1.23 - 1.26 Surrender

1.23 ईश्वरप्रणिधानाद्वा
Ishvara Pranidhanad Va 
Samadhi - timeless insight and integration - may be reached by self-surrender to God (Ishvara).

1.24 क्लेशकर्मविपाकाशयैरपरामृष्टः पुरुषविशेष ईश्वरः
Klesha Karma Vipaka-Ashayair Aparamirshtah Purusha Vishesha Ishvara
Free of the bondage of action, the laws of cause and effect, and past impressions, Ishvara is the unique being who is unaffected by suffering.

1.25 तत्र निरतिशयं सर्वज्ञवीजम्

Tatra Niratishayam Sarvajnya Bijam
In Ishvara lies the imcomparable seed of all insight and wisdom.

1.26 स पूर्वेषामपि गुरुः कालेनानवच्छेदात्

Sa Purvesham Api Guruh Kalena-Anavachedat 
Unconditioned by time, Ishvara is also the teacher of earlier seers.

In my last post, I touched on the concept of surrender. According to the sutras, enlightenment necessitates surrender to God or our highest self. We embody our highest self when we are operating from a place of unconditional love. This is easy to do when things are going smoothly, but can be challenging to maintain when life sends us a curveball. In these situations, we can utilize the tools previously discussed on this blog, such as becoming present, quieting the mind and not attaching to our judgments.

It is important to point out that there is difference between surrendering and becoming passive and resigned. Surrendering to our higher selves does not mean that we close our eyes to injustice or that we are unmoved by tragic circumstances. Surrender is about accepting that life will always have ups and downs and to embrace both with equanimity. In other words, we experience happiness and sadness, while realizing that neither state is permanent. We know that the only constant in life is change.

Let us take a closer look at how we react to injustice. When we are acting from our higher self, our eyes are open to the injustices occurring in the world and we do what we can to help alleviate suffering. The key is to come from a place of compassion for ourselves and others, including those we perceive as the perpetrators. It can be hard to feel anything but loathing for people who have committed atrocious crimes against other people. However, it is the unwillingness to feel ourselves into another person's shoes that is responsible for much of the suffering in the world.

Another way to look at the situation is to consider that someone who has done truly awful things to other people must have had some truly awful things done to them at some point in their lives. I am by no means justifying the reprehensible actions of certain individuals. However, if we let fear and hate cloud our vision, we will only perpetuate more suffering in the world. Only by surrendering to our higher selves and choosing love can we start to heal ourselves and help heal the world.

1.17 - 1.22 Oneness

1.17 वितर्कविचाराअनन्दास्मितारुपानुगमात्संप्रज्ञातः
Vitarka Vichara Ananda Asmita Rupa Anugamat Samprajnatah 
Samprajnatah is the state of conciousness in which there is an awareness of the object with thought, reflection,  pleasure and a sense of separate self (asmita).

1.18 विरामप्रत्ययाभ्यासपूर्वः संस्कारशेषोऽन्यः

Virama Pratyaya Abhyasa Purvah Sanskara Shesho'nyah

Beyond this, when the mind is emptied with practice,  there is a state in which only the trace impressions (samskaras) remain.

1.19 भवप्रत्ययो विदेहप्रकृतिलयानम्
Bhava Pratyayo Videha Prakriti Layanam
This is the nature of existence for beings without physical bodies and for those who are absorbed in the womb of life awaiting reincarnation. 

1.20 श्रद्धावीर्यस्मृति समाधिप्रज्ञापूर्वक इतरेषाम्
Shraddha Virya Snriti Samadhi Prajna Purvaka Itaresham
For others, this state is realised through faith, will, mindfulness, tranquility, and wisdom. 

1.21 तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः
Tivra Samveganam Asannah
It is near for those who ardently desire it.

1.22 मृदुमध्याधिमात्रत्वात्ततोऽपि विशेषः
Nridu Madhya Adhimatratvat Tato'pi Visheshah
Even among these there are degrees -mild, moderate, and intense.

Sutras 1.17 to 1.22 describe different degrees of mental quieting.

