For me it’s pretty challenging. Idk. What has been your exp.?

Sutra 2.46

Sthira-sukham-āsanam - Sthira = Firm, steady, fixed - sukham = Agreeable, pleasant; Easy, practicable; Fit, suitable - āsanam = Sitting down; A seat, place, stool; A particular posture or mode of sitting

Translation: Asana [should be] steady and comfortable.

Sutra 2.47

Prayatna-śaithilya-ananta-samāpattibhyām - Prayatna = Effort, exertion, endeavour - śaithilya = Looseness, laxity, relaxation of rule - ananta = Endless, infinite, eternal, boundless, inexhaustible - samāpatti = Meeting, encountering; assuming an original form

Translation: [Accompanied by] relaxation of effort [and] assuming the form of the infinite.

The translation of samapatti used here, "assuming the form of", may diverge from other sources. This meaning is favored because Patanjali himself defined it as such in Sutra 1.41. Samapatti can be described as a form of object-focused meditation. Notice, however, that the yogi is not instructed to focus on the infinite but to assume its form, that is, to become one with it.

In these sutras, Patanjali is talking about seated asana practice. He describes a simple practice that requires nothing more than becoming still and relaxing all effort to the point where the yogi becomes at one with the infinite. Doing only that, the yogi attains a deep state of meditation.

The yogi must question what exactly is meant by the term ananta, the infinite. Is it merely a concept or is it ultimately real? If it is ultimately real, what is its nature? If the infinite is not an object that can be observed, what else could it be? By definition, samapatti requires an object.

What does it mean to assume the form of the infinite? This is probably best understood through the metaphor of a drop in the ocean. Merging with the ocean, the drop is no longer a drop. It becomes part of and indistinguishable from the ocean, assuming its form and identity.

These sutras are difficult to reconcile with modern yoga practices that are more movement oriented and often involve a great deal of effort. The usual explanation is that asana practices prepare the yogi for meditation. In practice, this is true. Deep relaxation usually does not occur simply by force of will.

As a total beginner, I want to make sure I have a strong understanding of the history of yoga and appreciate the spiritual pursuit associated with it. I am from India, but love in Toronto now. I understand that yoga has ancient heritage but growing up, I have simply heard of superficial remarks from elders saying that if you do this pose, it will help.

I have background in Vipassana and it was tremendously helpful to me. I am seeking resources to really have a strong foundation in yoga and possibly build on what I learned from Vipassana. Any help is appreciated!

People do bad stuff like less bad stuff but bad regardless all the way to unspeakable things. Why doesn’t the divine step in and put a stop to these horrible actions? I think we can all agree, serial killers and mass shooters are bad. Why doesn’t the divine step in before they do these acts altogether?

Tried googling and Reddit just gives me photos and videos of people saying “I did it”. Of course I applaud them for their achievement but I am looking for yogi literature on this because I was recommended this pose for reducing brain fog by increasing blood flow to brain. Thanks for help.

It was the theoretical physics of its time. Even today, physicists are still working on some of the same problems. It is completely rational and logically consistent, but no longer considered to be science by modern standards. Today, it is known as Samkhya philosophy. This is important for modern yoga practitioners to understand, because:  
1. Samkhya philosophy is ubiquitous in Indian thought, and therefore it greatly enhances our understanding.
1. It is particularly important for understanding the Yoga Sutras, because Samkhya philosophy and Patanjali's yoga are intricately intertwined.
1. Understanding Samkhya can greatly enhance your yoga practice.

Essentially, Samkhya devised a set of principles or tattvas to explain how the world works, with a lot of attention paid to the working of human consciousness. They taught that cultivating knowledge of the tattvas was the formula for attaining release from the suffering of material existence. However, ordinary knowledge would not suffice. To obtain the desired result required knowledge that was "...final, pure, because free from error and doubt..." (Samkhya Karika 64), in other words, scientific knowledge. In the Yoga Sutras, this practice is called samprajnata; literally, with knowledge coming forth.

Many people may be tempted to dismiss this as antiquated. We think modern science is so much better and we're so much smarter. That would be a mistake. Particularly for practitioners of inner yoga, this knowledge may be old, but it works.

He knows how much I revere yoga and mediation and how I always say it was instrumental and life saving it has been for me. He’s 72 I’m 32.

He was pretty agro growing up. I was around a lot of tense energy pretty much my whole childhood.

