It explains what the Yoga, the mind, a way to bring home the bacon the state of yoga.
Chapter II: (method sadhana-Padah)
This second chapter consists of fifty five sūtras .
Sadhana suggests that victimisation the strategy.
This chapter introduces the Yoga of action ( kriya yoga ), barriers of temperament and therefore the eight "members" of Yoga ( Ashtanga ).
1. Yama : relative principles, attitudes towards others and therefore the atmosphere.
- gospel : non-violence
- Satya : truth
- Asteya : lack of flight
- brahmacharya : moderation
- Aparigraha : non lust
. a pair of niyama : personal principles, attitudes towards oneself.
- Sauca : purity
- Saṃtoṣa : happiness
- Tapah : asceticism
- Svadhyaya : reading, study and singing of sacred texts
- Isvara-pranidhana ni: dedicate his acts not personal self
3. position : The apply of postures
4. Pranayama : The respiratory exercises and breath management.
. five Pratyahara : non-dependent welfare acquisition sense (sense withdrawal).
These 5 Anga (members) ar the foundations of yoga.
The following 3 ar rather the results and can be developed in Chapter III.
Chapter III: The exceptional schools ( Vibhuti-Padah )
This chapter consists of fifty five sūtras . Vibhuti may be a Indo-Aryan sense power, greatness, prosperity ...
It begins by describing the last 3 anga :
6. Dharana : concentration.
. seven dhyana : meditation.
8. samadhi : the waking up
Then he describes the access to higher states of consciousness, yoga techniques to realize and warned that the search for these powers will become a hindrance.
Chapter IV: the overall freedom ( kaivalya-Padah )
The fourth and final chapter consists of thirty four sūtras . It describes the evolution of the human psyche and therefore the final status: absolute freedom ( kaivalya ).


"When the need to disappear, jewels seem "
Yoga-sutras a pair of.37

The philosophy of yoga

Although the observe of yoga brought mere physical advantages, it already deserves to be a part of our lives. however yoga isn't simply an easy thanks to keep work. it is a real science to steer a balanced life, the simplest way to use its human potential. during this troubled time, yoga provides associate anchor purpose, a path to a a lot of serene house door. It permits people who sleep in a world dominated by technology, keep connected to their natural humanity. It provides the flexibility to continuouslykeep centered, even within the interior of turmoil.
Yoga involves all aspects of life, be they environmental, physical, emotional, psychological or religious.
The word "yoga" comes from the Indic yug , which implies unify, unite. Basically, yoga means that union, union of body, mind and soul union of ego and mind: union of the temporal and therefore the divine.


Various approaches of yoga:
classical yoga, delineated within the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali , and later known as Ashtanga Yoga (yoga to eight steps) and Raja Yoga (Royal Yoga), his effort is directly on the psyche and seeks mental silence 
the yoga , that focuses on postures and management the very important breath and WHO claims to be one among the a lot of accessible aspects of Raja Yoga 
the Karma-Yoga or Yoga of unselfish action, practiced in way of life
the Bhakti-Yoga , targeted on devotion
the Jnana-Yoga or Yoga of data

"The observe of yoga may be a moment of life to the current wherever the body respiratory, thinking ar tuned to identical time vibration.
It is simply that we must always try and perceive ... "

Should be a vegetarian when you do yoga?

As part of yoga training, I took courses in nutrition, during which many questions were asked: "What to eat before class? "" Can you drink coffee? , "" What to eat? "" Is it worth it to eat organic? "Etc.. The answers all revolved around the same principle balance! Find the body intuition to eat well, it was the deal of the day. The question of vegetarianism was also raised, and I was particularly interested: why being a vegetarian is often associated with yoga? Should we become a vegetarian when you do yoga? No, we MUST not, but the question still deserves to be asked. Furthermore the concept of balance, here are two other angles that allow the address: ayurveda and classification of foods beneficial or not, and the principle of non-violence.

The three gunas

Remember the course of ayurveda that I had taken at the beginning of the training? Ayurveda is as the science of life, is an ally of yoga exercises which offers wellness and hygiene life in general and particular body. On this day ayurveda, we sought to identify what our "dosha", ie our basic physical constitution, a kind of essential quality that characterizes us. To these qualities - or "doshas" - are juxtaposed three "gunas" qualities present in all things. Here's how these three gunas apply to food, our topic here:

GUNA	QUALITIES	IN FOOD
Sattva	Peaceful, harmonious, clear	Food nourishes the body in a healthy way, and calms the mind: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, sprouted seeds, honey, etc..  This is all that is natural and not processed, cooked without burnt or eaten preferably raw.
Rajas	moving, exciting, chaotic	Nutrients that stimulate the body, mind and stirs the uncontrollable make:. Spices, tastes too strong, coffee, tea, eggs, salt, chocolate  Eating fast is rajasic.
Tamas	heavy, dark	Food that is not good for the body or the mind, because it makes it heavy and inert: it is where we find the meat, but also onions, garlic, everything is fermented , overripe stale.Overeating is tamasic.