Samprajnatah stands for a state of consciousness where the subject is distinct from the object. In other words, we see ourselves as separate from the rest of the world. In this state, we are aware of our thoughts, feelings and judgements, but we refrain from attaching to them. 

In the next stage, we become aware that separation is an artificially created concept. We realize that we are in fact one with the rest of the universe. There is no separate "I". 

The final stage is one of ultimate freedom, where we have no sense of self and therefore register no thoughts or emotions. This is called Asamprajnata Samadhi.

These stages are not hierarchical, nor do they build on each other. Through a regular meditation practice, it is entirely possible to experience moments of Asamprajnata Samadhi. However, if you're anything like me, you probably struggle with accepting oneness as more than an abstract concept. In the western world, in particular, we are conditioned to think of ourselves as separate from the rest of the universe.

Not only is this approach fundamentally flawed, but it can lead to feelings of isolation, lack of purpose and disillusionment. The more we can accept that we are one with the world around us, the more we will feel a genuine sense of connection and belonging. Sounds good, right?

Let's look at some concrete steps we can take to help us experience oneness.

1. Realise that you are the author of your own story

If you have been following this blog from the start, you may have already played with creating space between outside influences and your reaction to them. The more practised we get at this, the more we realise that life is not something that is happening to us. Rather, we are actively shaping our experience on this earth.

2. Recognize opportunities for growth

If you want to go to the next level, start to open your eyes to how the world around you is a reflection of yourself. Notice that those people and situations that trigger you the most are actually your biggest teachers. They are simply reflections of your own insecurities.The more you can accept yourself, the more you will accept others and the less you will react to situations that used to upset you.

3. Be gentle with yourself

Keep in mind that the path to enlightenment is not linear. There will be days when you feel a strong connection to the universe and life just seems to flow. There will be other days where you lose sight of this connection and everything seems like a struggle. This is what makes us human. When you realize that you have lost your connection, don't scold yourself. Instead, thank yourself for the learning opportunity and then revisit steps 1 and 2 above.

It may sound counter-intuitive, but the more you relinquish control over situations, the more peace and clarity you will be able to find.  For more on this topic, stay tuned for my next post on "surrender"!

1.15 & 1.16 You Are Perfect

1.15दृष्टानुश्रविकविषयवितृष्णस्य वशीकारसञ्ज्ञा वैराग्यम्
Drista Anushravika Vishaya Vitrishnasya Vashikara Sanjna Vairagyam
Vairagya is the mastery over the craving for what has been seen or heard.

1.16तत्परं पुरुषख्यातेर्गुणवैतृष्ण्यम्
Tat Param Purusha Khyateh Guna Vaitrshnyam
The higher vairagya arises from a vision of the Transcendent Being and leads to the cessation of craving for the things of the world.

In my last blog post, I addressed the discipline required to achieve stillness of the mind. There is a second component to this process: non-identification or vairagya.

This aspect of the practice is arguably the more difficult to wrap ones head around. We are all used to working hard to achieve a goal. In fact, this is intrinsic to how our society works. So, what would happen if we took away all notion of achieving a goal. Well, what's the point then?, you might well ask.

The irony lies in the fact that we can only achieve true freedom when we realise that it's already within us. In fact, everything we could ever want or need is already there inside of us. I'm not saying quit your job and go live in the woods. (Although if that is what you want to do, then by all means, go for it!)

It comes back to realising that it is neither practical nor desirable to cast off all things material and live as an ascetic. We are on this earth having this human experience for a reason. And whether or not your purpose here is clear to you, you can rest safe in the knowledge that you are exactly where you need to be, doing exactly what it is you need to be doing.

That is not to say that we should be complacent, it is simply about accepting the present moment, realising that things might change in a minute or tomorrow or in a year, but not making our happiness dependent on that.

Imagine yourself as an infant for a moment, exploring all that the world has to offer. Babies have no concept of needing to get anywhere or being a certain way, they simply delight in what each new day holds. Of course we want children to grow and develop, but we would never tell a toddler that she is not perfect the way she is and that she should hurry up and grow up already.