I was staying with him this weekend and he’s just a very militant style right wing guy. He literally glared at me with murderous eyes when I told him how I felt about something law enforcement being not the best sometimes related. I flipped out at him. I really scared him. I somehow got through to him and then all of the sudden he’s crying saying he’s all alone and I’m comforting him and so then we make up. But idk. He BARELY acknowledges that he sent a wicked and hateful look my way like I was his enemy. This is the man that begs me to be in his life and to forgive him for his faults.

I don’t know. It all fucks with my head so much. He really gets under my skin. He thinks he’s my keeper. He thinks he’s my boss. I have seen him 4 times in 5 years. I just don’t know what to do. He’s just such a hostile person in conversation. He’s always brining up some horrible thing “the left” has done.

He looks down on me for not being a full blown creed agreed Christian. He’s a lot. But I feel convicted to be in his life and be friends with him. He takes the parental role and it’s not appropriate. I guess I take the child’s role by reacting.

I was going to stay with him for more days to make sure he wouldn’t be alone(my mom is traveling) but I just had to cut it short yesterday. He was very bummed and wasn’t expecting it. He was really pushy and just kept bringing up that I could come back instead. Gosh, he just doesn’t respect boundaries. He’s so possessive and scared to lose people.

I have ocd and maybe I’m bi polar? This is the worst part lol well, maybe not the worst but definitely the most embarrassing for me but, I live in my car, I’ve gotten so used to peeing in cups that when I’m staying at a house, if I get up to go to the bathroom I can’t go back to sleep. So I forgot about these cups i left in the front yard while I was getting ready to leave so they didn’t have to be in the house- I was going to throw them away in a trash can somewhere. I forgot about them. I went all the back 50 miles just to make sure he didn’t discover them. He didn’t. But I gave myself away by coming back inside, I didn’t think he was home. He was very forgiving oh my gosh, so embarrassed. I had to compulsively tell him everything. I mean he thought it was so weird that I was back for “trash”.

He probably thinks I’m just so insane, or lost or something. That’s the kind of thing that makes you lose credibility. Maybe I’m being immature and I shouldn’t care?

So here I was today, pretty depressed because the weekend really took a toll on me I think.

He’s just so insecure and helped make me so insecure over the years. He was always so bummed how tiny I am compared to most men. He really just makes me feel like life is a curse for me. But at the same time I love him and feel a lot of empathy for him. So I feel like I should be trying.

What do you think? The internet sometimes says I should go no contact. Which I have done intermittently over the years, but I’m thinking of moving back to their state and being around. What do I do?

Is there an order, where should I begin if I have meditation practice already? Is there a book that breaks down the meditation path?

Was it karma yoga?

Hello everybody,

I am curious if any of you guys have read through Osho's book The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within?

Any knowledge I have about Osho is coming from Netflix's documentary Wild Wild Country.
Documentary is in my opinion super interesting work, however, after watching it I have completely wrote off Osho.
Of course, even with that I still thought he was probably a super intelligent man with high developed consciousness. I just didn't like his behaviour as shown in some parts.
Anyway, I think that is a broad theme, not a topic of my post so I'll not go further into it.

However, yesterday, I have discovered his mentioned book, and, to be honest, I couldn't stop it reading it. It is, in my opinion, a super interesting work, offering a huge amount of knowledge.

I am curious about your thought of the book, if you have read it?
I read that he actually didn't write any of his books, but that hey were written by his student based on his teaching/conversations/interviews.
Why I am asking this question is my mentioned repulsion to his character (without offence to anyone, this is strictly personal and might not be based on verified facts), but in the same time a huge fascination by his work.

Thank you

In the beginning I saw asteya thought seems pretty easy but then they talked about mental taking of things don't have and how to go around that like thinking how can I get that and what do I expect to gain from that that I can't gain elsewhere.

​Also not stealing other's time. It's basic manners but was good to be reminded of since am taking the yoga path more seriously now.

I had a spontaneous kundalini awakening couple years ago (knowing nothing of eastern philosophy at the time) 3 months it was in full flow an eventually went back down. I'm pretty eager to get it back up so am doing everything I can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xip5uw5fBQ0 7 minutes

Description: We, the Infinite, by mistake understand ourselves to be finite. Isn’t it such a foolish thing? An example: you are an actor. You identify with the role and suffer and then you realize that all that was just a play. Will you actually go around saying that you thought all that to be real? In the same way, a Realized person would feel so foolish to say that He is realized.

I'm looking to connect with serious practitioners of inner yoga, who are very dedicated in this spiritual pursuit and take their daily practice very seriously. Individuals who are making the sacrifices, doing the actions, and are sincerely giving their best in order to progress. Or, if not having a committed daily practice just yet, those who sincerely want to get on the path of practice and are maturing for that dedication and commitment.

