Ten to Zen // The Yamas & Niyamas
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is one of the ancient texts on Yoga. Its wisdom is dedicated to the human condition and the (sometimes long and arduous) path to inner peace! In the sutras Patanjali explores ‘the citta vrittis’ which, roughly translates as ‘the mind fluctuations’.
We all suffer from a case of the ‘citta vrittis’ from time to time, particularly when we experience anything that disturbs our inner peace. It could be anything from relaying conversations in our head that we’ve had, should have had, need to have. It might be that we’re thinking ahead of ourselves; imagine taking a walk on a beautiful beach, and instead of being engrossed in the sights, sounds and experiences of the moment, we’re actually distracted by the shopping list, or worrying about our health. Maybe we’re driving somewhere and when we arrive, we’ve forgotten how we got there. Perhaps we leave work and bring home all of the emotions of the day, we come home angry about what was or wasn’t said or done. Maybe you’ve even been to a yoga class and found yourself looking at the clock and thinking about what you’ll have for dinner, rather than connect with what you’re doing. These are all examples of ‘The citta vrittis’ (it’s a great phrase isn’t it?).
The purpose of yoga, rather than to simply work the physical body, is to balance the energy within us, which is made up of what we think, say and do, along with how we nourish ourselves, mentally, physically and emotionally. When we start to engage with the present moment, we catch glimpses of deep peace, deep meaning and deep connection. The more we practice the more we extend these moments to experience periods of truly rich and meaningful life. It’s reassuring to know that Patanjali also states that to attain inner peace a dedicated practice is required; it certainly doesn’t come easily to any of us (yoga teachers included).
10 to Zen is a series of 10 Yoga classes which can be taken over 10 days, 10 weeks or weekly over 10 months, it’s dedicated to the ‘Yamas and Niyamas’ – the 10 principles outlined in the Yoga Sutras which lead us towards our own inner peace, and away from the thoughts and actions which negatively impact our lives. So, in the hope that I might share a little of what I’ve learned through teaching and practicing Yoga over the past 20 years, Ten to Zen is my offering to you… Sign up to my members plan for this and other yoga programmes…