So what I am trying to say, albeit in a roundabout way, is: Do the work, but realise you are already perfect.

Unil next time, perfect beings! 

1.12 - 1.14 Self Care

1.12 अभ्यासवैराग्याभ्यां तन्निरोधः

Abhyasa Vairagyabhyam Tat Nirodhah
Stillness develops through practice (abhyasa) and non-identification (vairagya).

1.13 तत्र स्थितौ यत्नोऽभ्यासः

Tatra Sthitau Yatnah Abhyasa

Abhyasa is the effort of staying present.

1.14 स तु दीर्घकालनैरन्तर्यसत्कारासेवितो दृढभूमिः

Sah Tu Dirgha Kala Nairantaira Satkara Asevitah Dridha Bhumih 

Continuous care and attention for a long time establishes this practice.

Sutras 1.12 - 1.14 address the discipline required to cultivate stillness in the mind. According to this series of sutras, we must apply effort to remain in the present, using care and attention to establish the practice.

I feel some resistance to the word "effort" in this context. The last thing I want to accomplish with this blog is to add more items to people's to-do list. But what if we turn things around a little? What if our effort was directed at throwing out the to-do list, or at least putting it aside for a moment? What would it look like to redirect the full force of your care and attention inward?

On the surface, this practice can seem a little self-centered, especially if you are someone who considers everyone else's needs before your own. But you just might find that taking the time to focus on your own practice will improve your ability to show up in other areas of your life.

Regardless, you do not have to justify your practice to yourself or anyone else. You deserve to bring care and attention to yourself. After all, you are the only person who will be there for you every step of the way, from the moment you take your first breath to the moment you take your last.

So let's keep up the effort to gift ourselves care and attention, by bringing our mind into the present moment, cultivating stillness and letting go of any judgements that are clouding our mind.

According to yogic philosophy, we are all divine beings having a human experience. Relish the experience and the learning opportunity that it represents,  but don't get too caught up in the day-to-day minutiae of your life.

Ask yourself this: Would you live your life any differently if you accepted your own divinity?

1.5 - 1.11 True Knowledge

1.5 वृत्तयः पञ्चतय्यः क्लिष्टा अक्लिष्टाः

Vrittayah Pancatayah Klishta Aklishta

There are five types of virtues, which may be pleasant or unpleasant.

1.6 प्रमाणविपर्ययविकल्पनिद्रास्मृतयः

Pramana Viparyaya Vikalpa Nidra Smritayah

These are true knowledge, false knowledge, imagination, sleep, and memory.

1.7 प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि

Pratyaksha Anumana Agamah Pramanani

True knowledge is based upon perception, inference, and valid testimony.

1.8 विपर्ययो मिथ्याज्ञानमतद्रूपप्रतिष्ठम्

Viparyayah Mithya Jnanam Atad Rupa Pratistham

False knowledge is conception with no basis in reality.

1.9 शब्दज्ञानानुपाती वस्तुशून्यो विकल्पः

Shabda Jnana Anupati Vastu Shunyah Vikalpah

Imagination is thought based on images conjured up by words devoid of substance.

1.10 अभावप्रत्ययालम्बना वृत्तिर्निद्रा

Abhava Pratyaya Alambana Vritti Nidra

Sleep depends upon and leads to non-being.

1.11 अनुभूतविषयासम्प्रमोषः स्मृतिः

Anubhuta Vishaya Asampramoshah Smritih

Memory is recollecting past experience.

Sutras 1.5 to 1.11 elaborate on the distinction between true knowledge and false knowledge. True knowledge is that which can be proven or logically inferred. False knowledge is knowledge which has been gleened with no basis in reality, through memory or imagination.

Becoming aware of the distinction between true knowledge and false knowledge is one if the major tools of cognitive behavioural therapy. It requires us to awaken to what is going on in our minds as we go about our daily lives.

It can be hard to catch ourselves going down the path of false knowledge, because the process is usually subconscious.

