Yoga Sutra is also the first classic to systematically study the theory and practice of Zen master yoga. It is the fundamental classic of yoga, transcending the boundaries of religion, race, culture, politics and other forms, and is called the most important source and guide of wisdom in life for generations.
The book is divided into four chapters, which comprehensively expounds how yogis enter meditation, achieve the unity of Brahma and Me, and free liberation. The opening statement is a high-level summary of the whole book: Verseatha yoga anushasanam. It means "explain yoga now."
From the first page of the book, we are reminded that the focus of yoga practice is what we are doing and thinking; Remind us to promise to start practicing now and bring it to our later life.
Even in this era, we can still use the oldest wisdom of yoga, just as patanjali wrote: At this moment, awakening self-awareness and living in the present, Yoga Sutra endows all the theories of yoga and forms a complete theoretical system and practical system.
The word "Jing" means to connect in series, just like stringing many pearls together. There is a short poem 196 in Yoga Sutra, which also tells us to live a happy and meaningful life with consciousness through yoga.
So why should we learn yoga? Why is it so important for yoga practitioners?
1. Remind yourself of the real purpose of practicing yoga.
Yoga Sutra has a clear purpose for our practice, which is to increase physical strength, flexibility, relax stress and improve health. However, yoga practice also calms our hearts from kindness, joy and equality.
In the Yoga Sutra, the definition of yoga is given systematically: yoga is to control the fluctuation of the mind, and it also tells us that those psychological states are not yoga states, why we suffer and what we can do. Yoga requires practitioners to maintain inner peace and purity, be kind to others, not discriminate against foreign things, treat equally, treat equally those things that are happy and painful, treat equally those things that are worth or not, and treat the rich and the poor equally. This is pure.
Yoga Sutra tells us a way to discover the inner perfection that already exists, and then begin to understand why we suffer and how to get rid of it.
He reminded us that this is the purpose of yoga.
Yoga sutra teaches us how to practice.
Yoga Sutra says that controlled inhalation and exhalation is pranayama.
Yoga pays great attention to breathing, which is also the difference between yoga and other exercise methods. Many yoga practitioners are struggling with how to breathe correctly, but the Yoga Sutra has long given us the answer.
Yoga Sutra also says: The pose must be steady and vertical. Therefore, the yoga sutra also explains the practice of asana. Yoga has tens of thousands of postures, even hundreds of postures that we often touch. No matter what posture we practice, we need to find a stable and comfortable feeling.
How long we practice a posture can be controlled according to our physical condition. When we are tired, we can do less, and experienced people can do more.
Yoga Sutra says: Perseverance is exercise. All the skills we have mastered must be practiced all the year round in order to achieve perfection. If you can't persevere, you can't enjoy the joy of harvest.
Learn how to coexist with yoga.
In the west, most people regard yoga as a asana exercise! But the Yoga Sutra reminds us that yoga doesn't stop there. If our understanding of yoga is limited to asana, its help to our life will be limited. We may not be able to practice high-intensity poses without scruple. However, by combining yoga poses with other yoga techniques, including meditation, breathing and self-study, we can bring yoga into life and find a deeper connection with yoga.
Yoga is not only a sport, but also a way of existence. Guide us to live a yogi's life, learn to find the highest value of life, and live in harmony with everything around us, even if we encounter difficulties. Perhaps this is the greatest gift that yoga gives us.
04. Connecting the Inheritance of Yoga
We are all part of the inheritance of yoga. Every yogi gains knowledge from the teacher, remembers it, practices it, and takes pride in it. Yoga Sutra helps us understand the history and tradition of yoga, and makes practicing and teaching yoga more orthodox. It can also help us to know more about the inner philosophical thought and connotation of yoga. People who practice yoga should spend 3 minutes a day or one day a week reading the Yoga Sutra, and gradually understand the true meaning of yoga.
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