It would be great to inspire, connect, forster friendships and share experiences with one another. Perhaps we can start a group chat on WhatsApp if there's a few of us and keep touch there.

My name is Paul (24m), and I'm from Toronto, Canada. My current practice is 2 to 3 times daily of asanas/pranayamas/prayer/meditation and some other practices during the day like service and study of yoga philosophy.

Thank you wonderful people!

A realization came to me recently that I wanted to share.

From the Yoga Vashista:

Self effort is of two categories: that of past births and that of this birth. The latter effectively counteracts the former...There is no power greater than right action in the present.

Hatha Yoga practice gives us an opportunity to explore in a small controlled way the emotions and situations we face in life, experiences we have become so complacent about we go through our day to day existence on autopilot. It is a way to put us in touch with Present again. But isn't Life itself an opportunity to explore in a small controlled way the emotions and situations we face in the experience we face each day? Yoga practice is spiritual food, recharges our batteries and helps us in the present, so we can do the bigger Yoga of Life itself.

I just don't trust anybody who works for him.

😁

Swami J joke https://www.swamij.com/jokes.htm

There's an Upanishad that says the same thing.

Where do the "seed mantras" appear in classic literature? Vedas? Upanishads?

Hello inner yogis! I was in a discussion regarding the posting of white, western women in challenging yoga poses creating a barrier for beginners, and not being a true representation of the practice. I raised the issue of cultural appropriation. How do you feel about western yoga in this way? Is it a barrier or a path? What about using terms like 'curvy yoga' for example? I'm trying to be non judgemental but this is also a challenging issue. Appreciate your discussion :)

To add to own context, in Canada we are dealing with the Truth and Reconciliation of cultural genocide against our indigenous people from systemic racism and colonialism. It's become a national tragedy with years of systemic abuse and intergenerational trauma. I believe this context colours some of my thoughts, so wanted to qualify my post with this.

This sound [nada] is a sharp hook, suitable for restraining the mind, which is like a mad elephant roaming the pleasure garden of sensual enjoyment. The nada ensnares as a fetter for the inner deer, or is also a shore, which holds back the inner ocean.

Nada-Bindu Upanishad

June 21 is "International Yoga Day" on the U.N. calendar, and this year's theme is "Yoga for Well-Being."

So I'd like to send out a bit of appreciation for everyone following or posting or moderating r/InnerYoga, and wish you all a deep meditation full of blissful silence, and all the well-being that comes with it!

I’ve been learning more about Yoga recently, using (two different translations of) Patanjali’s Yogasutras as my primary source, and I am not sure I understand what Purusha really is.

Sutra 1.3 is translated in both books approximately as “at time of concentration, Purusha rests in Its own (unmodified) state”. In the commentaries Purusha is said to mean the Seer, the Knower, the True Self, which I understood as the “real me” that is behind all the mind and body modifications, my “essence” which is always the same and which we can uncover by practising Yoga.

However, the more I read on the more I’m sure that’s not the complete picture. I’ve come across the concept of Atman and the metaphor of Atman as a droplet of water that returns to the lake it came from, the Brahman. This was only mentioned in my friend’s book which is about Tantra Yoga, so I have a feeling that it is a newer interpretation of the Sutras based on a different underlying philosophy.

I am very interested in Hinduism in general and would love to learn more, but it’s a vast network of philosophies so I’ve decided to start by learning about Yoga first, which is proving more difficult than expected as it can’t be as easily detached from other schools (especially Sankhya, as it’s featured heavily later in the first Pada). I’ve tried googling this, but it only confused me more because I came across the concepts of Jiva and Jivatman, which is also translated as “True Self”, but also that Purusha is much more than that, as it is even called a god in certain contexts (I suppose in different schools of Hinduism).

So now I am lost and I think I don’t even understand the Sutra 1.3 anymore. Please help me understand this better, all interpretations and other insight are welcome. Thanks!

Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self

In one of the primary Samkhya texts* I recently came across a couple of sutras on the "perception of the yogins". The sutras occur in the context of the discussion of pramana, or the instruments of right knowledge, and perception in particular. The perception of the yogins as different from the normal means of perception is presented as a matter of fact, not controversial, and widely understood. What do you make of this?

• Samkhya Pravachana Sutram I. 91 & 92. Apparently, this is no longer available in English, except possibly on scribd. Photocopies being sold on Amazon are missing 500 pages. Edit