If this is the case, it can be helpful to sit down after an event has occurred and take time to analyze the situation, creating one column for true knowledge and one for false knowledge.  Be very honest with yourself when choosing what to put in each category. Let's say you feel very strongly that everyone at the party was judging you on your appearance. But do you know this for a fact? Or are you making a conclusion based on the insecurity you were feeling?

It also helps to ask yourself lots of questions. For example, you could ask yourself, "Is it a realistic inference to make that everyone at the party was thinking about me and the clothes I was wearing?" "Is it possible that they were just as caught up in their own minds, judging themselves, as me?"

The aim here is not to find answers to your questions, but to find different ways to look at a situation. Ultimately, we want to come out of our thinking mind altogether and just observe what is. However, the first step is simply to realize that the way we view the world is, just that - a point of view. 

By entertaining the possibility that there are different ways to read a situation, we come to realize that our reading of a situation can't possibly be true knowledge. If it was true knowledge, then there could be only one possible reading of the situation. 

After a while, you will become so aware of the workings of your mind that you will be able to nip the creation of false knowledge in the bud. As with all the exercises I suggest in this journey through the sutras, please don't beat yourself up if you catch yourself attaching to false knowledge. Instead, become really curious about the workings of your mind and use the experience as a learning opportunity. 

Knowledge truly is power!

1.3 & 1.4 Seeing Clearly

1.3 तदा द्रष्टुः स्वरूपेऽवस्थानम्
Tada Drashtuh Svaroope Avasthanam
Then the Seer dwells in its essential nature.

1.4 वृत्तिसारूप्यमितरत्र
Vrittisaroopyam Itaratra
Otherwise the movements of the mind are regarded as the Seer.

From the moment we are born, we attach meaning to the things we see. We associate our mother with love and nurturing and relate our milk bottle to a feeling of satiety.

There is a very good reason why we attach meaning to things. We would not have survived very long as a species, had we not learned early on to associate fire with pain and become fearful when faced with an angry bear.

The problem arises when we apply these instinctual associations to our day to day life in a way that does not serve us. We all carry trauma around with us. Perhaps your heart starts to pound in crowds, because you recall losing your parents in a crowd when you were little. Perhaps you avoid social gatherings because of a humiliating experience you had as a teenager. Or perhaps, like me, you have trouble controlling yourself around food, because it acts as an emotional comfort blanket.

Again, there is a good reason why your minds have made these associations. Your mind simply wants to protect you from getting hurt, at whatever cost to your sanity.

Letting go of all judgments towards people, things and situations is virtually impossible and not necessarily desirable. Nevertheless, we can benefit from practicing separation between what we see and the information we attach to that visual.

Next time you catch yourself going down the rabbit hole, stop, take a breath and focus on truly seeing what is going on. Instead of reading into a situation or worrying about what may be, just focus on what is right in front you.

Learning to let go of our judgments is a challenging practice and I will go into it more in the next blog post. In the meantime, I invite you to elaborate on your mindfulness exercises by practicing observation without judgement.

Let's say, for example, you step out of the office and are hit by a blast of cold air. Instead of attaching a story to the cold and how miserable it is making you, shift your attention to the physical sensations you are experiencing. You might feel goosebumps on your skin or experience numbness in your cheeks. Don't attach a judgement to the sensations, just observe them.

Happy mindfulness practice and see you next time for some more information on non-judgement!

1.2 Becoming Still

1.2 योगश्चित्तवृत्तिनिरोधः
Yogas Citta Vrtti Nirodhah
Yoga is establishing the mind in stillness.


In this hectic world we live in, we have become very good at multi-tasking. And stereotypically women are better at this than men. But to what end?

From the moment we get up in the morning, to the moment we fall asleep, our minds are constantly churning. In the shower, we are thinking about what present to get mum for her birthday. During breakfast, we are preparing notes for a work meeting. We eat lunch in front of the computer and on our commute home we are thinking about how to make dinner, put the kids to bed and still get to sleep at a reasonable hour.

Is this endless mind chatter serving you? Or do you feel like you are stuck on a hamster wheel, at risk of falling if you drop the ball for even one second?