In general, the goal is to increase "sattva". Eat a sattvic, that is to say, light, fresh and natural, to prepare the body for the practice of yoga: if food is just too tamasic - wines, breads, pasta, while large quantities - the body becomes heavy, was sleeping, and it is not ideal to move then.

An interpretation of Ahimsa, non-violence

You can choose not to eat meat or fish for various reasons:

• by taste, or rather disgust. Meat, we think it's blah.
• for ethical reasons because the conditions of rearing and slaughter of animals cruel and unjustified found, you can make the choice not to eat meat - or at least to limit consumption. (Read about the great book by Jonathan Safran Foer, Should you eat animals).
• moral reasons, following the principle of non-violence, ahimsa in Sanskrit. This is another way to explain why yoga and vegetarianism are often associated. Ahimsa means non-violence, ie the rejection of violence in all its forms, the most obvious and radical is not to kill (even if there is more behind this concept). As a yogini, if we apply Ahimsa, we will not eat animals.

Conclusion: meat or not we stop?

Everything is a question  of balance  in yoga, then adopt a radical principle ban seems contradictory.Rather than forbid me to eat meat, I prefer to limit consumption, listen to what I really want ... and honestly, I often do not want meat. I find bland chicken (and the horrors they say about their farming conditions enough to put me off), I'm not a fan of lamb, game leaves me cold. The only thing I did not want to give up: the beef in burgers, sausages and fish ... The change, yes ... but not all!

If you want to change power - either out of respect for the animals to lose weight, or feel better about his body - he must have really wanted. If it is just a loss of something that we like anyway, it probably will not work forever. By practicing yoga regularly, moving his body, calming the mind, the physical and emotional changes are felt almost naturally. After a yoga class, I feel like eating light than going to McDonalds.

We were recommended to read this book: Nourishing Wisdom by Marc Daniel , in particular Chapter Whole Body Eating on the importance of considering food as an experience in itself, and not just something mechanical (I don ' did not find the French translation of the book).

Do you see changes in your diet since you practice yoga?

Introduction to Ayurveda / / In search of my "dosha"

No yoga training this weekend, so I took the opportunity to review my notes before weekend, during which we have followed including an introduction to Ayurveda. I was curious to learn more about this alternative medicine considered the "sister science" of yoga. A few years ago, I had an ayurvedic massage, which I have a strong memory and oily. It is a teacher of yoga center "Kripalu" in western Massachusetts, who came to give us an afternoon of going about it. It was an enthusiasm and a contagious joy. His theoretical presentations were full of illustrated examples, interspersed with breathing exercises. Here is an outline of what we saw during the long afternoon ...

What is Ayurveda?

Originally from India, where it has been practiced for over 5000 years, Ayurveda, the science of life in Sanskrit, is as a lifestyle or a preventive medicine, in harmony with nature and the seasons, including through diet and daily routine. The watchword of Ayurveda is balance - imbalance is a source of physical and mental illness. The goal of Ayurveda is to teach people how to be healthy by understanding their own nature in relation to their environment.

Tell me who you are, I'll tell you what your dosha ...

The universe in Ayurvedic design would consist of five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth. In combination, they form three "  doshas  "or constitutions, or essential physical qualities. Before you begin to follow the principles of ayurveda, we must determine what is the dosha . Everyone has one dose of each of these three doshas, ​​but one of them is supposed to be dominant. In a few words their main characteristics:

• Vata is the temperament of the movement of the wind. People who are "vata" are enthusiastic, sensitive and very creative.
• Pitta: this is the temperament of the transformation. People who are "pitta" are determined, organized, accurate, intelligent.
• Kapha: this is the temperament of stability. People who are "kapha" are generous, kind, responsible, loyal, calm.

Questionnaires to determine their dosha, which is based on the mental and physical, are also found online if you want to try ( questionnaire in English  or French ).

Adopt a daily routine wellness

Once we have determined what his "dosha" must learn to balance it, so that there is no lack or excess.For example too much vata , the characteristic of the movement can create insomnia, nervousness and even indecision. Or too much pitta will create arrogance or too competitive temperament. In short, we forget the slogan balance! Every type of person, every time of year, we must find the means, power , routine hygiene , and activities physical balance everything. For example, if it is kapha , or someone strong, solid, strong, if we eat too heavy, it will "aggravate" our case, in the same way as if it was a way of life too quiet, it will pull us down.

I like discovering new systems of thoughts, it's like telling me a story about an alternative way of seeing the world, and I had to ask myself what I can get interesting ? Although some concepts may seem esoteric, the central idea of ​​balance is common sense, and I think is important: eat light in the summer, do not exercise too hard when it's too cold or too hot, etc.. And it is often the things we tend to forget, probably because of an accumulation of habits more or less harmful. Anyway, I have yet to determine what my "dosha" - every time I took the test, it was different that emerged ... and I could follow a roadmap wellness specially devoted to my " dosha. " To be continued!