…or, as Mario would say, “Here we go!”
One of the commitments I made when I started writing and teaching was to maintain reverence to the yoga sutras and to consult them- in the decisions I make both on and off the mat. They’re non-dogmatic*, and provide what I consider a pretty beautiful basis for the practice and observation of what we have encoded in other disciplines. If you read this blog regularly or know me, you know that those things are important to me- dogma-free, reliance on one’s own wisdom to interpret any instruction, working together with various disciplines (science, philosophy, even pop culture).
Lately, I’ve been wanting something more structured to frame my practice. Vinyasa is great, but sometimes its flexibility leaves me wanting something more solid (much like, if you are very physically flexible in the practice, the challenge is to learn to engage the appropriate muscles). I thought going through a sutra at a time would be a great way to examine, in a structured way, how the roots of yoga show up in my practice, my teaching, and my life right now. It’s not likely that I’ll get through all 198 of them, but I won’t get through any if I don’t ever start.
One other caveat- I don’t read Sanskrit and I am not an academic of yoga philosophy. Luckily, those aren’t bars to the practice or reading. You may not agree with me- welcome to blogland.
I’ll be using the Interpretive Yoga Sutras from Swamij.com.
1.1 Now, after having done prior preparation through life and other practices, the
study and practice of Yoga begins.
(atha yoga anushasanam)
The first translation I got for this was, “Here begins the inquiry of yoga.” Love I haven’t liked many others.
But if “shas” implies a teaching relationship, according to this translation, maybe “inquiry” is not quite accurate. It’s a question of agency- as students, do we inquire or do we remain receptive while someone or something else does the teaching? My guess- both.
So every time we walk into class or unroll a mat in our living rooms, are we starting? Is it auspicious (love that word!) or blessed? I’d vote YES- the only thing that matters is the current practice, not the day before. The day before might have been that “prior preparation.” The ten years you spent doing the ashtanga primary series six days a week is prior preparation. The thirteen years you’ve spent teaching, that old rotator cuff injury, your anxiety- yep, all prior preparation. If you’re not starting now, if you’re not working with what you’ve got, if you’re not showing up ready to accept teaching (even if the only teacher is you), you’re doing it wrong. This is a very Pema Chodron/Thich Nhat Hanh/American Buddhism concept.