If this sounds like you, I invite you to try an experiment. What if, for one day, everything you did during your day was carried out mindfully? That is, every activity, however mundane, receives your complete, devoted attention. If you are brushing your teeth, all of your attention is focused on brushing your teeth. When you are sitting on the bus, you are simply sitting on the bus. Not checking your phone, not planning the rest of your day, just observing.

If you are new to this practice, you will quickly notice your mind wandering. Do not get frustrated. Your mind is just doing what it has been trained to do. It will take some "un-training" for your mind to realize that it is allowed to let go from time to time.

Whenever you become aware of your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the present moment. It can be really hard for your mind to surrender control, especially in the beginning. If this is the case for you, you might like to make use of some training wheels, such as listening to relaxing music and focusing on your breath.

You can also carry around a little notebook to jot down important reminders. This way, you can write down your thought and let go of it, safe in the knowledge that it will still be there waiting for you when you need it. But before you commit your thought to paper, I suggest you ask yourself honestly how important this reminder is to your health and happiness.

So what if you forget one of the ingredients for your dinner party tonight? It could spark an outburst of creativity in the kitchen and provide a talking point for your guests. So what if you forget to iron your favorite blouse? Will wearing a different top affect your productivity at work? Only you can answer these questions and the answer will be different for everyone.

The point of this exercise is not to create added pressure in your life and give you extra material to beat yourself up about. You can not succeed or fail at the exercise. It is simply an invitation to become more aware of the wanderings of your mind and find moments in your day where you could benefit from cultivating a little more stillness.

If a whole day of practicing mindfulness sounds like an insurmountable hurdle at this time, why not pick one activity every day to focus your full attention on. It could be anything from drinking a cup of tea to emptying the dishwasher, or even going to the toilet! Whatever works for you and your schedule.

I look forward to hearing about your experiments!

1.1 Becoming Present

1.1 अथ मोगानशसनभ 
Atha Yoga Anushasanam
Here, now, is the teaching of yoga.

The first of Patanjali's yoga sutras sets the scene for the subsequent sutras and thus for the purpose of this blog. 

Through this blog, I will explore the path to inner peace and harmony, as set out in the oldest text on yogic philosophy.

It is my hope that you, the reader, will come on this journey with me. The best part about the journey is that you don't have to do a single thing, other than pack an open heart and an open mind.

We are so used to working hard to achieve goals, that my invitation might seem too good to be true. Where is the multi-step program? Where are the agenda items?, you might ask. 

The truth is that all the tools we need to find inner peace are already inside of us. We have merely forgotten how to use them.

This is where the sutras come in. The word "sutra" literally means "string" in Sanskrit. Thus, Patanjali's yoga sutras represent individual threads that, when woven together, spell out the key to inner peace.

The first of the sutras is vitally important, because it reminds us that yoga is not just something that we practice on our mats. Physical poses, meditation and breath work are wonderful aids to calming the mind. However, these activities are all a dress rehearsal for day to day life.

When we can bring peace and equanimity to all areas of our lives, then we have truly reached enlightenment. Most of us will not reach that point within our lifetime and that is ok. But every moment that we remember to breathe and let go, we are one step closer to making our journey through this life a lot more enjoyable. In this way, we can not only change our own lives, but we create a positive ripple effect that spreads to everyone around us.

If this sounds at all like something you would like to experiment with, please stick around for my take on sutra number 1.2!

About this Blog

I am writing this blog to document my journey through the "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", specifically the 2009 translation by Ravi Ravindra. The sutras are the guiding principles of the yogic tradition and their conception has been dated as far back as 300 BC. Despite their age, they have lost none of their relevance. In fact, they have a wealth of wisdom to offer for the modern woman, in regards to living a more peaceful and fulfilling life. 

In each blog post, I will cover one sutra (or a number of related sutras) and will share my interpretation of the text. My interpretation is just that - my way of applying the sutras to my own life. This blog is by no means an exhaustive study of the sutras, or even necessarily a correct interpretation. Instead, I hope that "Sutras for Goddesses" will act as a platform to help my fellow divine feminine beings navigate this crazy life. Enjoy your stay here and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!